Weight lifting? How long does it take to build muscle?

rybo

It depends.

Women can build muscle just by looking at the free weight section of the gym. Men will spend their entire lives and thousands of dollars on supplement and maybe gain 4-5 ounces.

ndj1979

I think the point here is you lose more fat if you combine cardio with some strength training. That's my plan anyway :happy:

umm no, you will lose more muscle from the cardio...

Ummmmmm no you don't lose muscle from cardio! What the hang!

To the OP long story short, everyone is different on how long it takes. You will know you have gained when you up your weights and I second the 8-12 reps but I put an emphasis on 8-10 really 11 and 12 means you could possibly go up...there are heaps of differing opinions on that, but that's my experience. Have you tried Circuit training with weights? That can make things interesting. Again some people will tell you that doesn't work well others will tell you it does, you just have to find what works for you.

Sorry to burst your bubble but running/cardio does burn through muscle...

I used to run three to four days a week and workout with weights and I noticed myself getting smaller...I cut the cardio down to about 1x a week and started lifting more and I saw improvement in strength and muscle...

Yes, I have done circuit training. It's great if you want to feel like you are burning through calories, but circuits just lead to poor form IMO because you exert so much energy that there is no way you can maintain form. I still do some circuits every other week on Sunday's but I don't think they are going to assist in muscle building in the long term..and I believe the OP asked about muscle building...

why do you think that most lifters do minimal cardio on a bulk?

Also, increasing weights is not an indicator of increased muscle mass. That just means that your muscles have become more efficient at lifting more weight, not the same as actually gaining/increasing muscle mass...

Please read my whole post saying that yes, there are some opinions differing to mine. I do know what I am talking about. I am not saying a load of cardio, but you should do cardio even when trying to gain muscle. ALWAYS! Perhaps you did not find your balance with your cardio training versus Weights, or maybe it was what you were eating. I have seen a 20kg gain on a very thing "cannot gain any kind of weight" man before, he also did cardio.

I agree form can be an issue with circuits, but circuits actually do not need to be rushed through, just with any exercise, if you don't rush and watch your form circuits can be amazing. I don't think the OP is looking to be a body builder or anything, just to see difference in her muscles.

Again I will stress, I am not here to argue, and there are different experiences and opinions and all sorts of research to back almost any claim up. And again I just want to say to the OP gain knowledge, read the different opinions and find what you feel comfortable and works for you.

you specifically said in your post that "you do not lose muscle doing cardio" that is not correct, and that is what I was addressing.

maca416

I think your wrong on that one

I have been doing daily cardio & have had no problem increasing my muscle lifting & losing fat, not sure why you think you will loose muscle unless your a very serious body builder.

Speak to Scooby he has some great info on this matter

RGv2

I think your wrong on that one

I have been doing daily cardio & have had no problem increasing my muscle lifting & losing fat, not sure why you think you will loose muscle unless your a very serious body builder.

Speak to Scooby he has some great info on this matter

So you're eating at a deficit, losing fat but yet gaining measureable muscle.

Please share this secret.

FrnkLft

I saw an interesting website that claims that you can gain your desired muscle mass in as short as 90 days. The website is http://www.exerciseaholics.com/build-muscle/ Anyone tried this routine and does it work?

Jesus christ... no, it doesn't work. That's complete horse****.

PurePlaya2000

Just do Les Mills Body Pump. it is the best of both worlds. You are lifting weights at a cardio pace. It is a total body workout where each song is a different muscle group. It has everything you need, a support group, a teacher, weights, cardio, the routine changes every 3-4 months. You can look at Body Pump as an introduction to weight training, that can take you all the way up to the intermediate level. IF you do the class properly, you will burn about 600-1000 calories per class. If you do it 3-4 times a week, you will drop weight quickly.

maca416

I think your wrong on that one

I have been doing daily cardio & have had no problem increasing my muscle lifting & losing fat, not sure why you think you will loose muscle unless your a very serious body builder.

Speak to Scooby he has some great info on this matter

So you're eating at a deficit, losing fat but yet gaining measureable muscle.


Please share this secret.

No secret just read up on the Scooby website for info on this matter.

Yes im gaining muscle & losing fat eating about 400cals per day under maintenance and upping my protein intake, it's very simple so not sure why your so suprised.

cats847

It depends on the interactions between your genetics, diet, and lifting routine. No one can say for sure, but I would say a month or two is enough to start seeing plenty of results.

However, if you're not patient, you will never get any further than these initial gains. Lifting is a lifelong endeavor , not something you do for a couple of months and then just forget about. So just keep that in mind when you start to get impatient.

cmeiron

Women can build muscle just by looking at the free weight section of the gym. Men will spend their entire lives and thousands of dollars on supplement and maybe gain 4-5 ounces.

:huh: I would really like to know where this magical look-at-free-weights-and-get-hyooge gym is, plz. Because I'm stuffing my face and lifting like a champ right now, but clearly I must be doin it rong.