With lots of training programs, supplements, and fitness gurus everywhere it is not hard to make some unrealistic goals at the beginning of your fitness journey. One common question that often pops into a beginner’s mind is how much muscle can he gain in a week.
Well, to be honest, there is no simple answer to this. However, I think I must tell you the truth so that you don’t overestimate anything beforehand.
So, without learning about any new fitness trick, let’s jump to the answer to the question.
How much muscle can you gain in a week?
If you are a beginner, you can hardly see any gain in the first week. According to many fitness experts, the maximum amount of muscles you can put on is 1 to 2 pounds in 4 weeks or one month.
- So, going by that calculation, we can make a rough estimate that you will be gaining somewhere around 0.25 to 0.5 pounds of muscle mass.
- The number is very low as you can barely see any muscle. But after continuously working for 3 weeks you will start seeing muscle gain.
However, you should know that it is impossible to calculate the exact or accurate muscle mass that one can during a certain period. Several factors decide how much muscle mass one is going to put on.
Though it is hard to calculate the accurate muscle mass, it is a fact that you will see more muscle growth at the beginning of your fitness journey than 2 years later.
But is there any way to calculate the muscle mass you can put on?
Well, you can’t get the exact or accurate numbers but getting a rough idea can help you design your training programme and prevent your mind from expecting mind-blowing results.
What is the average muscle mass one can achieve?
When it comes to putting on muscle mass the most important factor is genetics.
- I’m assuming that you are on a strict diet and following a specific training routine, and you have average genetics.
- If you fall in this category, then you can expect to put in around 30 pounds of lean muscle mass naturally.
But some people have bad genetics and they will put less muscle no matter what they do.
- So, if you fall in this category then you can expect to put in 10-20 pounds of lean muscle mass.
Many other factors also matter which decide how much muscle mass one is going to put on like testosterone, joints, height, muscle tissue, muscle recovery, diet, and intensity of workout. But out of all factors genetics remains supreme.
Related: Common Myths about Whey Proteins
So, what if you have a good genetics?
- If you have good muscle genetics, then you can put roughly around 40 pounds of lean muscle mass.
- Some people with very good genetics can put up to even 50 pounds of muscle mass.
- Now, the amount of people who can put in that amount of muscle mass is much less. There may be 2 to 3% of people who have good muscle genetics.
Similarly, there are some people with very bad muscle genetics.
- If you fall into this category then, you might have a hard time putting on muscle. One with this type of genetics can gain up to only 10 pounds of muscle mass naturally.
- Now, people with these types of genetics are as rare as people with very good muscle genetics.
Related: 8 Signs Your Glutes Are Not Growing
Is muscle growth different in women?
Gender also plays a role in knowing how much muscle mass one is going to gain. Women tend to have more estrogen and less testosterone.
On the other hand, males have more testosterone and have tight joints which contributes to more and fast muscle growth.
So, how much muscle mass can you put on if you are female?
- Well, it is not accurate, but as a rough estimate, you can expect it to be half of what a male can put on.
- If you have good muscle genetics then you can expect to put on 25 pounds of muscle mass. Similarly, you can expect it to be half of what we have discussed above.
Depending on your genetics and amount of testosterone level, you can make a guess.
Not only testosterone but flexible joints in females also limit them to put on more muscle mass.
Other factors that depict how much muscle mass you going to put.
In the article, I’m assuming that you are everything right. You are eating a good diet, following a workout regimen, and taking proper rest.
These are all things that one can do to achieve their prime fitness.
- Besides that, we have also discussed genetics but it is hard to find how good your genetics are until you train for some months.
- But there is another factor that can give a rough idea of how easy or difficult it is going to be for you to put muscle mass.
- That factor that can give you a rough idea about your fitness journey is your body shape.
Whether you are male or female, we all have different body shapes. Some body types are good at putting muscles while it is difficult for others.
Mesomorphic – if you have this type of body shape then it is a good news. You can easily put on muscle mass.
It doesn’t matter what type of training you do strength training or resistance training, you can put muscle mass easily.
Endomorphic: This type of body shape has a round structure. Most powerlifters have this type of body shape.
They put muscle mass but it is hard for them to put on lean muscle mass. The best type of training for this type of body shape is strength training.
Ectomorphic: if you have this type of body shape, you will it hard to put on muscles. People with This type of body shape look slim and tall.
The best type of training for this body type is resistance training.
How much muscle you can gain naturally?
As we already discussed above, the amount of muscle you can put on naturally varies from person to person.
- But there is always a limit to how much muscle one can gain. Our bones can hold up to a specific amount of muscles.
- So, there will always be a limit to how much muscle you can gain in your entire life.
Most people will gain between 20-30 pounds of muscle in their entire life. However, people with excellent genetics can go up to 60 pounds. One should never expect more than 50 pounds when it comes to gaining muscle naturally.
- More than 50 %muscle gain happens during the first year of training.
- In the second year, you might gain around 25% more.
- As the year passes the muscle growth rate will slow down.
- Maximum people will reach their maximum gains in 4 years of training.
