Before discussing the appropriate rate for weight gain, let’s cover some basics. Our weight is essentially composed of these four things –
- Water
- Fat mass (fat weight)
- Muscle mass (muscle weight)
- Others:
- Bones
- Organs
- Tendons
- Connective tissues etc.
And any increase in weight primarily occurs in either muscle or fat. Water level keeps changing that is nothing more than a temporary change in weight. So, if you want to weight from fat, it’s relatively simple — just eat whatever you get your hands on, and in a short time, you’ll start gaining fat.
However, if you want to gain muscle, it requires planning, proper nutrition, sufficient protein, resistance training, and patience. Even with all these factors in place, muscle growth will be quite slow.
So what we can understand from this is that there is virtually no limit to the amount of fat you can gain, the more you eat, the more fat you gain but there’s a limit to how much muscle you can build, and it depends on factors such as:
- Training
- Nutrition
- Rest & recovery
- Genetics, etc.
This means that whether you eat an extra 200-300 calories or 1000, muscle growth will be limited, and the excess will likely turn into fat. More calories don’t really translate to more muscle being built.
Looking to achieve your fitness goals?
We offer personalized nutrition & training plans tailored for fat loss, muscle gain, or any other health goal. Click below, fill out the form, and reach your fitness goals much faster than most people.
Therefore, if we were to decide on a reasonable rate of weight gain, 1-1.5 kilograms per month is a good target. This translates to roughly 8-10 thousand extra calories (7700 kcal = 1 kg) above maintenance per month or around 300 extra calories per day.
This ensures that fat gain is kept to a minimum.
Leave A Comment