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Realistic potential mass gain from lifting

jayhschmidt
jayhschmidt Posts: 32 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
On the internet, plenty of people will be willing to sell you a 'program' of lifting and nutrition that promises to pack on 40 lbs of muscle in a year. Of course, reality is something else altogether.

Anyone have any estimates of how much lean muscle mass (without excessive fat gain) the typical person can add in a year (or two)?

Here are some estimates I've found on the web:

https://bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/whats-my-genetic-muscular-potential.html/
nattyornot.com/how-big-can-you-get-naturally-without-steroids/

Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    General rule - a male, doing everything perfectly (maximizing protein, slight calorie surplus, and using a proven progressive lifting program) can add 0.5 lbs of muscle per week. A female, 0.25 lbs per week.
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