The average amateur weightlifter expects to build toned lean muscle mass in a very short period of time. I mean, the average weightlifter expects to be ripped apart in a heartbeat. Getting a ripped physique fast is largely a myth. Realistically, you can’t build dozens of pounds of lean muscle mass very quickly. The vast majority of my clients and men I meet in the gym simply have unrealistic expectations when it comes to building muscle.

It’s hard to say how much muscle you can add to your body, but the average weightlifter seems to believe that they can add 25 pounds of muscle in 90 days. It’s remarkable how often I meet someone who has been going to the gym for three or four months and is disappointed that they haven’t added twenty or more pounds of muscle. You can surely gain 20 or more pounds of body weight in a few months, but there is a big difference between body weight and muscle.

You can gain weight simply by eating a lot of carbohydrates, calories and weight gain and getting little aerobic exercise. But again, by following this type of diet plan, you will only be adding body mass, not lean muscle, and there is a huge difference between the two. Adding lean muscle mass means adding pure muscle tissue, not water weight or glycogen weight. And adding lean muscle mass requires the three P’s: persistence, perseverance, and patience.

Under ideal circumstances, the average man can add a maximum of 2 pounds of lean muscle mass in a single month. Remember that this is in the best possible conditions, you will most likely be lucky if you can add half this amount of muscle mass each week. This can be discouraging or annoying for some, but it’s important to be realistic in your goal, otherwise you could end up wasting your time, or worse, doing things that can actually be harmful.

Train hard, eat well, sleep well every night and you will inevitably get the body of your dreams!