How much fat do you gain with muscle?

Shateyn
Shateyn Posts: 71
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
If you increase calories by 500 a day to gain 1 lb of muscle a week and eat pretty clean, how much fat does the average person gain along with the muscle? Just curious so I know what to expect.
Thanks

Replies

  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    As a woman you'd be fortunate to put on half a pound of muscle weekly. So about half...
  • Shateyn
    Shateyn Posts: 71
    Oooh so you're saying I'd just be gaining a lb each week but it would be half fat and half muscle?
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    LOADS of factors at play... but it's possible. You can eat less and hope for leaner gains, or you can bulk for, say 12 weeks, put on 6 lbs of muscle and only have to diet off 6 lbs of fat. That would be excellent if you ask me. I'd be game.
  • NRBreit
    NRBreit Posts: 319 Member
    I did a 15 week/ 15 pound bulk and the weight I gained was approx. 50% muscle and 50% fat. My understanding is that it would be very difficult for a woman to gain even a 1/2 lb. of muscle per week.
  • Shateyn
    Shateyn Posts: 71
    That answers my question perfectly, thanks a lot guys!
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    Yup, women will normally gain more fat when bulking than men.
  • Mrsallypants
    Mrsallypants Posts: 887 Member
    I did a 15 week/ 15 pound bulk and the weight I gained was approx. 50% muscle and 50% fat. My understanding is that it would be very difficult for a woman to gain even a 1/2 lb. of muscle per week.

    Lose weight, loses 50% muscle and 50% fat, back where initially started. hmmmm
  • Shateyn
    Shateyn Posts: 71
    I did a 15 week/ 15 pound bulk and the weight I gained was approx. 50% muscle and 50% fat. My understanding is that it would be very difficult for a woman to gain even a 1/2 lb. of muscle per week.

    Lose weight, loses 50% muscle and 50% fat, back where initially started. hmmmm

    Really...?
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  • Shateyn
    Shateyn Posts: 71
    1 lb of muscle per week is not realistic. More than half of that will be fat. You'd be lucky to be able add .5 lb per week.

    Gaining 12 lb in 12 weeks and shooting for 6 lbs of muscle and 6 lbs of fat then cutting down the 6 pounds of fat sounds a little silly to me. Let's say that was even possible for you. If you gain 6 lbs of fat then cut the 6 lbs of fat how much of the 6 lbs of muscle will you lose in the process. The end result would be how much muscle gain?

    Why not just clean bulk, take your time. Hit your protein and fat macros and enjoy the rest of your carbs. If it works out to 275g of carbs a day then I say "Hello Ice Cream"

    Hmm Ok so what sort of goal would you recommend then?
    I thought the idea was to get most of your carbs from whole grains, etc. which won't spike insulin like the refined sugar. Or else I'd be eating ice cream right now. :p
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    1 lb of muscle per week is not realistic. More than half of that will be fat. You'd be lucky to be able add .5 lb per week.

    Gaining 12 lb in 12 weeks and shooting for 6 lbs of muscle and 6 lbs of fat then cutting down the 6 pounds of fat sounds a little silly to me. Let's say that was even possible for you. If you gain 6 lbs of fat then cut the 6 lbs of fat how much of the 6 lbs of muscle will you lose in the process. The end result would be how much muscle gain?

    Why not just clean bulk, take your time. Hit your protein and fat macros and enjoy the rest of your carbs. If it works out to 275g of carbs a day then I say "Hello Ice Cream"

    Hmm Ok so what sort of goal would you recommend then?
    I thought the idea was to get most of your carbs from whole grains, etc. which won't spike insulin like the refined sugar. Or else I'd be eating ice cream right now. :p

    It's crazy. The advice is all over. And unless you're a nutritional biochemist with a focus on exercise physiology, it can be daunting to sort through. Case in point: some recommend spiking insulin purposely right after a workout because it's an anabolic hormone.

    Unfortunately, what we learn as conventional nutrition advice is designed to keep people thin. And since muscle is only gained when people are well fed and on the verge of storing fat, following such advice can be counterproductive when gaining is your aim.

    I get a lot of my carbs from partially whole wheat/partially white whole wheat bread. It also has a good amount of protein. Same for whole wheat or whole grain pastas. Love 'em!

    Btw, ice cream is great when you're really low on fat for the day and need more. But of course it also adds sugar.
  • fitcolette
    fitcolette Posts: 67
    I did a 15 week/ 15 pound bulk and the weight I gained was approx. 50% muscle and 50% fat. My understanding is that it would be very difficult for a woman to gain even a 1/2 lb. of muscle per week.

    Lose weight, loses 50% muscle and 50% fat, back where initially started. hmmmm

    If you eat right, you won't lose muscle
  • fitcolette
    fitcolette Posts: 67
    OP, have you checked out the female section over at bodybuilding.com? There are a lot of woman who are pro's at this kind of stuff, since many have competed and changed their bodies. Great site for these kinds of questions.
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  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    i would aim to gain 0.5lbs per week

    i dont think it is possible to gain half a pound of muscle in a week.
  • Yeller_Sensation
    Yeller_Sensation Posts: 373 Member
    1 lb of muscle per week is not realistic. More than half of that will be fat. You'd be lucky to be able add .5 lb per week.

    Gaining 12 lb in 12 weeks and shooting for 6 lbs of muscle and 6 lbs of fat then cutting down the 6 pounds of fat sounds a little silly to me. Let's say that was even possible for you. If you gain 6 lbs of fat then cut the 6 lbs of fat how much of the 6 lbs of muscle will you lose in the process. The end result would be how much muscle gain?

    Why not just clean bulk, take your time. Hit your protein and fat macros and enjoy the rest of your carbs. If it works out to 275g of carbs a day then I say "Hello Ice Cream"

    This.

    I was practically dancing with joy and wild abandon in the kitchen after my monthly weigh-in/measurements on Sunday: I had gained 0.3 lb of LBM from the previous month.
  • keithemp
    keithemp Posts: 71
    1 lb of muscle per week is not realistic. More than half of that will be fat. You'd be lucky to be able add .5 lb per week.

    Gaining 12 lb in 12 weeks and shooting for 6 lbs of muscle and 6 lbs of fat then cutting down the 6 pounds of fat sounds a little silly to me. Let's say that was even possible for you. If you gain 6 lbs of fat then cut the 6 lbs of fat how much of the 6 lbs of muscle will you lose in the process. The end result would be how much muscle gain?

    Why not just clean bulk, take your time. Hit your protein and fat macros and enjoy the rest of your carbs. If it works out to 275g of carbs a day then I say "Hello Ice Cream"

    Hmm Ok so what sort of goal would you recommend then?
    I thought the idea was to get most of your carbs from whole grains, etc. which won't spike insulin like the refined sugar. Or else I'd be eating ice cream right now. :p

    It's nice to set goals in terms of lbs gained, but going by weight is really only figuring out your relationship to gravity. I'm guessing what you really want to do is improve your body composition (ie - the % of fat vs. the % of muscle). Ideally, you want to gain more muscle than fat to improve your body composition. To do that you need to eat fairly clean and do resistance training.

    You can have sugars, but just control your intake and when you can, try to eat clean non-processed sugars. Also, if you're low on fat for the day, try to eat nuts to fill the gap.
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