The Dr. Shannon Show

Episode #197: How to Build 5lb of Muscle in 2025

Host: Dr. Shannon Ritchey, PT, DPT
Date: December 19, 2024

Episode Overview

This solo episode is a practical, science-driven workshop on the "why" and "how" of building five pounds of muscle in 2025, especially tailored for women. Dr. Shannon Ritchey, Doctor of Physical Therapy and founder of Evlo Fitness, guides listeners through the importance of muscle mass, realistic timelines for growth, genetic and age-related considerations, training and nutrition strategies, and advice for tracking progress. The goal is to give actionable tools for sustainable muscle gain, regardless of age or current training level.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Build 5 Pounds of Muscle?

• Muscle Maintenance Is Not Optional
  • Muscle is essential for health as we age, not just for appearance (03:40).
  • "Waiting to build muscle is a health gamble in my opinion. We can't afford to take." – Dr. Shannon Ritchey (03:52)
• Muscle Loss Timeline
  • After 30: Lose 3–8% of muscle each decade.
  • After 50: Accelerates to 10–20% per decade (04:30).
  • Loss of muscle increases the ratio of fat mass, impacting body composition and increasing pant size (05:34).
• Cascading Health Effects of Muscle Loss
  • Heightens risk for osteoporosis, metabolic disorders, diabetes, cognitive decline, and decreased health span (07:13).
  • "By the time you notice weakness... you've already lost probably significant muscle mass that may not fully recover." (04:48)
• Five Pounds: A Strategic, Realistic Goal
  • Reverses a decade or more of age-related muscle loss.
  • Even modest gains improve metabolic health, reduce inflammation, and support function (09:14).

2. How Muscle Improves Metabolic Health

• Glucose Metabolism and Insulin Sensitivity
  • Increased muscle mass provides more glycogen storage, improves insulin sensitivity, and stabilizes blood sugar (10:36).
• Myokines & Inflammation
  • Muscle releases proteins that reduce systemic inflammation (11:26).
• Lean Mass & Body Fat
  • "Improved metabolic health through building muscle does help improve leanness. But if you're in an overall calorie surplus, building 5 pounds of muscle is not necessarily going to make you leaner." (12:14)

3. Realistic Timeframes for Muscle Gain

• Beginners
  • Can gain muscle rapidly: Studies show up to 0.58 lbs in thighs alone after four weeks of training (13:36).
  • Realistically, five pounds of muscle possible in three to four months for untrained adults in their 20s (14:52).
• Trained Individuals
  • Progress slows; expect five pounds of gain over five months to two years depending on age and lifestyle (15:11).
• Muscle Memory
  • Lost muscle comes back faster due to "muscle memory," especially after interruptions like postpartum periods (16:11).
  • Dr. Shannon shares gaining back 4.2 lbs in three months after postpartum loss (17:16).
• Genetics
  • 30–50% of potential is genetic; 50–70% controlled by training, nutrition, and lifestyle (18:56).
  • "Although genetics are real, the majority of our results are within our control." (19:32)
• Age & Menopause
  • Muscle building is possible and crucial even in peri- and postmenopausal years, though it may be harder (20:10).

4. Training Considerations for Peri- and Postmenopausal Women

• Volume & Frequency
  • At least four hard sets per major muscle group per week, split across 4–5 shorter sessions to combat fatigue (21:47).
  • "Shorter, more frequent sessions are best for peri- and postmenopausal women." (22:04)
• Reps & Weight
  • Lower rep ranges with heavier weights recommended; aim for reps that leave you feeling relatively fresh per set (24:16).
  • High reps (25–30) can still work but watch for fatigue (25:40).
• Recovery
  • Building in recovery is crucial for results and limiting over-fatigue (28:02).

5. Body Recomposition and Maintenance

• If You Feel "Too Big"
  • Size increases often due to calorie surplus, not just muscle gain (26:25).
  • It's possible to lose fat and gain muscle (body recomposition), but nutrition must be dialed in (26:58).
• Maintenance Training
  • To maintain, do 1–3 hard sets per week per muscle group; to gain, do more than three sets (28:44).
• Visual/Practical Impact
  • Five pounds of muscle is distributed and subtle but results in more muscle definition and improved energy (30:23).

6. The "REPS" Framework for Building Muscle

• R: Repetitions
  • Approach muscular failure within 30 reps or less, regardless of age (33:41).
  • "It doesn't matter if something feels hard or makes your muscles burn or shake. What is important is that your last few reps have a significant decrease in velocity." (34:03)
• E: Exercise Selection
  • Pick simple, single-target muscle exercises for most effective muscle growth (35:12).
  • "Less is more. Fancier is not better." (36:04)
• P: Protein
  • Consume 0.75–1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day (39:56).
  • Calorie needs: Start at maintenance (BMR × 1.3), subtract 200 if not losing fat (41:14).
  • Dr. Shannon references the “Nutrition for Body Recomposition guide” in EVLO membership (42:02).
• S: Structure
  • Aim for at least four hard sets per muscle group weekly, with 1–2 recovery days (44:26).
  • 4–5 sessions a week of 35 minutes preferred over fewer, longer sessions to limit fatigue (45:33).

7. How to Measure Muscle Gain

• DEXA Scan:
  • Most reliable; quarterly or monthly recommended (48:12).
• Body Composition Scales:
  • Dr. Shannon finds them inaccurate for tracking absolute values, but useful for seeing trends (48:36).
  • "You can use that knowing that it'll probably be very inaccurate. However, what we care about is the trend, not the absolute values." (48:49)
• Visual and Strength Improvements:
  • Progress in how you look and increased strength are solid indicators (49:49).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Muscle tissue, in my opinion, is not optional. It's an essential biological machinery that every woman needs if we want to stay healthy as we age." (03:42) — Dr. Shannon Ritchey
• "Waiting to build muscle is a health gamble in my opinion. We can't afford to take." (03:52)
• "Loss of muscle triggers a cascade of biological decline, affecting everything from bone density to brain health." (07:15)
• "Building 5 pounds of muscle can reverse your musculoskeletal aging by over a decade." (09:05)
• "Even modest increases in muscle mass can improve metabolic health, reduce chronic inflammation, enhance daily function, support bone density and more." (09:20)
• "Although genetics are real, the majority of us and the majority of our results are within our control." (19:32)
• "Shorter, more frequent sessions are best for peri- and postmenopausal women." (22:04)
• "Don't worry about how much something burns or how many calories you're burning. It's all about giving your body a strong enough signal to trigger a cascade for muscle development and growth." (27:41)
• "Fancier is not better. Choose simple exercises that target one muscle group at a time." (36:04)
• "Approaching muscular failure is what's important... It doesn't matter if they if you burn or shake or sweat." (47:13)

Practical Application & Next Steps

• Framework Summary:
  • R: Repetitions—Near-failure in ≤30 reps
  • E: Exercise—Simple, single-joint focus
  • P: Protein—0.75–1g/lb/day; maintain modest calorie deficits
  • S: Structure—4+ hard sets/muscle/week; 1–2 recovery days
• Tracking:
  • Use DEXA if possible; otherwise, track strength and physical appearance over weeks/months.
• Mindset:
  • Muscle gain doesn't require marathon workouts and is achievable with 35-minute sessions from home.

Episode Challenge & Community Engagement

Starting January 2025, Dr. Shannon will be building five more pounds of muscle alongside listeners, with quarterly podcast check-ins and encouragement to share listener stories (52:09).

"This time next year you'll be five pounds stronger. You will have set your musculoskeletal aging back by a decade. You will feel more energetic and your body composition will be better." (53:00)

This episode arms listeners—especially women—with empowering, evidence-based strategies for muscle gain, sustainable workouts, and body recomposition, breaking down complex science into a motivational, doable year-long action plan.