Average weight gain for women bulking

Fitness01_

What is average/normal weight gain for women who are bulking? Also, when is a mini cut appropriate and how long should it last?
I've heard it's 1lb per month and many people bulk for 6 months, so does that mean I should only gain 6lbs in 6 months? I'm new to bulking so anyone who has had experience, please comment how long your bulk was and how much you gained.

usmcmp

I would say you should actually aim for about 2-3 pounds per month. Women can only gain one pound of muscle per month, but if you're only eating enough to gain one pound per month total it will not be all muscle. The length of the bulk would depend on your starting weight and your goals.

I bulked for 3 years and maintained the higher weight for a year (working on recomposition). During that time I went from 145 pounds to 210 pounds. That was about 1.8 pounds per month. Most women do not bulk for 3 years. I'm a competitive bodybuilder.

Fitness01_

That makes so much more sense, thank you so much! I should gain 12-18lbs in 6 months. A little scary because during my weight loss I lost 20-25lbs so I'm almost going to gain it all back. My starting weight was 122. I plan on cutting in January. Just wondering, was it at all stressful for you?

sardelsa

I typically aim for 1-2lbs per month. That is the recommendation I have heard for females to limit fat gain. You can go higher of course (depending on how low your bodyfat and stats)

I never did a mini cut but my first bulk was 5 months and I gained 10lbs, my second was 8 months and I gained 12lbs. I usually end my bulk based on time I will need to cut, bodyfat %, satisfaction with mass put on as well as how comfortable I am

bbell1985

lol I gained like 14 pounds in 5 months. Don't forget water weight. But yeah, I was a mess. I gain on 2000 calories so it was just too easy.

RoxieDawn

Last bulk I gained 14 pounds in 5 months, about 3-4 pounds more than I should have (far exceeded my comfy level). I slow cut 7 pounds of that over another 5 months (bulking again currently, with a shorter cycle of 3.5 months).

I would not call my first two bulking experiences 'stress', but it was a true learning experience, far from perfect. I have got it down to a standard now. The mental part was accepting the fat gainz and once I threw that out of the window and trusted the process, it has become much easier.

deputy_randolph

I gained 10lbs in a year long bulk. I ate at a small surplus (100 calories-ish). I also had to take a couple of short breaks, b/c I felt "fat." I wasn't fat.

This really helped minimize the actual fat gained.

bioklutz

I gained a little over 1 pound a month. I am only 5 feet tall. I wouldn't be able to look in the mirror if I had 10 extra pounds. If I remember correctly I gained about 7 pounds.

I did do a mini-cut a couple months in - but it was mostly due to losing control of what I was eating. It was just for a week or two to get back on track.

Chieflrg

usmcmp wrote: »

I would say you should actually aim for about 2-3 pounds per month. Women can only gain one pound of muscle per month, but if you're only eating enough to gain one pound per month total it will not be all muscle. The length of the bulk would depend on your starting weight and your goals.

This.

not_a_runner

Fitness01_ wrote: »

That makes so much more sense, thank you so much! I should gain 12-18lbs in 6 months. A little scary because during my weight loss I lost 20-25lbs so I'm almost going to gain it all back. My starting weight was 122. I plan on cutting in January. Just wondering, was it at all stressful for you?

Keep in mind a portion of your weight gain will be muscle, so it will look different on you than that weight did before.
I weigh the same now as I did before I started lifting, but my body composition is very different.