Cardio

You may naturally feel like a runner or cyclist. But maintaining your cardio addiction while trying to bulk up won’t work. While cardio is great for cutting fat, it’ll also toast the calories you ned to fire muscle growth, and sap the energy required to lift heavy, muscle-growing weights. So put your running shoes away for now – or at least cut back to one session per week.

Supplements

If you favor energy drinks and bars to help give you a boost in the gym, fine. But watch out for sugar and stimulant content. An over-reliance can lead to you staying awake when you should be resting, and even over-training to injury. Some trainers swear by multivitamins, amino acids and creatine. Others skip the supps entirely. Experiment, and see what works for you.

Stress

We’re all stressed in one way or another, but try to deal with it. Too much of the stress hormone cortisol can interfere with testosterone production and slow down muscle growth, reducing your gains. Plus, too much cortisol can even lead to the breakdown of the muscle you already have. A good way to chill out is to cut out the coffee (or at least replace it with tea), as caffeine places the body in stress mode, starting the process of cortisol release. Plus, it’s difficult to lift weights with the jitters.

Rest

Yes, you want to bulk up as quickly as possible. And yes, it’s addictive once you start. But have a day off every now and then and you’ll see benefits more quickly. Not only will overdoing it likely lead to injury, but none stop training will over strain your muscles without giving them time to grow and recover, which is exactly the point. So, have a day off in front of the TV once or twice a week. Forget about training for the time being and don’t beat yourself up if progress seems slow. Having a bigger chest isn’t the most important thing in the world, after all.