Do you feel like you're pushing yourself every day in sports, but you're starting to stagnate? Have you been making little progress lately and would like to understand why? Don't worry, this is completely normal. And we're going to guide you through this milestone so you can enjoy the fruits of your efforts.

Eat more.

It is possible that you have entered a phase of stagnation because you have not adapted your diet to your training. You must increase your energy intake if you want to continue to gain muscle. Indeed, muscle mass is very energy-intensive, and therefore increases your daily energy expenditure. You should not be afraid to eat more, to finally see your muscles form. Initially, for a beginner, 3 meals a day may be enough but very quickly if you want to continue to progress, think about multiplying your food intake by adding 2 to 3 snacks for example. Obviously several factors must be taken into account in your ability to gain muscle mass such as genetics, age, recovery, the limits of your body... But initially to promote your mass gain, it is essential to eat a balanced diet and adapt your macro and micronutrient needs. You can find our complete calorie guide here on our blog. Finally, make sure you drink enough water. Hydration is a key element in muscle recovery/building.

Don't underestimate your rest.

Rest time should be an integral part of your training. Indeed, it is during these recovery phases that your body rebuilds itself. Training for too long too often can lead to overtraining and slow down your progress. It is important to understand how your muscles are formed. During your training, muscle fibers break down and during the recovery phase your body will repair its damage and create other fibers to strengthen them, thus causing muscle mass gain. It is therefore essential to learn to be as rigorous in your training as in your rest. Remembering to eat, drink enough, not overtraining and sleeping at least 7 hours is essential to continue progressing. We advise you to have a training program that allows you to know in advance your rest days and the muscle groups you will work to avoid always working the same muscles without allowing them to recover.

Vary your training.

Remember that the human body is an intelligent machine. It has a highly advanced capacity for adaptation. You've been doing the same workout for a long time, it seemed to work for you, yet it's been a while since you've seen any progress? Nothing more normal, we reassure you, we're going to give you some avenues to explore so you can continue to progress. Here's what you can think about changing as soon as muscle stagnation sets in:

• Your frequency, your tempo: modify your training cycles, the number of repetitions and sets, also think about modifying your recovery times to find what works for you.
• Your exercises: change your routine, discover new practices and exercises, try new machines in the gym, work different muscle groups to always progress and continue to challenge yourself.
• Weights: If you feel more and more comfortable with the weights you are lifting and you have been lifting the same weights for months, move on to the next level!

Be careful, there's no need to systematically change your program too frequently; it's important to listen to your body and take note of your progress. If you notice that you're continuing to gain muscle, keep the same workout. But remember to change it as soon as you start to stagnate! This is also the best way to stay motivated!

Make a training program.

Establishing a program is a very effective way to keep track of your progress. Schedule your workouts, rest days, and weights, and most importantly, keep track of your physical progress. You'll never lose sight of what works for you, what you've already accomplished, and when it's time to adjust your program!

In summary.

Eat more. Don't underestimate your rest. Vary your workouts. Create a training program.