Weight lifting: how long does it take to see results?

mactaffy84
mactaffy84 Posts: 398 Member
in Motivation and Support
First, I know everyone is different so what has worked for one person may not work for another. But I was wondering when I might expect to see results from weight lifting. I've only been doing it about a month and I'm doing as "heavy" as I can. Been working with a trainer. I did a whole body workout with him Thursday and my legs, from the squats, hurt more today than yesterday! I just take that to mean that I'm putting in at least minimally significant work. I'm at my goal weight I came up with in February, but I definitely don't like how I look; still look a bit, well, flabby is the nicest way that I can put it. I'm not super-discouraged or anything, but I'm trying to make a plan and I just thought it might be helpful for me to know the timing that weight lifting had for others. If anyone is willing to share their experience, I would sure love to read it! Thank you.

Replies

  • supnicole
    supnicole Posts: 23 Member
    How often are you weight lifting? That's one thing to consider. Each muscle group 2x per week max (in my opinion). If you feel like you can do work each muscle group more than that, lift heavier. If you're only working each muscle once per week, it's possible you aren't stimulating it enough for growth if you aren't lifting heavy enough.

    With that said, if your goal is to build muscle, you need to be eating caloric surplus. If you're new to lifting, you might gain a tiny bit of muscle at maintenance, but it will be minimal. I'm not sure how much you're eating now, but it's possible that you need to eat more. Women also gain muscle much slower than men - about a half pound of muscle, per month, if diet/workouts are perfect (genetics also play a part). Under no circumstances are you going to magically notice your biceps are bigger in a month. Give it time. If you still feel "flabby" you may need to cut more body fat before your muscles begin to peek through.
  • Banana891
    Banana891 Posts: 5
    Honestly, it's hard to say because I never took progress pics. But I used to have zero muscle and was the definition of skinny fat. It probably took me about 6 months? to notice progress. Working out about 5-6 times a week. And it's taken me 2 years to build pretty visible muscle. I however, did not and still do not have the best diet. I cleaned up a bit, but still don't eat like I'm supposed to. So I probably could have better progress if I ate healthier. Also, during those 2 years. The first year I used to lift light and I had no idea I needed protein to gain muscle. Lol. I also did WAAAYYY too much cardio, and it was seriously hindering my muscle gains. And I didn't eat nearly enough. I started doing research and learned as much as I could about weight lifting. Changed a few things and since doing so, I have made decent progress.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    This is different for guys and gals because of the hormone testosterone. I have no answer for you. I liked to know though.
  • 68berry67
    68berry67 Posts: 7 Member
    Make sure you are eating enough protein. Many sites recommend at least 1 gram protein per pound of body weight. Everybody has to fine tune things to fit their own body type. For me I had weight goals and or set goal for each type of lifting I do. I always like to throw new things in to give myself a new challenge. It's easier for me to have "fitness goals" vs. weight goals (mine was to maintain my weight). I can't run so I've slowly but surely upped the incline on the treadmill to 15%, I challenge myself to do more flights per minute on the stair machine. Those things I've always made sure I never held on so I could gain core strength and balance at the same time. I work with a trainer on weights once a week and make sure he EXPLAINS everything I'm doing and why so I can have a full understanding of what I am doing when I am weight training on my own.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    I saw real, undeniable results in about 4 months.

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