Original post on Quora - Why is it difficult to gain muscle?
Here’s why…
Building muscle takes a lot of effort… not only from the physical exertion required but also from a recovery standpoint.
The human body is incredibly adaptive to the environment.
And that environment will determine the expression of your genes.
It’s a copout to say “it’s not in our genes” because you can clearly see people of all shapes and sizes around us.
Sure, we can’t be as big as the gorilla in the post below Source because well… we’re not gorillas. We don’t have the bone structure, the same physiology, nor the same environment.
But just as any change requires effort, so does building muscle.
Your body is constantly repairing and turning over cells to keep you alive. At the minimum, your body needs a certain amount of nutrients just to maintain all functions (breathing, cell turnover, digestion, organ function, etc.)
So for muscle gain to happen, you need to eat above and beyond what your body needs but you also need to force your body to adapt and grow through an external stimulus via resistance training.
Having exceptional amounts of muscle mass is a function of the stress they’re subjected to.
Why do gorillas have high levels of muscle mass? Because it’s functional and necessary to survive in their environment. Those muscles have to support their body weight as they climb trees and move around.
Why do so many construction workers have big arms and upper bodies?
Because they’re lifting heavy shit all day at work. Their muscles grow due to the external stressors of the job.
If their muscles didn’t adapt by getting stronger and bigger over time, injury is bound to happen. So building strength and muscle is not only happening because we want to look good, but also because it’s protective.
And lastly — look at the strength sports and general athletic populations. They differ greatly in levels of lean body mass than the average person. It’s all about the stressors they’ve subjected themselves to.
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A better question to ask is “what can I do better to improve my chances of building muscle?” instead of wishing the process weren’t so hard…
When you look at how you can improve your process, you can make the changes necessary.
Some resources for you:
The Science Of Bulking: How To Build Muscle Without Getting Fat