Notice that the estimated 2 pounds per month is only about 0.5 pounds per week, which isn't a very fast pace. But for a year, those 2 pounds per month add up to 24 solid pounds of muscle. Certainly, one or more of the five factors above can affect the rate of muscle gain up or down. While the values in the table above apply to men, Lyle recommends that women use approximately half of these values (for example, more advanced lifters should try to gain 1 to 2 pounds of muscle per month), since research has shown that the rates of muscle gain are slower when the weightlifter becomes more advanced).
Lifting weights has been shown to increase muscle growth in all people, regardless of age, gender, and level of training. You know you need protein to build muscle, but even more important than the amount of protein you eat per day is the amount you eat per meal, Witard says. The rate at which muscle was gained was similar to the relative muscle growth rate of younger individuals (trained versus untrained). Gaining an average of one pound per week of muscle tissue (not the weight of the scale, which is a measure of muscle tissue, water weight and adipose tissue), is a very optimistic and aggressive benchmark.
Keep in mind that the following studies are not the only ones on this topic, however, they are studies that can detail the most concise answer to the question of how much muscle you can gain in a month. For beginners, especially those who may have additional body fat (more than 10% body fat), they can most likely start exercising and gaining muscle. Muscles are made up of muscle fibers and connective tissue, and contain blood, water and glycogen (the storage form of carbohydrates). Most beginners can expect to gain 2 to 4 pounds of muscle per month, during the first few months of training, with a downward slope in the rate of muscle growth as they progress.
A creatine intake of around 5 grams per day has been shown to help increase lean muscle tissue in those who participate in resistance training, although its mechanism is still being investigated in older adults. For example, if a beginner gained three pounds a month during the first six months of their training run, they should prepare to gain muscle mass at a slower pace as they go. The optimal point of cardiovascular exercise to promote muscle growth has a lot to do with intensity, duration and frequency. The most important factor in increasing muscle mass is to continue to stress and challenge your muscles, so that they adapt and grow.
In general, the most noticeable changes in muscle mass tend to occur in people of both sexes who have more muscle mass at first. You need to consume calories to build new muscles (with the exception of people who have more fat, they can do both most of the time).
