Want to know how to spot a fitness pro? And Faithful? Ask them how much muscle you can gain in a month. If they give you an answer other than “it depends,” work with someone else.
In a world that values quick fixes, it’s natural to wonder how soon a training plan will start producing visible results. But hypertrophy — or the growth of skeletal muscle fibers — is a complex equation with multiple variables. Biological sex, genetics, nutrition, training, sleep habits and current fitness level all play a role.
“Predicting how much someone will gain is an impossible question to answer,” says Todd Buckingham, Ph.D., chief exercise physiologist. The Bucking Fit LifeA wellness coaching company. “I honestly couldn’t even answer that question for myself.”
And if someone quotes you a specific amount in pounds or inches? “They’re full of it!” Joke Buckingham.
While no one can accurately predict how much muscle you can gain in a month, you can use what we know about muscle growth to optimize your training and lifestyle to work toward your body composition goals. Here’s what you need to know.
How Muscles Are Formed
Hypertrophy is the body’s way of adapting to new or increased stimulation, Buckingham explains. This comes in the form of mechanical stress and metabolic stress.
mechanical stress Resistance refers to the force placed on your muscles during training, which causes micro-tears in your muscle fibers.
“Your body needs to repair and rebuild these micro-tears to make your muscles bigger and stronger, so that the next time you do the same activity or lift the same weight, they’re not as damaged as they were last time,” explains Buckingham.
Metabolic stress Occurs when you work your muscles to the point where “metabolic waste” (a byproduct of energy production) accumulates faster than your body can remove it.
But where is the balance between mechanical stress and metabolic stress when it comes to building lean mass?
According to a study by leading exercise scientists, Brad Schoenfeld, PhD, CSCS“Mechanical and metabolic stress occur simultaneously, making it difficult to tease out the effects of one from the other.”
What we do know is that actual muscle building occurs in Workout when your body is at rest.
“When you’re lifting, you’re actually breaking down your muscles, but then it builds up,” says Buckingham. What’s more, hormones that facilitate muscle growth are released mostly at night. “So sleep is really important for increasing muscle size,” he adds.
How fast can you gain muscle?
Even if muscle growth happens at night, it doesn’t necessarily happen overnight – Several factors affect how fast you can gain muscle. And while you may focus on muscle improvement at the start of a new fitness program, the most significant gains are actually happening in your nerves.
“During the first eight to 12 weeks of starting a strength-training program, the single most influential factor in improving your strength is neural adaptation,” says Buckingham. “Your nervous system becomes more efficient at sending messages from your brain to your muscles and recruiting more of the right muscle fibers.”
Buckingham compared it to completing a maze. The first few times you try to do this, you’re going to hit a dead end. But, with time and repetition, you will eventually learn the fastest way.
“Lifting and recruiting muscle fibers are the same thing,” he says. At first, your nervous system may recruit too many muscle fibers or the wrong muscle fibers altogether, but it eventually learns the fastest, most accurate path. And that When hypertrophy begins to be measurable.
So, if you don’t see the slightest difference in your muscle size after a month of training, don’t give up! Your body is changing – you just can’t see it yet.
Factors that affect muscle growth
Factors within and outside of your control determine how much muscle you can gain in a month (or any time). When setting body composition goals, it is important to consider the following.
1. Genetics
Here’s the unfair truth about genes and muscle mass: You can follow the same diet, weight lifting program, and sleep schedule as someone else and experience completely different results. something Research Heredity accounts for 50 to 80 percent of your muscle mass.
Also, men gain more muscle mass at a faster rate than women. “It’s primarily because of testosterone and growth hormone,” says Buckingham, since women have less But research also shows that strength gains by women are generally similar to those achieved by men, meaning they are able to build browns without adding bulk.
2. Age
As we age, our anabolic (growth) hormone levels decrease, making it more challenging to gain muscle. Even the most dedicated lifters will eventually gain experience SarcopeniaLoss of muscle mass associated with later stages of life.
“Strength training will help preserve some of that muscle mass, but it’s inevitable that, even if you continue to lift for the rest of your life, your muscle mass is going to decrease,” says Buckingham.
3. Food and nutrition
Most people understand that high protein intake is necessary for muscle repair and recovery. Studies suggest that a range 1.4 grams from 2.2 grams Protein per kilogram of body weight per day can be effective for building muscle.
Other macronutrients – carbohydrates and fats – are also essential, as they are integral to recovery and hormone production (among other physiological processes). Also, you need enough carbohydrates for your training.
Buckingham also points out that you must be in a calorie surplus to build muscle. “A lot of people want to lose weight but also gain muscle size, and that’s not going to happen because, to gain muscle, you need extra calories.”
4. Rest and recovery
“Sleep is where you release hormones that cause muscle growth,” says Buckingham. “So if you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re not causing those hormones to be released.”
Aim for at least seven hours of sleep each night and include recovery time between workouts by scheduling your training and rest days. “If you lift constantly and never give your muscles a break, they don’t have time to repair, rebuild and grow,” he says.
5. Training
The way you structure your exercise program greatly affects your muscle growth, and luckily, it’s something you can calibrate to your goals. Generally, you want to hit each muscle group a few times a week (interspersed with recovery periods) and your load should generally be heavy.
“Three to four sets of 8 to 10 repetitions at 75 to 85 percent of your one-rep max,” says Buckingham. “It will give you the most bang for your buck.”
BODi Like Weightlifting Program you are deep, Elevator4And sure thing Target different muscle groups in each workout so you can maximize training and recovery. They also vary exercises and intensity to prioritize progress and keep things fresh.
Best exercises for fast muscle growth
For hypertrophy, Buckingham recommends focusing on compound (multi-joint) lifts that target larger muscle groups. Below are some go-to exercises.
1. Barbell front squat
- With the barbell resting on a squat rack, place the bar shoulder-width apart with your hands. Bring your shoulders under the barbell so that your elbows are bent and facing forward, and the bar rests on top of your shoulders with your palms or fingers under you.
- Lifting the bar from the rack, step back and stand tall with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. This is the starting position
- With your back flat, chest up and core braced, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
- Pause, and then push through your heels to return to the starting position.
2. Romanian Deadlift
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a pair of heavy dumbbells or barbells in front of your thighs, palms facing you. This is the starting position.
- With your back flat, shoulders back and core engaged, push your hips back, lowering the weight in front of your body to mid-shin level, keeping a slight bend in your knees.
- Pause, and then reverse the movement to slowly return to the starting position.
3. Dumbbell bench press
- Lie on a flat bench holding a pair of dumbbells directly above your chest with your palms facing forward. Your head, upper back and butt should touch the bench and your feet should be flat on the floor. This is the starting position.
- Keeping your core engaged, slowly lower the weights to the sides of your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body (your upper arms and sides of your torso should form a 45-degree angle at the bottom of the movement).
- Pause, and then push the weights back to the starting position.
4. Dumbbell bent-over row
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Close your core, push your hips back, bend your knees slightly, and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor. Keep your glutes engaged to protect your lower back.
- Let the dumbbells hang at arm’s length with your palms facing each other. Engage your shoulder blades to keep your shoulders pulled back. This is the starting position.
- Without moving your torso, and while keeping your elbows tucked and back flat, squeeze your shoulder blades together and row the weights next to your ribs. Make sure the elbows have a 90-degree bend, so you’re lining up with your ribs and not your armpits.
- Pause, and then lower the weight back to the starting position.