Newbie gains

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krael65
krael65 Posts: 306 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
So, just out of curiosity... in terms of muscle in pounds... how much can a newbie female gain per month when lifting?

I hear that muscle building is extremely slow for women, with the exception of some newbie gains. I'd like a frame of reference. Are we talking a pound a year? A pound every six months?

Replies

  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    0.25-0.5lbs per month is probably realistic as a newbie.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    From life already - are you a strong newbie or weak newbie?

    Because before muscle is built, existing is used to the max, and form improvements too.

    So if you have a pretty active life using your muscles - could take awhile merely to tap them out before the body feels the need to grow more.

    Also - the terms you are using makes me think of the normal phrases used for muscle growth while dieting - only for newbies or those returning back to lifting (and enough fat to spare in both cases) - but then it's about 1/2 the normal rate because in diet.

    Which that range above covers it.
  • krael65
    krael65 Posts: 306 Member
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    Thank you, @trigden1991.

    I ask for 2 reasons. First, curiosity! Second, I've been maintaining my weight for 9 months. I started a recomp 5+ months ago. Since that time, I'm up 2 lbs. (I use a rolling average for my weight tracking). I was wondering if any of that weight could potentially be muscle.
  • hawilliams78
    hawilliams78 Posts: 28 Member
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    So, in 8 weeks of working out 5-6 times per week, 30 min a day to p90x3, eating at a deficit - I only lost 3lbs, but I lost an inch off my hips and chest, 2 inches off waist and .5 inch off each thigh.

    Do you think I gained some muscle?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Starting p90x - no.

    If already fit and doing x3 because you already did x1 and x2 - perhaps a tad in 8 weeks.

    Is the x3 like the others - you have minimal rests before moving on to next muscle usage, thereby artificially lowering the amount of weight that can be used?

    The difference between a 15 sec rest and a 90 sec rest if you were doing sets and reps - which will allow you to do more weight on 2nd set?
    More weight means more overload by weight causing damage to be improved with more muscle if existing can't handle it.

    Short rests means more overload by aerobic nature causing that system to be improved.
  • ijsantos2005
    ijsantos2005 Posts: 306 Member
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    I’ve heard that women can gain up to a 1lb per month for the first 3-5 months then the gains start to drop off quite rapidly.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    ijsantos2005 wrote: »
    I’ve heard that women can gain up to a 1lb per month for the first 3-5 months then the gains start to drop off quite rapidly.

    Possible but a best case scenario.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    mmapags wrote: »
    ijsantos2005 wrote: »
    I’ve heard that women can gain up to a 1lb per month for the first 3-5 months then the gains start to drop off quite rapidly.

    Possible but a best case scenario.

    And I would think that that would be in an untrained female following a progressive overload program? Possibly returners too, with fat stores playing a large role. I'd love to think I gained 5lbs when i got back into it 2 years ago and obese but I think probably not.
  • ijsantos2005
    ijsantos2005 Posts: 306 Member
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    mmapags wrote: »
    ijsantos2005 wrote: »
    I’ve heard that women can gain up to a 1lb per month for the first 3-5 months then the gains start to drop off quite rapidly.

    Possible but a best case scenario.
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    mmapags wrote: »
    ijsantos2005 wrote: »
    I’ve heard that women can gain up to a 1lb per month for the first 3-5 months then the gains start to drop off quite rapidly.

    Possible but a best case scenario.

    And I would think that that would be in an untrained female following a progressive overload program? Possibly returners too, with fat stores playing a large role. I'd love to think I gained 5lbs when i got back into it 2 years ago and obese but I think probably not.

    Yes and yes.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    heybales wrote: »
    Starting p90x - no.

    If already fit and doing x3 because you already did x1 and x2 - perhaps a tad in 8 weeks.

    Is the x3 like the others - you have minimal rests before moving on to next muscle usage, thereby artificially lowering the amount of weight that can be used?

    The difference between a 15 sec rest and a 90 sec rest if you were doing sets and reps - which will allow you to do more weight on 2nd set?
    More weight means more overload by weight causing damage to be improved with more muscle if existing can't handle it.

    Short rests means more overload by aerobic nature causing that system to be improved.

    X3 is more cardio/plyo than anything else. Evdn if you did the "mass" program, it only gets it closer to regular p90x but shorter.

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