More Than 2 Lbs. a Week

Sorry if this has already been asked. I tried searching but couldn’t exactly find what I was looking for.

I’ve always heard that putting on more than 2 lbs. a week is unhealthy and most likely results in gaining a lot of fat.

Well, I just started lifting and eating big a few weeks ago. In two weeks, I’ve gone from 148 to 158 with no increase in little increase in my body fat.

I’m eating 3,000+ calories a day in 3 meals + 3 snacks. Carbs are pasta, rice, bread, potatos, etc. Protein is chicken, steak, and tuna. Fats from olive oil, butter, mayo, etc. With my breakdown about 40% carbs, 40$ protein, and 30% fat.

I also drink between 4 cups of milk a day and drink a protein shake at night.

My workout is:
Monday - Squats, Bench Press, Military Press, and French Press.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - Off

Friday - Deadlift, Barbell Row, Wide Arm Pull-Ups, and Barbell Curls.

Saturday, Sunday - Off

All exercises 4 sets with heavy weight and 3 - 6 reps.

It seems like I’m gaining more than 2 lbs. a week of muscle, but I’ve always been told that either wasn’t possible or just wasn’t healthy.

Is it possible that sense I’m so new to training and eating this way that my body is legitimately growing faster right now than the “standard” 2 lbs. per week?

[quote]jd_dd wrote:
Sorry if this has already been asked. I tried searching but couldn’t exactly find what I was looking for.

I’ve always heard that putting on more than 2 lbs. a week is unhealthy and most likely results in gaining a lot of fat.

Well, I just started lifting and eating big a few weeks ago. In two weeks, I’ve gone from 148 to 158 with no increase in little increase in my body fat.

I’m eating 3,000+ calories a day in 3 meals + 3 snacks. Carbs are pasta, rice, bread, potatos, etc. Protein is chicken, steak, and tuna. Fats from olive oil, butter, mayo, etc. With my breakdown about 40% carbs, 40$ protein, and 30% fat.

I also drink between 4 cups of milk a day and drink a protein shake at night.

My workout is:
Monday - Squats, Bench Press, Military Press, and French Press.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - Off

Friday - Deadlift, Barbell Row, Wide Arm Pull-Ups, and Barbell Curls.

Saturday, Sunday - Off

All exercises 4 sets with heavy weight and 3 - 6 reps.

It seems like I’m gaining more than 2 lbs. a week of muscle, but I’ve always been told that either wasn’t possible or just wasn’t healthy.

Is it possible that sense I’m so new to training and eating this way that my body is legitimately growing faster right now than the “standard” 2 lbs. per week?
[/quote]

Adding 2 lbs of muscle per week is certainly no ‘standard.’ That would be an upper end amount possibly gained by new lifter or maybe someone going through a realintense growth period/cycle.
I think I can guarantee you that given the above parameters, you are not/have not gained 10 lbs of muscle/putting on muscle at a rate of 2lbs/wk.
If the percentage of fats is indeed 30 with the bulk of that coming in mayo and butter–you’re putting on fat somewhere possibly.

By looking at your carb intake, my professional opinion is alot of the weight gained is merely from water retention. That’s not always a terrible thing, but given your calories and workout schedule–it would be very rare to see that amount of muscle being added to your frame.
Keep eating and lifting though.
Your body is just adapting to the new stimuli

I’ve had similar experiences. After taking a couple weeks off lifting I would jump 4 pounds overnight when I started. Partly from water retention, partly because I was eating a lot more food and drinking a lot more water and it added to my weight. When I stop for a week off I drop a few pounds right away.

Thanks, guys. I didn’t think about water weight. It just didn’t seem possible to put on 5 lbs. of muscle in a week, but I didn’t know how else to explain it.

I’m sure I’m puttin on some fat, but it just doesn’t seem like much of what I’ve gained is fat.

I guess if I’m getting 1 or 2 lbs. of muscle and 3 or 4 lbs. of fat / water, that makes a lot more sense.

40/40/30 - You’re literally eating at 110%! nice.

Here are a few “facts.”
Each gram of glycogen corresponds to 3 grams of water being held in your body (due to hydrogen bonding from the OH groups on the glycogen I believe).
A well fed individual holds normally about 750 grams of glycogen…that’s 5-6lbs of just plain water corresponding to the glycogen. Creatine also increases water storage so if you’re taking that throw that in.
Also you might have forgotten to think that since you’re eating more there is now more “stuff” in the GI to be shitted out. That’s weight.
You also might be taking in more sodium…thus more water retention.
I personally think a good benchmark is to measure your weight fluctuations 2 weeks after you start to give your body time to adjust.

Jason

[quote]Lunchmeataphobia wrote:
40/40/30 - You’re literally eating at 110%! nice. [/quote]

That’s what you gotta do if you want to gain 10lbs in two weeks.

[quote]Lunchmeataphobia wrote:
40/40/30 - You’re literally eating at 110%! nice. [/quote]

That is how you gotta eat, IF YOU’RE A BULKING MACHINE!!!

I gain 5 kgs in two days when carb-loading.

Sure.,most of it’s water and huge amounts of food in my stomach.Still.the scale shows 5 kgs.