Muscle gain expectations vs reality 

 

I’ll break it to you, most people will never see the progress they expect because they start with great intentions but very quickly these dwindle away. 

You only have to look at the millions who flock to gyms come the new year full of good intentions when it comes to weight loss or building muscle only to be nowhere to be seen come February. 

This can be for any manner of reasons but generally, it’s down to seeing unrealistic goals. 

I’ll also add at this point this isn’t all your fault. The media, social media and ads all around us are full of false promises and broken dreams, especially when it comes to building muscle and losing weight.

“Add 30kilos to your bench overnight” 

Or

“Gain 2 inches to your biceps in 6 weeks” 

Hopefully, in this article, I’ll be able to break down what’s attainable and help cut through the BS. 

And give some real-life examples of what is actually achievable like in my clients Ashley’s case where we did add 40kg to his deadlift alongside losing weight to the tune of over 30lbs but it most definitely wasn’t overnight

 

How fast can I build muscle as a newbie? 

 

In terms of scale weight, you could expect to gain around 2-3kg of lean body mass (muscle) in the first 3 months of consistent training. 

Some will gain more and some less but as an average, the range will be around 0.5kg – 2kg per month. 

During the first few months of training, you will see an increase of cross-sectional area (size) but you need to stick at it. 

 

Does this differ for Women? 

 

Nope. Strange right? But not really, you see women gain the same amount of muscle mass but it’s all relevant to the start point and more often than not men start out with more muscle mass. 

 

The more you train the more you gain right? 

 

Not so fast. For those amongst us who have a longer training age, you can expect to see diminishing gains year on year. 

Men, for example, will see their range cut from 2kg per month to 0.2kg and even see progress plateau. 

This is why the longer you train the more it pays off to keep a close eye on your training plan and diet. 

Similar to my client Jack when we first came to work with me. To start with he dropped a fair amount of body fat enabling him to be in a much better place to grow. You can check his results out here. 

 

But what about genetics? 

 

Studies show us that genetics plays a big role in the rate of muscle gain. But the same process applies to anyone wanting to build muscle. The key here is to not focus on what you can’t do but what you can. 

 

To conclude : 

• Muscle gain is a slow process 
• This goes for you ladies too, you aren’t in danger of picking up a weight and turning into Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Most guys have been trying to do this for years) 
• Focus on the processes involved – Track your training and aim to get stronger over a period of months.
• If you’re getting stronger there is a good chance you’ll be building muscle too. 
• Finally, BE PATIENT. 

And if you’d like to see how I could help you with your muscle gain goals click here and let’s book your free call