As a personal experiment, I started lifting in January 2017 at a bodyweight of 175 lbs. By the end of 2017 I was 205 lbs; muscle was gained as well as a little fat. I was stronger and it felt good. To reduce my waist size a bit, in the beginning of 2018 I cut back down to 200 lbs. My current plan (subject to change) is to maintain this weight through the summer, essentially doing a recomp, then do a slow bulk (1-2 lbs per month) during the second half of 2018. Looking long term, the ideal scenario would be to gain 6ish lbs of lean body mass per year. We will see what happens.

I wish you all discipline and joy.