Gaining Muscle is NOT that easy.
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When you gain more muscle, the fat comes off faster. Just stay 500 calories over maintenance.I just officially switched to muscle gain mode! Kind of scared of the fat gain that will come with it but excited at the same time.0 -
Yes! This seriously bothers me sooooo much! I always have to take a breath when someone makes that comment if I've (temporarily) shown a weight increase so I don't point out how stupid it is. I KNOW there is no way I gained 4 pounds of muscle overnight. I appreciate they are trying to make me feel better, but I understand why the weight fluctuates. I don't like it, but I understand it. It just gives people the opportunity to not work as hard, and feel they are achieving amazing results. Grrrrr :explode:0
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So in 6 months of heavy lifting, eating at a surplus, I as a woman should expect about 5-6 pounds of muscle and 1.5-2 pounds of fat?
6 lbs of muscle still seems a bit high. As stated above 12lbs in a years time is for people getting the newbie effect
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Fianlly. Weight gain can be fluid in the muscle (inlfamation) but not muscle mass.
Yup-- I put weight on all the time when I start a new resistance routine.. and it ain't muscle. I shudder when people complain they have put on weight while in a cal deficit in a new routine and people chime in-- don't worry it is muscle... Yikes.
I am blessed with the uncanny ability to put on four pounds of WATER in my muscles with only a single workout!0 -
I want to start off by saying that both men and women can't bulk up fast, but both can get muscular arms fast. In my opinion, when a woman says that she doesn't want to lift weights, because she doesn't want to bulk up, she's meaning she doesn't want muscular arms. I don't lift heavy, because I don't want muscular arms. I hate that look.
There's a difference between Jillian Michael arms and the wrestler Chyna's arms. Chyna is a body builder and she has bodybuilder arms. Jillian Michael just has muscular arms.
Women can develop muscular arms in a short period of time. Every woman's body is different. Some females have a muscular body at a young age, prior to ever lifting weights. A person doesn't have to lift weights to get a muscular body. A person can get a muscular body by doing body weight exercise. Think about gymnasts and ballerinas.
It's not easy to gain muscle or even lose fat. That's why tracking your body fat percentage is a very good thing. Well, for people that's tracking their fat loss. Scale weight loss and fat loss aren't the same thing. A person can lose 5 pounds of scale weight in an hour, but they can't lose 5 pounds of fat in an hour.
Scale weight is broken down into pounds of fat and pounds of lean body mass. When a person's lean body mass goes up that's a sign they have gained lean body mass or some people say muscles. Lean body mass includes muscles, organs, etc weight. People see abs, muscular arms, muscular legs, etc. and and they have gained muscles.
I can't really speak for calipers, although I have one. But, I can speak for my 6 year old scale and 2 month old Omron Handheld
body fat monitor. They both give me the same body fat percentage reading.
I've read where one man had the dunk test done and then used a Omron handheld body fat monitor and the reading was the same. Some people swear that the dunk test is the best way to go.
Is it possible that a person can lose pounds of fat or gain lean body mass one month and the next month gain pounds of fat or lose pounds of lean body mass? Yes. Why? The healthy weight loss is to lose 1 to 2 pounds of fat a month. This is not scale weight. It's fat loss. These results would be a lost of 4 to 8 pounds of fat loss a month. Anyone can lose 4 pounds of scale weight in a week, but without knowing your body fat percentage and working the formula, you don't know what you have lost. You could have lose 4 pounds of lean body mass.
I do my weigh in every month and my goal is to lose between 4 to 8 pounds of fat a month. I might lose under 4 pounds of fat in 30 days and I'm okay with that. This month weigh in showed a 3 pounds of fat loss. That was good news to me. I'm on the fat loss journey and a slow one at that. I have time to make it to my finish line. I know that it will take a year for me to lose the pounds of fat that I have to lose to get to my body fat percentage goal.0 -
There's a difference between Jillian Michael arms and the wrestler Chyna's arms. Chyna had "assistance" and she has "assistance" arms. Jillian Michael just has muscular arms.
Fixed0 -
Fixed
You haven't fixed anything. Just because someone is a bodybuilder it doesn't mean they are taking anything. The same thing goes for people that just have muscular arms. How do you know they aren't taking anything?0 -
It makes me sad that women don't want "muscular arms" but to each her own I guess. I love my muscular arms and thing muscles are damn sexy.0
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Fixed
You haven't fixed anything. Just because someone is a bodybuilder it doesn't mean they are taking anything. The same thing goes for people that just have muscular arms. How do you know they aren't taking anything?
Are you saying that other than the arms, Chyna looks just like every other non-using natural lady to you?
Pointing to assisted body builders is seriously a big part of the problem. Women are probably out there afraid to lift because they think it will give them facial hair and thickened vocal cords, too.0 -
It makes me sad that women don't want "muscular arms" but to each her own I guess. I love my muscular arms and thing muscles are damn sexy.
Ditto. Fitness models look amazing.0 -
It makes me sad that women don't want "muscular arms" but to each her own I guess. I love my muscular arms and thing muscles are damn sexy.
Agreed. muscles = strength0 -
Are you saying that other than the arms, Chyna looks just like every other non-using natural lady to you?
Pointing to assisted body builders is seriously a big part of the problem. Women are probably out there afraid to lift because they think it will give them facial hair and thickened vocal cords, too.
And in Chyna's case, a penis.0 -
Are you saying that other than the arms, Chyna looks just like every other non-using natural lady to you?
Pointing to assisted body builders is seriously a big part of the problem. Women are probably out there afraid to lift because they think it will give them facial hair and thickened vocal cords, too.
Why do you think that Chyna used anything? Maybe she did, maybe she didn't. But a lot of bodybuilders don't use anything to get their body. Bodybuilding doesn't come overnight. No one will get a bodybuilders body in a month.
A lot of woman don't have to look at a bodybuilder to say they don't want to bulk up. They can look at Jillian Michaels. Serena Williams, etc. and not want to look like that. Some women, like myself want a tone look and there's nothing wrong with that.0 -
Agreed. muscles = strength
A person doesn't have to lift weights to have strength.0 -
Agreed. muscles = strength
A person doesn't have to lift weights to have strength.
You know what.....never mind0 -
God I learn so much on this site! Thank you... seriously, I had no idea it took so long to gain muscle, I've always, stupidly, given up too early. I will persevere!!! I love it now (heavy lifting!) and am so glad I found out about it from people on here. Thanks to all the knowledgeable people on here, my body's gonna kick *kitten* with a lot of hard work!0
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So in 6 months of heavy lifting, eating at a surplus, I as a woman should expect about 5-6 pounds of muscle and 1.5-2 pounds of fat?
6 lbs of muscle still seems a bit high. As stated above 12lbs in a years time is for people getting the newbie effect
I took the 2-3lbs in 12 weeks and just doubled it. Blargh. Where's my roids? This is going to take forever...0 -
I took the 2-3lbs in 12 weeks and just doubled it. Blargh. Where's my roids? This is going to take forever...
It's a long process but since you're already lean, even a 2lb gain in lean mass will be noticeable. That, and smashing PR's is fun as hell so the process itself is really quite enjoyable
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So in 6 months of heavy lifting, eating at a surplus, I as a woman should expect about 5-6 pounds of muscle and 1.5-2 pounds of fat?
6 lbs of muscle still seems a bit high. As stated above 12lbs in a years time is for people getting the newbie effect
I took the 2-3lbs in 12 weeks and just doubled it. Blargh. Where's my roids? This is going to take forever...
Yeah, but you feel like such a badass! DO IT GIRL!0 -
If you keep your calories in check. Eat a lot of protein.So in 6 months of heavy lifting, eating at a surplus, I as a woman should expect about 5-6 pounds of muscle and 1.5-2 pounds of fat?0 -
China had lazer hair removal from her face, she has a deep voice, and had plastic surgery to have her jawline "feminized". Oh and when her female organ is the size of a baby boys sex organ............................Why do you think that Chyna used anything? Maybe she did, maybe she didn't. But a lot of bodybuilders don't use anything to get their body. Bodybuilding doesn't come overnight. No one will get a bodybuilders body in a month.0 -
That's true, but a 400lbs overweight guy and a 200lbs lean guy can have the same strength. If people looked at the 2, the assumption is that the lean guy emulates strength and the overweight guy is...........well overweight.A person doesn't have to lift weights to have strength.0 -
Boost yourself naturally........................heavy squats, deadlifts and barbell rows really boost natural hormones. And if you bomb legs for a session, it is anabolic!I took the 2-3lbs in 12 weeks and just doubled it. Blargh. Where's my roids? This is going to take forever...0 -
That's true, but a 400lbs overweight guy and a 200lbs lean guy can have the same strength. If people looked at the 2, the assumption is that the lean guy emulates strength and the overweight guy is...........well overweight.
If the 400lb guy gets out of bed, he's lifting, which is probably why he's so strong. Now to convince him not to go on severe calorie restriction and cardio so he loses all the muscle...0 -
it does not take a lot of effort to gain muscle mass. it doesnt even take heavy lifting. what it does take is time. I've gotten more results, mass wise, swimming in sweats than I ever have lifting. though I generally go more for indurance lifting than max.0
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My 2 cents in this rant.
Shunshine, thanks for stating the obvious misconception. I find the frequent assumption of quick muscle gain quite frustrating as well.
It is hard work to gain muscle and well take time. I would throw out there that due to infinite physiological variables between the many individuals, some will gain quicker than others. Any "I gained 5 lbs of muscle in a month!" is highly suspect.
The newbie gain effect has been pointed out.
I would suggest those that are significantly overweight and male may have the capacity to actually gain lean mass while on a caloric deficit when training appropriately. Reductions in body fat will lower estrogen levels. This, combined with proper training and a nutrient/protein rich diet and adequate rest, stimulating an anabolic state certainly promotes the retention of lean tissue.
Pure speculation on my part, but it would seem to me with favorable hormone conditions that the body would reach into fat stores of the significantly over weight to generate the energy required to generate the new tissue promoted by the new training stimuli (heavy lifting, etc.). Obviously the body would use such adaption when there is an obvious surplus of stored energy (approaching obese or greater), and the hormone conditions were favorable. I in no way would assume this as a general rule. However, the capacity in some individuals would not surprise me. As the fat stores drop, I would also speculate that capacity would diminish until such point that a caloric surplus is required for muscle tissue generation.
Just a hypothesis on my part though.0 -
China had lazer hair removal from her face, she has a deep voice, and had plastic surgery to have her jawline "feminized". Oh and when her female organ is the size of a baby boys sex organ............................
A lot of women have facial hair. I have seen women with a mustache. It's not because they have taken anything.
My point is, every bodybuilder doesn't take anything to get their muscles. Some people do go at it naturally.
Some women like muscular arms. Some like muscular abs. I'm not that woman. I like a tone body and that's why I aim to be toned and not muscular.0 -
it does not take a lot of effort to gain muscle mass. it doesnt even take heavy lifting. what it does take is time. I've gotten more results, mass wise, swimming in sweats than I ever have lifting. though I generally go more for indurance lifting than max.
Are you seriously saying that swimming is a better exercise to gain muscle mass than lifting?0 -
it does not take a lot of effort to gain muscle mass. it doesnt even take heavy lifting. what it does take is time. I've gotten more results, mass wise, swimming in sweats than I ever have lifting. though I generally go more for indurance lifting than max.
Are you seriously saying that swimming is a better exercise to gain muscle mass than lifting?
No, he's saying swimming IN SWEATS is better for gaining muscle than lifting.0 -
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
LOL!0
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