If you’re someone who’s just starting out your fitness journey, one question may be burning in your mind already: How long do I have to do this before I actually start seeing results?
Although the general population pretty much understands that consistency is key to working toward your fitness goals, not many people know just how much consistency is necessary.
Chris Chang, certified personal trainer and senior director of Exercise Science at Ergatta, told the DailyMail.com that people typically want instant gratification, which is why you’ll find some people abandoning their fitness journey before they even make it a habit.
But if they remain persistent, seeing results doesn’t take as long as you’d think.
‘For most people, visible results start appearing within four to eight weeks of consistent training, which is dependent on multiple factors like intensity, workout frequency, diet, genetics, and starting fitness level,’ he said.
He emphasized that nutrition plays a huge part in seeing visible results.
‘Diet plays a huge role,’ Chang said.
‘No matter how hard you train, if your nutrition doesn’t support your goal (fat loss, muscle gain, performance), results will be slower or nonexistent.’
Most people begin to see physical results after four to eight weeks of consistent training and proper nutrition (stock image)
This includes getting enough protein, eating the right amount of calories for your body and your goals, and fueling your workouts properly.
Additionally, Chang said that the type of results you’re looking for can impact the time it takes to achieve them.
If your goal is fat loss, you might not have to wait too long before you notice changes in your body.
‘The first few weeks weight loss changes will primarily come from water and food retention changes due to the changes in nutrition and exercise,’ Chang said.
‘Then water retention will stabilize and body fat will take over as the primary source of weight loss as your body uses body fat for fuel.’
Building muscle, on the other hand, can take months or years – especially if you’ve been lifting for a while.
But Chang explained that oftentimes beginners will see muscle gain pretty quickly, especially in the first year of strength training.
And if your goals are not visible, but rather about your strength, stamina, and endurance, that comes pretty early on in your journey – and then eventually builds up even more over time.
The first month of gaining stamina and endurance is typically the worst (stock image)
‘Strength improvements can happen very quickly with improvements within the first one to four weeks being neuromuscular improvements in efficiency and after the first month is when gains in muscle mass begin to aid in strength training improvements,’ Chang said.
‘Stamina and endurance improvements can be seen within the first month of training.’
He explained that it’s usually the first few weeks of trying to build stamina and endurance that feel the worst.
‘But if you can get over this hump, by the end of your first month you will feel big improvements and cardio will feel much more approachable,’ he said.
Chang said it’s important to remember that even if you’re eager to see results not to push too hard too fast – that can lead to exhaustion or even injury.
Instead, he said that focusing on small wins can help you stay consistent with your journey.
He said to focus on achievements like how many times you showed up to the gym and how many steps you may have walked that day.
It’s stuff like this that will help keep you encouraged during your journey, because Chang explained that motivation alone will not get you (or keep you) in the gym.
‘In reality action will lead to motivation, which is why a lot comes down to discipline,’ he said.
