From young to old, everyone today wants to build muscle, but many of us lack the time or patience required to see results. Muscle building is a time-consuming task that takes longer than weight loss. Where a person can easily lose a kg in a week, gaining one kg of muscle takes 15 to 20 days. One suggestion that is often given to beginners when they want to gain muscle is that start lifting heavy weights. Lifting heavy weights when you are just starting out will only result in injury. So, if you're new to muscle building or have reached a plateau, let's start by determining how much muscle you can gain in the first 30 days and what your goal for the first 30 days should be.
How Much Muscle Can You Gain In First 30 Days?
Maintaining a calorie surplus is important for gaining muscle. One of the most efficient methods for creating a calorie surplus is to begin eating more than your maintenance calories. Assume your maintenance calories are 1,700, and if you eat more than that, say 1,900, you will be in a surplus. In the beginning, a 200-calorie surplus is sufficient; anything more than that will result in bloating or indigestion. Ideally, you should not aim to gain more than three kilos of muscle in 30 days, because anything more will be water that your body will hold as a result of overeating.
Exercise Goal For First 30 Days
1) Work On Strength
Working on strength as a beginner can help you get started. This is due to a phenomenon known as beginner gains, also known as newbie gains. When a beginner begins lifting, they can gain the most muscle and strength in the shortest amount of time. This is once a lifetime opportunity for beginners because their muscles are fresh, so include some form of strength training thrice a week.
Also Read: Cardio Or Weight Training: Which One Should Come First?
2) Focus On Big Muscle Groups
Arms and chest days are among the best days for lifters, but if you want to gain the most muscle in the first 30 days, you should focus on large muscle groups. Training legs twice a week is essential because they make up half of our body, and back training is also essential because it is one of the largest muscles in our upper body. When we work big muscles, small muscle groups are automatically worked, and one can easily burn some extra calories.
3) Learn Compound Lifts
As a beginner, the first 30 days of your transformation are ideal for prioritising compound lifts and making visible gains. Compound lifts are exercises that target more than two muscle groups at once. Compound lifts include squats, deadlifts, bench presses, lunges, and lat pull-downs.
Also Read: 5 Common Muscle-Building Mistakes Hampering Your Newbie Gains
Pro-tip
Make sure to warm up thoroughly before beginning your workout as it will loosen up your stiff muscles and alert your brain to the impending shock.
Image Credit: Freepik
