Find out what you need to do to gain muscle as quickly as possible without using steroids. Most often, novice athletes are interested in methods of gaining mass. In second place in popularity is the question, how much muscle mass can a straight person gain in a month? This is a very interesting topic and now we will try to give you a comprehensive answer.
What factors affect the rate of mass gain?
It should be noted right away that no one can give you exact numbers. The growth rate of muscles is an absolutely individual indicator, which, among other things, depends on several factors. Among the main ones it should be noted:
- compliance (non-compliance) with the principle of load progression;
- achieving a sufficient anabolic background to activate hypertrophy processes;
- daily regime;
- the age of the athlete;
- mood for training;
- training program;
- nutrition;
- genetic features.
All of the above factors can be considered fundamental and not all of them you can influence. For example, genetics cannot be changed and you have to be content with what was inherited from your parents. It is also worth recalling the technique of performing power movements. It is this element of the training process that every novice builder should pay maximum attention to.
At first, you will gain mass quickly enough, but gradually progress will slow down. The closer you are to your genetic potential, the slower your muscles will grow. Scientists have done a lot of research on this topic. For example, the famous sports physiologist and nutritionist Lyle McDonald says that during the first year of training, most athletes can gain one kilogram of mass every month.
Every year the speed will drop by about two times, and in the fourth year of training, during the year most often naturals gain about 1.5–2 kilos. According to the results of McDonald's research, a person with natural training is able to gain about 25 kilos in his entire career.
Probably these numbers, when answering the question of how much muscle mass a natural person can gain in a month, disappointed you. However, it should be remembered that for our body, muscles are ballast, which requires a lot of energy. Obviously, he doesn't really want to build muscle.
How much muscle mass a natural can gain in a month: recommendations
Many men want to look like famous bodybuilders. However, you should understand that they have devoted their entire lives to bodybuilding. Moreover, it was not without the use of steroids, and only thanks to the sports farm you can get such forms.
Often times, bodybuilding enthusiasts decide to start using AAS, although that doesn't make much sense. First, the mass gained in this way can be easily lost. You can give a lot of examples from life when athletes gained up to 20 kilograms with the help of steroids in a few months. However, as soon as they did not train for one month, all the results were lost.
Naturally gained mass is more stable, and even with a prolonged absence of training will not be lost so quickly. We have already said that the body does not need large muscles and if you used anabolic steroids, then at the first opportunity the body will return to its genetic limit. Secondly, it is dangerous for the body and the costs of purchasing steroids will not justify themselves.
However, let's get back to the beginner's weight gain guidelines. I would like to warn you right away that you must prepare yourself for hard training. To progress, you need to not only exercise regularly, but also adhere to the daily regimen and use the correct nutrition program. Even "chemists" cannot grow without training, although they can take some liberties.
Often, beginners underestimate the importance of nutrition and then claim that they cannot progress. If the body is not provided with all the necessary nutrients, then you can forget about growth. Many experts agree that it is quite enough for a natural person to consume 36 calories per kilo of body weight throughout the day.
For example, if your body weight is 70 kilograms, then the daily calorie intake should be 2000-2500 calories. Moreover, it is not only the indicator of the energy value of the diet that is important, but also the ratio of nutrients. In most cases, athletes need to consume 40 percent carbohydrates with protein compounds, as well as 20 percent fat. However, options are possible here, because each person is individual. We also remind you that it is necessary to give up some harmful products.
If we talk about the training program, then straight people need to focus on basic movements and especially those who have an "ectomorph" physique. To achieve positive results, you need to create maximum stress on the body. In this situation, he will have to accelerate the production of the main anabolic hormones - growth hormone and testosterone. Work with weights 80 percent of your maximum, doing 10 to 12 repetitions in each set.
You can also include in the training program cardio loads, the duration of which is no more than 20 minutes. Today, the topic of cardio in bodybuilding for gaining mass is very hotly discussed. This approach has its supporters and opponents. Based on the results of scientific research, then 20-minute cardio sessions cannot negatively affect the processes of hypertrophy, but, on the contrary, stimulate them:
- Avoid chemist training programs. The differences between the training programs of straight athletes and athletes using the sports farm are quite serious. On the net now you can find a lot of programs that are targeted just at "chemists". If you choose to exercise naturally, then they may not benefit you. Under the influence of exogenous hormones, an athlete can perform from 6 to 12 movements in one lesson, and straight people cannot boast of this.
- Develop physical parameters. If you want to know how much muscle mass a natural person can gain in a month, then do not forget the physical indicators. Without this, you cannot progress. Only using the principle of load progression can allow you to grow, and without increasing strength, this is impossible.
- Eat right. This is a rather difficult point, although at first glance it does not seem so. No matter how hard you train, you will not be able to grow without a sufficient amount of nutrients. Training allows you to activate the processes of hypertrophy, and muscles grow only thanks to your nutrition.
- Do only basic exercises. We have already said that straight people need to create maximum stress in every class. Basic exercises are the best means of achieving this goal. You do not have such a reserve of energy as “chemists” and it must be spent correctly. By performing two or three biceps movements, you will not be able to get very far, since you simply will not have enough energy. Your choice is basic movements and heavy working weights. Everyone knows that this group includes squats, deadlifts and bench presses. However, the choice of basic movements is much larger and they include, for example, pull-ups, army press, barbell (dumbbell) rows in an inclined position, push-ups on the uneven bars, etc. For any muscle group, you can easily find a couple of effective basic exercises. If you do not know how to distinguish from isolated ones, then there is no great difficulty here. If two or more joints work during the exercise, then the movement is basic. When only one joint is involved, it is isolated.
- Get enough sleep. You also cannot do without adherence to the daily routine. If you decide to do bodybuilding, then forget about the night gatherings on the Internet. The body is able to fully recover only during sleep. If you do not get enough sleep, then you will not have the strength to conduct a full-fledged lesson. Try to go to bed earlier to feel refreshed in the morning. Most likely, at first it will be difficult for you to fall asleep, but the body will quickly get used to the new regime. This will immediately affect your training. Within a month, you will notice that you are able to work with large weights.
- You shouldn't buy all the sports nutrition. By and large, from the whole variety of goods presented in sports food stores, you will need protein, micronutrient complexes and creatine. Perhaps in the future, BCAA will not be superfluous, and skinny builders may pay attention to gainers. It is quite possible to do without the rest of the additives. It is better to pay maximum attention to your diet. Quality food will provide more benefits than sports nutrition.
- Do not get carried away with other types of loads. We have already said that cardio can be useful for gaining mass, but only if they are strictly limited in time. The situation is somewhat different with endomorphs, which, thanks to running, can get rid of fat mass. The main benefit of cardio for the bodybuilder is to train the heart muscle and the vascular system.
- Set realistic goals for yourself. Be sure to set a goal that you can achieve. Moreover, it should not be resolved in the long term. The main requirement for the task at hand is its feasibility and concreteness. This approach to training will help you progress faster.
- Start treating bodybuilding like a sport, not just a hobby. It is necessary to understand that a hobby is designed to help a person spend his free time well and usefully. Certain results are achieved only in sports. If bodybuilding is just a hobby, then you will not achieve serious results. Not many people go to the gym to win Olympia. This is quite normal, but if you set yourself sports goals and strive to solve them, then you will progress. To be successful in any endeavor, you must grow as a person and constantly improve. You may not take part in tournaments, but thanks to a competent attitude to training, you can get excellent results. Almost all pro-builders started training “purely for themselves”. You are well aware of the results of such exercises.
- Tune in for each set. For natural builders, the mood factor is of paramount importance. In each approach, you need to work to the end. It is difficult to give specific recommendations in this matter, because each person gets something different for training. Find such a motivator.
How much muscle mass can a straight bodybuilder gain in a year, see below:
