How Much Muscle Can You Gain NATURALLY?

[steve_d]

I am going to basically agree with the video. But like he said, the variables he's throwing at the curve, and assumptions he makes have to be taken into account. For example, it assumes you're say 30 years old, and have no hit the gym basically ever...or not been involved in any sort of sport that may have already gotten you're muscle mass up. But then again, the average joe falls in this category.

Now for people on this forum that it doesn't apply to, the 30 pound in 5 year number is not gonna happen. We've already trained, and gained those initial pounds. Many of us started as teens, or perhaps played hockey, or whatever, and are not at the same starting point as those he's talking about in the video. If I never trained a day in my life, I figure at my age, I would probably be about 150-160 pounds at this level of bodyfat. I have 10+ years under my belt and am about 190 right now. so likely I have gained those 30 pounds he talks about already.

I'll extend the comments he made to most women, who can probably gain about 20 pounds in 5 years. again, these are the avg. some will only be able to beef up 5 pounds, others maybe 30...

Finally, I'd like to point out that if you were to plot me on that curve, i'd probably be right in the middle. I am genetically strong perhaps, but as a bodybuilder, I have a hard time putting on muscle.

[O-Train]

It's hard to say how much weight someone has gained because as others have said a lot of people (me included) start training young. At 15 when I started at the gym I was in the 150's. Then by 18 I was up to 180lbs but higher bf % than now. Lost a lot of weight in the army but didn't stay long and started gaining weight afterwards. Weighed myself yesterday at 209lbs. Hard to say just how much of that is muscle but I would say a lot of it is. Although my body was developing/growing up until ~21yo plus w/ resistance training your bones become denser along with other changes. I think I've gained more than 30lbs of muscle but it's not something I could accurately quantify.

[steve_d]

not only that, most people will gain muscle from age 18 to 30 without ever setting foot in the gym...look back to all your highschool friends...I bet most don't look the same even if they stayed the same bodyfat. natural muscle growth (without training) certainly doesnt stop after puberty.

[nitrous]

Chris Aceto says naturally a person can gain 2-6lbs of muscle in a year leaning towards the lower 2-4lbs depending on genetics. I'd say unless someone just started training that this is pretty accurate

[tiramisu]

Ignoring puberty that seems like a fairly decent answer. I'm a fair bit to the right on the curve as things go and 50'ish pounds seems a little closer for me but definitely not 75. Assuming ~175 detrained @ ~16-20% ish bodyfat and best natural training is about 220/225 at a similarly pudgy level.

If I was willing to have a stroke and eat my way to 300 pounds I'm certain I could put on more muscle but I'm fairly certain I wouldn't be able to hold onto to that extra muscle if I dieted back down again to 16-20%.

I think the Casey Butt study is a good representation of genetically gifted athletes on mild doses of steroids.Your Maximum Muscular Bodyweight and Measurements - To think that any but a very few of us could outperform them is extremely naive/optimistic


A littlecalculator for fun and discussion.

[Praetorian]

2-4lbs per year on a natural athlete is doing very well...many talk in term of how much muscle they have gained but fail to take into consideration all the variables...ie if you started during or just after puberty your gains also include fat, bone growth, muscle, water , etc....you can increase the amount of fat you carry but if you also grow in height your bodyfat doesnt necessarily change thus you cannot say you have gained x amount of muscle because BF is the same....this just isnt true. Most people who talk muscle gain really are talking weight gain...even to say BF hasnt change...without measurement is bs. 30lbs from an untrained state but well past puberty is fairly accurate.
P

[aznaro8]

Ignoring puberty that seems like a fairly decent answer. I'm a fair bit to the right on the curve as things go and 50'ish pounds seems a little closer for me but definitely not 75. Assuming ~175 detrained @ ~16-20% ish bodyfat and best natural training is about 220/225 at a similarly pudgy level.

If I was willing to have a stroke and eat my way to 300 pounds I'm certain I could put on more muscle but I'm fairly certain I wouldn't be able to hold onto to that extra muscle if I dieted back down again to 16-20%.

I think the Casey Butt study is a good representation of genetically gifted athletes on mild doses of steroids.Your Maximum Muscular Bodyweight and Measurements - To think that any but a very few of us could outperform them is extremely naive/optimistic


A littlecalculator for fun and discussion.

That is a very interesting little calculator and article. Plugged my numbers in and although I know I will never be a mass monster, I would not be unhappy at all if I came close to achieving the numbers it gave me.

[Jacob21]

Although a bodybuilder can not build more big muscle naturally but I always prefer natural
bodybuilding because of no side effect on human health and also good for the healthy life.