How Long Does It Take to Build Muscle?

The question “How long does it take to build muscle?” is by far one of the most popular among skinny guys who want to build muscle quickly with over 5 million hits on Google. Building muscle varies greatly among individuals depending on factors such as your genetics, exercise selection, nutrition, recovery rate and hormonal levels. This article will investigate in-depth each of these factors to answer the age-old question “How long does it take to build muscle?”

Genetics

Genetics is by far one of the most important factors when determining how much muscle you can potentially build and how long it takes to build it. Quite frankly there are guys who have an easy time building muscle who seem to be able to gain muscle even by eating poorly. There are also those who struggle to gain even an ounce of muscle even though they eat perfectly and train perfectly using the perfect program.

To get a better understanding of genetics we must first investigate the three somatypes. Somatypes refers to classifying people into three distinct body types. The first body type is the mesomorph who is naturally muscular and can build muscle easily but has some trouble losing fat. The second body type is the endomorph who is typically overweight or obese and not only do they have an easier time gaining fat, they also can put on muscle just as easily. Endomorphs should focus on building muscle slowly so as not to gain too much fat in the process. They should also focus on cardio just as equally as building muscle. Last but not least ectomorphs are the ones who have a hard time building muscle however have it easiest when losing fat. In this case they can consume greater quantities of food to bulk up without adding a considerable amount of fat.

Exercise Selection

Choosing the right exercises is crucial in determining how long it takes to build muscle since not all the exercises are created equally. There are exercises which build muscle quicker than others and these are the exercises which should form the foundation of your exercise program. The best exercises to include in your workout program are those that recruit multiple muscle groups in the exercise. These are known as compound exercises and should be performed at the beginning of your workout to take advantage of energy levels. Compound exercises include deadlifts, squats, bench press, rows, pull ups, chin ups, dips and push ups.

Nutrition

Nutrition is also important in determining how long it will take to build muscle as it forms the foundation for building a better physique. You can only build as much muscle as you can handle the amount of food you can consume. If you don’t eat enough food it won’t matter what exercises you do since you’re limiting your muscle growth.

Recovery Rate

Your recovery rate is also important in determining how long it will take to build muscle. If you train too frequently you will slow down your recovery rate as a result of overtraining thereby limiting your muscle growth. To improve your recovery rate you should train less frequently but with greater intensity.

Hormonal Levels

Lastly, you also need to think of your hormonal levels. Generally speaking, guys who are in their 20′s and early 30′s will have the highest level of testosterone in their system at this time. If you happen to be considerably older than this age group you’ll have a longer path to building considerable amounts of muscle. To improve your hormonal levels you should go to bed early preferably before 10pm to take advantage of the anabolic hormones that are released between the hours of 11pm and 1am.

If you follow these tips, ectomorphs should expect to gain one to two pounds of “dry” muscle per month. Endomorphs and mesomorphs who are just starting out should expect double or triple the gains of and ectomorph. If you included water weight and muscle glycogen along with a little fat, ectomorphs should expect to gain around four pounds per month whereas endomorphs and mesomorphs should expect to gain between six to eight pounds per month. Ultimately, the question on “How long does it take to build muscle?” is based on how much effort and dedication you put into improving your physique.

How Long Does It Take to Build Muscle?