The Time it Takes to Build Muscle

Have you ever looked at a bodybuilder and wondered how long it took them to look that way? The answer might be a little more complex than you might think. Every person is different, and there are a certain number of variables that factor in to how long it takes to build muscle.

Before we tell you how long it takes to build muscle, it is important to understand how muscle building works. Each muscle is made up of thousands of tiny muscle fibers. Building muscle involves you first ripping apart those muscle fibers and then allowing them to build back up again by repairing those microtraumas. When you lift weights, your muscles endure those tiny injuries in the muscle fibers. When you are done exercising, you are allowing your muscle cells to repair as you rest. The repair process involves fusing torn muscle fibers back together, as well as laying down new proteins within each muscle cell. It sounds like it hurts but it is just your body’s natural process of making your muscles bigger and stronger.

Trying to build muscle may take longer than some people realize. It is a slow process that can make you feel discouraged when you do not see the results that you want. This is because there are a lot of factors that go into muscle building. Factors such as your protein and calorie intake, sleep schedule, your lifting routine and your age. Protein is key when it comes to weight training. The more protein you add to your diet, the more your muscle cells can repair themselves. The same goes for your lifting routine, the more you can lift and the amount of times you can do it will result in you getting stronger a lot faster. Someone who goes to the gym 5 days a week to lift heavy weights will build muscle faster then someone who only goes to the gym 3 days a week to lift light weights. The hardest part of building muscle is something you cannot control, your age. Building muscle gets harder as you get older. Which is why you do not see many shredded older people at the gym. All these factors are considered when you want to see how fast it will take you to build muscle.

This is just a simplified look at what happens when you lift weights, but it does give you more of an idea of how long it takes our bodies to build muscle. There are more systems at play, with your nervous, circulatory and endocrine systems all playing a part in building muscles. For a more in-depth analysis, please consult your doctor.

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Article written by William Graves.