How quickly can you gain muscle weight?

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notsuchaskinnybitch
notsuchaskinnybitch Posts: 203
in Fitness and Exercise
This week I have worked out a lot! And instead of losing any weight, I have put on 3lbs! I'm just wondering if its from muscle weight? I haven't over eaten this week.
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  • FitMrsR
    FitMrsR Posts: 226 Member
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    It's more likely that your muscles are retaining water to repair themselves. It's hard for women to gain muscle and you definitely won't be gaining it in a calorie defecit.
  • AdviDaddy
    AdviDaddy Posts: 207 Member
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    It could be due to water retention. I doubt muscles building up that fast to weight 3 lbs. Give it another 2-3 weeks at least and then see the trend.
  • PlayerHatinDogooder
    PlayerHatinDogooder Posts: 1,018 Member
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    Like the above poster said that would be highly unlikely.
  • notsuchaskinnybitch
    notsuchaskinnybitch Posts: 203
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    Ah ok, that makes sense. I usually try to not go by the scales so much but its its just satisfying to see the number drop :)
  • AdviDaddy
    AdviDaddy Posts: 207 Member
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    If you are weight training, observe how your clothes fit. Number on the scale may not be a good way to judge.

    I am assuming you know your TDEE and eat accordingly.
  • notsuchaskinnybitch
    notsuchaskinnybitch Posts: 203
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    Never heard of a TDEE?
  • FitMrsR
    FitMrsR Posts: 226 Member
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    Never heard of a TDEE?

    It's the amount of calories it takes to maintain your weight taking your activity level into account. Lots of people use this number to determine the calories they need to reach their goal. This is a good site that figures it out for you

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/#projectedweightloss
  • AdviDaddy
    AdviDaddy Posts: 207 Member
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    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    Wt fluctuations are pretty normal. Instead of going by the number on the scale, I prefer to go by the 'comfort-meter' when I wear my pants. You actually 'feel' the loss.

    Since how long you started working out?
  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
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    If you're new to lifting maybe 2 pounds a month if you bust your *kitten* for it. If you're not eating like a horse then 0.
  • notsuchaskinnybitch
    notsuchaskinnybitch Posts: 203
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    Its just because I did a workout 6 days in a row compared to my usual 2-3 a week + walking/cycling.
  • AdviDaddy
    AdviDaddy Posts: 207 Member
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    Then its simple. Water retention. You will lose that water eventually but keep working out. Good luck.
  • notsuchaskinnybitch
    notsuchaskinnybitch Posts: 203
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    Apparently my maintenance weight calories are 2594.
  • WhaddoWino
    WhaddoWino Posts: 146 Member
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    Found this on MFP somewhere and it begs to be reposted here!

    Why the Scale Goes Up When You Start a New Workout Plan

    By Chalene Johnson

    Probably the most common question I get when I release a new exercise program is, "Help! I'm gaining weight! Am I doing something wrong?" This is a common phenomenon with any new exercise program, such as Turbo Kick, Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Hustle, or others! It's especially common (and temporary) with intense strength training programs like ChaLEAN Extreme or Tony Horton's P90X.

    The motivation to start a new exercise program is almost always to lose weight. However, what most personal trainers know--and most at-home exercisers do not--is that a new exercise program often can cause an immediate (and temporary) increase on the scale. (Notice I didn't say weight gain! I'll explain.) This common increase in the scale is also the reason why perhaps millions of people start and then quickly quit their resolution to get fit.

    The temporary weight gain explained:
    When someone starts a new exercise program, they often experience muscle soreness. The more intense and "unfamiliar" the program, the more intense the muscle soreness. This soreness is most prevalent 24 to 48 hours after each workout. In the first few weeks of a new program, soreness is the body trying to "protect and defend" the effected or targeted tissue. Exercise physiologists refer to this as delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

    This type of soreness is thought to be caused by tissue breakdown or microscopic tears in muscle tissue. When this happens, the body protects the tissue. The muscle becomes inflamed and slightly swollen due to fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few weeks of a new program. Keep in mind that muscle soreness is not necessarily a reflection of how hard you worked. In fact, some people feel no signs of muscle soreness, yet will experience the muscle protection mechanisms of water retention and slight swelling.

    Most people are motivated enough to put up with this temporary muscle soreness. Yet, many, especially those who really need immediate weight loss to keep them motivated, become discouraged and quit!

    When I worked with a group of 70 test participants during the development stages of ChaLEAN Extreme, this happened. Who was the most upset and discouraged? You guessed it... the women! I'm happy to report absolutely for every single woman (and man) in our group, the weight increase was temporary and never lasted more than two weeks before they started to see a major drop in the scale. However, these people had the advantage of working with someone who was able to explain to them why this was happening and assure them the weight would come off if they stuck to the nutrition plan and stayed true to the program.

    If you follow a multi-phase exercise plan, such as ChaLEAN Extreme, keep in mind that when you start each phase, your body will be "in shock" again. Don't be surprised or discouraged if you experience a temporary gain on the scale the first week of each phase.

    My own personal example of this is running 10Ks. I don't do it very often, maybe once or twice a year. Even though I run on a regular basis, when you run a race, you push much harder. It's natural for me to be insanely sore the next day. It’s also very common for me to see the scale jump 4 pounds the next day from forcing fluids post race and the resulting DOMS. Even though I know the cause of it, it's still a bummer. We're all human and hard work should mean results. Hard work equals results, but our bodies are amazing machines and they know how to protect us from hurting ourselves. Soreness forces you to give those muscles a break. Ultimately you will lose the weight and you will change your metabolism in the process.

    The key is understanding that this is a normal and temporary and stick with the program!
  • notsuchaskinnybitch
    notsuchaskinnybitch Posts: 203
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    Ah ok, so it must purely be the jump of working out 2-3 times a week jumping to 6 days in a row. I wasn't discouraged to stop exercising, just wondered why :)
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    You're storing extra glycogen in your muscles. Each extra gram of glycogen molecules needs something like 3 extra grammes of water molecules to be stored along with it. This happens pretty rapidly as your body adjusts to you new routine. It doesn't keep on increasing and it just means you have more fuel to "dig deeper" with a more hardcore schedule.

    Bullet points: It's totally natural, it's not muscle or fat and it helps you be a monster in your workouts.
  • mperrott2205
    mperrott2205 Posts: 737 Member
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    Its just because I did a workout 6 days in a row compared to my usual 2-3 a week + walking/cycling.

    Might I suggest splitting this up into 3 days in a row, a rest day, then another 3 days?
  • notsuchaskinnybitch
    notsuchaskinnybitch Posts: 203
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    Its probably not something I will keep up, just happened to have motivation to do it 6 days this week! :)
  • SpeakToAmanda
    SpeakToAmanda Posts: 11
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    This is definitely comforting as someone who has gained 2+ pounds from exercising much more and eating right. I can feel my muscles being stronger. However, when does the weight gain/water weight go away?
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    No, it's absolutely not from muscle weight. The most you can expect from muscle is to gain about 2lbs per month, and that's the gain rate for men whose physiology is better suited for muscle growth.

    Pay attention to how much your weight fluctuates on a daily basis... my weight shifts by as much as 4 lbs sometimes. Your body is no different from any other container... you weigh more when you put stuff in it, and less when you "take it out".

    You have to do some reading on this to keep from freaking out about little things like this. I would recommend New Rules of Lifting for Women, and googling "bodyfat %".
    This is definitely comforting as someone who has gained 2+ pounds from exercising much more and eating right. I can feel my muscles being stronger. However, when does the weight gain/water weight go away?

    It doesn't, and you need to understand that the scale is not perfect. It only gives you a "total". For instance, the last time I weighed 142lbs I was at 15% body fat with a belly. Now, after I've put on muscle weight, when I get my total bodyweight down to 142 again, I will have 10% bodyfat and my abs should show through.

    Do some reading (see suggestion above).
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
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    It could be due to water retention. I doubt muscles building up that fast to weight 3 lbs. Give it another 2-3 weeks at least and then see the trend.

    This ^ I have taking boot camp for the last month and the first two weeks the scale didnt budge because of water retention. Now I am starting to see the numbers go down.

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