{"id":42227,"date":"2025-04-22T22:31:11","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T22:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/42227\/"},"modified":"2025-04-22T22:31:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T22:31:11","slug":"how-long-does-it-take-to-build-muscle-heres-the-truth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/42227\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Does It Take to Build Muscle? Here\u2019s the Truth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Then there\u2019s the concept of training to failure, which is exactly what it sounds like: putting maximum strain on the muscle until you can no longer perform another rep. The thinking is that this fast-tracks muscle growth. Cox says \u201caiming to push yourself anywhere from 1-3 reps shy of failure seems to be beneficial,\u201d findings which are backed up by multiple studies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Do I need to be obsessed with a high protein diet?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everything from yogurt to cereal is touted as high protein at the moment, but does adding protein to your diet make a difference?<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve learned the principles of building muscle, and the most efficient way to do it, above. But what about the actual building blocks of muscle itself?<\/p>\n

\u201cIn order to build muscle, the body must be in what is called an anabolic state,\u201d says Cox. To get into this state, you need to be taking on more calories than you\u2019re burning off. Think of it like a construction site. The more bricks you make available, the faster the building can grow.<\/p>\n

The same is true of muscle growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn adequate protein consumption stimulates muscle protein synthesis, which helps to build up your muscle fibers,\u201d says Cox. \u201cA protein intake of 1.6-2.2 gram per kilogram of bodyweight is considered to be optimal for maximizing muscle growth.\u201d In other words, if you weigh about 175 pounds, you should aim for a daily protein intake of 128g-176g.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s true that protein can make you feel full and is therefore a way to lower calorie intake if you\u2019re trying to lose weight, it isn\u2019t calorie free, so you will still see you weight gain if you overdo it. Plus, your bowels won\u2019t be in the best shape.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarbohydrates are also really important when trying to build muscle as they are the body\u2019s main source of energy for workouts,\u201d Weston notes.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t sleep on healthy fats, either. \u201cThey are a great source of energy for exercising, so you can push yourself harder in your workouts and therefore build muscle,\u201d says Weston. \u201cPlus, fats are also so important for hormone and cell health, including muscle cells.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is there any truth behind the fad workouts and diets?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sorry, but no. \u201cI am a firm believer that silver bullets don\u2019t exist, particularly when it comes to fitness,\u201d says Cox. \u201cThe solution you\u2019re actually searching for is right in front of you: consistency over time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Weston seconds that: \u201cBuilding muscle shouldn\u2019t feel too complicated. Just stick to a routine, with proper form and allowing a few rest days per week, rather than trying to follow a fad workout program.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the fastest way to build muscle?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re exercising a couple of times per week and have adjusted your diet accordingly, Weston reckons you\u2019ll see results in about six to eight weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s quite a slow process,\u201d she says. Nor, Cox adds, can it be accelerated\u2014without taking steroids, that is.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany people will try and shortcut the process by doing more workouts or doing longer workouts and while that seems like it should work, it will often just cause more fatigue without any additional stimulation,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Then there\u2019s the concept of training to failure, which is exactly what it sounds like: putting maximum strain…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":42228,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4322],"tags":[11994,1630,105,4713,16367,16,15,2488,4711],"class_list":{"0":"post-42227","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-digital_syndication","9":"tag-fitness","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-strength-training","12":"tag-textbelowcenterfullbleed","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom","15":"tag-wellness","16":"tag-working-out"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114383990695727926","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42227"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42227\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42228"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}