It can take weeks to months to see results from working out. Your timeline for results will depend on whether you are aiming for weight loss, muscle gains, better cardiovascular fitness, and various factors, such as diet, lifestyle, and starting fitness.

How Long Does It Take to See Weight Loss Results?

Experts advise aiming for a weight loss rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week for the best long-term results.¹

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Steps for losing weight.

How quickly you lose weight depends on your diet, activity level, and other factors, but based on the previously mentioned rate, you could see these results:

• Within one month: 4 to 8 pounds
• Within six months: 26 to 52 pounds
• Within one year: 52 to 104 pounds

How to Lose Weight

Weight loss is achieved through a calorie deficit, burning more calories than you consume. Most experts recommend combining the following:

• A low-calorie diet
• Physical activity
• Behavioral changes

Experts recommend aiming for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and two days of strength training each week. If you are starting out, ease into a routine and gradually increase your activity to reach this goal.² Some people may need to exercise more than this to reach their desired results.

How to Measure Progress

Regularly monitoring your body weight can help you maintain weight loss.³ Ways to do this include:

• Use a scale: You can measure weight loss with a scale and track your weight loss from week to week.
• Measure your waist circumference: You can track your progress by measuring your waist circumference or other areas of the body. This will not indicate how much weight you have lost, but it can be a helpful metric if your goal is to lose fat and gain muscle.
• Notice how your clothes fit: Even if you don’t see the numbers on the scale changing, you might notice that your jeans and other clothing are not as tight as you lose fat.

How Long Does It Take to Notice Muscle Gains?

You can gain muscle in as few as 10 strength training sessions, but it may take 18 sessions to see significant results.⁴

How to Gain Muscle

Engage in muscle-strengthening activities at least two days per week, addressing all major muscle groups in the body: the abdomen, arms, back, chest, hips, legs, and shoulders.²

The three components to muscle strengthening are:²

• Intensity: How much weight you lift or resistance you use
• Sets and repetitions: How many times you do the strengthening activity in succession (e.g., three sets of 10 repetitions of bicep curls is doing 10 bicep curls in a row, then briefly resting, then repeating that twice more for 30 bicep curls)
• Frequency: How often you engage in the strengthening activity

You can gain muscle by increasing the sets, repetitions, and frequency, or by increasing the weight that you lift. When combined with strength training, eating more protein (found in foods like meat, tofu, nuts, beans, or Greek yogurt) can help you build muscle.^5,6

How to Measure Progress

It’s not as easy to measure muscle growth as it is to measure weight loss. A scale tells you your body weight, but it cannot differentiate between muscle and fat changes.

Instead, consider the following:

• Take pictures: Take pictures of your progress every few weeks to track visual changes in your physique
• Track your workouts: Note the intensity (how much weight you lift) or repetitions of your weekly workouts. Lifting heavier weights or successfully completing more repetitions are other signs of muscle gain.
• Consider technology: Use a bioelectric impedance (BIA) scanner to measure your body composition.⁷ These scanners measure your muscle and fat mass using small electrical currents.⁸ BIA devices can be bought for home use, or you could see if your gym has one available for patrons.

How Long Does It Take to Improve Cardio Fitness?

It can take eight to 12 weeks of exercising for 30 minutes at least three times per week to improve your cardiovascular (cardio) fitness.⁹

How to Improve Cardio

Cardiovascular fitness refers to the capacity of your body’s respiratory and circulatory systems to deliver oxygen to your muscles during physical activity.¹⁰ This is reflected in your ability to sustain rhythmic physical activities (e.g., running or climbing stairs) for extended periods.

The best way to improve cardiovascular fitness is to engage in aerobic exercise, like running, swimming, or cycling, and aim for specific heart rate zones during workouts.⁹

These zones are defined as percentages of your maximum heart rate (calculated roughly as 220 minus your age) and reflect how hard your cardiovascular system is working during an activity.¹¹

Targeting zones 3 to 5 will lead to cardiovascular fitness benefits:¹²

• Zone 1: Very light, Less than 57% of maximum heart rate
• Zone 2: Light, 57–63%
• Zone 3: Moderate, 64–76%
• Zone 4: Vigorous, 77–95%
• Zone 5: Maximal, 96–100%

How to Measure Progress

VO2 max is considered the gold standard measurement for cardiovascular fitness.¹³ It is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use at one time. If you can use more oxygen, you can produce more energy for longer-lasting exercise.¹⁴

The most accurate way to measure your VO2 max is with an indirect calorimetry test, which involves wearing a mask while using a treadmill or stationary bike.¹⁴ However, these tests must be done in medical settings, which can be prohibitive and expensive.

A less accurate but much more accessible way to measure VO2 max is with a fitness tracker, like a watch or ring.

Factors Affecting Results

Many factors influence how long it takes to see results from working out, such as:¹⁵

• Diet: Eating a high-calorie diet with insufficient protein or nutrients and drinking extra calories like juice, alcohol, or sugary soda can inhibit progress.
• Genetics: Your family history and genetic makeup can affect your risk for medical conditions and your body shape.
• Lifestyle habits: What activities you do and how active you are throughout the day can affect how quickly you see results from working out.
• Medication: Certain medications, such as corticosteroids, antidepressants, and diabetes drugs, can affect your weight.
• Sleep: Getting less than seven to eight hours of sleep per night can impact health.
• Underlying medical conditions: Conditions like stress, depression, and thyroid disease can affect your progress.
• Your environment: Where you live, work, and play can contribute to your overall health and ability to achieve your goals.

It’s also essential to manage your expectations. You may not be seeing results because you’re expecting them too soon.

When to Seek Support

If you are working out but struggling to see results, consider talking to a healthcare provider. They can review your medications and rule out possible health conditions affecting your progress.

They might also refer you to a dietitian to help build a safe and effective low-calorie diet or a physical therapist if you have any injuries, aches, or pains preventing you from achieving your fitness goals.

Many people also seek support from personal trainers, who can teach safe methods for working out that are tailored to their personal fitness goals.

Key Takeaways

• You may notice weight loss within weeks or months of starting to work out.
• If you strength train twice weekly, you may see muscle gains in 10 to 18 sessions, or approximately five to nine weeks.
• It can take between eight and 12 weeks to notice improvements in your cardiovascular fitness.

Sources:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Steps for losing weight.
2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical activity guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition.
3. Koliaki C, Spinos T, Spinou M, et al. Defining the optimal dietary approach for safe, effective and sustainable weight loss in overweight and obese adults. Healthcare. 2018;6(3):73. doi:10.3390/healthcare6030073
4. Damas F, Libardi CA, Ugrinowitsch C. The development of skeletal muscle hypertrophy through resistance training: the role of muscle damage and muscle protein synthesis. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2018;118(3):485-500. doi:10.1007/s00421-017-3792-9
5. Carbone JW, Pasiakos SM. Dietary protein and muscle mass: translating science to application and health benefit. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1136. doi:10.3390/nu11051136
6. Egan, B. (2016). Protein intake for athletes and active adults: current concepts and controversies. Nutrition Bulletin. 41(3), 202-213. doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12215
7. Ugras S. Evaluating of altered hydration status on effectiveness of body composition analysis using bioelectric impedance analysis. The Libyan Journal of Medicine. 2020;15(1):1741904. doi: 10.1080/19932820.2020.1741904
8. Buckinx F, Landi F, Cesari M, et al. Pitfalls in the measurement of muscle mass: a need for a reference standard. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle. 2018;9(2):269. doi: 10.1002/jcsm.12268
9. University of Colorado Hospital. Training for cardiovascular fitness.
10. American Heart Association. Cardiorespiratory fitness in youth: an important marker of health: a scientific statement from the American heart association.
11. American Heart Association. Target heart rates chart.
12. Marx A, Porcari J, Doberstein S, et al. The accuracy of heart rate-based zone training using predicted versus measured maximal heart rate. Int J Res Ex Phys. 2018;14(1):21-28.
13. Crowley E, Powell C, Carson BP, et al. The effect of exercise training intensity on vo2max in healthy adults: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Translational Sports Medicine. 2022;2022:1-10. doi:10.1155/2022/9310710
14. University of Virginia School of Medicine. VO2 max testing.
15. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Factors affecting weight and health.

Important Notice: This article was originally published at www.verywellhealth.com by Sarah Bence, OTR/L, where all credits are due. Medically reviewed by Jennifer Steinhoff, MD