How Long Does it Take to Get Ripped and Shredded? 

Gaining muscle mass is the dream of every newcomer to the gym. To quickly gain the desired volume, become stronger, and look better is a worthy goal. But the exact time to achieve it is pretty hard to tell. Human body obeys many genetic and physiological laws.

We all have a different lifestyle, as well as different diets, training and rest plans. But the question of how long does it take to actually get in shape, how much can be gained, and what is the limit of muscle growth still remains. Let's try to figure this out.

Knowledge is Key

If you know the science-based answers to the questions regarding the rates of muscle growth, you can get rid of illusions and make fewer mistakes in the process of bettering yourself. 

Excessive expectations in the gym are the cause of:

1. Injuries;

2. Disappointment;

3. And a premature transition to anabolic steroids. 

It’s not like we’re against anabolic steroids, but if you try to run Trenbolone at 16 just to get fit fast, we don’t support that kind of stuff. 

We all often read articles about how some actors gained 12 kg of dry muscle in 3 months, and we think that at lower rates it’s not even worth to hope for a decent result in the gym.

It’s not that bad if the beginner just continues to learn the basic exercises` technique and lament that he, unfortunately, is not the next Wolverine. 

But what if they start buying useless supplements for muscle growth, acquires diets from "instagram gurus", and eats everything from a gainer to his grandmother’s cottage cheese with jam. 

Even Harder to Determine for Women

For women it’s even more complicated. They dream of having toned hips, round buttocks and beautiful shape, but they don’t want to look like professional bodybuilding athletes. 

Many people really believe that huge “male-style” muscles build up simply from doing squats, deadlifts and bench presses, and not from a combination of hard work, anabolic steroids, and a strict diet. Therefore, there is a new program "for muscle tightening” from the fitness industry every day. 

As a result, many hours that could be spent hitting the gym are instead spent on nonsense, which, at best, strengthens the cardiovascular system, and at worst simply increases appetite, without giving any incentive for muscle growth. Understanding the real muscle growth rates eliminates the loss of time and money, and simplifies the task for the mind.

How much mass can you actually gain?

Muscle mass gain is not a priority subject for medical scientists. Today, there are only a few science-based articles on this topic. 

A rather well-known bodybuilding experiment by Arthur Jones showed that a healthy man without using anabolic steroids while having a decent nutrition, proper recovery, and training to failure can gain no more than 8 kg of muscle per 12-week-long training cycle. The experiment was about initially strong and athletic people who were not suffering from excessive fat.

Scientists state that in your entire life you can gain:

• About 22 kg if you’re a man;

• Close to 12 kg if you're a woman.

So why do professional bodybuilders refute this? The answer is simple - anabolic steroids. They accelerate protein synthesis, allowing you to gain more volume and mass than what is naturally possible for a particular person. 

Important: weight gain can be far more substantial, as with excess nutrition a person’s body fat grows just as well as the muscle mass. It’s not what you’re after, though. 

Notable Exceptions

Of course, there are exceptions to the rules. The average values ​​are true for the average genetics. 

There are people who are able to gain more and at a faster rate, and people who generally gain less. 

Usually the inability to gain a lot of mass is compensated by the fact that a person practically does not add in the fat layer. That’s why ectomorphs can be dry and toned with fewer muscles, and endomorphs, having spent considerable amounts of time and energy on reducing body fat, may still look a bit “not yet there”.

How long does it take to actually get ripped?

So, we found out the maximum values of muscle mass gain. But what are the realistic numbers one can expect?

• The average for men: from 100 to 200 grams of muscle per week (about 0.5-1 kilograms per month);

• The average for women: from 50 to 100 grams of muscle per week (about 200-500 grams per month).

Those rates are average for a reason. People tend to gain either more or less since there are many factors - the type of nutrition, the amount of salt in the diet, the ratio of macronutrients, the quantity and quality of carbohydrates.

In addition, stress levels, hormonal surges for women, various medications, and even a common cold may affect weight.

Why May It Not Work?

Sometimes people can’t gain a gram simply because they are subject to work and family stress, and stress levels increase calorie expenditure. Someone suffers from a lack of sleep, while someone suffers from its quality. Therefore, calculating the mass gain in advance is a rather difficult task.

In power sports an 8-12 week cycle usually allows a beginner athlete to gain 3-5 kg ​​of weight, given that they keep an eye on their nutrition. And x2-x3 of that with proper steroids. 

But the training is significantly different from a bodybuilding one — a large amount of work is done with basic exercises and a relatively small amount is reserved for auxiliary ones.

It is also worth noting that before a competition, a power athlete may lose 2-3 kg of “water” weight after the muscle microtraumas heal up and the muscles will no longer be able to hold weight. This well-known effect allows for careful planning in weight categories.

Conclusion

So, how much exactly can you gain and at what rate? It all depends on experience, the desire to train specifically for mass gain instead of only for the overall physical development, and the ability to eat right food regularly. 

No protein shake will ever beat the fact that a person simply eats too little food, and does not gain the right amount of macronutrients to recover. 

The bulking period should not be planned along with severe stress due to work, studying or personal life. Nutrition, sleep, recovery, rest and a competent training plan will help you gain more muscle in a shorter time.