Possible to gain 5lbs of muscle in 2-3 months?

Argentino
Argentino Posts: 52
in Fitness and Exercise
I started lifting a few months ago while eating at maintence ( I thought that I had a small deficit but it was more like maintenance.) Immediately I started to see gains on the scale and decided that it was just water weight that would eventually go down. It stayed up between 5-10lbs. I took off for a week and it went down some, but I still have 5lbs that aren't coming off.

It's no big deal... I'm just a bit curious... is it possible for someone new to lifting to gain 5lbs of muscle in such a short period of time?

Replies

  • laurabelle2013
    laurabelle2013 Posts: 88
    Absolutely, I started lifting heavier weights when I started this journey and I had used the scale of my doctors office that tells all the breakdown of water, Fat, what muscle etc. and when I went back six weeks later I gained almost 3 pounds of muscle
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
    I started lifting a few months ago while eating at maintence ( I thought that I had a small deficit but it was more like maintenance.) Immediately I started to see gains on the scale and decided that it was just water weight that would eventually go down. It stayed up between 5-10lbs. I took off for a week and it went down some, but I still have 5lbs that aren't coming off.

    It's no big deal... I'm just a bit curious... is it possible for someone new to lifting to gain 5lbs of muscle in such a short period of time?

    Unfortunately, the longer you weight lift, the slower your gains will be. Beginners get "newbie gains" when they first weight train. These gains will typically last about 2-3 months. Newbie gains include rapid muscle gains and a rapid increase in strength.

    If one consumes sufficient food/proteins and has enough active rest, then they can expect to gain at least 5-10 pounds of muscle per month in the "newbie gain" stage. The amount of muscle gained will vary among different body types. The muscle gained during this stage is permanent.

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw66.htm
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    With seriously training, proper eating and calorie surplus it is possible for a man to gain 1-2 pounds of muscle per month (FYI for women it's 1/2-1 pound per month). However, I would assume since you are on this website that you are eating at a calorie deficit which means what you're probably seeing is a slight newbie gain but mostly the scale is reflecting the increase of water and glycogen stores.

    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/how-much-muscle-can-you-gain/
  • breeshabebe
    breeshabebe Posts: 580
    Good to know... I've been having a similar thing myself.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    For a man? Definitely. .5lb-1lb/week muscle gain is pretty reasonable. I saw the results of my friend's bod pod and in one month he gained 3lbs of muscle and lost 5lbs of fat. He was already at 12% body fat when he started and took no supplements/steroids.
  • Argentino
    Argentino Posts: 52
    Thanks everyone! Makes me feel much better about the number on the scale.

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