So let me ask you.

How much muscle can you actually expect to build this month and this year?

Do you know? Do you know what a realistic goal actually is?

I want to talk about a subject that needs to be cleared up once and for all.

How much muscle can *YOU* REALLY build?

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Most gym rats expect to build LOTS of muscle really fast.

This is a myth. You can NOT build muscle really FAST. The majority of readers, customers and clients I work with have completely unrealistic expectations when it comes to building muscle.

I can't put an exact number on how much you can gain but most people believe that they can build 20 pounds of muscle in three months... ...it's amazing how many frustrated customers I get emailing me after their first month of training complaining that they only gained 5 or 10 pounds. I'm thinking to myself, "That's fantastic, what are you complaining about?!"

There is no doubt you can gain 20 pounds of WEIGHT in 3 months or even one month, but we are not talking about *weight* - we are talking about *DRY MUSCLE*

Pure muscle tissue. Not water weight. Not glycogen weight.

Pure muscle weight!

There is not a chance in heaven that you will gain 5 or even 10 pounds of dry muscle in one month or even 3 months - not even close. I hate to be the messenger of this bad news but unless you are using growth enhancing drugs...

... it's IMPOSSIBLE.

Many of you might be upset or discouraged about the TRUTH of how much you can actually build but this knowledge will help you to eat and train with a more realistic perspective.

So how much muscle can your body actually manufacture?

Under the BEST possible circumstances (training, diet, supplementation, recovery) the average male body can create between *0.25 and 0.50* pounds of dry muscle tissue per week.

That's the natural amount that your body chemistry will allow.

So you're looking at 1-2 pounds of dry muscle each month.

Not much?

Well consider what your body will look like in 12 months from now with an extra 12-24 pounds of muscle?!?!

Starting to see the importance of consistency???!!!

You see, I did not gain 41 pounds of DRY MUSCLE in six months.
The 41 pounds also factored in the increased muscle which was accompanied by increased glycogen and water storage in the muscles. More muscle equals more glycogen.

Most people can maintain up to 40 grams of glycogen per 100g of muscle tissue.

So if you're gaining ten pounds of new muscle you'll consequently increase glycogen storage by around four pounds.

So if you gain ten pounds of muscle, your scale gain will actually be closer to fourteen pounds (if you didn't gain any fat).

And rarely often will someone not gain any fat if you are gaining more than 3 pounds per month.

So, when you set your goals, clarify in your mind if "20 pounds of muscle" is your *weight gain* goal or your *dry muscle* goal.

And then put realistic time frames on these goals based on the info I just shared.

If you simply focus on keeping your body fat between 10-13% fat while gaining around 5 pounds per month then it is safe to say you are gaining 1-2 pounds of dry muscle a month with 1-2 pounds of glycogen and water hopefully no more then a pound of fat.

Train hard and expect to make these gains each month!

Your friend and coach,

Vince DelMonte, C.P.T., H.B.K.
Author, No Nonsense Muscle Building
Contributor to Men's Fitness Magazine
www.vincedelmontefitness.com