Gaining 20 pounds of muscle in three months is possible, but takes meticulous planning and nutrition. In fact, strongman Jonathan Lawson was able to gain 20 pounds of muscle and lose body fat at the same time in only 10 weeks. Not only is it possible, but you can do it without the use of steroids or supplements.
We usually recommend gaining between 0.5–1.5 pounds per week. Gaining more slowly tends to yield leaner gains, whereas gaining weight faster tends to yield faster muscle growth. GK gained 1.4 pounds per week, allowing him to gain 20 pounds in a little over 3 months.
Beginners: If you are new to bodybuilding, you can expect to gain about 1 to 1.5% of your body weight in muscle per month during your first year. This translates to roughly 10 to 20 pounds (4.5 to 9 kg) of muscle in a year, depending on your starting weight.
Carrying an extra 20 pounds can have a noticeable impact on your body, and you may feel a range of physical and emotional effects throughout the day.
Weight gain and short-term fluctuations may happen for a variety of reasons, such as aging or making lifestyle and dietary changes. However, fast weight gain can be a sign of an underlying health condition, such as a problem with the thyroid, kidneys, or heart.
Muscle Gain: In the first few months, beginners can expect to build 0.5-1.5 lbs (0.23-0.68 kg) of muscle weekly. So, in 12 weeks, John could gain 6-18 lbs (2.7-8.2 kg) of muscle. Fat Loss: With a 1000-calorie deficit, John could lose 1.5-3lbs (0.68-1.36kg) weekly.
Similarly, you may notice increased muscle definition, less softness, and an overall leaner physique. Checking in on how your clothes fit can be another useful rule of thumb. Since muscle is denser than fat, if you've gained weight but your clothes fit a little looser, that's a good sign you may have gained muscle.
For most people, gaining one half of a pound of weight a week represents a fairly quick rate of healthy weight gain. And for some — especially women — the rate of muscle gain may be even slower. At this rate, the average person can gain roughly 25 pounds of muscle in a year.
While the number will be unique for you, most people can expect to gain between a half-pound to two pounds of muscle in a month with a targeted resistance training program and correct nutrition, usually including a surplus of calories. Gaining weight involves more than just adding muscle mass.
Putting on five pounds in a week, or two to three pounds in 24 hours, is a good reason to talk to your doctor if nothing's changed in your day-to-day. “If you can't get to the bottom of unexplained weight gain, talk to your doctor to make sure there's nothing serious going on,” Dr.
Beginner: 10-12 kg of muscle mass gain per year (1% per month) Intermediate: 5-6 kg of muscle mass gain per year (0.7% per month) Advanced: 2-3 kg of muscle mass gain per year (0.3% per month) Expert: 1-2 kg of muscle mass gain per year (0.2% per month)
For beginners, Ben recommends trying five to 10 pounds for light weights, 10 to 20 pounds for medium weights, and 15 to 30 pounds for heavy weights—or simply starting with five-pound weights for each exercise and working up from there.
Training your delts and traps will add much needed width across the top. Especially if you're a taller guy, width is going to be a major standout feature that dictates whether you're deemed “skinny” or “big.” Putting beef on your shoulders and neck is a good place to start.
Research shows that many men tend to find women with a BMI in the range of 18.5 to 24.9 more attractive, correlating with what's often considered the ideal weight.
So, all things considered, most experts agree that the average woman can expect to gain around ten pounds of muscle during her first year. And to be clear, ten pounds is a lot of muscle. That's enough to add a few inches around her hips and shoulders, dramatically transforming her physique.
Most beginners will see noticeable muscle growth within eight weeks, while more experienced lifters will see changes in three to four weeks. Most individuals gain one to two pounds of lean muscle per month with the right strength training and nutrition plan.
So even though you may be losing fat, you're gaining muscle. You might feel slimmer, even as the number on the scale rises. “The scale doesn't tell the entire story,” said exercise physiologist Christopher Mohr, PhD, RD. “Since muscle and fat take up different volume, they look very different on the body.”
“With all of those things considered, the average man can gain about one to two pounds of muscle per month and the average woman up to one pound per month,” Jacobchick told us.
Depending on how massive you want your muscles to get, there are a few tricks you can incorporate, such as blood flow restriction training and consuming extra protein, but as a general rule, you can expect the process to take anywhere from three to 12 weeks.
When you combine exercise with the proper nutritional diet, then perhaps yes, you can transform in 12 weeks (84 days).