You can see why aiming for lean muscle has a drastic impact on your body composition. 5 pounds of muscle would occupy about 87% of the space that 5 pounds of fat would occupy. Accordingly, muscle is almost 15-16% denser than fat. The muscle would be about 7/8ths the size of the fat.
While six to ten pounds may not sound like very much, an increase of ten pounds of muscle would be noticeable on anyone's physique. More experienced lifters may gain anywhere from two to four pounds of muscle within a year.
A more realistic pace is around 5 pounds of solid mass every six months. The amount of muscle you can actually gain and how quickly is determined by many factors including genetics, diet, training, and hormones. And your starting body composition may also be an important factor to consider.
Even a five-pound loss can make a huge difference when it comes to joint pain. "Losing one pound of weight results in 3-4 pounds of pressure being removed from joints," says Dr. Dudley. "In other words, losing ten pounds of weight relieves 40 pounds of pressure from your joints."
How much weight a person needs to lose for it to be noticeable is also subjective as it depends on your frame and starting body mass index, according to Guzman. On average, a 15 to 20-pound loss (approximately 2 to 5 percent of your starting body weight) is enough to notice "significant changes in your body," he said.
While many people want to lose weight quickly, such as losing a significant amount of body fat in a month, slow and sustainable weight loss is better for health. Healthcare providers usually recommend a monthly weight loss goal of 4-8 pounds to support metabolic health and improve your chances of weight loss success.
Muscle tissue will burn seven to 10 calories daily per pound. And since fat burns two to three calories daily per pound, replacing a pound of fat with muscle helps you burn an additional four to six more calories each day.
The Scale is Going Up
Muscle growth is often slow and gradual, even if your training is on point. You might not see your biceps pop right away. The first sign that you're building muscle may be an increase in body weight. The number on the scale goes up because muscle tissue is denser and heavier than fat.
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.”
Downtime between workouts (whether you're lifting, doing cardio or training for a sport) is when our bodies have a chance to actually build muscle. Strenuous workouts cause muscle breakdown, while rest allows our bodies to build it back up.
In general, weight gain from fat will result in a softer appearance, while weight gain from muscle will leave you looking leaner and feeling stronger. The most accurate way to assess any change in your body composition is through body composition testing.
The researchers found that the large-muscle group's heart-disease risk was as much as six times higher than the group of men with the smallest abdominal muscle area. Larsen said the team was surprised by the correlation of higher muscle area with higher coronary heart disease.
There's no set amount of body fat you can lose in a month. When it comes to general weight loss, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), recommends aiming for one to two pounds of weight loss per week. That would be equal to losing about four to eight pounds per month.
When you exercise regularly, you build stronger muscles, even if you do not work out with weights. Muscles use more calories than fat throughout the day, even while you are resting. This contributes to what is commonly called a "faster metabolism."
Weight lifting and strength training are likely to leave you with a big appetite afterwards. As your muscle tissue repairs, it cries out for food to help it regain strength. And the more muscle you have, the more hungry you are. So keep your fridge filled with healthy protein rich foods to keep the beasts at bay.
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.
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.
Researchers found that the amount of exercise you get has a direct dose relationship to your heart health — the more you get, the healthier your heart will be — and they suggest two full hours a day of moderate exercise should be the new goal.
A good rule of thumb is that people tend to notice your weight loss when you've lost around 10% of your starting weight, so if you started at 250lbs, people will start to notice when you've lost 25lbs. Naturally, the same amount of weight loss can look different on different people.
Here are a few examples of healthy meals for weight loss. For breakfast, a bowl of bran flakes with sliced strawberries and walnuts with nonfat milk. For lunch, a turkey sandwich on wheat with vegetables and an olive oil and vinegar dressing. For dinner, a salmon steak on a bed of spinach.
How Long Does it Take to Lose 5% Body Fat? If you're in a sufficient calorie deficit, you can generally expect to lose 1-3% body fat monthly. This means that it could take up to five months to lose 5% body fat and ten months to lose 10% of your body fat.