How long does it take to you really see a good difference in muscle growth, i.e. arms?

Muscular growth is one of accumulated efforts, over a long duration. If you are first starting out, this phase should come a lot faster, possibly within a few weeks to a few months. Then as you progress, the results become less and less noticeable.

In order for muscles to grow, we need to inflict enough of a stimulus in order for muscles to undergo trauma – or muscle injury. This injury causes satellite cells on the outside of muscle fibers to become awakened. They want to repair the onset of the damage, joining together. This process results in the increased size of the muscle fibre. With each and every session of weight training, we need to inflict this tension. That’s why a combination of strength and hypertrophy training is essential over long stretches of time.

There are many more possibilities that affect the growth of muscle mass, which are highlighted below:

1. Your nutrition
2. Your genetics
3. Hormonal responses
4. Your chosen stimulus and application of that to the muscles
5. The amount of time allocated to rest and sleep for development

There is never one main thing, but an accumulation of different aspects that either make or break your muscle building potential.

Spending 2 hours per day in the gym isn’t going to force any results, and may in fact, have more potential to diminish any muscle growth that may have resulted in your session due to elevated stress levels from the excessive training. Our bodies can only do so much at any given time, and rest, nutrition and recuperation is the main way we can increase muscle mass over the long term.

Below I will highlight some simple, yet effective strategies to see you develop your muscle building capabilities over time, and experience the best growth possible for your given body shape. These tips apply to women as well, because we have just as much potential to build strength and muscle mass – even if it is at a less intense rate than men. Reshaping our bodies allows a boost in metabolism, as well as giving us a lean, athletic and toned look.

Top 10 tips to build muscle mass fast – for both men and women.

1. Protein, fats and vegetables together – ensure you are getting enough protein in your diet on a daily basis. Add fat to your meal, including avocado in your salad, nuts, cold pressed olive oil and cook your meats in coconut oil. Your protein intake should be higher than the sedentary person. Aim for 1.2–2g per KG, depending on your body shape, sex and activity levels. There are many protein calculating mechanisms available online, but as a person wanting to build muscle, I’d be adding a bit more. Consume and assess as your training progresses.
2. Cycle carbs – this means, opt to eat more carbs when you are training, then when you aren’t. Use the high carb days when you are attempting those big lifts, such as leg day. Cut it out of your diet when working on smaller muscle groups, like biceps and triceps.
3. Training protocol variation – 70 percent of your workouts should move towards moderate loads and volume, 30 percent should be at a higher intensity and with much heavier loads. Remember, this is the key to balance between strength and hypertrophy. We need to work on both.
4. Training frequency – Always aim to use multi-joint lifts as the bulk of your training regime, and always split your training into muscle groups. For example, hamstrings and calves, quads and glutes, biceps and triceps. Don’t use full body as a means for hypertrophy. Splits allow for maximum recovery, and greater training frequency. Full body training should only be used as a circuit alternative to HIIT when wanting to burn body fat.
5. Pick either fat loss or hypertrophy – not both. Although you can do both, it will take you a whole lot longer and be extremely frustrating if you are a hard gainer. Always pick weight training over cardio, as the benefits far outweigh that of any cardio results. Muscle increases your metabolism, and reshapes your body. If you want some big gains, focus on your lifting – the HIIT sessions for fat loss can come at a later stage.
6. Use proper training technique – that may mean studying some YouTube training videos, experimenting yourself, and doing some research. Technique is one of the most highly dismissed forms of hypertrophy, and many people aren’t tapping into it’s effectiveness in order to achieve their goals. Please, always use proper technique, to save yourself from injury, and to save wasted time in the gym with no gains.
7. Goal setting – know what you want to do daily – don’t leave your workouts to chance. Set some clear, concise goals, and then work your way towards achieving them. Note down your progress every week, as well as your food, and then keep at it long term. Results come in waves, depending on a lot of factors. One thing we have control of is ourselves, therefore, it’s important we always know where to aim and try our hardest to do this daily.
8. Fail miserably, and be cool with that – Failure is the best way to trigger that little bit of growth, that can turn into something massive down the track. If you are aiming at lifting a certain weight for 10 reps, but cannot, drop it, and have something less heavy by your side, then continue to your desired rep range or beyond – until you can’t lift it anymore. There is no harm in lowering the weight at all – in fact, it’s the volume that will make the difference. Do this as often as you need to, and watch the progression over time.
9. Recovery is just as important as hitting the gym. Genetics is a true indicator of your growth potential, but the best way to increase your growth is to allow your body to recover from exercise regularly. This will allow you to smash it out when you get back into the weights area. Don’t mistake the elevated enthusiasm after a couple of much needed rest days!
10. Train in the afternoon – Between 2–5pm your muscles are at their peak levels of protein synthesis. Try doing some training at this time over a weekend, or when you have an afternoon off. See how this can change your results.

I do hope this answers your question. Please keep in touch. I’m here if you need me, and come follow me on social. Click here for my site or my two primary social media platforms right here. Good luck!

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