Muscle gain in arms

[IrishRam]

Just wanted to get some feedback from experts on here around my gains after nearly 4 full weeks of weight training.

I am pretty new to working out consistently but over the last 4 weeks I have been doing 3 days a week for 45 minutes on dumb bells, 3/4 days a week cardio and a calorie deficit diet.

I can see physically in the mirror that my biceps and triceps look bigger but wanted to make sure the gain I have in 4 weeks is quite decent. As of 4 weeks ago my wrists were 6 inches and my biceps 11.5 unflexed and 13.5 flexed. On measuring today my wrists now measures 6.5 inches and my biceps 12 unflexed and 14 flexed. I can also see a bit more muscle shape and definition.

As said I am only a beginner so wondering if the above was not bad progress in 4 weeks with what I am doing.

[JeremyM07201978]

Hi, just getting started is a good thing. A couple of things to be aware of, if you are looking to gain muscle, a calorie deficit will work against you. You will want to be at or slightly above maintenance once your ability to put on muscle easily goes away (noob gains is what most call it). Also, 4 weeks isn't enough time to realize gains as significant as you discuss in most cases. You may be observing differences, which is great, but actual muscle build takes quite a while. You may have measured your arms too closely following your workout - this will influence the measurement quite a bit.

Short answer - any gains in 4 weeks is not just decent but great. The important thing is to stay consistent and raise calories to support growth once you plateau. Be sure to follow a well structured plan like those in the "Workout" forum section.

[DCSpartan]

YOu have been lifting for 4 weeks on a deficit. You must likely havent gained anything, all you are noticing is a pump.

Note: your havent packed on half a inch to your wrists in a few workouts, so all your measurements are bogus.

Eat at a surplus if you want muscle growth.

[IrishRam]

Hi, just getting started is a good thing. A couple of things to be aware of, if you are looking to gain muscle, a calorie deficit will work against you. You will want to be at or slightly above maintenance once your ability to put on muscle easily goes away (noob gains is what most call it). Also, 4 weeks isn't enough time to realize gains as significant as you discuss in most cases. You may be observing differences, which is great, but actual muscle build takes quite a while. You may have measured your arms too closely following your workout - this will influence the measurement quite a bit.

Short answer - any gains in 4 weeks is not just decent but great. The important thing is to stay consistent and raise calories to support growth once you plateau. Be sure to follow a well structured plan like those in the "Workout" forum section.

Cheers,

Yeah sorry I am on a deficit due to needing to lose some fat too but from reading I understand it is still possible to gain muscle and lose fat especially in the noob stage but of course will not be as easy if I was on a calorie surplus lets say.

Physically I can certainly notice a difference even if small and my biceps/triceps look more defined. I made sure I measured my arms this morning just before my weight workout so that did not influence in anyway bit get what you mean. Cheers

[IrishRam]

YOu have been lifting for 4 weeks on a deficit. You must likely havent gained anything, all you are noticing is a pump.

Note: your havent packed on half a inch to your wrists in a few workouts, so all your measurements are bogus.

Eat at a surplus if you want muscle growth.

I am pretty sure you have a lot of knowledge but I am on a deficit due to needing to lose fat too but I know it is possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time so your comment is really invalid to be honest.

You must have got out the wrong side of the bed this morning or someone pissed you off as why else would you say I am giving bogus figures as what would be the point as just fooling myself.

The fact you think you cannot gain muscle at all while on a deficit means you do not really know much so cheers for your pointless comment but I will ignore 👍

[CommitmentRulz]

but I know it is possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time so your comment is really invalid to be honest.

Don't fool yourself, OP. Yes, if you are significantly overweight, you CAN add muscle in a deficit. In 4 weeks? Less than a pound of muscle - spread over your entire body...

Your measurements are wrong.

[TolerantLactose]

As of 4 weeks ago my wrists were 6 inches and my biceps 11.5 unflexed and 13.5 flexed. On measuring today my wrists now measures 6.5 inches and my biceps 12 unflexed and 14 flexed.

Your wrists were 6.5 in. 4 weeks ago. In 5 years, whether you gain 30lbs of muscle or 50lbs of fat, your wrists will be 6.5 in.

[backinthegymbro]

Don't fool yourself, OP. Yes, if you are significantly overweight, you CAN add muscle in a deficit.

Even if you're not overweight, you can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. I dropped 13 lbs and look juicier than ever in 6 months, started cutting from day one at 130 lbs at 5ft6.
4 weeks is pretty short though, doubt you'll see any real change in that time frame. Usually results show in 3 months.

[DCSpartan]

I am pretty sure you have a lot of knowledge but I am on a deficit due to needing to lose fat too but I know it is possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time so your comment is really invalid to be honest.

You must have got out the wrong side of the bed this morning or someone pissed you off as why else would you say I am giving bogus figures as what would be the point as just fooling myself.

The fact you think you cannot gain muscle at all while on a deficit means you do not really know much so cheers for your pointless comment but I will ignore ������

Cheers thinking you have gained 10% muscle mass in your wrist in a few workouts.

[IrishRam]

Cheers thinking you have gained 10% muscle mass in your wrist in a few workouts.

Not the point you raised though was it. You said you cannot gain muscle while on a deficit which is incorrect. I am sure you have lots of knowledge but try and man up a bit and admit when you are wrong and not try and deflect onto other things because your statement you made was incorrect 👍

Yes I am doing full measurements tomorrow and pics so that will double check if my figures are off which if they are then fair enough. The fact I can see a difference and feel it is already further than I thought I would be in 4 weeks anyway

[IrishRam]

Even if you're not overweight, you can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. I dropped 13 lbs and look juicier than ever in 6 months, started cutting from day one at 130 lbs at 5ft6.
4 weeks is pretty short though, doubt you'll see any real change in that time frame. Usually results show in 3 months.

Cheers, going to redo my measurements tomorrow but on the good side it sounds like if I can feel and see slight differences then that is good as like you say only been 4 weeks 👍

[air2fakie]

Cheers, going to redo my measurements tomorrow but on the good side it sounds like if I can feel and see slight differences then that is good as like you say only been 4 weeks ������

You may also want to recheck the accuracy of your calorie deficit calculations if you feel you’re putting on a significant amount of size in 4 weeks.

While it’s unlikely you gained as much muscle mass as you think you did in 4 weeks, it’s possible to put on a significant amount of fat in that time.

[CommitmentRulz]

Cheers,

Yeah sorry I am on a deficit due to needing to lose some fat too

How much weight did you lose in those 4 weeks?

[IrishRam]

You may also want to recheck the accuracy of your calorie deficit calculations if you feel you’re putting on a significant amount of size in 4 weeks.

While it’s unlikely you gained as much muscle mass as you think you did in 4 weeks, it’s possible to put on a significant amount of fat in that time.

Yeah I need to do that as do not seem to have lost a lot and I think it is down to the app I am using over calculating the calories burned.

For instance it says 45 minutes of intense weights is 323 cals and 8 minutes of Tabata is 242 which I am thinking is not accurate so telling me I have consumed less calories than I have

[IrishRam]

How much weight did you lose in those 4 weeks?

Only a few lbs and think it is due to the calories burned it is saying I do when doing my weights and tabata so going to relook at that as reckon it is wrong

[jdesey]

The never ending quest for bigger arms. I’m 53, 100% natural. It has taken me many years to get to 17.5 inch arms. I’m only 5’6.
I have lifted an ungodly amount of weight. And I feel like my arms are small. You’ll never think your arms are big enough.

A half inch in one month would be very hard to pull off natural. Maybe since your just getting started. I would say maybe you can add 1 - 1.5 inches per year as a nAtural.

[Hutrapper]

Op seems to know best, but my input is, numbers are wrong for whatever reason.

As best I can measure I added almost an inch to my arms after ten months of hard fierce 5. Fierce 5 working set numbers: Squat went from 135 to 330, front squat from 125 to 245, bench from 125 to 235, and rdl from 180 to 350 ish.

I look bigger all around, but it took eating till I am stuffed at every opportunity. I found myself getting much stronger before I ever got noticeably bigger. After a month nothing was measurably larger aside from most lifts being 30 ish lbs heavier. Arms were certainly not larger in that time. I say measure again. Same place, same time, not pre and post workout. 10 months of training for me only illustrated the fact that building muscle is a marathon, not a sprint and I think about my goals now as a matter of years, not months or weeks. Seeing how far I came in ten months just serves to show how long this process really takes. Especially since now I am ending the "newbie gains" territory.

[DCSpartan]

^^^^ this sounds more like reality than OP lfiting weights a few times, eating a at deficit , and getting unbelievable arm and joint(!) growth.

Its also possible OP is young and growing and would have gotten bigger playing PS4 all month long. It happens.