How quickly can you gain muscle weight?

[mykidsmom]

I changed up my workout routine about 3 weeks ago and have gained 3-4 pounds. I don't feel like I look any fatter, but I wonder if it is possible to gain that much muscle that quickly. I'd love to get the bf% tested again, but don't have time to do the bodpod right now and the Tanita at my gym is a little unreliable. So, I'm just curious.

Thanks!

[LiftingIsLife]

I changed up my workout routine about 3 weeks ago and have gained 3-4 pounds. I don't feel like I look any fatter, but I wonder if it is possible to gain that much muscle that quickly. I'd love to get the bf% tested again, but don't have time to do the bodpod right now and the Tanita at my gym is a little unreliable. So, I'm just curious.

Thanks!

hi MkM,
the generally accepted standard is roughly 1.5-2 pounds of lean muscle per month for experienced lifters. now, we dont know how long you've been at it, so i cant approximate for you. everyone is different though, cuz of genetics. i guess it wouldnt be out of the realm of possibly for a 1 time
gain. just dont expect that much every month

best,
~lifer

[stellar]

"Under the best possible circumstances (perfect diet, training, supplementation, and recovery strategies) the average male body can manufacture between 0.25 and 0.5 pounds of dry muscle tissue per week."

That's 1-2 pounds a month for a male under ideal circumstances. I suspect it's less than that for a woman who is not a beginner.

Here's another quote about why weight gain may not feel or look like fat gain.

"It's most likely due to what I call the ''lean threshold.'' You see, there's a point (a certain body fat percentage) where you start to look lean (around 10% for most men). There's also a point where you start to look fat (around 18-20% for most men). Then in between you have a certain zone where you basically look the same; you aren't lean enough to look defined so you don't really have any muscle separation.

At that point, even if you gain a few pounds of fat, you won't visually see the difference. This is compounded by the fact that you're seeing yourself every day, so you might not notice the small changes in appearance. Most men won't be able to see a visual difference in muscularity between 13 and 16%. But if you're 200 pounds, going from 13 to 16% body fat can mean a six pound gain in fat! "

For women, the lean threashold is probably in the 20 - 25% range.

Quotes are from an elite trainer named Christian Thibodeau writing on this website: http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1268956

[bluescorpion]

Could also be that part of it is water. Wait a few dayes to see if it's still there. Better yet, do a body fat analysis to estimate the muscle gains.