Muscle vs. Weight gain

[Ali]

Hey guys, i was hoping some vets on the board can come clear up a few things for me. Over the years i have bounced back and forth with bulking up and gaining weight, and then dieting back down to practically end up in the same spot time and time again. To say the least, it's pretty dam frustrating.

When trying to add muscle, while keeping bodyfat levels stable what would you say is the overal bodyweight you should look to be putting on each month for example? I know there are factors involved as far as super supps , but my posts is in reference to a only OTC supps.

I've read a few places 1-3 pounds a month is a good rate to gain weight and ensuring your not putting on much bodyfat if any.

Anyways i'll open it to discussion and let me know what your guys thoughts are

 

[maldorf]

Hey guys, i was hoping some vets on the board can come clear up a few things for me. Over the years i have bounced back and forth with bulking up and gaining weight, and then dieting back down to practically end up in the same spot time and time again. To say the least, it's pretty dam frustrating.

When trying to add muscle, while keeping bodyfat levels stable what would you say is the overal bodyweight you should look to be putting on each month for example? I know there are factors involved as far as super supps , but my posts is in reference to a only OTC supps.

I've read a few places 1-3 pounds a month is a good rate to gain weight and ensuring your not putting on much bodyfat if any.

Anyways i'll open it to discussion and let me know what your guys thoughts are

Much of that would depend on your genetics and lifting experience of course. Those with good genetics and havent been lifting very long would probably put on muscle mass at the fastest rate. Id say for the average guy that has been lifting for 5 years or more that averaging 1 pound a month would be doing real good. That would be 12 pounds in a year. It usually comes in spurts where you mgiht not gain anything for a month and then the next you might put on two, so I think you have to look at the big picture and not go month by month.

 

[Ali]

Thanks for the reply. Those are some good points and things to consider. I guess its a very slow process and you need to be patient. I guess the hardest part is the numbers sound small, but what does 5 pounds or 10 pounds of muscle really equate to? I know it will look different on each person's frame, but is that something that will be noticeable ?

 

[oldfella]

HA, I would love to add 12lbs of total quality to my frame each year. The truth is often painful. In reality to gain ten lbs of pure lean mass in a year will totally depend on your level of experience. Even top level pros would love to add ten pounds of solid lean mass each year,if we could we would all just continue to grow each year and there would virtually be no limit. But our bodies put limits on these things whether we like it or not. Your genetics will have a huge roll in all of this. AAS or OTC supps will make little difference to all the other limiting factors to muscle gain. Most pros would be in the five solid pounds of pure rock hard muscle category for a years worth of hard work. The fresher the lifter, the more significant his/her yearly gains will be. The bigger we get the harder it is to continue to grow.

 

[Ali]

good post...Yea i guess i just read a lot of threads of guys putting on X amount of weight in the off season and to be honest i don't see what the point is if you gain 30 pounds if 5 is muscle..Thats alot of EXTRA weight that is not needed..fat/water i'm assuming. I went through this first hand..going from 190 to 230 to lean back down to 190s and literally look very close to what i looked like before i started bulking up. What was the point lol??

Thats why i have decided to try to gain weight more gradually and not fluctuate in weight so much, especially if i have a tendancy to put on fat fast. I rather look more lean and more like a bb if possible then get fat.

I guess you're right, the reality is the numbers of lean tissue to gain each year is kind of depressing lol

 

[oldfella]

good post...Yea i guess i just read a lot of threads of guys putting on X amount of weight in the off season and to be honest i don't see what the point is if you gain 30 pounds if 5 is muscle..Thats alot of EXTRA weight that is not needed..fat/water i'm assuming. I went through this first hand..going from 190 to 230 to lean back down to 190s and literally look very close to what i looked like before i started bulking up. What was the point lol??

Thats why i have decided to try to gain weight more gradually and not fluctuate in weight so much, especially if i have a tendancy to put on fat fast. I rather look more lean and more like a bb if possible then get fat.

I guess you're right, the reality is the numbers of lean tissue to gain each year is kind of depressing lol

At least you are learning.........I laugh when i hear the "I put on 35lbs on my last cycle" or "last year I gained a 100lbs". Like you have noticed, when you strip off you are left with 5 maybe 10lbs of lean mass if you got lucky! Now this does not mean it ia all mission impossible. If you go about it correctly, watch your BF levels and train smarter, eat smarter then you can and will make significant progress. Just keep your head out of the clouds and be consistant in all you do with regard to training, rest, nutrition and supplements. Above all be patient........this is a long term proposition, not see how big we can get in 8 weks! But the key word is CONSISTANCY! The secret of the pros!! There it is!

 

[maldorf]

good post...Yea i guess i just read a lot of threads of guys putting on X amount of weight in the off season and to be honest i don't see what the point is if you gain 30 pounds if 5 is muscle..Thats alot of EXTRA weight that is not needed..fat/water i'm assuming. I went through this first hand..going from 190 to 230 to lean back down to 190s and literally look very close to what i looked like before i started bulking up. What was the point lol??

Thats why i have decided to try to gain weight more gradually and not fluctuate in weight so much, especially if i have a tendancy to put on fat fast. I rather look more lean and more like a bb if possible then get fat.

I guess you're right, the reality is the numbers of lean tissue to gain each year is kind of depressing lol

I tried the bulking thing up too, and then cutting down. It really doesnt work. It is also bad for your health. It will raise your blood pressure and put a strain on your heart. I am sure when I did this that it was a detriment to me. I had bulked up to 260 lbs, by eating good foods but just way too much. It was hard to overeat on good food but I managed! After getting with phil and eating only when hungry I trimmed back down to 225 lbs and was even stronger in the gym. For me, after training for over 20 years, it was an achievement for me to put on 5 lbs or so of muscle in a year.

 

[Ali]

I've made a lot of changes and i'm training/eating smarter. I guess reading a lot of the type of posts you mentioned can sometimes brainwash you into what you should "expect" or shoot for. Its a marathon and not a sprint...just gotta be patient.

Last question for you guys, you mentioned that the weight can come gradually and at times it may not come consistently and may appear in spurts. How can you be sure that you're on the right back to gaining muscle if the scale isn't a good way to guage progress? I would assume if you're getting progressivly stronger week to week ( weight/ more reps) and protien is adequete?

 

[maldorf]

I've made a lot of changes and i'm training/eating smarter. I guess reading a lot of the type of posts you mentioned can sometimes brainwash you into what you should "expect" or shoot for. Its a marathon and not a sprint...just gotta be patient.

Last question for you guys, you mentioned that the weight can come gradually and at times it may not come consistently and may appear in spurts. How can you be sure that you're on the right back to gaining muscle if the scale isn't a good way to guage progress? I would assume if you're getting progressivly stronger week to week ( weight/ more reps) and protien is adequete?

Id say that the mirror and the gym are the best indicators. Try not to get too tied up in the scale. I eventually started doing my bf with calipers, and that helps if you insist on using the scale.

 

[oldfella]

Yes consistantly putting up better numbers in the gym, putting up better more productive training sessions would be a good indication of progress in the lean mass dept. I agree with MAL on the mirros and the calipers. Two of the best tools we can use.

 

[Ali]

Thanks for all the responses. I appreciate it