How Long Does it Take to See Results From Going to the Gym?

There's a wide variety of training systems and philosophies for physical conditioning, but the type of routine isn't everything that defines how long it will take you to see the fruits of your gym labors.
How Long Does it Take to See Results From Going to the Gym?

Last update: 09 November, 2018

When you begin a new training program, one of the first questions you ask yourself is how long does it take to see results from going to the gym? The most skeptical of physical trainers advise that it takes up to four weeks, to notice any changes. However, it all depends on a variety of unique factors.

Do you want to be healthy, or look and feel good?

The first thing to identify is what exactly you mean by, “results from going to the gym.” In one sense, the physical appearance of your body plays an important part in your perception. Nevertheless, this is really just a reflection of what’s going on inside of you. Exercise makes you feel, and look better.

But how long will it take to see any results from going to the gym? The first feelings you get from training are pain, adaptation, and tiredness. At a visual level, you’re used to seeing your own body, so any changes look very slight.

Women looking in the mirror to see her results from going to the gym

Some of these improvements can seem subjective, but that doesn’t mean they’re not real. For example, fitness requires muscular work that tones you up while you’re training. For this to be sustained, you have to be constant with your training sessions. From the second week onward, you can see a certain new shapeliness in the parts of the body you’re exercising the most.

Does it matter how long you train for during each session?

The World Health Organization recommends that adults have at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week. This assumes that you’re doing moderate exercise. When you’re involved in more strenuous routines, 74 minutes a day is the expert recommendation.

This standard is only meant as a minimum for keeping in shape and keeping within acceptable body performance ranges. In order to be able to see changes in muscle tone, some experts believe that these numbers should be multiplied by five. According to such opinions, time is an important factor.

Also read: The Secret to Toned Arms

Nevertheless, not everyone who devotes themselves to rigorous training for a specific amount of time gets the same results as others. Take, for example, people with morbid obesity. They experience changes in weight, but their body shape may not change for a long time. So, there are many factors that determine what results from going to the gym you’ll see in your specific case.

Results from going to the gym: your initial weight is very important

The weight of each person undergoing training defines the speed and visibility of the results. Thinner people will find it easier to generally appear more toned. However, even this is relative, as skinnier people have trouble increasing their weight when they really have to.

Something similar occurs in people who are overweight. Not only is it a matter of weight itself, but also of body shape. Your goal should be going through the type of training that’s appropriate to your body style. If you don’t consider this, it’ll be difficult to maintain your progress.

Following the same logic as before, people with an “H” structure tend to get better and fastest results. These peoples’ metabolisms almost always allow them to modify their bodies easily. This becomes an advantage when trying to achieve a certain desired visual appearance.

Nutrition will maximize your results from going to the gym

Nutrition defines what kind of body you have

Another aspect is that exercise determines only 30 percent of what your body becomes. The other 70 percent is related to diet and your eating habits. If your diet isn’t in line with your objectives, the product you’ll end up with may not be what you expect.

Other aspects such as, genetics and your daily life, are also factors that define your outward appearance. A lesser important factor is your gender. There’s not much of a link between gender and how much benefit a person can get from exercise. In practice, women can condition their bodies just as easily as men.

Only planning your training sessions intelligently can lead you to faster and better results from going to the gym. The big changes only come with exercising consistently over time. It could take as long as years to see big results. A thin person’s body type might change a little after five or six years of physical activities.

In summary, there are many variables that go into the question of what results from going to the gym you’ll get. Aside from that, everyone is unique in this respect. It’s not only a matter of organizing your training sessions correctly. Your organs, the conditions around you, and even the psychological angle play an important role.

Even so, beyond the complexity of your physical shape, you can always see some improvements, as small as they may be. Your real goal should be to keep what you already have and improve it slowly over time.


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.