How Long Does it Take to Gain 20 Pounds?
Gaining 20 pounds is a great goal for a beginner. It’s ambitious enough to produce dramatic results. You’ll be noticeably bigger, stronger, and more robust. You’ll push your clothes to their limits.
Most skinny guys can gain 20 pounds within a few months. That’s long enough to build good habits and get some momentum going, but not so long that it becomes demotivational.
We have personal experience bulking up. Perhaps more importantly, we’ve helped over 10,000 other skinny guys bulk up over the past decade. We’ve averaged some client stats and got permission to share progress photos and measurements from one of their bulks.
Introduction
It’s common for naturally thinner guys to assume they have bad muscle-building genetics. Nefarious terms get thrown around. We get labelled ectomorphs or hardgainers or skinny fat. There’s a grain of truth to those terms. If you click those links, we’ll explain the nuance.
However, we’ve been doing this for over ten years, spoken with all the top experts, and worked with clients ranging from deskworkers to Olympic athletes. There’s a clear trend. Thinner guys tend to be able to build muscle faster, at least at first.
First, we’ll cover what it takes to bulk properly, then how long it will take to gain 20 pounds.
Case Study: Obe’s 20-Pound Bulk
Obe’s Workout, Diet & Lifestyle Plan
Obe is a student studying commercial aviation. He’s married, naturally skinny, and spends his free time playing soccer and watching movies. A little over 5 weeks ago, he started the Bony to Beastly Program.
Here’s what he did to bulk up:
- He did three full-body workouts per week. Each workout took about an hour to complete. The workouts were specifically designed to stimulate muscle growth.
- He ate a nutritious bulking diet. We recommend eating healthy meals with a balanced mix of protein, carbs, healthy fats, fibre, and micronutrients. We gave Obe a recipe book full of recipes he could use. He was also free to eat other meals. We aren’t strict.
- His lifestyle was already quite healthy. We normally teach people how to improve their lifestyles and sleep. Obe was already doing great.
- He barely used any supplements. He had trouble eating enough protein, so he bought a tub of whey protein. Creatine would have been another wise choice, but Obe decided not to use it.
- He ate an ENORMOUS calorie surplus. He decided to bulk aggressively, eating in a large calorie surplus. He was gaining weight very fast, totally unafraid of gaining fat.
Obe’s Progress Photos & Measurements
When guys join the Bony to Beastly Program, we recommend taking before photos and measurements, then posting an introduction in the community. It’s optional, but it lets us say hi, answer questions, and adjust the program as needed. Here’s Obe’s introduction:
Whats up everyone! My name is Obe and I’m a student. I’ve always been skinny, so I’m freaking stoked to be part of this program. I’m 5’11 and currently weigh 135 pounds. The most I’ve ever weighed is 140. I hope to bulk up to 150-160 and be healthy as well as faster and stronger.
Obe
Here’s his before photo:
And here are his starting measurements:
- Weight: 134 pounds
- Biceps: 12 inches
- Shoulders: 41 inches
- Waist: 27.5 inches
- Thighs: 19.2 inches
Guys can update their progress whenever they want and ask as many questions as they like. The workout routine is organized into four phases, each lasting 5 weeks. After each of those 5-week phases, we recommend posting a full update, including new measurements and progress photos. That way we can see how things are going and offer advice. Here’s what Obe wrote:
Started week 5 today. I had to buy new pants. I can no longer stretch in them, even ripped a pair last week! I know it sounds dumb, but it’s a sick feeling! Below are my results. I couldn’t be more proud. I’ve started eating more greens. Specifically beets, avocados & spinach. I’m certain that had something to do with my waist staying lean.”
Obe
Here are some of his progress photos:
Here are his “after” measurements:
- Weight: 154 pounds (+20 pounds)
- Biceps: 13.8 inches (+1.8 inches)
- Shoulders: 46 inches (+5 inches)
- Waist: 32.5 inches (+5 inches: so much food in there!)
- Thighs: 22.4 inches (+3.2 inches)
Obe gained 4 pounds per week. It took him 5 weeks to gain 20 pounds. Obe’s waist circumference increased by quite a bit, but he didn’t gain a noticeable amount of fat. That’s quite rare when gaining weight this quickly. He did an amazing job. His results blew me away. I still haven’t fully coalesced.
We normally recommend gaining 20 pounds over 3–5 months. Obe did it in just 5 weeks.
What Does 20 Pounds of Muscle Look Like?
When guys talk about gaining 20 pounds of muscle, they’re speaking casually. If someone starts at 140 pounds at 11% body fat and bulks up to 160 at 13%, they’ve gained 15 pounds of lean mass and 5 pounds of fat. Much of that lean mass comes from extra contractile tissue, but some is from food in the digestive system, more glycogen in their muscles, denser bones, more blood vessels, and tougher tendons.
Still, when that guy looks in the mirror, he looks bigger. It looks like he’s gained 20 pounds of muscle, so he calls it muscle. When we’re talking about gaining 20 pounds, that’s what we’re talking about. Here’s what it looks like:
How Fast Can Skinny Guys Gain 20 Pounds?
If the average guy tried to gain four pounds per week, he’d gain quite a lot of fat. Even for skinny guys, gaining 4 pounds per week is incredibly fast. We usually recommend gaining between 0.5–1.5 pounds per week. Gaining more slowly tends to yield leaner gains, whereas gaining weight faster tends to yield faster muscle growth.
Some guys, especially if they’re starting out fairly lean and skinny, can gain weight quite fast without gaining a noticeable amount of fat. Here’s another example:
GK gained 1.4 pounds per week, allowing him to gain 20 pounds in a little over 3 months.
During my first bulk, it took me 2 months to gain 20 pounds. During my second bulk, it took me 3 months to gain another 20 pounds:
During my second bulk, I helped my skinny roommate bulk up. He followed the same workout and diet program as me. He gained over 20 pounds in the first month but slowed down afterward. After 4 months, he’d gained 27 pounds:
To see how quickly the typical skinny guy can build muscle, we went through 23 progress threads in our community (in order) and averaged out their results. For more examples, we’ve posted a bunch of before-and-after photos.
On average, most guys who followed our bulking program gained 25 pounds by the time they finished. It took the average guy 20–25 months to finish. That means they gained a little more than a pound per week.
Key Takeaway
Everyone is different, and everyone builds muscle at a different rate. The good news is that thinner guys are further away from their genetic muscular potential, so we tend to build muscle quite fast, especially at first. This early period of rapid growth is called “newbie gains.”
In our experience, the average skinny guy can gain 20 pounds in 20 weeks without gaining a noticeable amount of fat. But if you want to play it safe, you can gain weight more slowly. You can control how quickly you gain weight by adjusting how many calories you eat.
For more, we have a free bulking newsletter for naturally thin guys. If you want help bulking up, check out our Bony to Beastly Bulking Program. We’ll walk you through the entire process.
FREE Bulking Mini-Course
Sign up for our 5-part bulking mini-course that covers everything you need to know about:
- Hardgainer genetics and how to make the most of them.
- How to take a minimalist approach to bulking while still getting great results.
- What you need to know about aesthetics, health and strength while bulking up.
Awesome!! He’s cute 🙂 keep going Obe!
Crushing it!
This is inspiring stuff! I am a 23 year old skinny Irish ectomorph… after seeing the changes he has made I will definitely be trying this out! Thank you!
Glad to hear it Conor. Hope you decide to join us!
Hi guys super interested, just wondering if you offer a payment plan option! I am a student on a fixed income but this seems exactly what I have been looking for years!
For sure! Sent you an email with details 🙂
Hey Shane, I’d like to get some details on that payment plan as well if possible 🙂 (I’m a student as well).
Right on—I’ll shoot you an email 🙂
Hey! I didn’t know about the payment plan! I was wanting to try this program but have been short on money as well (you guessed it; student). If I could get that info, that’d be amazing! So far I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about it, so I’d love to give it a try.
Right on Andrew, I’ll shoot you an email.
Shane, I have to say I’m in this same category. Do you mind passing one of those emails along?
For sure! I’ll shoot you an email now 🙂
Could you please send me an email aswell regarding the payment plan?
Hey Noan,
We got your email, and we sent the details. We hope you decide to join us!
I was wondering if i could get details on the payment plan as well Shane, thanks!
For sure! Sent ya an email.
Hi! I’m really interested on that payment plan as well. It would be awesome if you could mail it to me. Thanks in advance.
For sure.
Hey Shane,
The payment plan option sounds great to me. Could you e-mail me the details? Thanks!
Done!
Very interested aswell! Would get on board if you could email me payment plan options aswell? Like most Im a student aswell
Right on — email sent 🙂
hey guys! this looks freakin amazing! Only problem is that i’m a chick! lol. I’m not trying to get all ripped and become the chick from terminator. Just dying to gain weight. i’m 5’7 and 95lbs. I used to blame it on teenage hormones but ….seeing as i’m 30 now, I figured my only hope was waiting for the metabolism to crap out. If i try this would it work as well to remove some training and just get plumper? (yes i said plumper) or would i need to go balls to the wall and pick bones or muscle? thanks!!!
You would come out looking pretty rad … in a womanly kind of way. Our program is only for men though, as we’ve got plenty of guys posting private before/after shots. We keep all that tush hush hush so they can wow you ladies when they roll out their buns to the beach.
We tested it out on a woman though, and after she did an absolutely unbelievably amazing job of it, we decided to beta test a strength training and weight gain program for naturally thin women:
http://www.bonytobombshell.com
Check it out 🙂
“And he gained 4 pounds of muscle a week 5 weeks in a row.”
As soon as you put that, this article lost ALL credibility. A physical impossibility.
I don’t know why you’d bother posting this trying to give false hope to people out there.
Never mind – I noticed you’re trying to sell people something. So you’ve decided to fully lie about it in order to get people’s money.
If anyone truly believes that someone can put on 20lbs (lean) in 5 weeks, you need to do some research. A quick Google search will prove this all wrong.
Hey Jonny, it’s not common, but definitely possible! I’ve gained 20 pounds in 5 weeks back when I was starting out (newbie gains) or recovering lost muscle (after recovering from having my wisdom teeth taken out). Jared gained 30 pounds in a little over 30 days (including the 8 from creatine). We’ve had a couple other members pull out similar numbers, too.
Why do you think it’s impossible?
He’s saying it’s impossible to gain 4 pounds of “muscle” in a week. Gaining 4 lbs in a week, possible, but a good deal of that is going to be fat and water.
This is great mate! Is this all in ebook or do you have hard copies? Can you send that payment plan my way as well. Thanks
Sent!
Great article. Very inspiring.
Shane, possible you can send me details for the payment plan?
Thank you.
Glad you like our stuff man. For sure! I’ll shoot you an email now 🙂
HAHAHA 100% fucking bullshit. Show me some proof it was 5 weeks, otherwise you can stick this article up your ass.
I gained 100 pounds of pure muscle and lost 100 pounds of fat at the same time in 7 days and won mr. Olympia afterwards.
Why aren’t you all heavy and muscular if it’s that easy? In your another article you wrote that every man wants to be big, it’s in our genes. It would be more reasonable to have at least one big man on your team haha. Sad.
Can i get the payment plan?
For sure. I’ll shoot you an email 🙂
Hi BtoB guys,
Would your program work for someone who was once skinny, but now not so much? I work out about 8 times a week, mostly doing P90x, so i have some muscles, but i find i dont gain enough. I’m also struggling to get rid of my midsection, which has been a problem since university. I’m 5’7″, 161 lbs, and 39 years old.
Just wondering what your program can do for me…
Thanks!
Hey Darren,
Solid strength training and dieting works for everyone, but our program really is geared at ectomorphs. Now, some ectomorphs hold onto fat more easily than others, and skinny fat guys do just great on our program. So we’re a great fit for skinny and skinny-fat guys.
At 5’7 and 161 it’s hard to say. Why don’t you email me a photo at us@bonytobeastly.com and we can see what’s up 🙂
it is a joke? there is no differences on the pics
Im sure you’re sick of this by now but could I get some info about the payment plan too? haha much rather get started in this then wait.
Hey Joey, really sorry I missed this! It came in right as we got a ton of comments on another article and it got pushed back to another page. I’ll shoot you an email right now 🙂
And psh – we’re not sick of it at all!
Kind of funny how the comments of this article wound up though 😉
For most people, it’s going to to be 20 lbs in the first year. 20 in 5 weeks? Not typical or likely.
Yeah, Obe got really tremendous results! We typically see 8-12 pounds gained in that timeframe.
Gaining 20+ pounds in a year as a beginner is very very achievable for pretty much everyone, given proper training and nutrition. In fact, I would be very surprised if a skinny guy couldn’t gain 20+ pounds within just a few months 🙂
Hi Shane, firstly great site, lots of good quality info and inspiring stories. Having been inspired I’m now looking to join in and was wondering if I could get the details for your payment plan? Can’t wait to get started and get beastly before my summer holidays!!
Keep up the good work,
cheers.
Tom
Glad to hear it man – I just got/responded to your email. Stoked to see what you can do with the program 🙂
Hey Shane. Greeting from Denmark!
Could you also forward the mail about the payment plan to me?
I can wait to get started on the program!
For sure! 🙂
Hi Shane,
I have done a lot of reading on your site and am very interested in giving the program a shot. Would you be able to send me information on the payment plan? I would really appreciate it!
For sure – I’ll shoot you an email 🙂
Hi Shane, For all the naysayers and haters, I think you owe it to them and other subscribers to clarify that many ecto’s are seriously underweight, so many of your subscribers and probably you, gained mass just to get to the weight that you ought to be, then you can use the normal calculations of weight gain going forward. I think it’s not beyond reason, with the right diet and exercise for a hard gainer to gain 20 pounds in a year FROM the weight that they ought to naturally be at. If they are also 20 pounds underweight, then a 40 pound gain isn’t out of the question. There are several web sites that discuss (in great detail) the amount of weight a person can gain, and what their potential could be – I think this would be a great addition to your website. I was slightly underweight when I bought the e-book. Since then, I’ve been eating like a horse and doing just dead lifts (with a hex bar), chins, dips, dumbell shoulder presses… twice a week. I’ve gained 15 pounds in just a couple of months! My bodyfat has increased, from around 10% to 13.5% too, but I can still see my abs.
That’s a really good point, David. You’re very correct – continuing to gain at a pace like this wouldn’t be sustainable. You’d soon need to start making more “normal” progress of maybe a pound per week, then half a pound, then a pound per month, etc. Some very advanced guys are thrilled to gain a couple lean pounds per year.
Then you’ve got situations like ours. I saw Jared gain 33 pounds in just a few weeks by combining 8 or so pounds of creatine gains, a bunch of new muscle, more contents in his intestines, and more glycogen storage. When you’re a beginner and you’re very skinny the gains you can make are pretty remarkable. In the few months after that he gained “just” another dozen pounds – a much much slower but still very rapid pace. He’s just begun bulking again and it’s taken him a good few months to put on a dozen or so more pounds.
We see the same thing in our program. It’s common for guys to gain 5-20 pounds in the first five weeks, with most guys gaining around 10. In the second five weeks it’s common to see guys gain 5-10 pounds. In the third period of five weeks more like 3-5 pounds. Etc. Over the course of the program this will add up to 20-30 pounds … but the biggest gains come the quickest.
I think it’s also important to keep in mind that there are exceptions to the calculations you see. I emailed Casey Butts, author of “Your Genetic Potential” (one of the most respected books about this stuff), a while back wondering how I’d managed to get more muscular arms (my weakest point) than his book said were physically possible for a guy with wrists as narrow as mine. He said that because I was SO ectomorphic … I fell outside of his calculations and that my potential was actually much higher.
We play by different rules sometimes, at least at first.
(And congrats on the gains! Good work, man.)
Hi Shane,
I was wondering if you could send me the information about the payment plan. I appreciate it!
Thanks,
James
Sure can 🙂 I’ll send it your way now.
I’m seventeen and I need a quick way to gain weight. I try eating everything and I am still 130 pounds at 6 foot. Do you think that this program would help me? I want to at least gain 20 pounds..
Absolutely! Helping skinny guys who struggle to gain weight finally gain weight is our specialty 🙂
Hi Shane!
I am super impressed with all the success on this site, I too am ectomorphic weighing in at 134lbs and and 6ft 0 at 26 years of age
I am slightly unique when it comes to this program as I will be attempting to do it with a tweaked version of your nutrition plan as I am a vegetarian(personal reasons) and have been my entire life .
I have lost hope as a result of my diet and being told it is impossible with the situation I am in when it comes to weight gaining. ie being a vegetarian and an ecto,
However I would love to see if there is a way I can make this work for me.
If possible let me know what I can do moving forward
Hey David,
As a vegetarian you actually wouldn’t need to modify the program at all, since we don’t really recommend strict one-size-fits-all meal plans in the first place. We explain the fundamentals so you can build an approach to nutrition that suits your schedule/preferences/values, then provide a ton of examples so that you aren’t left wondering how it all comes together, and then coach in person to fill in any gaps / answer any personal questions.
Anyone telling you it’s impossible to build muscle as a vegetarian is simply wrong. Frankly, it’s hardly even more challenging, what with all the plant and dairy protein sources out there and how accommodating grocery stores and restaurants are becoming. (Vegan is a little trickier, but still very very doable.) It’s even easier as a skinny guy, because we get to consume so many calories. The one thing with plant-based sources of protein is that they’re high in calories from carbs (legumes, grains, etc) and fats (seeds, nuts, edamame). For most people that sucks… but for the 3% of people trying to build muscle and gain weight—us skinny ectomorphs—those extra calories are a blessing!
We’ve got lots of vegetarian members and lots of vegetarian recipes too, and you’d fit right in 🙂
(We even covered the vegetarian/vegan question in our FAQ, since we get asked the question so often!)
Hey Shane that sounds awesome!
i would be down to give this a shot! 🙂 is there any chance you could send me more information about the payment plan for it? or are we looking at a full payment option as being the only option i have?
kind regards,
For sure. I just shot you an email about our payment plan 🙂
Hey, this is brilliantly mind-boggling, but I guess beggars can’t be choosers. I’m a 6 foot 3 17 year old weighing in at a startling 137 pounds and this program has definitely grasped my attention. I am on the fence about the payments and how steadfast you have to remain with nutrition and gym membership. If those payment plans are still accessible, I’d be more than grateful to get some more info on that. Thanks!
For sure 🙂 Shot you an email!
Hey Shane – super interested to join. Please tell me more about this payment plan ;).
Sent ya an email 🙂
Hey Shane I’m looking into the program super excited about it. Could you shoot me over the payment plan details?
For sure 🙂 Sent!
Hey there, I’m really excited about trying this program out. You guys seem to really know what you are talking about, and I can identify with how you were before you started this. Could you send me information about the payment plan please?
Hey Billy, glad to hear it. I’ll send you the info now 🙂
Hey guys, I’ve been checking in on the website a lot lately. All the articles and content is great. I’m really keen to sign up to the program and give it a go, but I’m in the same boat as far as money goes. If you could offer any kind of payment plan I would really appreciate it.
Hey Zac, I’ll shoot you an email now 🙂
Hey Shane, I’ve subscribed to get the first chapter a few days ago, is that supposed to take awhile? And could you send me that payment plan? Thanks
Hey Will,
Thanks for letting us know. It should be instant. Gmail will automatically put any email with an unsubscribe link into the ‘Promotions’ category so it could be in there. But I emailed you the chapter and the payment plan info anyways 🙂
Hello. Can you also send me information on the Payment Plan? Thank You.
For sure, Al. Sent 🙂
For a good couple months now I’ve been nearly obsessed with the idea of adopting your program, after pretty much breaking down with frustration over my weight and not being able to find a solution. Been a long time coming, but now I’ve finally hit a wall and need to conquer it. What’s most frustrating is I do actually have the appetite of a beast (and eating right, so that’s covered), but the physique of Slenderman (6’4 and 135-140 lbs, not a good ratio). Even my friends are astonished by the amount of food I cram in with ease; I’ve even completed eating challenges and gotten my name up next to pro bodybuilders – and I’m hungry pretty much every waking hour. You can imagine the feeling when a person takes a glance at my appearance and tells me to “eat something”. Thankfully I haven’t had a violent outburst yet. My mind has even lead me to the (hopefully) false suspicion of possibly having an illness of some sort which eats at any gain I possibly make, but it’s really my metabolism that’s a big factor there. And the fact that my work-out habits are so minimal. Weight-wise the “best” I’ve ever been was in my teens at 189,6 lbs, but man, I was the epitome of skinnyfat. Seeing pictures of myself from that time period just plain disgust me. Since then my diet has gradually become much better all around and I’ve leaned down so much I now have actual muscle definition, on the little I have in me. But it’s far from what I aspire to be.
After gaining knowledge of my body type (I fit every aspect of the ecto criteria), I’ve followed with taking in all and every bit of info you guys have put up here (or anyone, anywhere for that matter), but haven’t had that extra cash yet to actually get into the action.
But today I started looking for a payment plan option, and I’ll be damned – it exists! I was only going to ask for it in a short sentence, but somehow this comment escalated into my life’s story. Oops. Maybe I just needed to get that out.
So I’d appreciate if you shot my bony ass an email regarding the plan as well. Thanks!
Ahahaha you’ve not only stumbled upon a blog written by skinny guys for skinny guys… but also perhaps written by verbose guys for verbose guys 😛
Everything you said is about as relevant as can be though, and this is the perfect place to talk about this kind of thing. We can definitely relate to your struggles, as you probably already know. We’ve all broken down in frustration, failed, given up, broken down again, tried again, failed again, etc. Knowing first hand how hard that can be is why we decided to make this program in the first place. To help skinny guys finally break that cycle once and for all.
Reading your story, I’m pretty jealous of your stomach! Oh man, being able to win an eating competition is the ectomorph dream!! I’m lucky if I can eat a bigger dinner than my 5’3 girlfriend. Marco is a bit like you though. I’m impressed by his stomach. I doubt he could win an eating competition, but Jared and I watch him eat in awe. If we get you on a good muscle-building program I think we can harness that digestive power and get you growing pretty damn well!
I’ll shoot you an email with the payment plan info now 🙂
Hah, whoa. Realized a little later now how my calculations were a bit off there. My current weight is 183.7 lbs, not 140 or so like I posted. I’m using a converter since in Finland we measure in kilos, and something went wrong. Obviously still not the ideal weight, but I’m doing better than what I might’ve had you thinking!
ps. Still coming back for the program – soon!
Hi there, Im sick and tired of being skinny. You all know what its like to look bad in simple tshirt, right? Im 6′ 1″ 191lbs so my weight isnt that low, because of my pretty good legs, butt and little belly (not big issue), but having 3,2ft chest,13,4″ arms and so narrow shoulders that my head looks like a baloon is a nightmare. I cant afford whole price as its a half of my monthly earnings, but if you could send me payment plan it could be great.
Hey Maciek,
I definitely know what you mean. I had a brutal time buying clothes as a skinny guy. One of the biggest changes I noticed when I started building muscle was fitting into clothing better—especially the really simple stuff. Jared was reading the other day that suits were designed for the cushy upper class. They broaden the shoulders and taper at the waist, giving even a totally sedentary skinny-fat guy a more athletic/masculine silhouette. However simple clothes like t-shirts offer none of that. If you want to look like a badass in a t-shirt you need to be a pretty fit and healthy looking dude.
I’ll send you the payment plan info now 🙂
Hi shane i’ve been an ecto my whole life, really interested in your program. Can you send details for the payment plan?
Sure thing, Hamraj! Shot you an email 🙂
Can I get in on the payment plan as well? Please… The redlight camera ticket in TO the other day sapped my beastly fund!
For sure! I’ll shoot you an email with the details 🙂
I would also love info on the payment plan option if still available, thank you in advance!
I shot you an email 🙂
I am interested in learning about the payment plan as well as how the nutrition plans and workout plans go for my goals. I love the testimonies here. Please send me an email with the info. Thank you
Woot! We shot you an email 🙂