How much muscle can you really gain in a month?

Want to know how to identify a knowledgeable fitness professional? and reliable? Ask them how much muscle you can gain in a month. If you get an answer other than “it depends,” work with someone else.

In a world that values ​​quick fixes, it’s natural to wonder when a training plan will start to yield visible results. But hypertrophy – or the growth of skeletal muscle fibers – is a complicated equation with multiple variables. Biological sex, genetics, nutrition, training, sleeping habitsand current fitness level everyone plays a role.

“Saying how much someone will earn is an impossible question to answer,” says Todd Buckingham, Ph.D., chief exercise physiologist at Life in shapea wellness coaching company. “To be honest, I couldn’t even answer that question myself.”

What if someone quotes you a specific number of pounds or inches? “They’re full of it!” jokes 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 achieve your body composition goals. Here’s what you need to know.

How muscle is formed

Hypertrophy It’s the body’s way of adapting to new or increased stimuli, Buckingham explains. This comes in the form of mechanical stress and metabolic stress.

mechanical stress It refers to the force exerted on the muscles during resistance trainingwhich causes microtears in the 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 aren’t as damaged as the previous time,” explains Buckingham. .

metabolic stress It occurs when you work your muscles to the point where “metabolic waste” (a byproduct of energy production) builds up in your body faster than it can be eliminated.

But where is the balance between mechanical stress and metabolic stress when it comes to building lean mass?

According to research from one of the leading exercise scientists, Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., CSCS“mechanical and metabolic stress occur together, making it difficult to distinguish the effects of one from the other.”

What we do know is that actual muscle development occurs between workouts when your body is at rest.

“While you’re lifting weight, you’re actually breaking down the muscle, but it’s later when it gets stronger,” says Buckingham. What’s more, the hormones that facilitate muscle growth are released mainly at night. “That’s why sleep is really important for increasing muscle size,” he adds.

How fast can you gain muscle?

While muscle growth occurs at night, it certainly does not happen overnight — Several factors affect how quickly you can gain muscle. And while you may focus on muscle improvements at the beginning of a new fitness program, the most significant gains are actually occurring. in your nerves.

“In the first eight to 12 weeks of starting a strength training program“The most impactful factor in improving strength is neural adaptations,” says Buckingham. “Your nervous system becomes more efficient at sending messages from your brain to your muscles and recruiting more of the right ones. muscle fibers.”

Buckingham compares it to completing a maze. The first few times you try, you will hit dead ends. But, over time and through repetition, you eventually learn the quicker way.

“Lifting and recruiting muscle fibers is pretty much the same thing,” he says. At first, your nervous system may recruit too many muscle fibers or the wrong muscle fibers, but eventually it learns the quickest and most accurate way. AND that is when hypertrophy begins to be measurable.

So if you see little to no 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 period of 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, the same weight-lifting program, and the same sleep schedule as someone else and experience completely different results. Some investigation suggests that heredity accounts for 50 to 80 percent of muscle mass.

Additionally, men tend to gain more muscle at a faster rate than women. “That’s mainly due to testosterone and growth hormone,” says Buckingham, since women have less of it. But research also shows that strength gains by women They are generally similar to what men achieve, meaning they can build muscle strength without adding bulk.

2. Age

As we age, our anabolic (growth) hormone levels decrease, making gaining muscle more difficult. Even the most dedicated lifters will eventually experience sarcopeniaa loss 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 lifting weights for the rest of your life, your muscle mass will decrease,” Buckingham says.

3. Diet and nutrition

Most people understand that high protein intake It is necessary to repair and recover muscle. Studies suggest that a variety of 1.4 grams to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day can be effective for building muscle.

The other macronutrients… carbohydrates and fat – are also essential, as they are an integral part of recovery and hormonal production (among other physiological processes). Additionally, you need adequate carbohydrates to fuel your training.

Buckingham also points out that it must be in a caloric surplus to build muscle. “A lot of people want to lose weight but also gain muscle size, and that’s just not going to happen because to gain muscle, you need to have extra calories.”

4. Rest and recovery

“During sleep, hormones are released 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 a night and build in recovery time between workouts periodizing your training and schedule rest days. “If you’re constantly lifting weights and never give your muscles a break, then they don’t have time to repair, rebuild, and grow,” he says.

5. Training

The way you structure your exercise program has a big impact on muscle growth, and fortunately, it’s something you can calibrate according to your goals. You should generally work each muscle group a couple of times a week (with recovery time interspersed) 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 max,” says Buckingham. “That will allow you to get the most out of your investment.”

Weightlifting programs on BODi like YOUR DEEPER, ELEVATOR4and sure thing Target different muscle groups in each workout so you can maximize training and recovery. They also vary exercises and intensities to prioritize progress and keep things fresh.

The best exercises for rapid muscle growth

For hypertrophy, Buckingham recommends focusing on compound lifts (multi-joint) that target large muscle groups. Below are some basic exercises.

1. Barbell Front Squat

• With the bar resting on a squat rack, grip the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart. Place your shoulders under the bar so that your elbows are bent and facing forward and the bar rests on the bottom of your palms or your fingers rest on the top of your shoulders.
• Lifting the bar out of the rack, step back and stand tall with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. This is the starting position
• Keeping your back straight, chest elevated and reinforced corePush 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 a barbell in front of your thighs, palms facing you. This is the starting position.
• Keeping your back flat, shoulders back, and core engaged, push your hips backLower the weight along the front of your body to the level of your mid-shin, maintaining only a slight bend in your knees.
• Pause and 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 bench and your feet should be flat on the floor. This is the starting position.
• Keeping your core engaged, slowly lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body (your upper arms and the sides of your torso should form a 45-degree angle at the bottom of the movement) .
• Pause and then push the dumbbells up to the starting position.

4. Bent-over Dumbbell Row

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Brace your core, push your hips back, bend your knees slightly, and lower your torso until you are almost parallel to the floor. Keep your glutes engaged to protect your lower back.
• Let the dumbbells hang with your arms extended and palms facing each other. Engage your shoulder blades to keep your shoulders back. This is the starting position.
• Without moving your torso and keeping your elbows bent and your back flat, row the weights toward the sides of your ribs while squeezing your shoulder blades. Make sure there is a 90-degree bend in your elbow, so you are paddling up to your ribs and not your armpits.
• Pause and then lower the dumbbells to the starting position.