The average amateur weight lifter expects to build tons of lean muscle mass in a very short period of time. That is to say that the average weight lifter expects to get ripped in a flash. Getting a ripped physique fast is largely a myth. You can not realistically build dozens of pounds of lean muscle mass really fast. The vast majority of my clients and men I encounter at the gym simply have unrealistic expectations when it comes to building muscle.
It’s difficult to actually say how much muscle you can add to your body but the average weight lifter seems to believe that they can add 25 pounds of muscle in 90 days. It’s remarkable how often I meet someone who has been hitting the gym for three or four months and is disappointed that they haven’t added twenty or more pounds of muscle. You surely can gain 20 or more pounds of body weight in just a few months but there is a big difference between body weight and muscle.
You can gain weight by simply taking in lots of carbs, calories, and weight gainer and doing little aerobic exercise. But again, in following this kind of diet plan you will only be adding body mass not lean muscle and there is a big difference between the two. Adding lean muscle mass means adding pure muscle tissue, not water weight or glycogen weight. And adding lean muscle mass takes the three P’s: persistence, perseverance, and patience.
Under the ideal circumstances, the average male can add a maximum of 2 pounds of lean muscle mass in a single month. Remember that this is under the best possible conditions, more than likely you will be fortunate if you can add half this much muscle mass each and every week. This may be discouraging or upsetting to some but it’s important to be realistic in your goal otherwise you could end up wasting your time or worse, doing things that may actually be harmful.
Train hard, eat right, get a good nights sleep each night, and you will inevitably get the body of your dreams!