The major big mistake among many of those trying to gain lean muscle mass is too simply doing it on the wrong level of intensity. But to begin, we must make clear what we mean with intensity in this context. Intensity is one of the most misunderstood terms in among the weight training population. Many think it is something like the amount of rest between the sets or something similiar.
This is however wrong. Intensity is the general stress the training demand from you. The intensity can be too hard and demanding or the opposite, too weak and wimpy. To achieve consistent sucess one must find a level of intensity that make it possible to make regular gains in both strength and muscle mass. I used to this big mistake myself. I never seemed to be able to find the proper level of intensity.
No matter what I did it never seemed to work right. I was always using the same weights, never doing more repetitions than the last workout, or the workout before that, and so on. My diet and and general rest was in fact pretty decent. I was getting good amounts of protein and did sleep 7-8 hours every night. I tried many different routines, mostly from popular bodybuilding magazines.
What I did not realize is that most of these routines are suited for elite level bodybuilders and not your Average Joe. The bitter truth is that genetics is a hugely improtant factor in the iron game. One person can grow like weeds from a certain routine, while the same routine will crush another person into the ground. I started to do a lot of research on the matter and did found No Nonsense Muscle Building by Vince Delmonte to be a great resource. When I implemented the strategies and knowledge from this system I finally started to make those consistent gains I always wanted. This system was meant for me and not the genetic elite.