Here’s How Many Days It Really Takes to Build 1 Pound of Muscle

Building muscle is essential for total wellness...however, it’s not as simple as one might believe. Actually, physical therapist Shannon Ritchey weighs in her own journey of adding muscle —The new mother aims to gain five pounds and has set aside an entire year for this process to avoid overwhelming both her body and daily routine. She emphasizes "gentle persistence" and seeks methods to gradually increase muscle mass in a sustainable manner. Thus, she introduces a practical timeframe into her plan.

If you're wondering why building muscles matters in the first place, consider this: A review suggests it could be crucial for long life. Aging and Disease Muscle strength, which tends to diminish over time, has an "inverse and independent association with both overall and heart-related death rates," the analysis shows. In simpler terms, this indicates that when muscles weaken, the likelihood of problems such as strokes, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndromes increases. type 2 diabetes , Alzheimer’s , and Parkinson’s have been discovered to rise.

Furthermore, muscles enhance insulin sensitivity, increase energy levels, alter body composition, and improve metabolic health, according to Ritchey, who is also the creator of Evlo Fitness, an online strength-training program. Additionally, they serve to make daily tasks such as opening a heavy door or lifting your kids into their car seat much simpler.

Meet the experts: Shannon Ritchey DPT, PT, is the founder of DPT. Evlo Fitness and host of The Dr. Shannon Show podcast. Winnie Yu , DPT, PT, CSCS, works as a sports and orthopedic physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments in New York City.

Even though it's not too late to develop muscles at any age, starting early is preferable, as stated by Ritchey. Muscle loss becomes more common and building new muscle becomes increasingly challenging with advancing years. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that beginning around age 30, your body typically loses between three to five percent of its muscle mass every ten years. Office on Women’s Health .

Therefore, just how long does it actually take to build even a single pound of muscle? Specialists provide insights and offer practical tips to accelerate your muscle development.

What makes muscles grow?

According to Winnie Yu, DPT, PT, CSCS, a physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments, muscles are soft bodily tissues capable of relaxing and contracting. They play a role in virtually all types of movements, whether you're working out at the gym or performing everyday actions.

Whenever you work out a muscle with more weight than it typically handles—whether it's lifting a dumbbell or moving a hefty Amazon box—you cause minor, short-term injuries. These injuries lead to the familiar sensation of soreness. During periods of rest, particularly when sleeping, your muscles repair these damages, resulting in growth and increased strength, according to Yu.

What elements influence the speed of muscle growth?

Building muscle isn't solely dependent on your activities in the gym. A significant factor influencing how rapidly you can develop muscles is whether you have built them up previously.

For those new to working out, noticeable muscle growth typically occurs within eight to twelve weeks. However, if you've exercised previously, this process might happen faster because you already possess some well-established neuromuscular connections, according to Ritchey. "The body has a memory," she explains. Initially, the focus is on training your body and nervous system to effectively activate these muscles before progressively increasing the weights for significant gains.

A crucial aspect of building muscle mass is proper nutrition. If your objective is to gain one pound of muscle, it’s essential to focus on your diet. protein Ritchey and Yu concur. (Moving on to proteins shortly.) Additionally, you may need to boost your daily caloric intake by approximately 200 to 500 extra calories, which you could obtain through additional meals or snacks. snack , says Yu.

Finally, take into account how often you exercise and the overall quantity of sets and repetitions. You might not require as much time as you imagine to see improvements. Only approximately two times per week. And include at least one intense set for each muscle group; however, Ritchey suggests that performing four to eight sets would lead to more significant and quicker progress.

In general, it may take several weeks to gain one pound of muscle, as you should aim for sustainable progress, according to Yu. Establishing a consistent routine with ample opportunities for rest and recovery is crucial, he adds. and seamlessly integrates with your daily routine and additional commitments.

precisely how to construct one pound of muscle

Measuring exactly one pound of muscle is difficult, according to Ritchey. If you lack access to proper equipment, it becomes even more challenging. DEXA scan Or use other body composition calculators to monitor the real changes you've made, allowing you to concentrate on your overall well-being instead.

A single pound of muscle may seem substantial, yet it likely won’t result in dramatic visual alterations, particularly when distributed throughout your frame. "In terms of how it looks, one pound of muscle isn't as noticeable as you'd imagine," according to Yu. While significant changes might be minimal, you could notice a slight enhancement in definition and toning instead. feel A shift in your total body strength and flexibility, she points out.

As for how To develop this amount of muscle (and even more), Ritchey employs the R.E.P.S. framework outlined below.

• Repetitions: Choose a weight that will lead you to reach muscular fatigue (where you can't perform an additional repetition) within six to 30 repetitions or less per set. Typically, individuals aim for about eight to ten repetitions per set when focusing on building muscles. Beyond 30 repetitions likely won't contribute significantly to muscle development, as stated by Ritchey.
• Exercise selection: Choose basic exercises that focus on a single muscle group at once, such as a biceps curl According to Ritchey, when you engage multiple muscles simultaneously, you may not reach muscle fatigue as easily. He recommends performing three to four sets for each exercise during every workout to ensure proper muscle engagement.
• Protein: Protein Serves as the foundation for muscle development. Consuming an adequate amount—at least 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight—is crucial for their growth.
• Structure: Ritchey recommends exercising each primary muscle group one to two times every week on non-adjacent days. The reason being, this allows your muscles adequate time for recuperation. "The process of building muscle occurs during recovery," she explains.

You can achieve this objective through bodyweight exercises It essentially revolves around ensuring you're performing exercises that bring you close to failure by the 30-rep mark, according to Ritchey. Additionally, there are plenty of bodyweight exercises that might lead to failure by then, like pushups , triceps dips , or planks As you become more powerful, you'll likely want to boost the resistance, experiment with repetition counts, or extend the time under tension to continually challenge your developing muscles. This concept is referred to as progressive overload .)

3 All-Inclusive Muscle-Building Workout Routines To Attempt

A proven method to aid in building muscles is adhering to a structured workout regimen. This ensures that every crucial muscle group receives attention and keeps your exercise routine diversified, eliminating any uncertainty.

1. If you want to develop your glutes, consider trying the WH Glute Gains Challenge For six weeks of training with dumbbells and/or barbell.
2. If you opt for a comprehensive regimen consisting solely of 30-minute exercises utilizing just dumbbells, follow this plan. WH Strength Transformation Challenge .
3. Lack of equipment? Not an issue. 30-Day Bodyweight Challenge will enhance and define your entire body from head to toe.

Explore over 200 at-home workout videos from sources like Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Prevention, and others available online. All Out Studio free for 14 days!