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How Long Does It Take to Build Muscle?

01dragonslayer

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How Long Does It Take to Build Muscle?​

Use this chart as a tool to help you determine how quickly you can build muscle mass as a beginner, and as an experienced lifter. Data is based upon Dr. Casey Butt's analysis of how fast a natural bodybuilder can gain muscle mass..

Understand that the numbers used to formulate this chart aren't perfect. They merely service as a quality guideline. With that said, if you are training properly and eating right, this chart will serve you very well.

The typical lifter can expect to build the following amount of muscle mass per year:
  • Year 1 - 16 pounds
  • Year 2 - 8 pounds
  • Year 3 - 4 pounds
  • Year 4 - 2 pounds
  • Year 5 - 1 pound
For the sake of example, we'll use 35 pounds of muscle mass as the total goal for those seeking to reach their natural potential. Again, this serves as a reasonable guideline rather than a limit. Few will add this much mass; many will come close.

If you have no idea how much muscle mass you have left before you reach your natural potential, use the following article I wrote to help you:

Understand that skinny guys who are underweight have the potential to gain more muscle mass. They currently lack a normal amount of mass, so this reality has to be taken into consideration when looking at this chart.

How Long Does It Take to Build Muscle?​

MonthMuscle GainPounds From Natural PotentialTotal Muscle Gained
1 2.000 35 0
2 1.833 33.2 1.8
3 1.667 31.5 3.5
4 1.500 30 5
5 1.333 28.7 6.3
6 1.278 27.4 7.6
7 1.222 26.2 8.8
8 1.167 25 10
9 1.111 23.9 11.1
10 1.083 22.8 12.2
11 1.056 21.8 13.2
12 1.028 20.7 14.3
13 1.000 19.7 15.3
14 0.917 18.8 16.2
15 0.833 18.0 17
16 0.750 17.2 17.8
17 0.666 16.6 18.2
18 0.639 15.9 19.1
19 0.611 15.3 19.7
20 0.584 14.7 20.3
21 0.556 14.2 20.8
22 0.542 13.6 21.4
23 0.528 13.1 21.9
24 0.514 12.6 22.4
25 0.500 12.1 22.9
26 0.458 11.6 23.4
27 0.417 11.2 23.8
28 0.375 10.8 24.2
29 0.333 10.5 24.5
30 0.319 10.2 24.8
31 0.306 9.9 25.1
32 0.292 9.6 25.4
33 0.278 9.3 25.7
34 0.271 9.0 26
35 0.264 8.8 26.2
So how long does it take to build muscle? If you are training right and eating properly, here are some general guidelines.
  • First Pound - It should take you only a couple weeks to build your first pound of muscle.
  • 5 Pounds - It will take you about three months to build your first 5 pounds of muscle. That's not a long time at all, and will have a noticeable impact on your physique.
  • 10 Pounds - After 7 months in the gym you will have built a approximately 10 total pounds of mass. Your body is starting to dramatically change and people can really notice the differences.
  • 20 Pounds - The bad news? The next 10 pounds of muscle takes a lot longer to build. The good news? After 22 months you will have built about 20 total pounds of mass and will look like a superhero.
  • 30 Pounds - To reach this level you will need a lot of good genetics, and about four to five years of training.
 
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