Mass Gaining Question Regarding Weight Training

So I was doing some reading and read that the maximum rate at which the body can gain muscle is maybe a pound or two a month. This confused me, as I was under the impression that the body, with proper eating and weight training, can gain up to a pound of muscle a week. I have also read this in threads at different forums. However, then I read that it is that the body can gain up to a pound of mass a week, which consists of a combination of muscle, water, glycogen, and fat. Many guys may for example eat big and work out hard and put on 15 lbs over three months. They will still be at around the same bodyfat percentage, so they think they have put on 15 lbs of solid muscle, but it is more like 6 lbs of muscle, 6 pounds of additional fat, and 3 lbs of water and glycogen. If they had put on pure muscle with no increase in fat, they would look a lot leaner, and if more fat without additional muscle, they'd look fatter, but with additional muscle tissue in combination with additional fat, they look the same because the bigger muscles spread the additional fat out more.

 

So what I was wondering is, is this additional fat in the form of additional fat cells or just more fat in your existing fat cells? I ask because once the body creates additional fat cells, it cannot get rid of them (except through surgery). I wouldn't mind more fat if it is filling existing fat cells while getting bigger, but I wouldn't want to build new fat cells (or lots of them anyway) in the process of bulking.

 

You will always gain some fat with bulking (assuming you are trying to maximize your bulking and aren't undershooting your intake requirements) unless you have near everything nailed down to a "T" which is somewhat impossible.

 

The rate at which you can gain depends on several factors, including your genetics, your lifts, and how long you have been training for. Newcomers to lifting will see faster results than someone who has been consistently hitting the gym for years.

I think with exercise and a moderate uptick (maybe 15%-20%) in caloric intake, you shouldn't have to worry too much. I've heard of dudes who go on bulking phases with 10k calories or more, and they can still lean out pretty nicely.

 

I I've heard of dudes who go on bulking phases with 10k calories or more, and they can still lean out pretty nicely.

 

10,000 calories that's crazy talk. Professional competitors don't intake that.

 

Track what you eat now and increase the calories slowly. Eat ultra clean and you should have no problems when it comes to thinning out. Clean diets will keep you from getting what you refereed to as permanent fat cells.

 

Those statistics/numbers of muscle gains will probably (everyone is different of course but generally speaking) take you a while to get to that. It's impossible to go straight into a gym and get those kinds of gains. It takes a minute for your body to adjust and then start seeing the results. And that's after you have conditioned yourself to lift heavy.

You will always gain some fat with bulking (assuming you are trying to maximize your bulking and aren't undershooting your intake requirements) unless you have near everything nailed down to a "T" which is somewhat impossible.

 

The rate at which you can gain depends on several factors, including your genetics, your lifts, and how long you have been training for. Newcomers to lifting will see faster results than someone who has been consistently hitting the gym for years.

 

Do you know if the additional fat be in the form of just more fat in existing fat cells though or more fat cells? I ask because if you develop more fat cells, then it becomes much easier to become fat if you aren't careful afterwards.

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dont do cardio

The shitty part is once you start eating a normal diet again to fit within your lifestyle you will lose just about all the weight and gains you had previously accumulated. Same goes for the juice boys. Ive seen it all my life and also experienced it.

 

You will find after 15-20 years of steady power lifting and weight training that you need to focus on creating a regimen that fits within your lifestyle and one that can be repeated week after week to make gradual gains.

 

I see about 2 to 3 lbs annually while maintaining 6-7% bodyfat. Took me years of screwing around with hyped supplements and everything else in between.

 

Of course you could bulk up and maintain it for awhile but its tough to ingest large amounts of calories for extended lengths of time. Besides, bloating and fat gain sucks anyway imho

 

The shitty part is once you start eating a normal diet again to fit within your lifestyle you will lose just about all the weight and gains you had previously accumulated. Same goes for the juice boys. Ive seen it all my life and also experienced it.

 

You will find after 15-20 years of steady power lifting and weight training that you need to focus on creating a regimen that fits within your lifestyle and one that can be repeated week after week to make gradual gains.

 

I see about 2 to 3 lbs annually while maintaining 6-7% bodyfat. Took me years of screwing around with hyped supplements and everything else in between.

 

Of course you could bulk up and maintain it for awhile but its tough to ingest large amounts of calories for extended lengths of time. Besides, bloating and fat gain sucks anyway imho

 

 

Listen to what Steve says. He will kick most people on lp's @ss in the gym. Seriously.

 

Didnt recognize the new name Mike lol

 

Hope all is well buddy

Didnt recognize the new name Mike lol

 

Hope all is well buddy

 

Yeah, they changed my name along with several other long standing lp members for fun a few weeks ago. lol.

 

 

Hope all is well with you too!

 

 

So I was doing some reading and read that the maximum rate at which the body can gain muscle is maybe a pound or two a month. This confused me, as I was under the impression that the body, with proper eating and weight training, can gain up to a pound of muscle a week. I have also read this in threads at different forums. However, then I read that it is that the body can gain up to a pound of mass a week, which consists of a combination of muscle, water, glycogen, and fat. Many guys may for example eat big and work out hard and put on 15 lbs over three months. They will still be at around the same bodyfat percentage, so they think they have put on 15 lbs of solid muscle, but it is more like 6 lbs of muscle, 6 pounds of additional fat, and 3 lbs of water and glycogen. If they had put on pure muscle with no increase in fat, they would look a lot leaner, and if more fat without additional muscle, they'd look fatter, but with additional muscle tissue in combination with additional fat, they look the same because the bigger muscles spread the additional fat out more.

 

So what I was wondering is, is this additional fat in the form of additional fat cells or just more fat in your existing fat cells? I ask because once the body creates additional fat cells, it cannot get rid of them (except through surgery). I wouldn't mind more fat if it is filling existing fat cells while getting bigger, but I wouldn't want to build new fat cells (or lots of them anyway) in the process of bulking.

 

 

 

More fat cells, hence it is easier to become fat once you've been fat. These "pockets" shrink with fat loss but they never go away.

 

My question to you is -- are you even working out? what is your diet/program?

 

 

 

Steve, I think I am giving up on being huge as well.. been chasing it for years, and every time it ends up being dirti-ish bulk. PLus so much money wasted on food, and as you said, once you stop for a few weeks, kiss it goodbye.

 

I am now reasonably happy with being lean (which makes you appear more muscular), being more athletic since I am carryingless fat/weight and spending less on food and protein and not gorging myself to the point of wanting to puke.

I think with exercise and a moderate uptick (maybe 15%-20%) in caloric intake, you shouldn't have to worry too much. I've heard of dudes who go on bulking phases with 10k calories or more, and they can still lean out pretty nicely.

 

Yeah it's called steroids. They make you eat like a horse and keep your BF% low.

More fat cells, hence it is easier to become fat once you've been fat. These "pockets" shrink with fat loss but they never go away.

 

My question to you is -- are you even working out? what is your diet/program?

 

Right now I eat healthy (very moderate on the junk food), make sure to get a good balance of protein, complex carbyhydrates, vegetables, fruits, etc...plus a multivitamin daily. In terms of fitness, I do basic calisthenics and some light weight training at the moment, nothing to gain mass, just to make sure my body doesn't turn to Jell-O or anything, such as pushups, pullups, dips, one-legged squats, hamstring curls on a machine, situps, etc...basically military-style PT. I would like to start gaining mass via a bodybuilding-type of program, but I was curious about when the body gains additional muscle and fat, if that additional fat meant more fat cells.

 

My goal would be to gain some muscle and maintain it that way, which from what I understand, to eat right, you have to figure out your current caloric maintenance level (where you consume the exact amount of calories your body burns). Then you increase that by about 400 or 500 additional calories and figure out the right split of protein, carbyhydrates, fats, etc...and divide that up into five, six, seven or so small meals throughout the day, and you eat like this while following a weight training regime. As you gain mass, you keep an eye on your caloric maintenance level, which will change some with the additional mass as your body adds it. Then after you gain the amount of mass you desire, you figure out your new caloric maintenance level and reduce your food intake to that. If you have some fat under your skin you want to get rid of, or have even gained a little excess fat from the food, you then follow a cardio program so as to burn away the fat but not the muscle tissue you've built up.

 

If you have gained say 30 lbs of addtional mass and are at the same bodyfat percentage, then technically you've gained say maybe 15 lbs of fat with 15 lbs of muscle, but the additional 15 lbs of muscle spreads out the extra fat moreso, so you look the same. Thus if you then lose say 8 lbs of fat, you may look a lot leaner then you were but you actually have more fat in you then when you started. That is my basic understanding of it anyway.

The shitty part is once you start eating a normal diet again to fit within your lifestyle you will lose just about all the weight and gains you had previously accumulated. Same goes for the juice boys. Ive seen it all my life and also experienced it.

 

Why revert to a "normal" diet though? Why not just make it into a lifestyle, you eat the amount it takes to maintain your physique size and keep working out. I'd look at it that a good physique takes maintenance, just like for example bathing.

 

Of course you could bulk up and maintain it for awhile but its tough to ingest large amounts of calories for extended lengths of time. Besides, bloating and fat gain sucks anyway imho

 

True, but the really big eating is only for the bulking phase, afterwards you can eat less to just maintain it. Also, I don't want to get super-huge or anything.

Why revert to a "normal" diet though? Why not just make it into a lifestyle, you eat the amount it takes to maintain your physique size and keep working out. I'd look at it that a good physique takes maintenance, just like for example bathing.

 

 

 

True, but the really big eating is only for the bulking phase, afterwards you can eat less to just maintain it. Also, I don't want to get super-huge or anything.

 

Maintaining the perfect diet is quite challenging both from a discipline point of view, and even then the more social you are the harder it is to keep up.

 

You can definitely have a great physique without killing yourself but those who want to maintain extreme results whether it be muscle mass and/or very low body fat, a lot of work.