You’ve already set your New Year’s resolution into motion…you’re going to gain 10 pounds of muscle by January. You’re going to eat more protein, deadlift like a demon, and track your progress all the way. What are your chances of success?

New Year…New Muscle Gains! (Photo: Pixabay)

Not very good. Unless you’re Chris Hemsworth, dedicating every hour of every day to nutrition and fitness to look like Thor, you shouldn’t expect to make such a significant gain. Studies show it’s just not likely.

Don’t Try This at Home

Let’s take a look one study that put men who had never lifted weights to the test. Over the course of a month, they cut their calorie intake to just 60 percent of daily requirements, took high doses of protein supplements, and performed circuit training, sprint intervals, high intensity interval training (HIIT), and plyometric workouts. The result? Participants gained roughly 1.2 kg, or 2.6 pounds, of muscle mass. Even with all that hard work, and having the potential to make gains quicker as a novice weightlifter on their side, only 2 pounds were packed on. And because of the severity of the regimen, nobody sustained their transformation.

What about female weightlifters? Keeping in mind that they typically gain about half the amount of muscle mass as their male counterparts, another group of researchers found that novices gained about 0.5 kg, or 1.1 pounds, in their first month of training.

For seasoned lifters and athletes who have a rigorous training plan, muscle-gain expectations actually diminish and tend to correlate with time spent training. You may be able to push through plateaus and make more gains by changing your training plan and diet, but it’s rare for anyone—newbie or veteran, man or woman—to see more than 2 pounds in a month.

So, How Can You Accomplish Your New Year’s Resolution? 

First off, be realistic. Our friend, Chris Hemsworth, was able to gain 20 pounds of muscle mass over a few months because he worked one-on-one with a Navy Seal, spent half of every day in the gym, and ate high-protein meals every two hours. Most of us can’t make that kind of commitment with our 9 to 5 jobs and day-to-day demands. So, what can you do to make noticeable gains?

1. Increase protein intake…but don’t forget carbs and fats.

   

   (Photo: Alison Marras via Unsplash)

   Protein contains the 20 amino acids essential for muscle growth, but it can’t do the job alone. A diet balanced in protein, carbohydrates, and fat is the most effective way to get results.

2. Do the right kind of exercise.
   

   You may run five miles per day and do curls until your biceps scream, but are you seeing visible changes in your muscles? Probably not. Incorporate resistance training in your fitness regimen, and you’ll see a big difference. The stress of resistance exercises, like planks and push-ups, actually injures the muscles, causing satellite cells to come to the rescue to repair and grow the muscle.

3. Remember to rest.

   Avoid over-exercising, which can cause your hormones to go haywire. Testosterone, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and growth hormone (GH), are necessary to let the muscle know that it’s time to repair and grow. And since GH is released mostly during sleep, you’ll want to catch your Zs if you want it to do its job.

4. Track your progress.
   

   As we discussed in our previous blog post, tracking your body composition is essential to making real changes. Cutting-edge technology like the Fit3D Proscanner and InBody can provide incredible insight into your progress. If you’ve yet to take advantage of these extraordinary devices, schedule a scan at Twin Cities Metabolism and get your first scan free.

Ready to put your muscles to work? We’re ready to guide you. Get in touch.