How Much Muscle Can Be Gained With Lifting Weights?

Both men and women can gain muscle mass with weight training. The rate and amount of muscle you can build depends on a variety of factors. A person who lifts weights and eats appropriately for muscle building can put on about one to two pounds of muscle per week, but will eventually hit a limit.

Gaining Muscle

Participating in a weightlifting program that's designed for hypertrophy, or muscle building, will cause both men and women to significantly increase their muscle mass. A muscle-building lifting program requires frequent and high-volume training. Many lifters are in the gym working out most days of the week for hours at a time. Beginning lifters will see improvements lifting twice per week, as long as they complete enough exercises, sets and repetitions for each muscle group. You should target each muscle group at least twice per week, with three to four exercises for each muscle group being completed in a session. Every exercise should be completed at four to six sets of six to 12 repetitions each. In addition to frequently lifting weights, if you are interested in gaining muscle mass, you need to increase your daily calorie intake in order to fuel the muscle-building process.

Factors

There are a variety of factors that determine how quickly and how much muscle you will build, which includes your experience in strength training and your genetic predispositions. According to Dr. Joseph Chromiak of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, those who haven't been lifting weights for long are likely to see more significant results at a faster rate. Lifters who naturally have a greater proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which possess greater properties to increase in size, will see more significant muscle-mass increases as they participate in regular weight training. Men, who naturally have greater muscle-building hormones like testosterone and growth hormone, will see more significant gains in muscle than women.

Rate of Muscle Gain

The common belief is that you can gain about one to two pounds of muscle per week by consistently participating in a muscle-building weightlifting program and providing the proper fuel with appropriate nutritional habits. Building muscle weight requires an increase in calorie intake, so Dr. Chromiak recommends shooting for 1/2 a pound of muscle gain per week to prevent the likelihood that the weight gain will come from increases in body fat.

Limit of Muscle Gain

There is a limit to the amount of muscle mass you can gain, which is determined by genetic factors like your hormone levels and body type. According to a 1995 study by Dr. Elena Kouri published by the "Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine," lifters who didn't use steroids topped out their fat-free body mass index score at 25. Fat-free body mass index is found by taking your fat-free body mass in kilograms, multiplying it by your height in meters, then subtracting two. According to these findings, a person who is 5 feet 7 inches tall will be limited to about 160 lbs. of muscle mass. A person's actual limitation will fluctuate based on genetic factors previously mentioned.