How to gain 15 pounds of dry muscle in 6 months

[aaronr94]

Im 5'7 170 pounds 16% body fat 17 years old
Im cutting fat for 2 months till i get around 7%
Im gonna do this for my bulk russian bear vitol weight gainer 300 grams of protein per serving
Con cret for creatine
Might take a test booster
Animal Pak for multi
bcaa's
ZMA


Current stats
squat 150 x 10 ( used to do 220 x5 but cant do squats for about 2 months due to injury same goes for deadlifts and cleans)
Deadlift 235 x 4 / 200 x 20
Clean 100 x 5
Bench 190 x 3
Dumbbell bench 80 pound dummbell 4 times
shrugs on 250 lbs
Leg press I can do 500 x 5
Dumbbell Militery 55 x 5 little arching ( cant do standing cause of my back injury)

In the last 4 months I have gotten a lot wider. My lower body is my best part my legs are huge I mean like massive If i flex my hamstrings my foot comes completely off the ground so I know when I get my squat back up my legs will blow up. In the mean time I'm doing a cut for about 2 months. I should be back to squatting in 2 months.

What else do you recomend? Thanks

[aaronr94]

bump.

[SumDumGoi]

Im 5'7 170 pounds 16% body fat 17 years old
Im cutting fat for 2 months till i get around 7%
Im gonna do this for my bulk russian bear vitol weight gainer 300 grams of protein per serving
Con cret for creatine
Might take a test booster
Animal Pak for multi
bcaa's
ZMA


Current stats
squat 150 x 10 ( used to do 220 x5 but cant do squats for about 2 months due to injury same goes for deadlifts and cleans)
Deadlift 235 x 4 / 200 x 20
Clean 100 x 5
Bench 190 x 3
Dumbbell bench 80 pound dummbell 4 times
shrugs on 250 lbs
Leg press I can do 500 x 5
Dumbbell Militery 55 x 5 little arching ( cant do standing cause of my back injury)

In the last 4 months I have gotten a lot wider. My lower body is my best part my legs are huge I mean like massive If i flex my hamstrings my foot comes completely off the ground so I know when I get my squat back up my legs will blow up. In the mean time I'm doing a cut for about 2 months. I should be back to squatting in 2 months.

What else do you recomend? Thanks

I am hoping you are confused about the definition of "dry muscle". Muscle is ~70% water, so if you were to gain 17 lbs of dry muscle you would need to increase your overall muscle mass by 50-60 lbs. That's not gonna happen. You won't be able to increase your overall muscle mass with water included to gain the 17 lbs of mass you desire inside of such a short time span.

If you are looking to cut weight in order to get to ~7% body fat your target weight would be ~ 154 lbs. This is something that you would be able to achieve inside of 4-6 months depending on your dedication. Trying to increase your LBM by 17 lbs so that you can achieve this same percent body fat in the same amount of time is not very likely to happen. When I say "not very likely" I mean you have a snowball's chance in hell" at achieving this.

Also, taking in 300 grams of Protein with your supplements is pointless. Once you get beyond 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram (~0.8 grams/lb) there is no further ergogenic benefit. My advice to you is to dump the supplements you have listed above.

[IronManSmith]

15 lbs MUSCLE in 6 months.

From what I have read, the human body can at maximum gain 1 lb of muscle per week,

1 week = 1 lb of muscle
1 Lb of muscle ~1700 Calories.
If 3500 Calories is equal to 1 lb, and 1 lb per week of muscle is most human body can gain, anything above these calories will not be muscle.
So, we do not consume over 1700 calorie surplus per week
1 week = 7 days
7 days = 1 lb
7 days = ~1700.
3500 cal / 7 days = 242 CAl
So do not consume more then a 250 CAlories surplus per day. Consume this amount and in one week you have gained 1 lb of muscle.
1 month = ~30 days
6 months = ~180 Days (7 days = 1` week)
~180 Days = 25 weeks.
So if 1 lb per week, 25 weeks = 25 lbs.

Assuming you take in a calorie surplus of 242 (~250) cal per day, 25 weeks = 25 lbs "dry" (lol)muscle.

Keep in mind that you have to be working muscle and tearing down for this to make sense. Simply eating the 1700 cal surplus per week will not gain muscle, it will gain .5 lb of fat (1 lb fat = 3500 cal).
This is a hard subject to explain, lots of variables, but this is a rough mathematical estimate of how you could minimize fat gain.
To be absolutely sure of no fat gain (kind of), you can look at professional body builders near their genetic peak. 8 lbs per year is what some struggle to get. 8 lb = 1700*8 = 13600 cal surplus per year. in 365 DAYS. so 1700~365 is 38+ Calories per day. ETHis si the only way to ensure just about 100% "dry muscle" gains. You would be working out everyday, and eating 38 more calories then your maintenence per day, lol. So one extra mouthful of chicken per day, lol.
You probably wont need to worry about it THIS much, this s for pros coming close to peak.
If it were that way, your 15 lbs would take a little under 2 yrs, lol. But hey, no fat gain!
The most important part is that your working the muscle, tearing them and rebuilding them.
Tried to explain it all out reasonably.

*To above poster, I do not think he met literlly dry, lol, he meant without excess fat gains.

[aaronr94]

I am hoping you are confused about the definition of "dry muscle". Muscle is ~70% water, so if you were to gain 17 lbs of dry muscle you would need to increase your overall muscle mass by 50-60 lbs. That's not gonna happen. You won't be able to increase your overall muscle mass with water included to gain the 17 lbs of mass you desire inside of such a short time span.

If you are looking to cut weight in order to get to ~7% body fat your target weight would be ~ 154 lbs. This is something that you would be able to achieve inside of 4-6 months depending on your dedication. Trying to increase your LBM by 17 lbs so that you can achieve this same percent body fat in the same amount of time is not very likely to happen. When I say "not very likely" I mean you have a snowball's chance in hell" at achieving this.

Also, taking in 300 grams of Protein with your supplements is pointless. Once you get beyond 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram (~0.8 grams/lb) there is no further ergogenic benefit. My advice to you is to dump the supplements you have listed above.

can i gain about 20 pounds of mass in 4 months

[SumDumGoi]

15 lbs MUSCLE in 6 months.

From what I have read, the human body can at maximum gain 1 lb of muscle per week,

1 week = 1 lb of muscle
1 Lb of muscle ~3500 Calories.
If 3500 Calories is equal to 1 lb, and 1 lb per week of muscle is most human body can gain, anything above these calories will not be muscle.
So, we do not consume over 3500 calorie surplus per week
1 week = 7 days
7 days = 1 lb
7 days = ~3500 Calories.
3500 cal / 7 days = 500 Cal
So do not consume more then a 500 CAlories surplus per day. Consume this amount and in one week you have gained 1 lb of muscle.
1 month = ~30 days
6 months = ~180 Days (7 days = 1` week)
~180 Days = 25 weeks.
So if 1 lb per week, 25 weeks = 25 lbs.

Assuming you take in a calorie surplus of 500 cal per day, 25 weeks = 25 lbs "dry" (lol)muscle.

Tried to explain it all out reasonably.

*To above poster, I do not think he met literlly dry, lol, he meant without excess fat gains.

Your above calculations are actually wrong. One pound of muscle does not have 3500 Calories. A pound of fat has 3500 Calories (~9 Calories/gram). A pound of muscle is actually going to be far less than this as Protein only contains 4 Calories per gram (454 grams * 4 = ~1816 Calories). I know the Fat calculation above doesn't add up to exactly 3500 Calories, however, that would be assuming that a lb of fat is made up of 100% fat. With my protein calculation I am also assuming that muscle is made up of 100% protein, which its not. Actually muscle contains ~70% water so in a lb of muscle there is only ~136 grams of protein or 545 Calories (once again, this assumes that muscle is only made up of protein and water, which it is not). The point is looking at just the numbers, the number of Calories in skeletal muscle is actually quite low.

The other problem with your numbers above is that you are assuming that any extra Caloric surplus will automatically be turned into muscle, which its not. Muscle protein synthesis is a very slow process. The process itself is not limited by the amount of Calories you are taking in, but rather how quickly the machinery that supports the synthesis of muscle protein can be up-regulated and synthesize the protein. Any additional increase in Calories will just be stored as fat until the machinery needs the Calories. Unfortunately our bodies are not capable of syntheszing 1 lb of muscle mass per week as the machinery to support muscle growth isn't that quick. In reality, it is more like a pound per month if you are lucky. People simply don't go from having 143 lbs of lean body mass to 160 lbs of lean body mass inside of 6 months. If you still think you can add a lb of muscle mass per week please go to the gym and pick up a 1 lb weight and think that that is how much muscle your body has in fact synthesized. Also take into account that the density of cast iron is ~ 7 times that of muscle. In other words the overall volume of muscle you would need to add would be 7 times that an iron dumbbell or plate.

[IronManSmith]

Your above calculations are actually wrong. One pound of muscle does not have 3500 Calories. A pound of fat has 3500 Calories (~9 Calories/gram). A pound of muscle is actually going to be far less than this as Protein only contains 4 Calories per gram (454 grams * 4 = ~1816 Calories). I know the Fat calculation above doesn't add up to exactly 3500 Calories, however, that would be assuming that a lb of fat is made up of 100% fat. With my protein calculation I am also assuming that muscle is made up of 100% protein, which its not. Actually muscle contains ~70% water so in a lb of muscle there is only ~136 grams of protein or 545 Calories (once again, this assumes that muscle is only made up of protein and water, which it is not). The point is looking at just the numbers, the number of Calories in skeletal muscle is actually quite low.

The other problem with your numbers above is that you are assuming that any extra Caloric surplus will automatically be turned into muscle, which its not. Muscle protein synthesis is a very slow process. The process itself is not limited by the amount of Calories you are taking in, but rather how quickly the machinery that supports the synthesis of muscle protein can be up-regulated and synthesize the protein. Any additional increase in Calories will just be stored as fat until the machinery needs the Calories. Unfortunately our bodies are not capable of syntheszing 1 lb of muscle mass per week as the machinery to support muscle growth isn't that quick. In reality, it is more like a pound per month if you are lucky. People simply don't go from having 143 lbs of lean body mass to 160 lbs of lean body mass inside of 6 months. If you still think you can add a lb of muscle mass per week please go to the gym and pick up a 1 lb weight and think that that is how much muscle your body has in fact synthesized. Also take into account that the density of cast iron is ~ 7 times that of muscle. In other words the overall volume of muscle you would need to add would be 7 times that an iron dumbbell or plate.

I edited that an hour before, I dont know why it didnt appear. I copied that from my weight loss post, if you could pease reread it it might make more sense. Ill copy it because i dont know why u cant see it, maybe forum lag or sumthin idk. here it is:

15 lbs MUSCLE in 6 months.

From what I have read, the human body can at maximum gain 1 lb of muscle per week,

1 week = 1 lb of muscle
1 Lb of muscle ~1700 Calories.
If 3500 Calories is equal to 1 lb, and 1 lb per week of muscle is most human body can gain, anything above these calories will not be muscle.
So, we do not consume over 1700 calorie surplus per week
1 week = 7 days
7 days = 1 lb
7 days = ~1700.
3500 cal / 7 days = 242 CAl
So do not consume more then a 250 CAlories surplus per day. Consume this amount and in one week you have gained 1 lb of muscle.
1 month = ~30 days
6 months = ~180 Days (7 days = 1` week)
~180 Days = 25 weeks.
So if 1 lb per week, 25 weeks = 25 lbs.

Assuming you take in a calorie surplus of 242 (~250) cal per day, 25 weeks = 25 lbs "dry" (lol)muscle.

Keep in mind that you have to be working muscle and tearing down for this to make sense. Simply eating the 1700 cal surplus per week will not gain muscle, it will gain .5 lb of fat (1 lb fat = 3500 cal).
This is a hard subject to explain, lots of variables, but this is a rough mathematical estimate of how you could minimize fat gain.
To be absolutely sure of no fat gain (kind of), you can look at professional body builders near their genetic peak. 8 lbs per year is what some struggle to get. 8 lb = 1700*8 = 13600 cal surplus per year. in 365 DAYS. so 1700~365 is 38+ Calories per day. ETHis si the only way to ensure just about 100% "dry muscle" gains. You would be working out everyday, and eating 38 more calories then your maintenence per day, lol. So one extra mouthful of chicken per day, lol.
You probably wont need to worry about it THIS much, this s for pros coming close to peak.
If it were that way, your 15 lbs would take a little under 2 yrs, lol. But hey, no fat gain!
The most important part is that your working the muscle, tearing them and rebuilding them.
Tried to explain it all out reasonably.

*To above poster, I do not think he met literlly dry, lol, he meant without excess fat gains

[IronManSmith]

[QUOTE] (~0.8 grams/lb) there is no further ergogenic benefit [QUOTE]
Is it true that anything over .8g Protein per lb is useless? I was told 1.8g / lb.
Anyone else know?

[SumDumGoi]

[QUOTE=IronManSmith;656282003][QUOTE] (~0.8 grams/lb) there is no further ergogenic benefit

Is it true that anything over .8g Protein per lb is useless? I was told 1.8g / lb.
Anyone else know?

1.8 grams/KG

Unfortunately people lose track of their units. I am certain someone on here will disagree, but ask them to respond with some sort of evidence stating otherwise.

[aaronr94]

Im so confused is it possible to gain 15 to 20 pounds of muscle in 6 months

[nungman]

Im so confused is it possible to gain 15 to 20 pounds of muscle in 6 months

Nope. Sorry bro.

[RyouBakua]

with beginner gains it "might" be possible for 15

[MitsuEvo1]

Your above calculations are actually wrong. One pound of muscle does not have 3500 Calories. A pound of fat has 3500 Calories (~9 Calories/gram). A pound of muscle is actually going to be far less than this as Protein only contains 4 Calories per gram (454 grams * 4 = ~1816 Calories). I know the Fat calculation above doesn't add up to exactly 3500 Calories, however, that would be assuming that a lb of fat is made up of 100% fat. With my protein calculation I am also assuming that muscle is made up of 100% protein, which its not. Actually muscle contains ~70% water so in a lb of muscle there is only ~136 grams of protein or 545 Calories (once again, this assumes that muscle is only made up of protein and water, which it is not). The point is looking at just the numbers, the number of Calories in skeletal muscle is actually quite low.

The other problem with your numbers above is that you are assuming that any extra Caloric surplus will automatically be turned into muscle, which its not. Muscle protein synthesis is a very slow process. The process itself is not limited by the amount of Calories you are taking in, but rather how quickly the machinery that supports the synthesis of muscle protein can be up-regulated and synthesize the protein. Any additional increase in Calories will just be stored as fat until the machinery needs the Calories. Unfortunately our bodies are not capable of syntheszing 1 lb of muscle mass per week as the machinery to support muscle growth isn't that quick. In reality, it is more like a pound per month if you are lucky. People simply don't go from having 143 lbs of lean body mass to 160 lbs of lean body mass inside of 6 months. If you still think you can add a lb of muscle mass per week please go to the gym and pick up a 1 lb weight and think that that is how much muscle your body has in fact synthesized. Also take into account that the density of cast iron is ~ 7 times that of muscle. In other words the overall volume of muscle you would need to add would be 7 times that an iron dumbbell or plate.

This right here.... CORRECT!

[ironwill2008]

What else do you recomend?

I recommend you not try to put your own routine together but rather pick one of the beginner bodybuilding programs from the stickies above.

I recommend, with the possible exception of the multivitamin, you forget about the supplements you list and instead put your efforts in providing your nutrition needs from real food. Yes, I know, it's an odd concept to grasp, but unlike most supplements, real food actually works.

A gram of protein per pound of bodyweight will be plenty. Here's a great resource for figuring your remaining macros/daily caloric needs:

*Emma-Leigh's calorie/macro thread:http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121703981



I also recommend you stop trying to put some arbitrary number on how much muscle mass you'll be able to build in some arbitrary time span. Train, eat, and rest consistently, and everything else will take care of itself if you also add time to the equation.


One other thought; your goals are your own, but you will never at any other time in your life be able to add muscle as you will at your current age. Fat is relatively easy to drop; building real muscle, not so much. You'd do well to forget the "cut to 7%" deal, and concentrate on building as much mass and strength as you possibly can, now. You only go down this road once in your entire lifetime; make the most of it.

[PeterGibbons316]

15 lbs. dry muscle in 6 months = not possible
15 lbs. LBM with no fat gain in 6 months = not at all likely
15 lbs. muscle with some fat gain = doable

A rule I have read on here is that during a bulk you want to gain about 1 lb/week and if you are eating/lifting right that 1 lb will be 0.6 lb muscle, 0.4 lb fat. Your body can't build much more muscle than that anyway, so eating to gain more than 1 lb/week is only going to increase the amount of fat you gain. In 6 months you have 26 weeks or 26 lbs, 60% or 15.6 lbs could be muscle, and you would gain 10.4 lbs of fat.

[LeonelC]

I went from about 145 to 170 in about 5-6 months, doubt it was all muscle but I'm surely bulking like a pro (I don't look fat at all and almost got abs showing without even working them out). Just been avoiding unhealthy food and been drinking nothing but water while lifting.

[RockCrab]

One other thought; your goals are your own, but you will never at any other time in your life be able to add muscle as you will at your current age. Fat is relatively easy to drop; building real muscle, not so much. You'd do well to forget the "cut to 7%" deal, and concentrate on building as much mass and strength as you possibly can, now. You only go down this road once in your entire lifetime; make the most of it.

Best advice in this whole thread. Wish someone had told me.