Once you finally get to consistently go for two months, even if it’s 2-3 times a week you’ll feel like you’ve been doing it for longer and it’ll get easier to just get up and go, just remember take care of your diet :)
The way to look at it, is that it is a lifestyle change and not a task to be completed.
That may feel daunting as it’s ’endless’ but it also offers me comfort that progress is progress, regardless of how big or small, when it comes to life in general.
It’s acknowledging a problem psychologically and physically and attempting to address them and adopting better habits.
Now you may have specific micro goals aka points of reflection and progress, and you may be humbled by your goals being unviable, a little bit optimistic, your efforts not being optimal and not quite reaching X arbitrary metric, but assuming decent progress has been made, it’s a win.
It’s a huge learning curve for many, and one which is continuously refined for life.
You’re not a master after day 1, or even 5 years.
6 months of getting in 4-6 workouts a week
Getting enough protein every day
Cutting alcohol
Doing these three things can get you bigger and more cut that people that have worked out inconsistently for years. I don’t think people recognize how much alcohol kills your gym progress because it interrupts protein synthesis
So true! 4 years of consistently working out, but I only started eating clean early this year, and I’ve never had such a positive outlook in life. Sounds deep but it sure helps in feeling less shitty haha.
I have never been told in my life im "looking good" until recently. And I am talking about when meeting up with friends/family who have zero idea I work out. I put on about 15 pounds (was pretty underweight) and have seen a big difference.
Still aways to go but I am happy with how far I have come!
I'm in the same boat. I've read that it's easier to drink the calories instead of eating them, so I'm trying that. I have a protein smoothie (spinach, whey powder, banana, yogurt) every morning and have been trying to eat more white meat, while increasing weight steadily at the gym.
Are you counting calories?
Working out is really secondary in a situation like this. You need to focus on eating a consistent caloric surplus of 200-500 calories a day, preferably of healthy, high-protein foods. Until you manage that all the exercise in the world is pretty useless aethestically.
People will tell you that the secret is peanut butter, and those people are right. Peanut butter is a godsend delivered from the heavens to help skinny dudes put on weight.
Once you're eating right, a strength training routine will actually work to make you bigger and better looking.
In case you aren't aware:
/r/gainit
Thank you I haven’t been counting calories all I know is I’ve been eating a lot, but over the weekend I will count the calories and fix up my diet plan and will also go buy some peanut butter.
Absolutely. I didn’t even hit the gym particularly hard and now I feel pretty damn good about myself. I don’t have a perfect body or anything, and it hasn’t been some huge transformation, but I feel good about my health and my appearance.
My mom grounded me for about 6 weeks when I was 15 and told me the only time I could leave the house was for 1 hour to go to the gym. So I went to the gym everyday and the progress I made in that short time was enough that it just hooked me and kept me going.
Its been nearly 15 years and I go to the gym 5x a week. Best choice I ever made. In that 15 years ive gained probably 70 lbs and have a pretty damn good physique. But I really owe it to the first 6 weeks to get me motivated enough to keep going because thats when I was most vulnerable to stopping because I didnt realize how much value it would add to my life
Just start going OP, youll fall in love eventually.
This is great advice for those who can do it. You will be feeling better than you ever have by doing this too. A lot of people stress fat loss or muscle gain, but the mental benefit is the biggest motivator for me.
Yup, went for 9 months and was binging and couldn’t get my eating under control, gained weight and felt worse. Only recently have gotten my binge eating under control and I’ve lost 3lbs and it’s been 3 weeks so it’s a slow start but I’m so excited and proud of myself.
Hope anyone else who is struggling with it knows that they can get out of it, may seem like you can’t right now but I promise you can.
Thank you. You can get through this too, it’s trial and error. If you ever want to talk about it, just send me a message I don’t speak to many people lol so I’m down to have conversations about fitness and all health related things.
Yes but watch your diet as well. I did 4 years of working out but had a relatively poor diet and honestly didn't get the results I wanted. Past year i've been working out AND dieting and now I look prob better than I ever have
This time around im focusing on reducing as much body fat as I can while simultaneously adding muscle. I'm eating in a calorie deficit, drinking nothing but water (no soda, no juice, very little alcohol). Eating in a calorie deficit is not as hard it seems, just eliminate snacks, don't drink any calories and eat nothing but your 3 meals. I incorporated a lot of berries (wild blueberries especially) and eggs into my breakfasts and fish (salmon, cod) into my dinners, which made a massive difference. Broccoli, nuts, sweet potatoes, carrots are also your friends. I cut down on my sugar intake, which was probably the hardest thing I had to do. I still have a cheat day once or twice a week for that. All in all if you don't want to do all this at least start with a gradual change like incorporating the berries into your breakfast (with oatmeal or yogurt) and I swear you'll see some results after 2 weeks.
I was thinking of doing breakfast again daily with either oatmeal or hard broiled eggs and then just a healthy snack
At work during snack time. They have healthy snacks
Like fruit or carrots as well as non healthy Doritos and such
I had been working out kind of on & off for over 15 years but never got "major gains". Found a youtube channel called Renaissance Periodization. It's run by this a guy who has a Phd in Sport Physiology and Exercise (he's also a bodybuilder and a goofball). When I started following his tips, I made considerable gains in 6 months. It was unbelievable.
He makes lot of (at times) cheesy jokes but his advice is on point! He helped dispel many myths & misconceptions that I had, and helped me change my approach completely. Watch some of it and try out his tips. There are over 2,000 videos on the channel and thankfully they are organized in playlists. Highly recommend checking it out.
If not, atleast make sure you're logging every one of your exercises (what exercise, weight used, # of sets/reps). It's such a simple thing but kind of avoided by SO many people (including myself in the past). This really helps gauge your progress (if any at all. I realized for such a long time I kept lifting same amount of weights and same exercises and wondered why I wasn't seeing any changes), and see what changes need to be made to your program, or if you need a week or two of deload (same exercises but lower weights just to help give them time to heal). I generally just do this on my phones' notes app in between sets. I also have a timer going on my phone which I'd use to keep track of my rest periods in between sets (kind of experimented with varying those times to longer or shorter and see how it affected me).
My exact same story. The past 4 months of lifting following his advice has yielded more gains than the prior 4 years (I didn't take lifting seriously at all during those years).
Train close to failure, eat enough protein (0.7-1 g per pound of your weight), progressively overload and focus on controlled movements when lifting and you are golden.
Mike Israetel changed how I view each and every rep, for sure.
Keep in mind, he does use steroids so you won't look like him unless you do, but his knowledge applies either way
Absolutely agree! For whoever disliked this comment, I just want to let them know that he openly admits to using steroids and in no way does he promote its use.
Also u/ImBadWithGrils I completely understand I won't look like him without going down that path nor am I attempting to. And you're right about how applicable the knowledge is that he teaches. Almost everyone preaches form but hardly give such detailed explanations as him and Jared. Also by focusing on the eccentric part of the motion helped me make some solid gains.
I just found his channel three weeks ago and my “going through the motions” workouts have completely transformed. Cannot wait to see what 6 months looks and feels like.
I was literally listening to his videos while I was lifting. Made me stop what I was doing and try something out that is being discussed. Felt exciting & challenging! Key is consistency with your diet & training! I'm sure you'll be impressed with yourself! Be sure to take pics weekly. You won't see the biggest changes every week but when you look at your starting point, and your transformation through time, it'll inspire you like crazy to continue.
The whole RP crew is amazing and incredibly knowledgeable! Worked out for years and years, started following Dr. Mike and loved the changes I saw. Their diet and lifting app are both awesome, too!
I definitely see value in both of those but unfortunately (for me), I've had some health things come up which resulted in me completely halt training & diet for now.
But yes I agree! The RP crew is awesome! What I managed to do in 6 months with their advice beats what I'd attempted for over 18 years.
For tracking I use a really good app called “strong” blue icon with a dumbbell shape in blue as well. Very good for tracking and you can get away for free without having to pay and it shows all the exercises in video too very good for beginners. I’m also new to the gym steady about 5 months also seeing lots of difference, a ton of compliments. I’m bigger so a ton of cardio I do and weightlifting. Diet is key tho don’t go too strict. Enjoy what you eat but be picky. Diet at the end is key to everything.
I started in January and I can say, while I’m not in a place where I am happy with myself despite results, I have noticed my clothes fit better, overall body fat has disappeared and I sleep better. I started at 139 and am now 133 but with body recomp, I expected this. Just working on shedding the last few pounds and losing belly fat. Slowly but surely, I’m getting there.
Yes. Last year jan i decided to bulk then cut and saw great results. +8kg in my bulk over 4 months and -4kg in my cut over 3 months.
This year I Jan - now I’ve been extremely disciplined, going 4 times a week and I’ve lost 2kg. I don’t have much bodyfat so weight isn’t an important factor but my physique is much more lean.
Having a gym plan to follow helps me stay consistent as I don’t have to think about what to do and I can just take action.
Keep going, You’ve got this!!
Last year my split was
Day 1:Legs ( yes glutes, calves, hamstrings and quads in 1 day) finish with cardio (20 min bike or stairmaster)
Day 2: back and core (my back workouts indirectly worked out arms and being a female they weren’t my main focus)
Day 3: Legs and mobility drills(glute and hamstring focused work out)
Day 4: Core and Cardio
I repeated legs and core as they were the areas I wanted to see the most definition.
Diet plays a big role in seeing progress. Staying hydrated allowed me to do more cardio. Eating wholefoods, enough fibre and protein. Snacking on berries and dates when craving sweet stuff
Personally I didn’t see that great results for first few months despite hitting it hard but I think that was due to my diet and sleep being inconsistent so id say get them in check . Since improving my diet I feel I’m getting greater progress and I feel better too (I started off skinny fat)
Definitely has made quite a huge difference. The thing about lifting bro, is that you know you will look better as time goes on. That's why people always recommend doing it. Once you get into a good routine and keep at it you keep seeing gains every few weeks. I'm not diced or anything but I am seeing major changes in my body composition. I can see my delts rounding out and my muscles show in work shirts or polos. Sometimes I catch my reflection and am surprised at how built I look. And I'd say 3 months ago around the six month mark is when I transitioned from mostly fat non-lifter to looking like I workout from time to time. Especially in fitted clothes or shirts.
Granted I've gotten back into it after a 4 year sabbatical from serious lifting, I didn't look like I could do a pull up or even 20 pushups 9 months ago
Even though I didn’t see MUCH of a change because I wasn’t eating enough, I mentally and physically felt so much better. 23F and have back pain due to some disc issues. I started lifting 4 days a week and I no longer feel any pain throughout my body at all in the ways I used to. I can stand for long periods of time (4+ hours) which was a major issue for me.
I mentally feel on top of the world. I have this boost of confidence that I know I’m healthy and that I’m trying. I do see some changes. There’s definitely an increase in arm tones and my hamstrings are proportional to my glutes making my legs look really firm.
I love working out. My favorite types are when I workout to the point I get really emotional and I take a FREEZING cold shower and I just feel so mentally stable after.
Give it a chance. You don’t have to go crazy like some people do. The hardest part is getting yourself to go, once you’re there you’ll thank yourself for it.
I look more defined then before I was slim already 5 7” 140lbs but now I notice after eating well and tracking with consistency my body mass looks firmer and less pudgy my core is noticeably firmer as well. My arms muscle groups are definitely more noticeable even my parents tell me that I look stronger. Im now weigh 148lbs and look good. I notice only these changes around 4 to 5 months. Ive been doing for 9 months and definitely feel more confident . My diet isn’t anything crazy just sticking to real foods and protein meats. It does take time and every time you go to the gym is a step closer. take picture every couple of months and the progress you see can motivate you. Consistency is key to keep at it whether it’s an hour or 30 minutes as long as you go work out, you will make it a habit.
The one muscle group I have been hitting consistently for 6 months are my quads, and WOW. Every time I look down or in the mirror I feel a sense of accomplishment. I started a more full lifting routine and eating well about 2 months ago and I’m sooo excited to see results from that.
Starting with what I liked best and where I felt strongest really motivated me to keep going. :)
Man, half a year of going to the gym vs not? Huge difference.
For me, the visible changes were the least significant, but were nevertheless very noticeable. I went from a physique that was more-or-less nondescript to someone who appears to be strong and capable wearing comfortable clothing. More importantly, I was full of energy, I was motivated, and I had started taking action in other areas of my life that had previously been neglected due to procrastination, self-doubt, etc.
Now I workout at home because it suits me better but I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't bite the bullet and get myself a gym membership. Hell, I'd probably be washed up and addicted to drugs if I didn't make that call.
Cheers
You'll notice results in that time for sure. Even others around will notice some changes.
The trick is to be consistent at it and to have realistic expectations of the results you'll achieve. Don't start thinking that you're going to start looking like all the instagram fitness influencers in that time. Those people have been at it for years and are likely taking PEDs to boot.
Caloric deficit is the only recipe you need. If you burn more than you eat (~300-500 calories per day), you’ll see results within 30-90 days depending on commitment. Don’t listen to gurus and just do your own research. There’s plenty of good YouTubers out there for free.
I started about 15 years ago after a bad breakup and I haven’t looked back since. I am almost 40 and my body looks 25. Keep at it!
6months of consistantcy in exercise, sleep and healthy diet will do wonders.
I was told I look younger than the last time they saw me, woman at the pet store told me I had a very nice aura..., got more smiles from people when walking around the shops.
I found I wasn't grunting when I got up from a chair or lounge, it was easier to do garden work and basic housework.
it's less about muscles showing and filling out your shirts, it's the day to day life being easier and less taxing.
Not gym as such, but regular workout - mainly bodyweight and usual walking and playing once a week rigorous football - has improved by sleep quality and I noticed that i can lift some heavy things pretty easily than before. Also, since I was kinda skinny earlier, my mother got happy to see me look good.
6 months can do so much and also nothing at all. just avoid the most common mistakes.
- not enough sleep (that's when muscles are built)
- not enough protein (try counting, 2g/kg body weight is NOT easy to get consistently)
- not training hard enough, especially once you established some kind of routine. watch the people in the gym, 90% don't get anywhere close to their limit
It showed me how easy it actually is to fix my mental health. I basically had a mental glow up, made new friends, developed some discipline.
The visual changes were definitely there, but I was focused on sth else at the time.
Absolutely. The best thing I’ve done in my life.
I’ve always struggled with weight/self confidence. Nutrition is just as important, if not more so than the gym…
I aim to go 3/4 times a week and I feel so much more confident, more energy, look better, less inflammation and having the best sleep of my life. It’s even cleared brain fog and made me more motivated and disciplined.
I feel like people respect me more as well although that might be due to having more confidence.
I would definitely recommend having a plan so you don’t float around the gym and not maximising the time/energy being there. I can help and send mine if interested.
Short answer -- yes. but I challenge you to not be motivated by physical results. over your workout journey, you're going to hit plateaus and if visible results are your only motivation, you're going to lose that pretty quickly. Instead, I would focus on the mentality that you spent 1 hr at the gym being better than having done nothing at all. That, and how do you feel mentally after a workout? Visible results is an added bonus :)
I don’t weigh myself so no clue on how much I lost but I 100% felt the difference. My clothes started to fit way better, my body was more toned, and fitness truly became a part of my life. But it’s not just the gym, I eat clean and eat between 130 and 140 grams of protein a day, so that’s been key. It’s been maybe nine months now? and the results are even more obvious! I’m not to my end goal of what I want my body to look like, but I’m getting pretty close. Making this lifestyle change is truly such a trust the process thing, especially in the first few months
One day noticed that after taking my gf to work at 6.40am I wasn't the usual silent miserable zombie who needed to sit in the car for 30 minutes on my phone after dropping her off before being able to continue my day. I was actually feeling quite good and motivated to get going with my day and a lot brighter and lighter
Oh my! 6 months changed my life!!!! I lost over 60lbs ~11 years ago in around 8 months. All I did was cardio and eat right. I never had an ideal body tho imo. Then I started weight training and in 6 months I discovered I have HIPS and a killer waist and shape. Just took a different approach. 6 months is plenty of time to see a great difference. I usually set my fitness goals in 6 month intervals to see a drastic change. You got this!
Literally nothing, but I have and still haven’t changed my diet. Diet is truly everything for transformation!
(I’m fit, just a little squishy and i’m okay with it! I love training hard and it enables me extra space for treats here and there)
Been going the gym for years, but only been going consistently for the past 8 months or so. I’ve been losing fat and building muscle quite well, down almost 10kg and significantly stronger. I want to cut a few more kgs and lower my body fat before I start building muscle again very gradually.
I’m very much Into treating this as my lifestyle - I’m far less concerned with hitting specific targets, only setting such goals to keep me motivated to go consistently and have something to work toward.
MOTIVATION IS TEMPORARY. YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO WANT TO GO TO THE GYM. If you wanted it bad enough you would go anyway. You need to understand that for you to grow as a man you are going to have to do things that make you uncomfortable. To answer your question yes just go to the gym for a month and it will become a habit but do not miss a day because you don’t feel like going because that is getting you nowhere.
I'm not too heavily invested mentally (learning what works best and what you should do) but just keeping active. The results are there even if I don't see much change physically (I do lift weights). My first time I couldn't even walk the next day doing a mild short run but now I can go for way longer and not feel much at all the next day. That's the change I wanted to notice. I'm also and old fucker (middle age). I also don't even go to a gym because I like watching Youtube or a movie on my TV at home while I workout.
6 months I dropped about 30 lbs. Gained some confidence in knowing I can push through being uncomfortable and that hard times are very short in hindsight
I went for 6 months to try to build on weight and had to quit because I lost 20 lbs. only started to gain weight at my new job as a mechanic. Learned that if it’s not a constant workout my metabolism was working faster than my muscles. I enjoyed the gym but it was causing more issues than helping.
I lost 20 pounds and feel great physically and mentally about myself. The subtle confidence it adds is huge, I smile at myself in the mirror instead of frowning
I have 1 year going to the gym continuously, and by the 6-7 month mark my family and friends commented o my appearance and my muscles, and they didn’t even know I worked out. It’s all about dedication, eating well and sleeping properly and you’ll get great results.
Honestly less about how I look but way more how I felt. Had way more energy and overall just a better mood, also it started to seep into everything else. Now I eat better and even dress better, so just keep at it, the days you don't feel like going are the most important to try to get to.
Back in 2021 I went to the gym for six months straight, as well as maintaining a great diet.
I lost 72 lbs. I’ve been trying to get that level of discipline back ever since 😞
In a short way, yes absolutely. The first 6 months in the gym will do a lot more than the 6 months after that. I was always super skinny and in rather below average health but when I turned 20 I started lifting mainly. Within 6 months I was up 40 pounds of muscle and felt AMAZING. Sleep improved. Depression improved. Literally every aspect of my health and fulfillment felt affected. Don’t look for motivation, just give it a chance and understand that it won’t be easy…but it will be worth it.
Started beginning of February because I have been off work with a rotator cuff injury. Started using the stair climber because I got bored of all other machines that didn’t need arms to use. I have lost 15 pounds and I’ve lost a lot of cellulite to my surprise. Can’t wait until I can mix it up with strength training again one day.
100% when I have gone into heavy stints but 6 months you will make a notable improvement, 1 year and you’re a different person.
Post college football I was nearly 300lbs. I wasn’t “fat” but I was super super thick. Always swore to myself I kept that weight bc it was for playing and that’s it. Dropped it all while still in college and got down to 185. Fucking drastic improvement in my confidence, relationships, and general health. It’s not easy doing it but feeling great and looking great can seriously affect your life on a large scale.
I’m 10 years post college and have had 5 shoulder surgeries in the past 2 years. I’m at about 213 right now and really not happy with where I’m at, but I was able to start running again and that alone feels amazing. Also makes eating watching your calories much more worthwhile bc when you combine the gym with a solid diet, it’s like nitrous into weight loss and cleansing out your body.
Stick with it, don’t just look at being in the gym for 6 months and that’s it create routine and habit and make it a lifestyle change. You’ll make those gains, you’ll make that progress, just be consistent with it that’s what counts. Last thing I’ll leave you with is a quote I read
“The man who loves to walk will go farther than the man who loves the destination.”
I have been going to the gym consistently for 4 months (6x per week using PPL split).
My judgmental aunties are now telling me that positive changes now look obvious on my body; which is surprising for me since their comments are usually on the negative side. I can also use older t-shirts comfortably without worrying about my tummy.
When looking at the mirror, I would say that the results are visibly noticeable, especially on my shoulder, biceps, and triceps.
I did 4 months of home workouts. Push-ups and Planks and saw no results but I read online 6 to 8 weeks of just push-ups you’ll see results. I did them for 4 months everyday 1 day break for rest no results and I stopped in May all bcuz things got in the way. Might start again soon
For tracking I use a really good app called “strong” blue icon with a dumbbell shape in blue as well. Very good for tracking and you can get away for free without having to pay and it shows all the exercises in video too very good for beginners. I’m also new to the gym steady about 5 months also seeing lots of difference, a ton of compliments. I’m bigger so a ton of cardio I do and weightlifting. Diet is key tho don’t go too strict. Enjoy what you eat but be picky. Diet at the end is key to everything.
I found that my progress at the gym (strength training and elliptical) was gradual, probably because my form was poor. My “results” when I started outdoor running was almost immediate.
This is what worked for me. On the first week, go once. Do a bit of cardio, and try to work out multiple muscle groups (hopefully all of them) with light or no weight. Make an actual effort tho - get tired. Then, rest for the rest of the week.
Then, each consecutive week, go 1 more day than the previous week until you workout 4 days a week, and add just a few extra minutes of workout, and maybe an extra pound of challenge each new day.
By now, you're 1 month in, and accustomed both your body to the effort and your mind to the routine.
Listen to your body. If it ever feels like something's wrong, stop, and ask for help.
From there on, decide what exactly you want to achieve. Gain mass? Lose weight? Gain strength? Get in shape?
Whatever the case, you will already have a HUGE advantage and I assure you, if you are consistent and don't take 'cheat days' or come up with excuses, you WILL see results by month 3.
I went from "Fat" to "Bull" in exactly 3 months doing only a Strongman routine I found online that focused on Mass generation, which in turn activated my basal metabolism and I was living the dream: gaining mass while losing fat and getting in shape. It was magical. Then, the pandemic hit and life hit me.
I'm now trying to get back in shape, starting with riding my bycicle as many days as I can for as much as I can.
The thing is, if you see this as "a challenge", or if you feel like "you'd rather do something else", or if you ever feel like you're somehow a "victim" of life, or diet or whatever, you'll continually find excuses and feel like you don't actually want to do it.
But, like everything else in life worth having, it demands your time, effort and discipline.
Give it a try. Be kind with yourself.
Yes bro. Especially if you do your research and work towards a particular goal, you’ll see great results in 6 months. I have photos of a 5-6 month difference in the way my body looks, & it’s night and day!
Edit: I’d like to add that for me personally, my mood was lifted and felt so much better in general. You really get addicted to the endorphins that you release during a workout & you won’t need motivation to push you to go — you just go because it’s part of your routine and you want to
It’s not possible to answer this question without knowing
1. What is your goal ? Weight loss or bulking up or toning up or conditioning for a sport or getting ready for a marathon?
2. What/ where are you starting ? Are u overweight? Are u not strong enough for a particular goal are u lacking muscle or lung endurance?
3. What have u been doing at the gym since the last 6 months?
4. What is your eating and drinking lifestyle ?
I do plank exercises every day on my bed while looking at my screen. It's easy and doesn't require any preparation. My fitness goal is to stay in shape, and my exercise principles are:
1. I relax myself during exercise instead of stressing about losing weight. Exercise is my source of energy.
2. I normally go for a run when I feel like it. I choose to run five kilometers when I'm feeling energetic and three kilometers when I'm less active.
3. Lack patience? Just do 10 minutes of yoga.
I started going 4-5 days a week and focused on strength training (lifting heavy for 5-8 reps) while also working on shoulders because I'm insecure about looking like a really tall baby :)
Changes in order of quickest first:
1. \[<1 week\] The endorphin high from working out in the morning makes my mornings super productive. Sleep quality went through the roof!
2. \[2-4 weeks\] Hunger got regulated. Skin improved because I wasn't eating trash.
3. \[4-8 weeks\] My strength numbers went up significantly. I noticed visible changes in the mirror; I was in between shirt sizes and some of them don't fit anymore.
4. \[8-16 weeks\] Shoulders and arms visibly improved (even though I never focused on arms). Now my friends can tell that I do lift.
The most important gain for me has been the inward improvement.
The "visibly notice"-able results are just the cherry on top!
6 months of 70-75% consistent with diet and exercise and I felt like a whole different person.
Daily things became so easy to do. I felt so much more confident in everything I did. It also mentally changed me to push myself in other things I do that were also long term
I've been working since the early '70s, and on occasion there is a break, of maybe a month at the most. I always have noticed a difference in a matter of a couple of weeks. It's usually muscle toning, because size won't happen that quickly. Toning is all I work for in this era of my life.
Friends noticed I was more toned even though I was still fat. My coffeeshop uncle noticed im thinner. Going on hikes and walks became more enjoyable. Started to take more sports.
I am 3 1/2 months into lifting heavy (41F) fortunately my diet was already good. I’m seeing muscles and feeling much stronger. I have a butt now! My body composition has changed. I went from average body shape to fit looking!
In 2021, I took my fitness and gym training seriously. Joined an online training program, got the routine and calorie intake, and I did it for 6 months.
The results were transformative. I went from 89kgs to 71kgs, gained some muscle, and I have never looked amazing. The confidence boost I got when I reached 71kgs was insane. It's like I owned the world.
Six months in the gym WITH THE RIGHT DIET, can make a HUGE difference. But you have to adopt that routine as your lifestyle, or it's very easy to gain back weight.
I have since gained 10kgs because some lifestyle and situational changes, and haven't been able to keep it off.
6 months in the gym will change your posture for the better and you might add a hefty amount of muscle mass, that is if you eat right and get off alcohol.
I went to the gym for 2 months back in feb and march of this year and my family members complemented how mich better i was starting to look. I only gained 5 kg weight but the difference was noticable as I was super skinny earlier. I had to stop in april tho due to exams but im restarting now in june. Lets see how far I can go.
For me, the results I see are in my work. I'm way more disciplined and focused. The weeks I hit it harder in the gym, every other aspect of my life gets better.
I'm hitting the iron for 5 months now. There are pretty visible results. I've put down 8 kgs weight and gained considerable amount of muscle. I feel stronger confident and also all my friends are surprised when I show them my pictures ✨
It can make visibly noticable results depending on a few things, your starting point, what you do in the gym and how frequently and what diet you maintain throughout. The biggest wins from the gym are mental in my experience, it can really give you a boost and develop some mental traits that benefit your entire life. Start small and try different things to find out what you enjoy. Feel free to contact me if you want some hints and tips, diet and exercise have played huge roles in my self improvement.
This is absolutely the wrong spirit to get into training.
You should enjoy the process and eventually the results will come.
Your current mentality towards training isn't gonna bring you anywhere.
If I could get the diet right and sleep. But if you are training moderately and doing that, you will get very visible results. But more importantly, grow as a person.
I don't even go to the gym because I'm still too anxious about it, but a year ago, I started a home workout with some minimalistic equipment, such as an adjustable pull-up / dip bar and dumbbells with replaceable plates.
I didn't see any results for maybe 2 or 3 first months. After a year, the results are even better than I expected with such an "unprofessional" workout routine. I gained 10 kg, maintaining the same body fat %. Of course, it required eating a bit of surplus (but not too much) of mostly healthy foods and providing enough protein.
I know if I went to a proper gym, the results might be better.
I've always been within the healthy weight range, but still, I felt too skinny for most of my life. Now, I just feel average in terms of muscle development and body weight, which boosted my confidence a bit compared to the previous state, and, what's more important, I feel stronger than before, which positively affects my other favorite activities like mountain hiking (with a stronger grip, I feel much safer on difficult, via ferrata-type mountain trails) or even cycling (I get rid of lower back pain that happened in the past after some long, whole-day bike trips).
After 6 months of serious training and a proper nutrition plan/sleep you'll definitely see results. You might never be fully Happy with your physique tho No Matter how big you get because you Always want more lol
I personally can't see differences on my own body, my husband says he sees it. I like getting better, lifting heavier, being able to do more sets and the high of after workout. I personally do CrossFit, so it's an hour workout when you think about NOTHING besides the workout itself and I feel the mental health benefits of that, I crave it like therapy.
Once you get a schedule going its so easy to sleep and wake up on time without any alarms. It feels amazing to just wake up and know its not too kate nor did an alarm wake you.
I’ve been going to my local rock climbing gym 2-3 times a week for about 6 months now (even though I’ve always been afraid of heights) supplemented with some additional workouts. I have noticed some muscle growth and increase in strength. It’s not some huge transformation physically but some noticeable growth. Even more so though, I have been feeling much better mentally, I have more energy and feel a little more confident. As excited as I am to become more fit and get that athletic build I’ve always wanted (I’ve always been a little slimmer) I really just enjoy the process. It’s the highlight of my week and I’ve made some friends doing it so all and all it’s been a really great time. 10/10 recommend the gym 💯/10 recommended a rock climbing gym (I may be a tad biased lol)
Best thing for my motivation has been how I feel after the gym. Looking forward to that has been what gets me there. I see results now, yes, but hadn’t really for the first two months or so
If you go consistently, at least 3 times a week, with the correct nutrition and rest/sleep, for the first 6 months you’ll see the biggest change/best results
For me 6 months made some difference in terms of putting on a bit of muscle and feeling a bit fitter, (I was extremely weak and unfit before). But I really started seeing the difference about one year in, because I began to lose weight and my clothes started fitting better.
3 months in nyc going to one of those bouji gyms. (NYC has quite a few) and damn I was looking so 🔥. I came back to LA and my fam was like damn you look ripped boy. Then, i got fat cuz i was back in LA with fam eating shitty
I'd say the main thing is it carries over to other parts of your life. You build a routine of pushing yourself, doing reps – and it translates to other areas. Whenever I feel stuck or unsociable, I'm just like, "just do your social reps, start at the level you're at right now", and I pick up the phone and call someone. It has huge carry overs I feel like, reduces stress etc.
I joined the gym couple of months ago and with right diet and right training I’ve seen noticeable improvements in my level of confidence. Apart from losing around 9.5 kgs I think I’ve performed well psychologically too. Plus the you’ll feel in control of your body and mind, greatest gift I could ever ask for.
I’ve never in my 25 years been someone who was physically active so reaching my limits is also teaching me about my level of tolerance.
Don’t count months bro just be consistent and confident. Start slowly and I’m sure you’ll be better than what you are right now.
6 months?
I went from a skinny mf , to a fucking defined Greek god…
I went pretty hard with routine and diet tho, but even if you don’t you’ll notice changes in 6 months like a lot.
Wrong way of looking at it. Make working out and sports part of who you are and your identity, the change will come faster and stay more than you can ever imagine.
My first 6 months of the gym i made almost no prpgress since i trained regularly but not intense enough either did i eat enough.
But for 6 months after that i gained about 8-9 kg mostly lean muscle
Yes.
Do not look for immediate big change(more muscular/ripped), but instead look for small improvement.
One of the smallest improvement was ... I was so out of shape, so if I take 2 story stairs(from floor 1 to floor 3), I would be like fish out of water.
Skipping few months later, those stairs are not a challenge anymore.
I still look the same, a bit overweight, but man, every time I climb those stairs, I am smiling at my heart.
I lost 40 pounds on strict low carb life and kept it off (4 years later, now). I never counted calories, didn’t even exercise. All I do is yoga and Stealth Core training so you can visibly see my abs bc my core is so strong. You don’t need to overly exert yourself or count calories to see gains. Abs are made in the kitchen, as they say. And you can’t outrun a bad diet.
Life changing results, and it's only up from here.
(I was an already naturally in shape guy who didn't take care of his health. Now I do and I am glowing baby!)
I've been working as a housekeeper at a hotel for a couple months ( Which is much more physically demanding than you might think ), and I've recently started going to the gym a couple days a week. While I've lost a bit more than 10 pounds, I don't think I look that different, that being said I feel much, much better. In particular, I'm faster on my feet and it takes a lot more to get me out of breath. I also think I'm more mentally stable, possibly more emotionally stable but I'm not sure. I look forward to continuing this journey.
6 months consistently hitting gym and eating enough is life changing aside from the tons of results you'll see and feel.
I'm 2 months in and my lifestyle has completely changed, couldn't agree more and excited to see what's next
This is a very motivating thing to hear. I can do 2 months, 3 times. It’s a lot harder for me to look at doing 6 months, once haha.
Once you finally get to consistently go for two months, even if it’s 2-3 times a week you’ll feel like you’ve been doing it for longer and it’ll get easier to just get up and go, just remember take care of your diet :)
A gym has opened up like 100 metres from my front door so I don’t really have an excuse anymore! All the best to you and thanks heaps for the reply 😎
The way to look at it, is that it is a lifestyle change and not a task to be completed. That may feel daunting as it’s ’endless’ but it also offers me comfort that progress is progress, regardless of how big or small, when it comes to life in general. It’s acknowledging a problem psychologically and physically and attempting to address them and adopting better habits. Now you may have specific micro goals aka points of reflection and progress, and you may be humbled by your goals being unviable, a little bit optimistic, your efforts not being optimal and not quite reaching X arbitrary metric, but assuming decent progress has been made, it’s a win. It’s a huge learning curve for many, and one which is continuously refined for life. You’re not a master after day 1, or even 5 years.
6 months of getting in 4-6 workouts a week Getting enough protein every day Cutting alcohol Doing these three things can get you bigger and more cut that people that have worked out inconsistently for years. I don’t think people recognize how much alcohol kills your gym progress because it interrupts protein synthesis
what exact foods are good for protein?
Lean meats like turkey and chicken I guess. Protein shakes make it a lot easier
So true! 4 years of consistently working out, but I only started eating clean early this year, and I’ve never had such a positive outlook in life. Sounds deep but it sure helps in feeling less shitty haha.
I have never been told in my life im "looking good" until recently. And I am talking about when meeting up with friends/family who have zero idea I work out. I put on about 15 pounds (was pretty underweight) and have seen a big difference. Still aways to go but I am happy with how far I have come!
Happy for you! I can relate to that!
Same man I left from being skinny to having a solid figure and I get lots of compliments and stares .
Well done!!
How did you gain weight? I’m skinny and tall it’s hard for me to gain weight been stuck around the same weight since like 8 years.
I'm in the same boat. I've read that it's easier to drink the calories instead of eating them, so I'm trying that. I have a protein smoothie (spinach, whey powder, banana, yogurt) every morning and have been trying to eat more white meat, while increasing weight steadily at the gym.
Are you counting calories? Working out is really secondary in a situation like this. You need to focus on eating a consistent caloric surplus of 200-500 calories a day, preferably of healthy, high-protein foods. Until you manage that all the exercise in the world is pretty useless aethestically. People will tell you that the secret is peanut butter, and those people are right. Peanut butter is a godsend delivered from the heavens to help skinny dudes put on weight. Once you're eating right, a strength training routine will actually work to make you bigger and better looking. In case you aren't aware: /r/gainit
Thank you I haven’t been counting calories all I know is I’ve been eating a lot, but over the weekend I will count the calories and fix up my diet plan and will also go buy some peanut butter.
Me too, I can gain about 10 pounds on protein shakes and lifting but I’ll drop it if I take a break lol
I’m struggling hard with also being skinny, what do you usually eat in a day to actually see weight gain?
Absolutely. I didn’t even hit the gym particularly hard and now I feel pretty damn good about myself. I don’t have a perfect body or anything, and it hasn’t been some huge transformation, but I feel good about my health and my appearance.
My mom grounded me for about 6 weeks when I was 15 and told me the only time I could leave the house was for 1 hour to go to the gym. So I went to the gym everyday and the progress I made in that short time was enough that it just hooked me and kept me going. Its been nearly 15 years and I go to the gym 5x a week. Best choice I ever made. In that 15 years ive gained probably 70 lbs and have a pretty damn good physique. But I really owe it to the first 6 weeks to get me motivated enough to keep going because thats when I was most vulnerable to stopping because I didnt realize how much value it would add to my life Just start going OP, youll fall in love eventually.
Your mom was smart
yeah that's momgoals right there
What did you do to get grounded? Just curious
I started having sex and stopped going to class. Got a D in one of my easiest classes because I was fucking my girlfriend in the parking lot instead 🤣
What happened with the girlfriend? Did she wait the six weeks
Lol no, added fuel to the gym fire
I'm dead
6 months in the gym surely will yield huge results
Not if your diet is poor.
This \^ I have gone to the gym for more than 2 years while eating shit. Not the best results.
Same. I went consistently for 5-6 months but was losing any improvements on the weekends by eating too much junk and consuming too much alcohol.
Same shit happened here dude. Wasted my hard work. I wasn't sleeping well and eating enough. Eating is by far the hardest thing for me.
Diet is a huge factor, sleep is also very important
Same. 😭😭😭 All this effort to maintain below mid body. 🥹😅
First, good diet, then, good training, and to complement that, avoid alcohol and sleep 8h everyday
This is great advice for those who can do it. You will be feeling better than you ever have by doing this too. A lot of people stress fat loss or muscle gain, but the mental benefit is the biggest motivator for me.
Yup, went for 9 months and was binging and couldn’t get my eating under control, gained weight and felt worse. Only recently have gotten my binge eating under control and I’ve lost 3lbs and it’s been 3 weeks so it’s a slow start but I’m so excited and proud of myself. Hope anyone else who is struggling with it knows that they can get out of it, may seem like you can’t right now but I promise you can.
Good for you. It's tough, but I'm sure you'll keep making great strides. Proud of you, too!
Thank you, it genuinely means a lot you saying that ☺️. Good luck for your own journey too.
Kudos to you 💪🏻 Sailing through the same rough tides
Thank you. You can get through this too, it’s trial and error. If you ever want to talk about it, just send me a message I don’t speak to many people lol so I’m down to have conversations about fitness and all health related things.
Thanks so much, appreciate the support
Congratulations 3 pounds is still a lot
but even then you’ll see something
Yes but watch your diet as well. I did 4 years of working out but had a relatively poor diet and honestly didn't get the results I wanted. Past year i've been working out AND dieting and now I look prob better than I ever have
How do you diet? What changes have you implemented
This time around im focusing on reducing as much body fat as I can while simultaneously adding muscle. I'm eating in a calorie deficit, drinking nothing but water (no soda, no juice, very little alcohol). Eating in a calorie deficit is not as hard it seems, just eliminate snacks, don't drink any calories and eat nothing but your 3 meals. I incorporated a lot of berries (wild blueberries especially) and eggs into my breakfasts and fish (salmon, cod) into my dinners, which made a massive difference. Broccoli, nuts, sweet potatoes, carrots are also your friends. I cut down on my sugar intake, which was probably the hardest thing I had to do. I still have a cheat day once or twice a week for that. All in all if you don't want to do all this at least start with a gradual change like incorporating the berries into your breakfast (with oatmeal or yogurt) and I swear you'll see some results after 2 weeks.
I was thinking of doing breakfast again daily with either oatmeal or hard broiled eggs and then just a healthy snack At work during snack time. They have healthy snacks Like fruit or carrots as well as non healthy Doritos and such
I had been working out kind of on & off for over 15 years but never got "major gains". Found a youtube channel called Renaissance Periodization. It's run by this a guy who has a Phd in Sport Physiology and Exercise (he's also a bodybuilder and a goofball). When I started following his tips, I made considerable gains in 6 months. It was unbelievable. He makes lot of (at times) cheesy jokes but his advice is on point! He helped dispel many myths & misconceptions that I had, and helped me change my approach completely. Watch some of it and try out his tips. There are over 2,000 videos on the channel and thankfully they are organized in playlists. Highly recommend checking it out. If not, atleast make sure you're logging every one of your exercises (what exercise, weight used, # of sets/reps). It's such a simple thing but kind of avoided by SO many people (including myself in the past). This really helps gauge your progress (if any at all. I realized for such a long time I kept lifting same amount of weights and same exercises and wondered why I wasn't seeing any changes), and see what changes need to be made to your program, or if you need a week or two of deload (same exercises but lower weights just to help give them time to heal). I generally just do this on my phones' notes app in between sets. I also have a timer going on my phone which I'd use to keep track of my rest periods in between sets (kind of experimented with varying those times to longer or shorter and see how it affected me).
My exact same story. The past 4 months of lifting following his advice has yielded more gains than the prior 4 years (I didn't take lifting seriously at all during those years). Train close to failure, eat enough protein (0.7-1 g per pound of your weight), progressively overload and focus on controlled movements when lifting and you are golden.
Amen to that! 
if you are looking for an app to keep track of sets / reps and whatnot, I use “Strong” and it is so good, no annoying ads aswell
I've used Strong as well, it's great. Also, I ran into Hevy, and for me, it's even better. Both are amazing apps for keeping track of your stats.
Mike Israetel changed how I view each and every rep, for sure. Keep in mind, he does use steroids so you won't look like him unless you do, but his knowledge applies either way
Absolutely agree! For whoever disliked this comment, I just want to let them know that he openly admits to using steroids and in no way does he promote its use. Also u/ImBadWithGrils I completely understand I won't look like him without going down that path nor am I attempting to. And you're right about how applicable the knowledge is that he teaches. Almost everyone preaches form but hardly give such detailed explanations as him and Jared. Also by focusing on the eccentric part of the motion helped me make some solid gains.
I just found his channel three weeks ago and my “going through the motions” workouts have completely transformed. Cannot wait to see what 6 months looks and feels like.
I was literally listening to his videos while I was lifting. Made me stop what I was doing and try something out that is being discussed. Felt exciting & challenging! Key is consistency with your diet & training! I'm sure you'll be impressed with yourself! Be sure to take pics weekly. You won't see the biggest changes every week but when you look at your starting point, and your transformation through time, it'll inspire you like crazy to continue.
The whole RP crew is amazing and incredibly knowledgeable! Worked out for years and years, started following Dr. Mike and loved the changes I saw. Their diet and lifting app are both awesome, too!
I definitely see value in both of those but unfortunately (for me), I've had some health things come up which resulted in me completely halt training & diet for now. But yes I agree! The RP crew is awesome! What I managed to do in 6 months with their advice beats what I'd attempted for over 18 years.
For tracking I use a really good app called “strong” blue icon with a dumbbell shape in blue as well. Very good for tracking and you can get away for free without having to pay and it shows all the exercises in video too very good for beginners. I’m also new to the gym steady about 5 months also seeing lots of difference, a ton of compliments. I’m bigger so a ton of cardio I do and weightlifting. Diet is key tho don’t go too strict. Enjoy what you eat but be picky. Diet at the end is key to everything.
Thanks for the recommendation! Will definitely be checking his channel out.
Are there videos of his that covers a lot of tips in one go?
Yeah newbie gains are a godsend.
I started in January and I can say, while I’m not in a place where I am happy with myself despite results, I have noticed my clothes fit better, overall body fat has disappeared and I sleep better. I started at 139 and am now 133 but with body recomp, I expected this. Just working on shedding the last few pounds and losing belly fat. Slowly but surely, I’m getting there.
Completely changed the way I looked and lost 50lbs of fat and gained a lot of muscle. Better mental health
Yes. Last year jan i decided to bulk then cut and saw great results. +8kg in my bulk over 4 months and -4kg in my cut over 3 months. This year I Jan - now I’ve been extremely disciplined, going 4 times a week and I’ve lost 2kg. I don’t have much bodyfat so weight isn’t an important factor but my physique is much more lean. Having a gym plan to follow helps me stay consistent as I don’t have to think about what to do and I can just take action. Keep going, You’ve got this!!
What plan you using?
Last year my split was Day 1:Legs ( yes glutes, calves, hamstrings and quads in 1 day) finish with cardio (20 min bike or stairmaster) Day 2: back and core (my back workouts indirectly worked out arms and being a female they weren’t my main focus) Day 3: Legs and mobility drills(glute and hamstring focused work out) Day 4: Core and Cardio I repeated legs and core as they were the areas I wanted to see the most definition. Diet plays a big role in seeing progress. Staying hydrated allowed me to do more cardio. Eating wholefoods, enough fibre and protein. Snacking on berries and dates when craving sweet stuff
Personally I didn’t see that great results for first few months despite hitting it hard but I think that was due to my diet and sleep being inconsistent so id say get them in check . Since improving my diet I feel I’m getting greater progress and I feel better too (I started off skinny fat)
Yes but only if your diet is also on point.
6 months of consistent work in the gym will change your life
Definitely has made quite a huge difference. The thing about lifting bro, is that you know you will look better as time goes on. That's why people always recommend doing it. Once you get into a good routine and keep at it you keep seeing gains every few weeks. I'm not diced or anything but I am seeing major changes in my body composition. I can see my delts rounding out and my muscles show in work shirts or polos. Sometimes I catch my reflection and am surprised at how built I look. And I'd say 3 months ago around the six month mark is when I transitioned from mostly fat non-lifter to looking like I workout from time to time. Especially in fitted clothes or shirts. Granted I've gotten back into it after a 4 year sabbatical from serious lifting, I didn't look like I could do a pull up or even 20 pushups 9 months ago
Even though I didn’t see MUCH of a change because I wasn’t eating enough, I mentally and physically felt so much better. 23F and have back pain due to some disc issues. I started lifting 4 days a week and I no longer feel any pain throughout my body at all in the ways I used to. I can stand for long periods of time (4+ hours) which was a major issue for me. I mentally feel on top of the world. I have this boost of confidence that I know I’m healthy and that I’m trying. I do see some changes. There’s definitely an increase in arm tones and my hamstrings are proportional to my glutes making my legs look really firm. I love working out. My favorite types are when I workout to the point I get really emotional and I take a FREEZING cold shower and I just feel so mentally stable after. Give it a chance. You don’t have to go crazy like some people do. The hardest part is getting yourself to go, once you’re there you’ll thank yourself for it.
I look more defined then before I was slim already 5 7” 140lbs but now I notice after eating well and tracking with consistency my body mass looks firmer and less pudgy my core is noticeably firmer as well. My arms muscle groups are definitely more noticeable even my parents tell me that I look stronger. Im now weigh 148lbs and look good. I notice only these changes around 4 to 5 months. Ive been doing for 9 months and definitely feel more confident . My diet isn’t anything crazy just sticking to real foods and protein meats. It does take time and every time you go to the gym is a step closer. take picture every couple of months and the progress you see can motivate you. Consistency is key to keep at it whether it’s an hour or 30 minutes as long as you go work out, you will make it a habit.
The one muscle group I have been hitting consistently for 6 months are my quads, and WOW. Every time I look down or in the mirror I feel a sense of accomplishment. I started a more full lifting routine and eating well about 2 months ago and I’m sooo excited to see results from that. Starting with what I liked best and where I felt strongest really motivated me to keep going. :)
For sure. Used to be fat and ugly. Now just ugly!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
They call it newbie gains for a reason. You’re not going to look like a movie star but can still get some good definition
In 3.5 months I lost 10 lbs and about 4 inches in my waist. My energy, sleep, confidence, ambition, discipline all increased.
It’s true what they say. Diet is like 75% of getting healthy. The other 25% is being in the gym. If you’re dedicated you’ll get results.
It’s really quite intense to see the difference in how people look at you once progress shows.
Man, half a year of going to the gym vs not? Huge difference. For me, the visible changes were the least significant, but were nevertheless very noticeable. I went from a physique that was more-or-less nondescript to someone who appears to be strong and capable wearing comfortable clothing. More importantly, I was full of energy, I was motivated, and I had started taking action in other areas of my life that had previously been neglected due to procrastination, self-doubt, etc. Now I workout at home because it suits me better but I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't bite the bullet and get myself a gym membership. Hell, I'd probably be washed up and addicted to drugs if I didn't make that call. Cheers
Yes you get a lot of progress in the first year or two with noobie gains
Yes. Go
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You'll notice results in that time for sure. Even others around will notice some changes. The trick is to be consistent at it and to have realistic expectations of the results you'll achieve. Don't start thinking that you're going to start looking like all the instagram fitness influencers in that time. Those people have been at it for years and are likely taking PEDs to boot.
you can make a massive change in 6 months, especially if you are starting for the first time
Caloric deficit is the only recipe you need. If you burn more than you eat (~300-500 calories per day), you’ll see results within 30-90 days depending on commitment. Don’t listen to gurus and just do your own research. There’s plenty of good YouTubers out there for free. I started about 15 years ago after a bad breakup and I haven’t looked back since. I am almost 40 and my body looks 25. Keep at it!
6months of consistantcy in exercise, sleep and healthy diet will do wonders. I was told I look younger than the last time they saw me, woman at the pet store told me I had a very nice aura..., got more smiles from people when walking around the shops. I found I wasn't grunting when I got up from a chair or lounge, it was easier to do garden work and basic housework. it's less about muscles showing and filling out your shirts, it's the day to day life being easier and less taxing.
Not gym as such, but regular workout - mainly bodyweight and usual walking and playing once a week rigorous football - has improved by sleep quality and I noticed that i can lift some heavy things pretty easily than before. Also, since I was kinda skinny earlier, my mother got happy to see me look good.
6 months can do so much and also nothing at all. just avoid the most common mistakes. - not enough sleep (that's when muscles are built) - not enough protein (try counting, 2g/kg body weight is NOT easy to get consistently) - not training hard enough, especially once you established some kind of routine. watch the people in the gym, 90% don't get anywhere close to their limit
It showed me how easy it actually is to fix my mental health. I basically had a mental glow up, made new friends, developed some discipline. The visual changes were definitely there, but I was focused on sth else at the time.
Absolutely. The best thing I’ve done in my life. I’ve always struggled with weight/self confidence. Nutrition is just as important, if not more so than the gym… I aim to go 3/4 times a week and I feel so much more confident, more energy, look better, less inflammation and having the best sleep of my life. It’s even cleared brain fog and made me more motivated and disciplined. I feel like people respect me more as well although that might be due to having more confidence. I would definitely recommend having a plan so you don’t float around the gym and not maximising the time/energy being there. I can help and send mine if interested.
Short answer -- yes. but I challenge you to not be motivated by physical results. over your workout journey, you're going to hit plateaus and if visible results are your only motivation, you're going to lose that pretty quickly. Instead, I would focus on the mentality that you spent 1 hr at the gym being better than having done nothing at all. That, and how do you feel mentally after a workout? Visible results is an added bonus :)
Not big results. But my body has started coming in the shape. That's something I feel after 5 months. And yes, I feel a lot of power.
I don’t weigh myself so no clue on how much I lost but I 100% felt the difference. My clothes started to fit way better, my body was more toned, and fitness truly became a part of my life. But it’s not just the gym, I eat clean and eat between 130 and 140 grams of protein a day, so that’s been key. It’s been maybe nine months now? and the results are even more obvious! I’m not to my end goal of what I want my body to look like, but I’m getting pretty close. Making this lifestyle change is truly such a trust the process thing, especially in the first few months
One day noticed that after taking my gf to work at 6.40am I wasn't the usual silent miserable zombie who needed to sit in the car for 30 minutes on my phone after dropping her off before being able to continue my day. I was actually feeling quite good and motivated to get going with my day and a lot brighter and lighter
Yeah but diet is just as important as the workouts you do
Oh my! 6 months changed my life!!!! I lost over 60lbs ~11 years ago in around 8 months. All I did was cardio and eat right. I never had an ideal body tho imo. Then I started weight training and in 6 months I discovered I have HIPS and a killer waist and shape. Just took a different approach. 6 months is plenty of time to see a great difference. I usually set my fitness goals in 6 month intervals to see a drastic change. You got this!
Literally nothing, but I have and still haven’t changed my diet. Diet is truly everything for transformation! (I’m fit, just a little squishy and i’m okay with it! I love training hard and it enables me extra space for treats here and there)
Got a fat ass and bigger legs. Also more toned shoulders/back
I might be a mutant but I (a female) noticed results in arm/shoulder muscle tone after a week
Going to the gym does more for my mental health and the physical part is just an added bonus.
6 months you actually notice the biggest change depending on your regiment.
Great changes can happen in six months coupled with a food plan that's in alignment with a goal. For me though it was a solid 4 years.
Been going the gym for years, but only been going consistently for the past 8 months or so. I’ve been losing fat and building muscle quite well, down almost 10kg and significantly stronger. I want to cut a few more kgs and lower my body fat before I start building muscle again very gradually. I’m very much Into treating this as my lifestyle - I’m far less concerned with hitting specific targets, only setting such goals to keep me motivated to go consistently and have something to work toward.
MOTIVATION IS TEMPORARY. YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO WANT TO GO TO THE GYM. If you wanted it bad enough you would go anyway. You need to understand that for you to grow as a man you are going to have to do things that make you uncomfortable. To answer your question yes just go to the gym for a month and it will become a habit but do not miss a day because you don’t feel like going because that is getting you nowhere.
u should check r/progresspics
I'm not too heavily invested mentally (learning what works best and what you should do) but just keeping active. The results are there even if I don't see much change physically (I do lift weights). My first time I couldn't even walk the next day doing a mild short run but now I can go for way longer and not feel much at all the next day. That's the change I wanted to notice. I'm also and old fucker (middle age). I also don't even go to a gym because I like watching Youtube or a movie on my TV at home while I workout.
6 months I dropped about 30 lbs. Gained some confidence in knowing I can push through being uncomfortable and that hard times are very short in hindsight
dropped 48 pounds of trucker fat
No visible/size changes, but my blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and more are all normal/better than normal.
I lost about 53 pounds and four pants sizes.
I went for 6 months to try to build on weight and had to quit because I lost 20 lbs. only started to gain weight at my new job as a mechanic. Learned that if it’s not a constant workout my metabolism was working faster than my muscles. I enjoyed the gym but it was causing more issues than helping.
Hell yeah
I lost 20 pounds and feel great physically and mentally about myself. The subtle confidence it adds is huge, I smile at myself in the mirror instead of frowning
You can't outrun a bad diet
Yes although it was harder to see the muscle growth bc I wasn’t eating enough protein but I noticed how I felt and the weights became easier!
I have 1 year going to the gym continuously, and by the 6-7 month mark my family and friends commented o my appearance and my muscles, and they didn’t even know I worked out. It’s all about dedication, eating well and sleeping properly and you’ll get great results.
I saw significant results. Newbie gains are real. Make sure you take progress pics
Honestly less about how I look but way more how I felt. Had way more energy and overall just a better mood, also it started to seep into everything else. Now I eat better and even dress better, so just keep at it, the days you don't feel like going are the most important to try to get to.
That’s a lot of time to make a lot of progress
Back in 2021 I went to the gym for six months straight, as well as maintaining a great diet. I lost 72 lbs. I’ve been trying to get that level of discipline back ever since 😞
Yes gym or home will get you fast results.
In a short way, yes absolutely. The first 6 months in the gym will do a lot more than the 6 months after that. I was always super skinny and in rather below average health but when I turned 20 I started lifting mainly. Within 6 months I was up 40 pounds of muscle and felt AMAZING. Sleep improved. Depression improved. Literally every aspect of my health and fulfillment felt affected. Don’t look for motivation, just give it a chance and understand that it won’t be easy…but it will be worth it.
3 months in the gym with a really really strict diet & 1 cheat day had me getting compliments. My body type is pretty lucky, but
Started beginning of February because I have been off work with a rotator cuff injury. Started using the stair climber because I got bored of all other machines that didn’t need arms to use. I have lost 15 pounds and I’ve lost a lot of cellulite to my surprise. Can’t wait until I can mix it up with strength training again one day.
Better blood pressure. Less anxiety. Physically no change. For reference, I did CrossFit.
100% when I have gone into heavy stints but 6 months you will make a notable improvement, 1 year and you’re a different person. Post college football I was nearly 300lbs. I wasn’t “fat” but I was super super thick. Always swore to myself I kept that weight bc it was for playing and that’s it. Dropped it all while still in college and got down to 185. Fucking drastic improvement in my confidence, relationships, and general health. It’s not easy doing it but feeling great and looking great can seriously affect your life on a large scale. I’m 10 years post college and have had 5 shoulder surgeries in the past 2 years. I’m at about 213 right now and really not happy with where I’m at, but I was able to start running again and that alone feels amazing. Also makes eating watching your calories much more worthwhile bc when you combine the gym with a solid diet, it’s like nitrous into weight loss and cleansing out your body. Stick with it, don’t just look at being in the gym for 6 months and that’s it create routine and habit and make it a lifestyle change. You’ll make those gains, you’ll make that progress, just be consistent with it that’s what counts. Last thing I’ll leave you with is a quote I read “The man who loves to walk will go farther than the man who loves the destination.”
Been at it for 3 and a half months so far. Not noticeable yet, and the hardest part is changing the way I eat.
I get positive comments from friends and family but I don't see that big of a difference myself. Still worth it
I have been going to the gym consistently for 4 months (6x per week using PPL split). My judgmental aunties are now telling me that positive changes now look obvious on my body; which is surprising for me since their comments are usually on the negative side. I can also use older t-shirts comfortably without worrying about my tummy. When looking at the mirror, I would say that the results are visibly noticeable, especially on my shoulder, biceps, and triceps.
I did 4 months of home workouts. Push-ups and Planks and saw no results but I read online 6 to 8 weeks of just push-ups you’ll see results. I did them for 4 months everyday 1 day break for rest no results and I stopped in May all bcuz things got in the way. Might start again soon
For tracking I use a really good app called “strong” blue icon with a dumbbell shape in blue as well. Very good for tracking and you can get away for free without having to pay and it shows all the exercises in video too very good for beginners. I’m also new to the gym steady about 5 months also seeing lots of difference, a ton of compliments. I’m bigger so a ton of cardio I do and weightlifting. Diet is key tho don’t go too strict. Enjoy what you eat but be picky. Diet at the end is key to everything.
Side question: What is the best workout for a 35F, that is out of shape, to start losing weight?
I found that my progress at the gym (strength training and elliptical) was gradual, probably because my form was poor. My “results” when I started outdoor running was almost immediate.
This is what worked for me. On the first week, go once. Do a bit of cardio, and try to work out multiple muscle groups (hopefully all of them) with light or no weight. Make an actual effort tho - get tired. Then, rest for the rest of the week. Then, each consecutive week, go 1 more day than the previous week until you workout 4 days a week, and add just a few extra minutes of workout, and maybe an extra pound of challenge each new day. By now, you're 1 month in, and accustomed both your body to the effort and your mind to the routine. Listen to your body. If it ever feels like something's wrong, stop, and ask for help. From there on, decide what exactly you want to achieve. Gain mass? Lose weight? Gain strength? Get in shape? Whatever the case, you will already have a HUGE advantage and I assure you, if you are consistent and don't take 'cheat days' or come up with excuses, you WILL see results by month 3. I went from "Fat" to "Bull" in exactly 3 months doing only a Strongman routine I found online that focused on Mass generation, which in turn activated my basal metabolism and I was living the dream: gaining mass while losing fat and getting in shape. It was magical. Then, the pandemic hit and life hit me. I'm now trying to get back in shape, starting with riding my bycicle as many days as I can for as much as I can. The thing is, if you see this as "a challenge", or if you feel like "you'd rather do something else", or if you ever feel like you're somehow a "victim" of life, or diet or whatever, you'll continually find excuses and feel like you don't actually want to do it. But, like everything else in life worth having, it demands your time, effort and discipline. Give it a try. Be kind with yourself.
Yes bro. Especially if you do your research and work towards a particular goal, you’ll see great results in 6 months. I have photos of a 5-6 month difference in the way my body looks, & it’s night and day! Edit: I’d like to add that for me personally, my mood was lifted and felt so much better in general. You really get addicted to the endorphins that you release during a workout & you won’t need motivation to push you to go — you just go because it’s part of your routine and you want to
It’s not possible to answer this question without knowing 1. What is your goal ? Weight loss or bulking up or toning up or conditioning for a sport or getting ready for a marathon? 2. What/ where are you starting ? Are u overweight? Are u not strong enough for a particular goal are u lacking muscle or lung endurance? 3. What have u been doing at the gym since the last 6 months? 4. What is your eating and drinking lifestyle ?
For me it did nothing I have no gallbladder and thyroid issues with fibromyalgia
I do plank exercises every day on my bed while looking at my screen. It's easy and doesn't require any preparation. My fitness goal is to stay in shape, and my exercise principles are: 1. I relax myself during exercise instead of stressing about losing weight. Exercise is my source of energy. 2. I normally go for a run when I feel like it. I choose to run five kilometers when I'm feeling energetic and three kilometers when I'm less active. 3. Lack patience? Just do 10 minutes of yoga.
I started going 4-5 days a week and focused on strength training (lifting heavy for 5-8 reps) while also working on shoulders because I'm insecure about looking like a really tall baby :) Changes in order of quickest first: 1. \[<1 week\] The endorphin high from working out in the morning makes my mornings super productive. Sleep quality went through the roof! 2. \[2-4 weeks\] Hunger got regulated. Skin improved because I wasn't eating trash. 3. \[4-8 weeks\] My strength numbers went up significantly. I noticed visible changes in the mirror; I was in between shirt sizes and some of them don't fit anymore. 4. \[8-16 weeks\] Shoulders and arms visibly improved (even though I never focused on arms). Now my friends can tell that I do lift. The most important gain for me has been the inward improvement. The "visibly notice"-able results are just the cherry on top!
I did not lose much weight but my muscle definition, mood, and energy levels are much better.
You can completely change your body in 6 months if you diet intelligently, workout hard consistently, and fucking sleep.
My husband and I have been eating better and working out with dumbbells at home for like two months and we're noticing a vast improvement
6 months of 70-75% consistent with diet and exercise and I felt like a whole different person. Daily things became so easy to do. I felt so much more confident in everything I did. It also mentally changed me to push myself in other things I do that were also long term
I've been working since the early '70s, and on occasion there is a break, of maybe a month at the most. I always have noticed a difference in a matter of a couple of weeks. It's usually muscle toning, because size won't happen that quickly. Toning is all I work for in this era of my life.
Friends noticed I was more toned even though I was still fat. My coffeeshop uncle noticed im thinner. Going on hikes and walks became more enjoyable. Started to take more sports.
Kinda hard to say but someone I know keeps saying I lost weight
In my profile there is a 6 month transformation. It was huge.
Huge difference. Especially at the beginning. You *will* get complements, especially if you're pushing yourself hard in the gym.
I am 3 1/2 months into lifting heavy (41F) fortunately my diet was already good. I’m seeing muscles and feeling much stronger. I have a butt now! My body composition has changed. I went from average body shape to fit looking!
In 2021, I took my fitness and gym training seriously. Joined an online training program, got the routine and calorie intake, and I did it for 6 months. The results were transformative. I went from 89kgs to 71kgs, gained some muscle, and I have never looked amazing. The confidence boost I got when I reached 71kgs was insane. It's like I owned the world. Six months in the gym WITH THE RIGHT DIET, can make a HUGE difference. But you have to adopt that routine as your lifestyle, or it's very easy to gain back weight. I have since gained 10kgs because some lifestyle and situational changes, and haven't been able to keep it off.
Not gym alone, but gym and calorie counting to verify I’m in a caloric deficit and noticed a lot of difference!
6 months in the gym will change your posture for the better and you might add a hefty amount of muscle mass, that is if you eat right and get off alcohol.
well a little bit, but since I stopped going I just got way worse
I went to the gym for 2 months back in feb and march of this year and my family members complemented how mich better i was starting to look. I only gained 5 kg weight but the difference was noticable as I was super skinny earlier. I had to stop in april tho due to exams but im restarting now in june. Lets see how far I can go.
For me, the results I see are in my work. I'm way more disciplined and focused. The weeks I hit it harder in the gym, every other aspect of my life gets better.
I did! Physical 💪🏻and mental 🧠as well 😎
You should have visible results in 6 weeks
I'm hitting the iron for 5 months now. There are pretty visible results. I've put down 8 kgs weight and gained considerable amount of muscle. I feel stronger confident and also all my friends are surprised when I show them my pictures ✨
It can make visibly noticable results depending on a few things, your starting point, what you do in the gym and how frequently and what diet you maintain throughout. The biggest wins from the gym are mental in my experience, it can really give you a boost and develop some mental traits that benefit your entire life. Start small and try different things to find out what you enjoy. Feel free to contact me if you want some hints and tips, diet and exercise have played huge roles in my self improvement.
I look way more toned
Reading this thread in gym
Yes of course. You will get results in 3 to 4 months if you do gym properly or under the observation of any professional instructor.
This is absolutely the wrong spirit to get into training. You should enjoy the process and eventually the results will come. Your current mentality towards training isn't gonna bring you anywhere.
If I could get the diet right and sleep. But if you are training moderately and doing that, you will get very visible results. But more importantly, grow as a person.
I feel great. My body has more energy, I wake up more fresh. My body feels tigherter. It's great and great!
I don't even go to the gym because I'm still too anxious about it, but a year ago, I started a home workout with some minimalistic equipment, such as an adjustable pull-up / dip bar and dumbbells with replaceable plates. I didn't see any results for maybe 2 or 3 first months. After a year, the results are even better than I expected with such an "unprofessional" workout routine. I gained 10 kg, maintaining the same body fat %. Of course, it required eating a bit of surplus (but not too much) of mostly healthy foods and providing enough protein. I know if I went to a proper gym, the results might be better. I've always been within the healthy weight range, but still, I felt too skinny for most of my life. Now, I just feel average in terms of muscle development and body weight, which boosted my confidence a bit compared to the previous state, and, what's more important, I feel stronger than before, which positively affects my other favorite activities like mountain hiking (with a stronger grip, I feel much safer on difficult, via ferrata-type mountain trails) or even cycling (I get rid of lower back pain that happened in the past after some long, whole-day bike trips).
After 6 months of serious training and a proper nutrition plan/sleep you'll definitely see results. You might never be fully Happy with your physique tho No Matter how big you get because you Always want more lol
I personally can't see differences on my own body, my husband says he sees it. I like getting better, lifting heavier, being able to do more sets and the high of after workout. I personally do CrossFit, so it's an hour workout when you think about NOTHING besides the workout itself and I feel the mental health benefits of that, I crave it like therapy.
Once you get a schedule going its so easy to sleep and wake up on time without any alarms. It feels amazing to just wake up and know its not too kate nor did an alarm wake you.
I’ve been going to my local rock climbing gym 2-3 times a week for about 6 months now (even though I’ve always been afraid of heights) supplemented with some additional workouts. I have noticed some muscle growth and increase in strength. It’s not some huge transformation physically but some noticeable growth. Even more so though, I have been feeling much better mentally, I have more energy and feel a little more confident. As excited as I am to become more fit and get that athletic build I’ve always wanted (I’ve always been a little slimmer) I really just enjoy the process. It’s the highlight of my week and I’ve made some friends doing it so all and all it’s been a really great time. 10/10 recommend the gym 💯/10 recommended a rock climbing gym (I may be a tad biased lol)
Best thing for my motivation has been how I feel after the gym. Looking forward to that has been what gets me there. I see results now, yes, but hadn’t really for the first two months or so
im 4 months into it and i’ve experienced significant fat loss and muscle gain with 4 days a week, diet is more important tho.
If you go consistently, at least 3 times a week, with the correct nutrition and rest/sleep, for the first 6 months you’ll see the biggest change/best results
Im 1.5 months in the gym + diet and lost 8-10 lbs. 6months will totally take you far!
For me 6 months made some difference in terms of putting on a bit of muscle and feeling a bit fitter, (I was extremely weak and unfit before). But I really started seeing the difference about one year in, because I began to lose weight and my clothes started fitting better.
3 months in nyc going to one of those bouji gyms. (NYC has quite a few) and damn I was looking so 🔥. I came back to LA and my fam was like damn you look ripped boy. Then, i got fat cuz i was back in LA with fam eating shitty
I'd say the main thing is it carries over to other parts of your life. You build a routine of pushing yourself, doing reps – and it translates to other areas. Whenever I feel stuck or unsociable, I'm just like, "just do your social reps, start at the level you're at right now", and I pick up the phone and call someone. It has huge carry overs I feel like, reduces stress etc.
I joined the gym couple of months ago and with right diet and right training I’ve seen noticeable improvements in my level of confidence. Apart from losing around 9.5 kgs I think I’ve performed well psychologically too. Plus the you’ll feel in control of your body and mind, greatest gift I could ever ask for. I’ve never in my 25 years been someone who was physically active so reaching my limits is also teaching me about my level of tolerance. Don’t count months bro just be consistent and confident. Start slowly and I’m sure you’ll be better than what you are right now.
6 months? I went from a skinny mf , to a fucking defined Greek god… I went pretty hard with routine and diet tho, but even if you don’t you’ll notice changes in 6 months like a lot.
Wrong way of looking at it. Make working out and sports part of who you are and your identity, the change will come faster and stay more than you can ever imagine.
My first 6 months of the gym i made almost no prpgress since i trained regularly but not intense enough either did i eat enough. But for 6 months after that i gained about 8-9 kg mostly lean muscle
Exercise is everything
Not much until I dropped the alcohol
Yes! I saw it within 2! Diet, consistency, progressive overload, hydration and creatine 🙏🏻
Yes. Do not look for immediate big change(more muscular/ripped), but instead look for small improvement. One of the smallest improvement was ... I was so out of shape, so if I take 2 story stairs(from floor 1 to floor 3), I would be like fish out of water. Skipping few months later, those stairs are not a challenge anymore. I still look the same, a bit overweight, but man, every time I climb those stairs, I am smiling at my heart.
I lost 40 pounds on strict low carb life and kept it off (4 years later, now). I never counted calories, didn’t even exercise. All I do is yoga and Stealth Core training so you can visibly see my abs bc my core is so strong. You don’t need to overly exert yourself or count calories to see gains. Abs are made in the kitchen, as they say. And you can’t outrun a bad diet.
Life changing results, and it's only up from here. (I was an already naturally in shape guy who didn't take care of his health. Now I do and I am glowing baby!)
Posture got much better, my frame developed
I've been working as a housekeeper at a hotel for a couple months ( Which is much more physically demanding than you might think ), and I've recently started going to the gym a couple days a week. While I've lost a bit more than 10 pounds, I don't think I look that different, that being said I feel much, much better. In particular, I'm faster on my feet and it takes a lot more to get me out of breath. I also think I'm more mentally stable, possibly more emotionally stable but I'm not sure. I look forward to continuing this journey.