So Just How Long Does it Take to Build Muscle?
If you are a younger man who is just starting to train, one of the main questions that you are likely to ask is, "how long does it take to build muscle?". There will be several elements that figure into the answer to this question. We have put together some helpful information to address the essential factors involved with building muscle and how long it will take to build muscle.
How Long it Takes to Build Muscle will be Influenced by Age
Proper muscle development requires the appropriate hormonal make-up, as well as maturity, therefore, if you have not reached a level where both of these elements exist, you will not be able to build satisfactory muscles. You will need to be about 16 years old in order to begin gaining muscle. The largest muscle gain in males will generally be between the ages of 18 and 21, if they are working diligently at it. Although this is the normal range, I have seen a 17 year old whose muscle development was very striking. Additionally, before the filming of "New Moon", Taylor Lautner was able to increase his muscle mass substantially.
The Amount of Muscle You Have Built Previously is a Factor
Each individual has an "upper limit" of muscle that they are able to attain, without the assistance of drugs, and this limit is determined by a genetic predisposition. As you reach this genetic limit, building additional muscle will become more challenging and take longer. An indication of this is when you notice that a workout that was highly effective when you were in the beginning stages of gaining muscle, is not as productive after you have been training for a while. Therefore, you should understand that gaining 15 pounds of additional muscle, when you have already increased your body's muscle by 15 pounds, will be a slower process. These general guidelines will not hold true if steroids are being used, however. Learning how to build muscle will not be an issue if steroids are being used.
What Type of Effort and Time Commitment Will You Make to Building More Muscle?
If you are willing to spend a substantial amount of time and energy each week on gaining muscle, then "how long does it take to build muscle", will be a process that takes much less time. Take for example the seemingly overnight transformations that can be observed in some actors that are preparing for specific film roles. These types of dramatic results will only be possible when training is a very big part of your weekly routine. The actors that we mentioned commonly train 7 days per week, twice each day, when getting ready for a film. This is fine if you're an actor, but if you lead a normal life, this type of regimen isn't very practical. Although the objective of gaining muscle is reasonable, you should not allow it to become an obsession that rules all aspects of your existence.
Let's Take a Look at Some Practical Time Frames for Gaining Muscle
In the first 2 years that a novice is training, 15-20 pounds is a reasonable goal for muscle gain. This standard applies to individuals 17 years of age and older. Subsequently, 2-3 pounds of muscle growth each year is typical, for the next several years. These numbers are general guidelines, and your genetics will play a role in your specific results. Therefore, the question of "how long does it take to build muscle?", doesn't have one simple answer. We can only look at what is typical.
Source