How to Know if You're Gaining Muscle

[orangeloor34]

Hey guys,

I was hoping to find some advice on my current dilemma. I finished a 40 lb cut from 130 to 90 lbs in December (I'm a very short guy, 5 ft tall). I had been working out for a few years before that, but not consistently or properly enough, so my progress was quite bad. Since this January, I've completely changed everything, following a 6 day PPL split, with a small calorie surplus and high protein, and I have put on ~11 lbs. I have gotten slowly stronger in my lifts, mostly surpassing what I was able to lift at a much heavier 130 lbs (e.g. I can bench 125 lbs for 8 reps, whereas my best at my old weight was 125 lbs for 5 reps).

I still look pretty lean and don’t plan on doing another cut for at least a few more months, but I am worried that the progress I am making is not new muscle, especially since I don't have a way to compare myself now to back then, since I was so heavy and it wasn't apparent how much muscle I had. I do look a lot bigger than I did at 90 lbs, but I know that could be due to increased water weight (I take creatine now), muscle memory from memory I lost on the cut, and just more fat. I am wondering if there is any real way to determine if the weight I am gaining is actually muscle. Has anyone else here has experienced something similar? Is being stronger relative to your new body weight any indication that you're actually gaining muscle?

[blue9steel]

Measuring muscle gain directly is fairly difficult. Generally if you're making progress with your weightlifting that's considered a sign that you're gaining muscle. FYI, a 6 day PPL is probably not the best choice for your current level of training, you'd likely be better off with something like Stronglifts or Greyskull LP.

[orangeloor34]

Measuring muscle gain directly is fairly difficult. Generally if you're making progress with your weightlifting that's considered a sign that you're gaining muscle. FYI, a 6 day PPL is probably not the best choice for your current level of training, you'd likely be better off with something like Stronglifts or Greyskull LP.

Are those programs more geared toward beginners? I'm not sure I'm capable of the fast linear progression in those programs, for upper body at least (my legs grow very quickly in size and strength so no issues there). My bench has only gone from 110 x 8 to 125 x 8 in the last 5 months. My OHP has gone from 65 x 8 to 85 x 6. My light bodyweight and my few years of training before seem to hold me back from making more standard progress.

[alec935]

You can use calipers or bodyweight scales but they're not super accurate

IMO best thing is just look in a mirror and see if u look better

Starting creatine will make your muscles look bigger because creatine is very hydrophilic. This is not real muscle gain.

[air2fakie]

If your lifts are going up you're likely gaining some muscle. Best way to tell is to look in the mirror. If after gaining 11 lbs on a 90 lb frame you don't see a noticeable difference or you look fatter and not any more muscular, then you're probably not gaining muscle at a good rate.

At your level and size a PPL is prob not the best program for you, and what's holding you back and making your progress slow. Doing less volume on something like F5 novice will prob allow you to progress faster if you continue to gain weight slowly.

[orangeloor34]

If your lifts are going up you're likely gaining some muscle. Best way to tell is to look in the mirror. If after gaining 11 lbs on a 90 lb frame you don't see a noticeable difference or you look fatter and not any more muscular, then you're probably not gaining muscle at a good rate.

At your level and size a PPL is prob not the best program for you, and what's holding you back and making your progress slow. Doing less volume on something like F5 novice will prob allow you to progress faster if you continue to gain weight slowly.

I definitely see a significant difference between my physique now and at 90 lbs, but it's not like I was never this size. For instance, I had 14" arms when I was fat, and I have 13" arms now. I had 11.5" arms at the end of my cut. So it is hard to tell if the muscle I gained on my arms is actually new, or just old muscle I had, if that makes sense. I do know I have new muscle in my legs because they are significantly larger than they even were when I was fat, so it's easier for me to tell. What is PPL best for? I'm mostly interested in size, not strength, except for benching, as I feel I could really improve that.

[air2fakie]

I definitely see a significant difference between my physique now and at 90 lbs, but it's not like I was never this size. For instance, I had 14" arms when I was fat, and I have 13" arms now. I had 11.5" arms at the end of my cut. So it is hard to tell if the muscle I gained on my arms is actually new, or just old muscle I had, if that makes sense. I do know I have new muscle in my legs because they are significantly larger than they even were when I was fat, so it's easier for me to tell. What is PPL best for? I'm mostly interested in size, not strength, except for benching, as I feel I could really improve that.

I'd measure progress based on where you started at the end of your cut and not worry about comparing to your old self - it'd hard enough to measure muscle v. fat exactly so you're not going to be able to measure it after-the-fact. Eventually when you look in the mirror it'll be obvious that you have more muscle than even when you were fatter.

PPLs are best for very advanced lifters who've progressed beyond things like 3, 4 & 5 day programs so that they need a very high volume in order to continue to build muscle, but even many could prob progress on <6 days/week. You can always program a PPL to be less volume, but then you'd likely condense it into fewer days/week anyway. At your stage, doing less so that you can consistently progressively overload is most important.

Size & strength aren't really two drastically diff concepts based on where you're at right now.

[alec935]

I'd measure progress based on where you started at the end of your cut and not worry about comparing to your old self - it'd hard enough to measure muscle v. fat exactly so you're not going to be able to measure it after-the-fact. Eventually when you look in the mirror it'll be obvious that you have more muscle than even when you were fatter.

PPLs are best for very advanced lifters who've progressed beyond things like 3, 4 & 5 day programs so that they need a very high volume in order to continue to build muscle, but even many could prob progress on <6 days/week. You can always program a PPL to be less volume, but then you'd likely condense it into fewer days/week anyway. At your stage, doing less so that you can consistently progressively overload is most important.

Size & strength aren't really two drastically diff concepts based on where you're at right now.

idk man I'm nowhere near a very advanced lifter and I've seen by far my best gains on a PPL I've been running since this corona **** started

[air2fakie]

idk man I'm nowhere near a very advanced lifter and I've seen by far my best gains on a PPL I've been running since this corona **** started

I think your program is more accurately a PPA, AMRAP/AMSAP. Regardless, it must be an impressive couple of months you're having, so carry on.

Rn I'm on a basic Push/Pull split (I can't work my legs atm):
Push
Pull
Abs
Push
Pull
Abs
Rest

I do everything to failure and do as many sets as I physically can

[alec935]

I think your program is more accurately a PPA, AMRAP/AMSAP. Regardless, it must be an impressive couple of months you're having, so carry on.

That's true. Been true PPL for only a week now

[MyEgoProblem]

Mirror
Measuring tape
Training log
😏

[Corbets]

Just measure your gains in terms of increased weight on the bar and increased weight on the scale (at an appropriate pace). Don’t worry about trying to measure it more accurately than that.