How long did it take you to get the muscle gains you wanted?

serapel
serapel Posts: 502 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been lifting seriously for about 5 months now and I'm starting to see results. I have not reached my goals yet, but I'm seeing the mass come on slowly.

Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I started lifting in July 2014. I am going to say more than 28 months.
  • Dano74
    Dano74 Posts: 503 Member
    The day you started lifting is the day you will be forever small.

    But for reals, packing on a pound of legit muscle a month (post any "noob gains") is impressive.
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
    I dunno. Once I get there I'll let you know......
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    A looooooooooooong time.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Well you already know my story for the most part!
    But I don't know if I will ever be 100% happy, I think maybe after a few more bulk/cut cycles. So 5 years from now? Sigh. :/

    I was pretty happy after my first bulk though. I gained 10lbs in 4.5 months, then cut a few lbs. Then I got pregnant, lost a bit of muscle so here I am bulking again. This time a bit slower so my patience is really being tested!
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    I've been lifting for coming up on 2 years, despite a very slow start I've been making progress. Since starting I've added on about 15-20lbs of lean mass. Which would be closer to 25-30 if I hadn't had as much of a misinformed beginning. But being close to my goals? Absolutely not, another 2-3 years minimum. It's a lifetime commitment.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I don't think most people are ever where they want to be...

    This. I lifted weights for 15 years starting my late teens. And while putting on a significant amount of muscle & size, I was never really where I wanted to be.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    5 years and counting. I'm sure I never will either. Not without a ton of drugs.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Approaching the six year mark, still not where I want to be. I passed my first goal at about the two and a half year mark. After that I realized there's always more I can do.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    muscle itself is secondary to me; i just like the strength part. not going to be done with that ever, probably.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Been lifting for 40+ years, have never gotten where I want to be. Maybe that's why I still love it.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,961 Member
    When I started and when I did my first show..............3 years. And I was still "skinny" compared to other competitors.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
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  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
    When I lose enough fat to see my muscles I'll let you know. I've been lifting on and off for two years, most of that unintentionally bulking, so I'm hopeful there is something under there. Right now all I can do is celebrate my strength gains.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    been lifting over 4 years,not where I want to be. Im still in a deficit trying to lose the rest of the weight and fat.the last 7-8 months have been really slow for me. took 4 months for me to lose 1.2 lbs.
  • leeannek1
    leeannek1 Posts: 16 Member
    I took pole dancing classes and have gained some muscle and definition within 6 months... too bad I wasn't able to maintain it. :(
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    Been lifting for 5 years, and while I've transitioned from aesthetic goals to almost completely strength goals, the truth is there is never ever going to be enough weight on my bars for me to be satisfied. Happy yes, satisfied no.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Changing perception, slower progress than expected and a dash of body dysmorphia ensure that most people never achieve their dream physique.
  • D4LB
    D4LB Posts: 601 Member
    You always want more muscle gainz lol and you will never be satisfied haha
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    I started to really see noticeable results after about 3-4 months the first time around. Not sure if that's slow or not. As far as being a super strong beast, I don't think it's gonna happen. I'm just not the type. Am I stronger than I was when I started? Heck, yes. By a lot. People are surprised that such a scrawny looking woman can haul heavy loads. But I still have a lot more work to do (I'm thinking years) to get anywhere near as awesome as I'd like to be.

    I was doing great for a couple of years, and I was pretty much exactly where I wanted to be, but then I stupidly took about 5 months off to pursue other projects and during that short period, I seemed to have lost all those years of awesomeness. Now it's taking a lot longer this time around to get back to where I want to be than it did the first time. It's been at least 7 months and I'm just now starting to feel like it's coming back. And that's even after adding more protein than before. Maybe it's just old age kicking in. Anybody know why that might be?
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    jenilla1 wrote: »
    I started to really see noticeable results after about 3-4 months the first time around. Not sure if that's slow or not. As far as being a super strong beast, I don't think it's gonna happen. I'm just not the type. Am I stronger than I was when I started? Heck, yes. By a lot. People are surprised that such a scrawny looking woman can haul heavy loads. But I still have a lot more work to do (I'm thinking years) to get anywhere near as awesome as I'd like to be.

    I was doing great for a couple of years, and I was pretty much exactly where I wanted to be, but then I stupidly took about 5 months off to pursue other projects and during that short period, I seemed to have lost all those years of awesomeness. Now it's taking a lot longer this time around to get back to where I want to be than it did the first time. It's been at least 7 months and I'm just now starting to feel like it's coming back. And that's even after adding more protein than before. Maybe it's just old age kicking in. Anybody know why that might be?

    Once you go through your "noob gains", muscle gain is slower.

    A female with minimal training experience and optimal diet/training conditions could look to gain 1lb of lean mass a month. It may just be your expectations are too high. Keep going all you'll get where you want to be.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    I've been building muscle mass over the past 15 months. I've seen significant gains slowly over that time but I'm still not where I hoped I'd be, not in my abs area anyway but I am happy (enough) with how I look now.
  • mgalovic01
    mgalovic01 Posts: 388 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I don't think most people are ever where they want to be...

    True that. You got to enjoy the journey, though results do help.

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