how much muscle weight should I expect to gain?
ObsidianMist
Posts: 519 Member
so I know how much I weighed prior to gaining weight, and starting to work out and eat better. but I also know we gain weight from gaining muscle so I need to know realistically what weight I should be expecting to get back down to - is it minimal enough to aim for the same weight I was at before, or should I be happy at 5 pounds over my old weight, or what?
and yes I'm also concerned about body composition, not just what the scale says, but at some point I need to make the decision to stop eating at a deficit and start maintaining my weight and body comp. so how much extra weight should I expect to put on due to strength training?
and yes I'm also concerned about body composition, not just what the scale says, but at some point I need to make the decision to stop eating at a deficit and start maintaining my weight and body comp. so how much extra weight should I expect to put on due to strength training?
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Replies
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In a deficit you might have beginner gains (if you are just starting lifting) for a few months but it wouldn't be much at all. Once you pass beginner gains stage you will not gain muscle in a deficit. In a surplus maybe 1lbs a month if you eat enough protein and lift heavy using a progressive overload program. It's very hard work to get the 1 lbs a month though. At maintenance recomp is possible but this is very slow and the scale usually doesn't move.0
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I can't help you but someone may be able to if you give your stats: start weight, lifting programme, lifting progress, current weight, length of bulk, age, height, goal weight etc. the more info you give the better help you may get.
Cheers, h.0 -
middlehaitch wrote: »I can't help you but someone may be able to if you give your stats: start weight, lifting programme, lifting progress, current weight, length of bulk, age, height, goal weight etc. the more info you give the better help you may get.
Cheers, h.
She did say she is eating at a deficit. Not much info but some.0 -
Oh sorry reread and saw she was bulking0
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If you're eating at deficit, the likelihood of actually gaining muscle (with the exception a of little newbie gain) isn't going to be high.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Your post is really confusing but it looks like you bulked and now you're cutting? You want to know what you should cut down to? There's no way anyone can answer that. How long you bulked, how much weight you gained, what your training looked like, what your genetics look like, so on and so forth will affect how much muscle weight you gained. Plus, more genetics, training and diet will affect how much of those gains you retain while you cut.
Best advice I can give is to go by the mirror and/or at least semi-accurate BF% measurement methods (assuming you have a goal BF%) to determine when to stop cutting.0 -
its hard for women to gain muscle , you have to be on a solid body building program and eating a perfect diet specifically for buiding muscle, and maybe you'll put on a 1/4 - 1/2 pound a month. So if you are just an average lifter in a gym eating a normal diet, dont worry about considering muscle gains in your goal. Women just dont put on pounds of muscle like guys do. sorry. Make your decision to stop eating at a deficit by how you feel and look. Be happy with your weight when you're happy with your weight. the number doesn't matter.0
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middlehaitch wrote: »I can't help you but someone may be able to if you give your stats: start weight, lifting programme, lifting progress, current weight, length of bulk, age, height, goal weight etc. the more info you give the better help you may get.
Cheers, h.
start weight was 115 lbs
no specific program, I just go to classes at my gym 3x/week and we do some free weights in each class
current weight is 134
been doing weights at least once a week since beginning of july
30 years old
5'3
goal weight 115-120 depending how much muscle weight i've gained/will gain
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ObsidianMist wrote: »middlehaitch wrote: »I can't help you but someone may be able to if you give your stats: start weight, lifting programme, lifting progress, current weight, length of bulk, age, height, goal weight etc. the more info you give the better help you may get.
Cheers, h.
start weight was 115 lbs
no specific program, I just go to classes at my gym 3x/week and we do some free weights in each class
current weight is 134
been doing weights at least once a week since beginning of july
30 years old
5'3
goal weight 115-120 depending how much muscle weight i've gained/will gain
It's impossible for us to say based on that. You likely built some muscle but definitely less than the 1/4-1/2 pound per month that's possible under ideal training conditions. I think you'll have to do your cut and, as has been suggested above, wait to see how much you weigh once you like what you see in the mirror.
Did you gain all 19 pounds since July?0 -
Unfortunately that doesn't sound like a muscle gaining program unless your classes involve progressive overload (increasing weight or reps or less rest). The ideal rep range for muscle growth is 6-12 but most classes I know of are light weight lots of reps which is for endurance not growth. Plus you are eating at a deficit and it is very hard to grow new tissue when you aren't feeding it enough.
So I would say don't worry about muscle growth as it would be minimal0 -
ObsidianMist wrote: »middlehaitch wrote: »I can't help you but someone may be able to if you give your stats: start weight, lifting programme, lifting progress, current weight, length of bulk, age, height, goal weight etc. the more info you give the better help you may get.
Cheers, h.
start weight was 115 lbs
no specific program, I just go to classes at my gym 3x/week and we do some free weights in each class
current weight is 134
been doing weights at least once a week since beginning of july
30 years old
5'3
goal weight 115-120 depending how much muscle weight i've gained/will gain
You are not going to gain muscle. If you had zero muscle to begin with, then you might see a bit of gain, but nothing that would really make a different where the scale is concerned.0 -
Your post is really confusing but it looks like you bulked and now you're cutting? You want to know what you should cut down to? There's no way anyone can answer that. How long you bulked, how much weight you gained, what your training looked like, what your genetics look like, so on and so forth will affect how much muscle weight you gained. Plus, more genetics, training and diet will affect how much of those gains you retain while you cut.
Best advice I can give is to go by the mirror and/or at least semi-accurate BF% measurement methods (assuming you have a goal BF%) to determine when to stop cutting.
i'm not real clear on the terms but i've been working out since july and eating at a deficit for just the last couple weeks. I gained 30 pounds. i'm just doing a lot of body weight stuff, free weights, a bit of spin, occasionally some running. I don't know what to tell you about my genetics. I've been naturally thin most of my life, no physical health issues.
what is a healthy body fat % to aspire to? and how do i find out what it is currently?0 -
I'm confused by your post as well. Let me just make sure I'm straight...You lost weight, then you gained weight while lifting a bit of free weights once a week, running and taking spin class?
Honestly you probably did not gain much muscle. For example, I am bulking (gaining weight: fat and muscle), I've been doing so for 3 months and have gained between 8-10 lbs. I'm crossing my fingers that 3 of them are muscle-and that's with a heavy weight training program with a progressive overload-both hypertrophy and power, 4 times per week.
You should just cut until you are happy with how your body looks, continue lifting (on a structured program), to save lean body mass.
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ObsidianMist wrote: »Your post is really confusing but it looks like you bulked and now you're cutting? You want to know what you should cut down to? There's no way anyone can answer that. How long you bulked, how much weight you gained, what your training looked like, what your genetics look like, so on and so forth will affect how much muscle weight you gained. Plus, more genetics, training and diet will affect how much of those gains you retain while you cut.
Best advice I can give is to go by the mirror and/or at least semi-accurate BF% measurement methods (assuming you have a goal BF%) to determine when to stop cutting.
i'm not real clear on the terms but i've been working out since july and eating at a deficit for just the last couple weeks. I gained 30 pounds. i'm just doing a lot of body weight stuff, free weights, a bit of spin, occasionally some running. I don't know what to tell you about my genetics. I've been naturally thin most of my life, no physical health issues.
In general, making a concentrated effort to build muscle involves being on a progressive resistance program. This can be done with bodyweight training, free weights, or a combo, but your best bet is to have a focused plan. It sounds like you did a bit of a hodge podge of different things and, regretfully, it doesn't look like a good setup for building an appreciable amount of muscle.0 -
its hard for women to gain muscle , you have to be on a solid body building program and eating a perfect diet specifically for buiding muscle, and maybe you'll put on a 1/4 - 1/2 pound a month. So if you are just an average lifter in a gym eating a normal diet, dont worry about considering muscle gains in your goal. Women just dont put on pounds of muscle like guys do. sorry. Make your decision to stop eating at a deficit by how you feel and look. Be happy with your weight when you're happy with your weight. the number doesn't matter.
that's super helpful, thanks!
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ObsidianMist wrote: »middlehaitch wrote: »I can't help you but someone may be able to if you give your stats: start weight, lifting programme, lifting progress, current weight, length of bulk, age, height, goal weight etc. the more info you give the better help you may get.
Cheers, h.
start weight was 115 lbs
no specific program, I just go to classes at my gym 3x/week and we do some free weights in each class
current weight is 134
been doing weights at least once a week since beginning of july
30 years old
5'3
goal weight 115-120 depending how much muscle weight i've gained/will gain
It's impossible for us to say based on that. You likely built some muscle but definitely less than the 1/4-1/2 pound per month that's possible under ideal training conditions. I think you'll have to do your cut and, as has been suggested above, wait to see how much you weigh once you like what you see in the mirror.
Did you gain all 19 pounds since July?
I gained 30 pounds over the course of several months. I started going to the gym in july because I was not okay with having gained that much weight and decided it was time to get in shape and get rid of my pregnant looking stomach0 -
singingflutelady wrote: »Unfortunately that doesn't sound like a muscle gaining program unless your classes involve progressive overload (increasing weight or reps or less rest). The ideal rep range for muscle growth is 6-12 but most classes I know of are light weight lots of reps which is for endurance not growth. Plus you are eating at a deficit and it is very hard to grow new tissue when you aren't feeding it enough.
So I would say don't worry about muscle growth as it would be minimal
thanks!0 -
arditarose wrote: »I'm confused by your post as well. Let me just make sure I'm straight...You lost weight, then you gained weight while lifting a bit of free weights once a week, running and taking spin class?
Honestly you probably did not gain much muscle. For example, I am bulking (gaining weight: fat and muscle), I've been doing so for 3 months and have gained between 8-10 lbs. I'm crossing my fingers that 3 of them are muscle-and that's with a heavy weight training program with a progressive overload-both hypertrophy and power, 4 times per week.
You should just cut until you are happy with how your body looks, continue lifting (on a structured program), to save lean body mass.
I didn't lose any weight. I gained 30 pounds, started going to the gym, have been eating at a deficit just the last couple weeks and am down ten pounds from my heaviest so far. no additional weight gain.0 -
ObsidianMist wrote: »Your post is really confusing but it looks like you bulked and now you're cutting? You want to know what you should cut down to? There's no way anyone can answer that. How long you bulked, how much weight you gained, what your training looked like, what your genetics look like, so on and so forth will affect how much muscle weight you gained. Plus, more genetics, training and diet will affect how much of those gains you retain while you cut.
Best advice I can give is to go by the mirror and/or at least semi-accurate BF% measurement methods (assuming you have a goal BF%) to determine when to stop cutting.
i'm not real clear on the terms but i've been working out since july and eating at a deficit for just the last couple weeks. I gained 30 pounds. i'm just doing a lot of body weight stuff, free weights, a bit of spin, occasionally some running. I don't know what to tell you about my genetics. I've been naturally thin most of my life, no physical health issues.
In general, making a concentrated effort to build muscle involves being on a progressive resistance program. This can be done with bodyweight training, free weights, or a combo, but your best bet is to have a focused plan. It sounds like you did a bit of a hodge podge of different things and, regretfully, it doesn't look like a good setup for building an appreciable amount of muscle.
well I'm just trying to work on my body composition to get rid of my pregnant looking stomach. I keep reading around here that working on the whole body, particularly lifting weights, is the only thing that can help with reducing stomach fat. so that's what I'm trying to do, along with eating at a deficit to lose the 30 pounds I put on.0 -
ObsidianMist wrote: »ObsidianMist wrote: »Your post is really confusing but it looks like you bulked and now you're cutting? You want to know what you should cut down to? There's no way anyone can answer that. How long you bulked, how much weight you gained, what your training looked like, what your genetics look like, so on and so forth will affect how much muscle weight you gained. Plus, more genetics, training and diet will affect how much of those gains you retain while you cut.
Best advice I can give is to go by the mirror and/or at least semi-accurate BF% measurement methods (assuming you have a goal BF%) to determine when to stop cutting.
i'm not real clear on the terms but i've been working out since july and eating at a deficit for just the last couple weeks. I gained 30 pounds. i'm just doing a lot of body weight stuff, free weights, a bit of spin, occasionally some running. I don't know what to tell you about my genetics. I've been naturally thin most of my life, no physical health issues.
In general, making a concentrated effort to build muscle involves being on a progressive resistance program. This can be done with bodyweight training, free weights, or a combo, but your best bet is to have a focused plan. It sounds like you did a bit of a hodge podge of different things and, regretfully, it doesn't look like a good setup for building an appreciable amount of muscle.
well I'm just trying to work on my body composition to get rid of my pregnant looking stomach. I keep reading around here that working on the whole body, particularly lifting weights, is the only thing that can help with reducing stomach fat. so that's what I'm trying to do, along with eating at a deficit to lose the 30 pounds I put on.
No. Resistance training is needed to maintain or build muscle, obviously to increase strength, improve bone density. It is not going to target belly fat. If you have 30 lbs to lose, focusing on diet changes will help lose the weight, exercise will help with overall fitness and looking "in shape".0 -
don't worry about how much you weigh or what % body fat you are, they are just numbers and mean little in the real world. If you are unhappy with your body fat stay in deficit and keep up the exercise until you like what you see in the mirror, after all..... if you look great....then you look great! regardless of bf% or weight
too many people get hung up on the numbers.0 -
ObsidianMist wrote: »ObsidianMist wrote: »Your post is really confusing but it looks like you bulked and now you're cutting? You want to know what you should cut down to? There's no way anyone can answer that. How long you bulked, how much weight you gained, what your training looked like, what your genetics look like, so on and so forth will affect how much muscle weight you gained. Plus, more genetics, training and diet will affect how much of those gains you retain while you cut.
Best advice I can give is to go by the mirror and/or at least semi-accurate BF% measurement methods (assuming you have a goal BF%) to determine when to stop cutting.
i'm not real clear on the terms but i've been working out since july and eating at a deficit for just the last couple weeks. I gained 30 pounds. i'm just doing a lot of body weight stuff, free weights, a bit of spin, occasionally some running. I don't know what to tell you about my genetics. I've been naturally thin most of my life, no physical health issues.
In general, making a concentrated effort to build muscle involves being on a progressive resistance program. This can be done with bodyweight training, free weights, or a combo, but your best bet is to have a focused plan. It sounds like you did a bit of a hodge podge of different things and, regretfully, it doesn't look like a good setup for building an appreciable amount of muscle.
well I'm just trying to work on my body composition to get rid of my pregnant looking stomach. I keep reading around here that working on the whole body, particularly lifting weights, is the only thing that can help with reducing stomach fat. so that's what I'm trying to do, along with eating at a deficit to lose the 30 pounds I put on.
No. Resistance training is needed to maintain or build muscle, obviously to increase strength, improve bone density. It is not going to target belly fat. If you have 30 lbs to lose, focusing on diet changes will help lose the weight, exercise will help with overall fitness and looking "in shape".
I realize it doesn't target belly fat. i'm saying everyone on these forums always tells the people looking to get rid of belly fat to work out their whole body to improve body composition, hence why I do the kind of full body workouts I do. and it seems people particularly recommend weight lifting to work on body composition. I'm just re-iterating what I've read over and over on these forums.0 -
ObsidianMist wrote: »ObsidianMist wrote: »middlehaitch wrote: »I can't help you but someone may be able to if you give your stats: start weight, lifting programme, lifting progress, current weight, length of bulk, age, height, goal weight etc. the more info you give the better help you may get.
Cheers, h.
start weight was 115 lbs
no specific program, I just go to classes at my gym 3x/week and we do some free weights in each class
current weight is 134
been doing weights at least once a week since beginning of july
30 years old
5'3
goal weight 115-120 depending how much muscle weight i've gained/will gain
It's impossible for us to say based on that. You likely built some muscle but definitely less than the 1/4-1/2 pound per month that's possible under ideal training conditions. I think you'll have to do your cut and, as has been suggested above, wait to see how much you weigh once you like what you see in the mirror.
Did you gain all 19 pounds since July?
I gained 30 pounds over the course of several months. I started going to the gym in july because I was not okay with having gained that much weight and decided it was time to get in shape and get rid of my pregnant looking stomach
Okay. I completely misunderstood your first post. I thought you were 115, gained weight (up to 134) on purpose between July and now, and in the past few weeks just decided to lose weight.
At this point, don't worry about how much muscle you may have gained or what your exact goal weight (or even 5 pound range) may be. Continue to lose weight and fat and once you get closer you'll have a better idea of what you look like in the mirror.0 -
ObsidianMist wrote: »ObsidianMist wrote: »ObsidianMist wrote: »Your post is really confusing but it looks like you bulked and now you're cutting? You want to know what you should cut down to? There's no way anyone can answer that. How long you bulked, how much weight you gained, what your training looked like, what your genetics look like, so on and so forth will affect how much muscle weight you gained. Plus, more genetics, training and diet will affect how much of those gains you retain while you cut.
Best advice I can give is to go by the mirror and/or at least semi-accurate BF% measurement methods (assuming you have a goal BF%) to determine when to stop cutting.
i'm not real clear on the terms but i've been working out since july and eating at a deficit for just the last couple weeks. I gained 30 pounds. i'm just doing a lot of body weight stuff, free weights, a bit of spin, occasionally some running. I don't know what to tell you about my genetics. I've been naturally thin most of my life, no physical health issues.
In general, making a concentrated effort to build muscle involves being on a progressive resistance program. This can be done with bodyweight training, free weights, or a combo, but your best bet is to have a focused plan. It sounds like you did a bit of a hodge podge of different things and, regretfully, it doesn't look like a good setup for building an appreciable amount of muscle.
well I'm just trying to work on my body composition to get rid of my pregnant looking stomach. I keep reading around here that working on the whole body, particularly lifting weights, is the only thing that can help with reducing stomach fat. so that's what I'm trying to do, along with eating at a deficit to lose the 30 pounds I put on.
No. Resistance training is needed to maintain or build muscle, obviously to increase strength, improve bone density. It is not going to target belly fat. If you have 30 lbs to lose, focusing on diet changes will help lose the weight, exercise will help with overall fitness and looking "in shape".
I realize it doesn't target belly fat. i'm saying everyone on these forums always tells the people looking to get rid of belly fat to work out their whole body to improve body composition, hence why I do the kind of full body workouts I do. and it seems people particularly recommend weight lifting to work on body composition. I'm just re-iterating what I've read over and over on these forums.
You've misread a little
The way to cut belly fat is through diet
when people recommend working out whole body they are talking about progressive lifts like squats, deadlifts, clean and press...full body movements that engage the core ..there are loads of programmes like starting strength, strong lifts 5x5 you may like strong curves
If you like your workouts with weights just continue and add in progression ...intensity, weights etc ...but mainly get the food right0 -
I’m sure others have said this, but the short answer is probably very, very little. You’re eating at a deficit, not likely taking any performance enhancing drugs (maybe even low on protein consumption), and you’re female. Lifting may help you build some early on, but for the most part, the lifting will be about muscle retention.
Allan Misner
NASM Certified Personal Trainer (Corrective Exercise Specialist, Fitness Nutrition Specialist)
Host of the 40+ Fitness Podcast0
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