How Long Does It Take To Build Muscle: Realistic Results

Asking
how long
it takes to
build
muscle is
kind of
life
asking
how long
it takes to
get from
New
York to
California. Are we talking about driving across the
country or hopping on a commercial airliner? If we're
driving, are we taking a direct or scenic route? What
are our priorities and goals along the way?

While there is no one answer to this question, there are
some guidelines we can follow and scenarios we can
examine to provide surprisingly accurate estimates.
Much of what determines the results is up to the
individual. In other words, dedication will get you there
faster.

THE BASICS: PART 1

The very first thing to address is gender: as both men
and women will have access to this post, it is important
to note that men will build muscle significantly faster
than women. Men simply have larger testosterone
reserves and a greater ability to produce growth
hormone.

Different, Not Better: This might make it sound
discouraging for women, but that is definitely not the
case. Women's bodies respond just as quickly to
exercise and workouts, they just don't respond with the
same intensity as men. For these reasons, women can
expect to build muscle about 2-3 times slower than
their male counterparts (assuming they are using the
same training regimen).

THE BASICS: PART 2

Your muscle mass will only increase under certain
conditions. This is crucial to understand because even
though men build muscle faster, if they aren't training
properly they won't gain any muscle mass at all.

The first essential rule in building muscle is
consistency. The more consistent you are, and the
longer you are consistent, the faster you will build
muscle. The second rule is to push your muscles to the
limit. If you do not fatigue your muscles, they will not
grow. It's as simple as that. You actually have to
damage your muscles so that they can accumulate mass
by repairing themselves.

If you overload your muscles properly and give them
time to recover, you will undoubtedly see changes in
weight, size and strength.

THE FIRST MONTH

If you want to gain serious muscle mass, you need to be
devoted for at least six months to a year. Just accept
that fact now and it will make what I'm about to tell
you easier to handle.

Patience: Most people want to see results immediately.
You have probably seen advertisements online
claiming to help you grow a ridiculous amount of
weight (5, 10, 20 lbs) in a single month.

This is
virtually impossible. In fact, the first month of weight
lifting is likely to yield a gain in muscle mass of almost
zero. It's not a matter of how hard you workout or how
much protein you eat. Your muscles have to go through
an initial stage in which they begin to adjust
themselves to the process of breaking down and
building up.

That said, you will see other reassuring changes in your
body. Your muscles will begin to tone and blood flow
will increase, making them look, at least, larger and
more defined.

The Fast Track

If you want to get on the fast track to building muscle,
it's about frequency and intensity. Split routine
training, in which you work out only a few sections of
your body at once, allows you to work out more days of
the week while providing ample recovery time for the
muscles you aren't working out.

Split Routine: For example, many people like to
workout their lower body, back and biceps two days a
week (Monday and Thursday) and their chest, triceps
and shoulders two days a week (Tuesday and Friday).

This way they still get three full days of rest but can
workout back-to-back days. This kind of training will
build muscle the fastest; at least, as opposed to random
weight lifting.

It's also good to add diversity to routine every now and
then; train a different way with this kickboxing
extreme workout class.

DIET

Diet plays a huge role in weight gain. You need to
increase your caloric intake if you want to gain even a
single gram of muscle mass. A general rule of thumb is
to add 500 calories to your daily intake, preferably in
the form of foods high in protein (chicken, eggs, whole
grains, etc.).

You should also concentrate on eating healthy foods as
well; fruits and vegetables and, ideally, a daily vitamin
or nutrient.

RECOVERY

Recovery is as important as anything else; you need to
give your body the time and resources to actually build
new muscle. This means getting at least 7-8 hours of
sleep and keeping stress and anxiety to a minimum,
both of which inhibit the growth of muscle. So just
relax, sleep, and let your body do the rest.

HOW LONG IT TAKES TO BUILD A MUSCLE?

After your first month or so of adjusting to your
workout routine, and under the assumption that you're
eating well and putting yourself through rigorous
workouts, the average male can expect to gain 1-2 lb. a
month.

Ok, I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but I told you
at the beginning that true muscle building requires a
commitment of six months to a year. If you stick with
weight lifting for six or seven months, you can add six
to twelve pounds of new, lean muscle to your body.

After a year, that number jumps to twelve to twenty-
four pounds. Even twelve pounds of muscle will result
in an enormous gain in strength, probably far greater
than you can imagine. This kind of weight gain in one
year can take a beginner's bench press of 135 lb. deep
into the 200 lb. range.

BEYOND THE FIRST YEAR

If you're still working out after your first year, you
should be aware of the fact that muscle building
decreases as you get bigger. Your body is only
designed to support so much muscle mass, so it slows
down. You can generally gain half as much muscle with
each passing year. So year one you might gain 20 lb.,
year two 10 lb., year three 5 lb., and so on.

You will, of course, continue to get stronger if you
keep pushing yourself. You might even get lucky;
gifted athletes often grow muscle at an alarmingly fast
rate (2-3 lb. a month). As I'm about to tell you, the hard
part is staying dedicated. Even if you can't make it to
the gym, this "no equipment, no excuses" workout
course will help keep you motivated.

REALITY

There are several realities to be aware of. You might
think you're going to stick with your workout routine,
but the odds are so far against you it's actually sad
thinking about how many people quit before they gain
a single pound of muscle.

If you're an average person, you won't last six months.

I'm not trying to dissuade you, in fact you should use
this information as motivation, but it's just the way it
is. Set realistic goals. Know what to expect. Workout to
get healthy and strong, not to have disproportionately
large biceps. Joining a gym will go a long way in
encouraging you to workout, too.