Want to know how to identify a knowledgeable fitness professional and trustworthy? Ask them how much muscle you can gain in one month. If they give you any answer other than “it depends,” work with someone else.
In a world that values quick fixes, it’s natural to wonder how quickly 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.
“Determining how much someone will gain is an impossible question to answer,” says Todd Buckingham, Ph.D., a senior exercise physiologist at Harvard University. The appropriate life for the caliphateWellness coaching company. “I couldn’t even answer that question myself, to be honest.”
And if someone quotes a specific amount of pounds or inches? “They’re full of it!” Buckingham jokes.
Although no one can accurately predict how much muscle you can gain in one 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 are muscles formed?
Buckingham explains that hypertrophy is the body’s way of adapting to new or increased stimuli. This comes in the form of mechanical stress and metabolic stress.
Mechanical stress It refers to the force placed on your muscles during resistance training, which causes micro tears in your muscle fibers.
“Your body has 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 damaged as much as they were the last time,” Buckingham explains.
Metabolic stress It occurs when your muscles work to the point where “metabolic waste” (a byproduct of energy production) builds up in your body faster than it can be removed.
But where does the balance lie between mechanical stress and metabolic stress when it comes to building lean mass?
According to research conducted by a leading exercise scientist, Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., CSCS“Mechanical stress and metabolism occur side by side, making it difficult to extract the effects of one from the other.”
What we do know is that actual muscle building occurs between Exercises when your body is at rest.
“As you lift weights, you’re actually breaking down your muscles, but then they’re being built,” Buckingham says. Furthermore, hormones that facilitate muscle growth are released mostly at night. “That’s why sleep is really important for increasing muscle size,” he adds.
How quickly do you gain muscle?
While muscle growth does happen at night, it definitely doesn’t Overnight — There are several factors that affect how quickly you gain muscle. And while you may focus on improving your muscles at the start of a new fitness program, the most significant gains actually happen in your nerves.
“In the first eight to 12 weeks of starting a strength training program, the most influential factor in improving your strength is neurological adaptations,” 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 likens it to completing a maze. The first few times you try this, you will hit a dead end. But over time and through repetition, you will eventually learn the faster way.
“Lifting and recruiting muscle fibers is 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 faster, more precise path. and this When inflation begins to become measurable.
So, if you notice little to no difference in your muscle size after a month of training, don’t stop! Your body is changing, and you can’t see it yet.
Factors affecting muscle growth
Factors within and outside your control determine how much muscle you can gain in a month (or in any period of time). When setting any 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, weightlifting program, and sleep schedule as someone else and experience completely different results. some research It is suggested that genetics accounts for 50 to 80 percent of your muscle mass.
Men also tend to gain more muscle at a faster rate than women. “This is primarily due to testosterone and growth hormone,” Buckingham says, which women have less. But research also shows that the strength gains women achieve are usually similar to those achieved by men, meaning they are able to build muscle without adding mass.
2. Age
As we age, our growth hormone levels decline, making it more difficult to gain muscle. Even the most dedicated lifters will eventually experience this Muscular atrophyLoss of muscle mass associated with later stages of life.
“Strength training will help maintain some muscle mass, but it’s inevitable that even if you keep lifting weights for the rest of your life, your muscle mass will decrease,” Buckingham says.
3. Diet and nutrition
Most people realize that a high protein intake is essential for muscle repair and recovery. Studies indicate that a group of 1.4 grams to 2.2 grams of 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). Additionally, you need enough carbohydrates to fuel your training.
Buckingham also points out that you must have a calorie surplus to build muscle. “A lot of people want to lose weight but they also want to gain muscle, and that’s not going to happen, because in order to gain muscle, you need to take in extra calories.”
4. Rest and recovery
“Sleep is where the hormones that cause muscle growth are released,” says Buckingham. “So if you’re not sleeping enough, you’re not causing these hormones to be released.”
Aim to get at least seven hours of sleep each night, and incorporate recovery time between workouts by periodizing your training and setting rest days. “If you’re constantly lifting weights and never giving your muscles a break, they won’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 fortunately, you can calibrate it according to your goals. In general, you should work each muscle group several times a week (with intermittent recovery periods), and your load should usually be heavy.
“Three to four sets of 8 to 10 repetitions at 75 to 85 percent of your one-rep maximum,” says Buckingham. “This will give you the most bang for your buck.”
Weightlifting programs on BODi such as You are deeper, Elevator4and Sure thing Target different muscle groups in each exercise so you can maximize your training and recovery. They also vary exercises and intensity to prioritize progress and keep things fresh.
The best exercises for rapid muscle growth
For hypertrophy, Buckingham recommends focusing on compound (multi-joint) lifts that target large muscle groups. Here are some go-to exercises.
1. Front squat with a barbell
- With the barbell on a squat rack, hold the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart. Position your shoulders under the barbell so that your elbows are bent and facing forward and the bar is on the underside of your palms or fingers across the top of your shoulders.
- Lift the bar from the rack, step back and stand tall with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width. This is the starting position
- Keeping your back flat and your chest high and supported, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
- Pause, 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 a barbell in front of your thighs, with your palms facing you. This is the starting position.
- Keeping your back flat, your shoulders back, and pushing your hips back, lower the weight along the front of your body to mid-calf level, maintaining only a slight bend in your knees.
- Pause, then slowly reverse the movement to 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 seat, and your feet should be flat on the floor. This is the starting position.
- Keeping your torso 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, 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. Bracing your torso, push your hips back, bend your knees slightly, then lower your torso until it is almost parallel to the floor. Keep your glutes engaged to protect your lower back.
- Let the dumbbells hang at arms length with palms facing each other. Engage your shoulder blades to keep your shoulders pulled back. This is the starting position.
- Without moving your torso, keeping your elbows bent and your back flat, lift the weights to either side of your ribs while squeezing your shoulder blades together. Make sure there is a 90-degree bend in your elbow, so you are paddling your ribs and not your armpits.
- Pause, then lower the weights back to the starting position.