How long does it take to build muscle?
If you’ve just started lifting weights, you might be wondering when you'll begin to see muscle gains. Find out when you'll reap the rewards of your hard-earned efforts...
When can you expect to see muscle gains?
The question doesn’t have a simple answer because there are a number of variables that determine how quickly someone can gain muscle mass, including but not limited to:
- Age
- Diet
- Gender
- Genetics
- Type of training
- Frequency of training
- Amount of muscle at the start of training
- How long someone has been training for
Because there are so many factors at play, there aren't many studies available that clearly define typical rates of muscle gain. What is clear is that gaining muscle isn't a quick process: it takes long-term dedication and the right type of training to achieve over time. As a general guide, the most commonly quoted figures are:
- 1-2lbs of muscle per month for men
- 0.5-1lb of muscle per month for women
How quickly into a training programme someone can expect to see muscle changes also varies. Evidence suggests it typically takes at least 6-8 weeks before someone will see any change, but potentially 3 months or more to see significant results.
How is muscle mass increased?
What exactly happens within our body to form new muscle? Many people know from experience that consistent weight training leads to muscle growth – so we know this type of exercise is an important stimulus. However, what happens from a cellular point of view to produce this outcome isn't straightforward to explain.
Essentially, when we perform resistance exercises, we cause little tears in our muscle fibres. This damage signals an immune response and the relevant cells come along to repair the damaged muscle fibres. In doing so, the fibres are gradually made bigger, with each repair leading to growth over time.
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There is a theory that our body has this response to prepare it for that same level of increased workload going forward. If the muscles are adapted, the same level of damage won't be caused next time the same stress is put on it. Our bodies are incredibly adaptive machines!
In order for new muscle to be built, protein synthesis must also be higher than protein breakdown. Protein synthesis is triggered by resistance training and also when enough protein is supplied to the working muscles – and this is where diet plays a part.
Discover how much protein to build muscle, muscle-building breakfasts, what to eat on rest and easy training days and what to eat on heavy training days.
What type of training is best?
Simply lifting any kind of weight isn't quite enough and you'll need to follow an appropriate, personalised resistance training programme for your goals. This will ensure you're lifting the correct weight and performing the ideal number of repetitions per set for your body and goals.
There are three main types of weight training:
Weight training for strength – this focuses on increasing the amount of force your muscles can generate, which helps improve overall strength and power.
Weight training to develop muscle mass – this focuses on building muscle mass and size (hypertrophy). It involves higher reps and moderate weights.
Weight training to develop endurance – this focuses on lifting lighter weights for an extended period to improve muscular endurance and cardiovascular health.
Finding the right weight to build muscle mass
Research shows that the optimum weight to be lifted to encourage muscle growth is 70% of a person’s 1RM (one rep max). So for example, if you were able to perform one bicep curl with a 20kg dumbbell but no further repetitions, this would be your 1RM. 70% of 20kg is 14kg, so this would be the weight you’d need to lift to provide the most significant muscle gains.
A person can usually perform 8-12 reps when lifting 70% of their 1RM, so that is another useful guide. Rather than lifting very heavy weights to determine your 1RM, aim for 8-12 reps with a weight you feel is appropriate. If you can perform three sets and find the last 2-3 reps of the final set very tough, then this weight is suitable. It's important to really struggle to finish, otherwise you are possibly performing reps which will lead to muscular endurance improvements rather than size gains.
When it comes to lifting weights, the general guidance is as follows:
- 1-8 reps best for strength gains
- 8-12 reps best for size gains
- 12-20 reps best for endurance gains
How to get started
While performing three sets of 8-12 reps may be the best approach for muscle gains, if you're new to this sort of resistance training, you'd be better off working up to this level. Going straight in at this level of training could cause an uncomfortable amount of muscle damage, which will leave you feeling very sore for days – not what you want when embarking on a new exercise programme! So it's best to ease yourself in to give your muscles time to get used to the movements and lifting weights, then build up to where you need to be.
If you're just starting out, try the following approach:
Weeks 1-3 – aim to perform one set of each exercise, aiming for 15-20 reps per exercise. The weight should be enough that you find it challenging towards the end of the set, but not impossible to finish or so heavy that your form (technique) becomes compromised. Focus on 6-8 different exercises per session to begin with.
Weeks 4-6 – Increase the number of sets you're doing to 2/3, but keep the weight at a similar level. You may need to increase the weight a little if you are finding it less challenging, but still aim for that 15-20 reps mark.
Week 7 and beyond – By now your body will be more experienced in lifting weight and performing multiple sets, so you can start to add some extra load. At this time, look to drop your reps down to 8-12 and up the weights. Performing three sets of 12 reps should be a challenge – that's how you know your weight is correct. But never compromise on your technique; the moment you have to break form to finish a lift, stop and rest.
As well as the above, you should ideally complete 2-3 sessions per week, and mix up the muscle groups you’re targeting in each session.
In short...
How long it takes to gain muscle is down to a number of factors, including your age, genetics, sex, diet and training routine. You'll typically start to see results in 6-8 weeks, and more significant gains after three months. Yet however long it takes, developing your muscles and making them stronger is something we should all be doing to improve our overall health and quality of life. The more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn, since muscle tissue is metabolically active, so resistance training can also play a role in weight maintenance.
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Emma White (ANutr, MSc Human Nutrition) is Senior Nutritionist for the calorie- and nutrient-tracking app Nutracheck. She is passionate about how food science applies to the human body, and how the nutrients in what we eat affect us and ultimately have an impact on our health.
All health content on goodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other healthcare professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local healthcare provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.
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