Burn fat and lose weight, build muscle or gain definition. Whatever your goal, keep in mind that exercising is beneficial from the first minute, but will take a bit of time to notice your gym results.
It’s common for people to want to see results quickly. But, some factors can make timeframes vary. So, predicting 100% accurate results isn’t realistic.
This is an important aspect to consider when developing your annual gym plan. It’s worth noting that experts say that someone who starts workouts in the gym will begin to see the results between 4 and 8 weeks.
So, how can you get better gym results in less time?
What Factors Determine The Gym Results Of Your Workouts?
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to getting results for your body.
Human beings are infinitely complicated, and each one is different. Sometimes, when we neglect one area, it can cause a rippling effect that we didn’t anticipate.
However, there are some common areas we can look at that could be impacting our results.
The 3 Common Areas That Impact Gym Results
1. Your Current Level of Fitness
You need to know your starting point. What is your physical level of fitness? That is going to have an influence on how long it takes for you to get results.
It’s helpful to know your Body Mass Index (BMI, the ratio between weight and height) because this shows you how far away you may be from the optimal weight.
But you do not want to rush in and try extreme methods to get results, your body will respond better to consistency and healthy support.
Aspects such as your cardiovascular health, flexibility, energy levels and daily physical activity will have a role to play too.
2. The Types of Workout You Choose and the Intensity
The other determining factor is the type of workouts you do and the time you spend on them.
Having a plan designed specifically for you will help you see results faster. If you’re just trying a bit of everything or not giving it your all, then you may be in for a longer timeframe.
Sometimes your home gym results might not be as quick as you want because you push yourself harder in a place where others are working out too.
As part of your workout strategy, you must include recovery periods. Your body will be working hard at the gym, but it cannot sustain the physical demand without rest. Muscles need to heal.
Also, be mindful that you’re not avoiding certain parts of the body. Sometimes we’re so intent on our favorite exercise we can avoid other muscle groups. Include some classes, cardio gym machines and weight training to ensure you’re impacting your whole body.
Plus, always make sure you are warming up and cooling down properly. Not only does this protect you from injury, but it helps get the most from your overall workout.
3. Lifestyle
When you examine your lifestyle, what do you see? Here are some things you can consider:
- Are you getting enough sleep?
- Do you have a lot of stress?
- Are you eating a healthy and balanced diet?
- How much alcohol or sugary drinks are you consuming?
- Do you get time away from work to relax?
- Are you taking care of any injuries, big or small, the proper way?
- How much water are you drinking each day?
- What advice have you had about supplements?
- Are you learning things to develop your thinking and confidence? (The impact of mindset can often be underestimated)
Sometimes, the smallest tweaks in our lifestyle can yield fast gym results.
Results Aligned To Your Gym Goals
What are your goals? Again, it comes back to the starting point and knowing what you’re working toward. Your goal needs to be clear, not just a vague ‘I want to lose weight’ or ‘I want more muscle’.
When you have a clear goal then you can build a plan. A goal can motivate you, particularly when you break it down into measurable steps of progress. Finding ways for tracking fitness progress is so important.
For example, your goal might be to be able to do 10 pull-ups in 90 days. How could you measure your progress for that?
After one week, you have increased your push-ups or added to the weight you are lifting. Then, after two weeks, test yourself on the pull-up bar, have you improved? You are measuring your progress toward a specific goal.
The next question is, is that goal realistic? If your fitness journey is starting from scratch, what is a real goal for you to achieve in 90 days? Having a goal that is way out of reach cannot sustain you. You need a way to build up the wins of progress.
Someone who went to the gym to improve their cardio fitness should not be focused on how much weight they can perform a bench press with. Likewise, a person focused on building their biceps should not be looking for results in their squats. Decide on your goal in the gym and focus on results relating to that.
How Do You Get Better Results
When it comes to achieving optimal fitness, rushing is not good. Consistency is the key to achieving the gym goals you have set for yourself. For example, if your goal is to lose weight and improve your general fitness, after a month or more at a good pace, you should be able to see the first results.
Even if they are not as spectacular as you would like, be proud of what you have achieved and remain focused on doing better. If you want to build muscle healthily and gain strength, the estimated time to see the transformation is around 3 months.
It must be emphasized that each person must follow their own pace to notice the results of the training, but two factors can help you achieve better results in less time: a good training method and a suitable diet.
Planning the sessions to obtain maximum effectiveness in each training, taking into account the most appropriate exercises, repetitions or the extra weight that you may need to work your muscles thoroughly.
The idea is to build on progress made in each session by making small changes to weight, exercises and repetitions performed. Doing this for a few weeks throughout a 3 month interval period in your plan will yield great results.
Likewise, follow a diet that helps you in your efforts to see results. Making sure your body has the energy and resources to perform at its best level in sessions will make the difference between big and small improvements.
This also relates to ensuring proper protein intake for muscle repairs in between workouts, since a quicker recovery will lead to better efforts you can achieve.
How To Be More Strategic For The Best Gym Results
Undoubtedly, the best thing you can do to ensure you get the best gym results in less time is to work with someone. Whether it’s an accountability partner or a personal trainer, having someone keeping you on track helps.
One thing that has been proven, having someone that is well trained to help you structure an effective workout plan is key. They will help you work with your body, improve your fitness, increase your strength and move toward your big picture goal.
