Gaining Muscle is NOT that easy.

SergeantSunshine_reused

Maybe a mini rant.

I think women on here through out "you are gaining muscle" WAY too often. Gaining muscle is not as easy as you think ladies. doing the 30 day shred for 7 days sure isnt going to show a huge amount of muscle gain :P

From what I have read (numbers vary of course with different studies) a 12 week period of calorie surplus and a good lifting routine will show about a 4 lb muscle gain. If you are eating 1200 calories a day and not doing resistance training I highly doubt you are gaining muscle mass.

Like I said i think this is said WAY too much. If someone says they didn't lose or they gained one week, I see so many comments of women saying "its all muscle" or "don't worry its just muscle" and blah blah blah xD

/end rant

jgic2009

I wish more people understood this, too.

JennLifts

Since this is for women, I might add that even 4lb/12 weeks might be generous.

ilovedeadlifts

Good rant.

With proper diet and heavy lifting, in your first year of training (the time when you can make the easiest muscle gains), 12 pounds of muscle is pretty much the limit. And that's with perfect conditions.

So people should know that they aren't gaining 5 pounds of muscle in their first month of lifting.

I've trained my a** off this year, and MAYBE added 5 pounds of muscle since january.

SergeantSunshine_reused

Since this is for women, I might add that even 4lb/12 weeks might be generous.

Oh i should have mentioned that this number was seen more often in men. Women were more likely to see 2-3 lbs.

joejccva71

/agrees with rant

taso42

burning fat is a piece of freakin cake compared to building new muscle

lockef

Unfortunately, it's not that easy for men to put muscle on either.

Men do have it easier though.

joejccva71

burning fat is a piece of freakin cake compared to building new muscle

Dirk the Daring = Awesome

RunHardBeStrong

*LOVE* Thank you for saying this! I get so tired of seeing "I gained 2 lbs in 5 days" and lots of responses are "don't worry hun, it's muscle!"

rachmaree

Very true! Good post.

SergeantSunshine_reused

Good rant.

With proper diet and heavy lifting, in your first year of training (the time when you can make the easiest muscle gains), 12 pounds of muscle is pretty much the limit. And that's with perfect conditions.

So people should know that they aren't gaining 5 pounds of muscle in their first month of lifting.

I've trained my a** off this year, and MAYBE added 5 pounds of muscle since january.

Exactly! And you are guy, so its easier for you to put on muscle then the women on here.

I have been lifting for a while now and still haven't seen really and muscle gain >.< One i start upping my calories I hope to!

Contrarian

Gaining jealousy is super easy, though.

NoAdditives

I definitely agree! My husband was on an intense lifting routine and was eating 3000 calories a day and was gaining 1 pound per week, most of which was muscle. (Seriously, he wasn't getting fat.) But he worked extremely hard and was constantly eating or was drinking protein shakes. You have to WORK to build new muscle tissue, it doesn't just happen.

STrubacz

It's nice to say it to sound supportive and encouraging, but if it's not the truth, it'll only hurt in the long run. People will constantly think they're building muscle when really, they've just gained weight and may need to work harder the next week. Trust me, I'm one of those people! I'm at the plateau stage right now, and there are weeks I gain and weeks I lose. It's so frustrating... but I know I'm not building muscle because I'm definitely not doing as much strength training as I should!!!

ilovedeadlifts

I have been lifting for a while now and still haven't seen really and muscle gain >.< One i start upping my calories I hope to!

squats, deads, and heavy rows

SergeantSunshine_reused

I have been lifting for a while now and still haven't seen really and muscle gain >.< One i start upping my calories I hope to!

squats, deads, and heavy rows

Oh trust me I don't skip squats or deads those are my favorite!

auticus

It takes a man a good solid month of weight lifting to gain 2 lbs of muscle. So yeah any of that "it's muscle" stuff is usually people that don't really understand how the body works.

Yanicka1

Fianlly. Weight gain can be fluid in the muscle (inlfamation) but not muscle mass.

SmartFunGorgeous

Haha- it's just like a girl saying "maybe he's out of town, or there really WAS an emergency, which is why he didn't call you." It's bull. We tell ourselves lies to make ourselves feel good. But that's what they are. Lies. Good rant.

Hellbent_Heidi

Well said...and it needed to be said.

Sadly, we'll see "you're gaining muscle and muscle weighs more than fat" in response to the next "I've been working out and eating good for 2 WHOLE weeks and haven't lost" post....

SergeantSunshine_reused

Unfortunately, it's not that easy for men to put muscle on either.

Men do have it easier though.

Oh yea completely agree here ^^ def not easy for anyone to put on muscle! Takes time and HARD work

Hell I even have seen a few people say they are gaining so much muscle mass from walking, running, and even cleaning their house xD

RunHardBeStrong

Unfortunately, it's not that easy for men to put muscle on either.

Men do have it easier though.

Oh yea completely agree here ^^ def not easy for anyone to put on muscle! Takes time and HARD work

Hell I even have seen a few people say they are gaining so much muscle mass from walking, running, and even cleaning their house xD

Hell if that's all it took my house would be spotless 24/7!!!

SergeantSunshine_reused

Unfortunately, it's not that easy for men to put muscle on either.

Men do have it easier though.

Oh yea completely agree here ^^ def not easy for anyone to put on muscle! Takes time and HARD work

Hell I even have seen a few people say they are gaining so much muscle mass from walking, running, and even cleaning their house xD

Hell if that's all it took my house would be spotless 24/7!!!

As one of my friends said "maybe she deadlifts the fridge to sweep under it" :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

bcattoes

I think some of the posts are referring to something different than you are. If you have a led a very sedentary life to the point that many of your muscles have atrophed, you can build those muscles up to where they should be very quickly. I think that is often the initial "gain" posters refer to.

You seem to be talking about building new muscle on a fit person, which is very different, and much harder to do.

RunHardBeStrong

[/quote]

Hell if that's all it took my house would be spotless 24/7!!!
[/quote]

As one of my friends said "maybe she deadlifts the fridge to sweep under it" :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
[/quote]

LMAO!!!

scarletleavy

THANK YOU!

Along the same lines, it's just as annoying when women say "Oh I don't want to lift weights because I'll get bulky". You don't just pick up a few weights or a barbell and "suddenly" get bulky, especially as a woman. I've been trying to put on muscle for months and working my a** off to do it. It doesn't just happen.

SergeantSunshine_reused

THANK YOU!

Along the same lines, it's just as annoying when women say "Oh I don't want to lift weights because I'll get bulky". You don't just pick up a few weights or a barbell and "suddenly" get bulky, especially as a woman. I've been trying to put on muscle for months and working my a** off to do it. It doesn't just happen.

YES! If you pick up a dumbbell you will not turn into the incredible hulk.

up2me2lose20

Here Here! I have to say, this is one of my biggest pet peeves -- I gained 5lbs this week or visa versa....it just doesn't happen! Yes, weight fluctuates. Water retention, stress, etc, but muscle mass does not increase or decrease like this. This, along with some other rants is why I don't usually scour the message boards or even my profile page too much. lol

I have been trying to gain some muscle mass since June, and I can see a difference, but it's not a remarkable difference. Yes, I can see bigger shoulders and a bit more muscle in my hamstrings and quads, but I hesitate to say I've gained any muscle weight. I'm still leaning out though, too, so it's hard to know what's a gain and what's a loss.

My truest test is in that I have gone from a size 6 in June to a size 2/4 now. So something must be working right. Having dropped sizes yet I have stayed the same scale weight.

McKayMachina

Yup. I think a lot of people say that to make someone feel better about temporary water weight gains. Glad you posted this.

jadebvb92

I totally agree with this post. it's crazy how people think that 7 days makes such a huge difference.