If you think you gained muscle... Read this.

End6ame

On pretty much a daily basis I read a post by someone complaining that they gained 5 lbs in a week or two and someone responds that maybe they gained muscle. Please read the following and stop this behavior.

Weight training aims to build muscle by prompting two different types of muscular hypertrophy: sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and myofibrillar hypertrophy. The term hypertrophy is a big fancy word that simply refers to the increase in size of muscle cells. During myofibrillar hypertrophy, actin and myosin contractile proteins increase in number and add to muscular strength as well as a small increase in the size of the muscle. During sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, the volume of sarcoplasmic fluid in the muscle cell increases with little accompanying increase in muscular strength

It is important to note that these two forms of hypertrophy rarely occur completely independently of one another, one can experience a large increase in fluid with a slight increase in proteins, a large increase in proteins with a small increase in fluid, or a relatively balanced combination of the two.

Weight training exercises are broken up into groupings of the number of times the movement is performed; these are called sets and repetitions (reps), respectively. The reason for this is to tailor the weight training towards a specific goal, such as strength, power, size, or endurance.

Generally, the rep range breakdown is as follows:

1 to 5 reps = Strength & Power (Myofibrillar Hypertrophy)
6 to 12 reps = Size (Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy)
13 to 20 reps = Muscular Endurance

To put this in more understandable terms; generally bodybuilders that are concerned with the size and appearance of their muscles and will work in the 6-12 rep range while power lifters and Olympic lifters that are concerned with lifting heavier weights (being stronger) will work in the 1-5 rep range.

Why do reps matter? The truth is that it is the load that matters more than the reps since you can lift a heavier weight for 5 reps than you can for 8 reps. Here is this example in greater detail; let’s say that John and Joe can both squat 285lbs for one rep (their one rep max or 1RM), which means that their 5RM would be approximately 255lbs and their 8RM would be approximately 230lbs. (There is a formula behind these calculations but it is not important for this illustration.) So their lifts would look like this.

John: 255lbs x 25 reps (5 sets x 5 reps) = 6375lbs
James: 230lbs x 24 reps (3 sets x 8 reps) = 5520lbs
Difference: 855lbs

So even though there is only a difference of one total rep between a 5x5 and 3x8 routine, there is a total difference of 855lbs over all sets because of the heavier weight that can be used for five reps; this is the main reason why lower reps are used to build strength.

So, all of this should lead you to multiple logical conclusions. First, muscle mass is not the same thing as muscle size, i.e. a person can have visibly smaller but denser muscles and be stronger than someone with visibly larger muscles. This means that if you are trying to get strong and doing a bodybuilding routine, you are going nowhere fast. Secondly, but most importantly, you CANNOT gain muscle by accident! 5lb aerobic dumbbells will net you zero muscle mass gain, likewise walking, jogging, yoga, Pilates, etc… will net you zero muscle MASS gain. What you will gain is an increase in muscle fiber recruitment, which will result in some strength gains, but this should not be confused with muscle gains; they are two completely different things.

Gaining muscle mass is a hard and long process. In the BEST of conditions, the average male could gain approximately 3-5lbs of muscle in one month, and women will be lower than this around 1-2lbs. However these are the upper bounds, most people will fall well below these numbers. Males should expect no more than 1-2lbs of muscle mass per month and women no more than ½ to 1lb per month.

In addition, building muscle mass requires calories above maintenance levels. By definition “maintenance” calories, means that your eat enough to “maintain” your current body composition. In order to change your body composition you need to eat more or less. There are exceptions to this in people who have high (above 30%) body fat percentages. These individuals have larger fat reserves to use and can see an increase in muscle mass on a calorie deficit; but this is the exception, not the rule, and these gains will decrease as their body fat decreases. Eventually, they will require a calorie surplus to keep gaining muscle mass.

So in conclusion, please stop trying to tell yourself or others that you/they gained 10lbs of muscle in a couple of weeks because the number on the scale increases.

Anolte76

Thank you.....I hate when people tell me I gained muscle

mjp202

Great post, thanks for the detailed explanation.

kimbux

I've read this somplace before........

Kytana

Great posting - thank you for the information!

cconeill

Thank you! I hate it when people think that a lb of muscle weighs more than a lb of fat.

End6ame

I've read this somplace before........

I have posted bits of this explanation in response to some other posts. This is the first I have pulled all of the bits together.

madaughters

well put!
thank you for clearing that up!

cmriverside

"stop this behavior" :laugh: good luck with that......

End6ame

Thank you! I hate it when people think that a lb of muscle weighs more than a lb of fat.

It does, because muscle is denser than fat.

cmriverside

Thank you! I hate it when people think that a lb of muscle weighs more than a lb of fat.

It does, because muscle is denser than fat.

splitting hairs.

If you mean "by volume" - then, yes.

rachmaree

So true, it takes hard work to gain muscle. Thanks for laying it out like this

pj_writer

great post! *claps*
:laugh:

rurukidoo

Thanks for this! I found it very interesting. If only it was as easy as gaining 10lbs of muscle mass in a week! :laugh:

ChitownFoodie

Thanks for the info!

HoLLyZ82

GOOD STUFF

RyonsLions2

Thanks very much! I appreciate the detail. I have been using the 5 lb weights and doing 3 sets of 12. I am trying to burn fat and do not want to increase my size, just get my arms smaller and defined and lose the fat. I was told free weights would do it. Is this true?

erikblock

I've tried to explain this to people many times. Thank you for doing a much better job of it than I ever could. I don't know where people ever got the idea that they were putting on pounds and pounds of muscle in a short time by doing simple circuit training and the like, but a lot of people seem to believe it.

ALW65

This is very helpful! I have a question based upon your information. If a person is new to weight training or just returning to it, and they are doing regular work in the 6-12 range, would there be an initial weight gain from fluids until the body acclimates to this new activity? Obviously, not 10 pounds, but perhaps a pound or two?

ClarkMer

When I post "maybe you gained muscle", it is in response to them complaining that they worked out a lot and didnt lose any weight.

HoLLyZ82

Thank you! I hate it when people think that a lb of muscle weighs more than a lb of fat.

It does, because muscle is denser than fat.

IT STILL WEIGHS 1LB. A POUND IS A POUND. MUSCLE JUST TAKES UP LESS 'SPACE' THAN FAT.

End6ame

Thanks very much! I appreciate the detail. I have been using the 5 lb weights and doing 3 sets of 12. I am trying to burn fat and do not want to increase my size, just get my arms smaller and defined and lose the fat. I was told free weights would do it. Is this true?

Yes, but as I said, the 8-12 rep range will build more size than strength because of the increase in sarcoplasmic fluid. You would be better off lifting heavier in a lower rep range.

erikblock

A pound of anything weighs the same as a pound of anything.

A litre (or any other measure of volume) of muscle weighs more than litre of fat...but a pound is a pound.

foreverloved

Thank you! I hate it when people think that a lb of muscle weighs more than a lb of fat.

It does, because muscle is denser than fat.

1 lb = 1 lb, 1lb of fat will be larger than 1lb of muscle...

RyonsLions2

Ok That's great! So what would you recommend? Just as heavy as I can lift without hurting myself and only able to do 5 reps without completely giving out??

End6ame

Thank you! I hate it when people think that a lb of muscle weighs more than a lb of fat.

It does, because muscle is denser than fat.

IT STILL WEIGHS 1LB. A POUND IS A POUND. MUSCLE JUST TAKES UP LESS 'SPACE' THAN FAT.

Yes. A lb of anything weight the same as a lb of anything else. The problem is that people always use weight as the constant, rather than the variable. If you look at area/volume as the constant muscle weight more, just like lead and aluminum.

123456654321

Yeah.... I've heard people throw around the "you've probably gained muscle" a little too much around here.

Anyway, I am well aware that it's nearly impossible to gain muscle mass while on a calorie deficit, but is it is it possible to tone/gain strengthen your muscles while on a calorie deficit?

anulle2009

On pretty much a daily basis I read a post by someone complaining that they gained 5 lbs in a week or two and someone responds that maybe they gained muscle. Please read the following and stop this behavior.

Weight training aims to build muscle by prompting two different types of muscular hypertrophy: sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and myofibrillar hypertrophy. The term hypertrophy is a big fancy word that simply refers to the increase in size of muscle cells. During myofibrillar hypertrophy, actin and myosin contractile proteins increase in number and add to muscular strength as well as a small increase in the size of the muscle. During sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, the volume of sarcoplasmic fluid in the muscle cell increases with little accompanying increase in muscular strength

It is important to note that these two forms of hypertrophy rarely occur completely independently of one another, one can experience a large increase in fluid with a slight increase in proteins, a large increase in proteins with a small increase in fluid, or a relatively balanced combination of the two.

Weight training exercises are broken up into groupings of the number of times the movement is performed; these are called sets and repetitions (reps), respectively. The reason for this is to tailor the weight training towards a specific goal, such as strength, power, size, or endurance.

Generally, the rep range breakdown is as follows:

1 to 5 reps = Strength & Power (Myofibrillar Hypertrophy)
6 to 12 reps = Size (Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy)
13 to 20 reps = Muscular Endurance

To put this in more understandable terms; generally bodybuilders that are concerned with the size and appearance of their muscles and will work in the 6-12 rep range while power lifters and Olympic lifters that are concerned with lifting heavier weights (being stronger) will work in the 1-5 rep range.

Why do reps matter? The truth is that it is the load that matters more than the reps since you can lift a heavier weight for 5 reps than you can for 8 reps. Here is this example in greater detail; let’s say that John and Joe can both squat 285lbs for one rep (their one rep max or 1RM), which means that their 5RM would be approximately 255lbs and their 8RM would be approximately 230lbs. (There is a formula behind these calculations but it is not important for this illustration.) So their lifts would look like this.

John: 255lbs x 25 reps (5 sets x 5 reps) = 6375lbs
James: 230lbs x 24 reps (3 sets x 8 reps) = 5520lbs
Difference: 855lbs

So even though there is only a difference of one total rep between a 5x5 and 3x8 routine, there is a total difference of 855lbs over all sets because of the heavier weight that can be used for five reps; this is the main reason why lower reps are used to build strength.

So, all of this should lead you to multiple logical conclusions. First, muscle mass is not the same thing as muscle size, i.e. a person can have visibly smaller but denser muscles and be stronger than someone with visibly larger muscles. This means that if you are trying to get strong and doing a bodybuilding routine, you are going nowhere fast. Secondly, but most importantly, you CANNOT gain muscle by accident! 5lb aerobic dumbbells will net you zero muscle mass gain, likewise walking, jogging, yoga, Pilates, etc… will net you zero muscle MASS gain. What you will gain is an increase in muscle fiber recruitment, which will result in some strength gains, but this should not be confused with muscle gains; they are two completely different things.

Gaining muscle mass is a hard and long process. In the BEST of conditions, the average male could gain approximately 3-5lbs of muscle in one month, and women will be lower than this around 1-2lbs. However these are the upper bounds, most people will fall well below these numbers. Males should expect no more than 1-2lbs of muscle mass per month and women no more than ½ to 1lb per month.

In addition, building muscle mass requires calories above maintenance levels. By definition “maintenance” calories, means that your eat enough to “maintain” your current body composition. In order to change your body composition you need to eat more or less. There are exceptions to this in people who have high (above 30%) body fat percentages. These individuals have larger fat reserves to use and can see an increase in muscle mass on a calorie deficit; but this is the exception, not the rule, and these gains will decrease as their body fat decreases. Eventually, they will require a calorie surplus to keep gaining muscle mass.

So in conclusion, please stop trying to tell yourself or others that you/they gained 10lbs of muscle in a couple of weeks because the number on the scale increases.

awesome information. prime example why weight your self every week or day.. just drive yourself nuts

End6ame

Ok That's great! So what would you recommend? Just as heavy as I can lift without hurting myself and only able to do 5 reps without completely giving out??

Look here: http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

summalovaable

Thank you! I hate it when people think that a lb of muscle weighs more than a lb of fat.

It does, because muscle is denser than fat.

I understand what your saying but a lb is the same as a lb...for example what weighs more a lb of feathers or a lb of steele? Obviously they are the same. However the mass of feathers is much greater...just as the mass of fat is much greater then the mass of muscle. A fat and muscular person may both weigh 200 lbs but obviously the mass of the "fat" person is much greater.

End6ame

Yeah.... I've heard people throw around the "you've probably gained muscle" a little too much around here.

Anyway, I am well aware that it's nearly impossible to gain muscle mass while on a calorie deficit, but is it is it possible to tone/gain strengthen your muscles while on a calorie deficit?

All toning refers to is muscle visibility, in other words the shrinking of body fat. And yes you can gain strength through the recruitment of additional muscle fibers, but this is limited.