If you really want to see results reflected on the scale and continue to make progress over time, you need to commit to working out at least four to five days per week. But remember, you'll build up to this. To start, you might only want to do two or three days per week and slowly work your way up to five days.
“At 6 to 8 weeks, you can definitely notice some changes,” said Logie, “and in 3 to 4 months you can do a pretty good overhaul to your health and fitness.” Strength-specific results take about the same amount of time.
Though three or four workouts per week is still a great place to start if you want to sculpt some muscle, how you spend your time during those workouts will be a little different than if you're sweating for overall health or to lose weight, Anjorin says.
“We're all individual in our make-up, thus the rate at which we see changes to our body will be different in each person.” That being said, Hughes explained that if you stick to your workout regime and you're training between three and five times a week, you can expect to see results within a month or two.
“Maintaining a moderate exercise routine is an essential component of leading a healthy lifestyle,” WebMD chief medical officer John Whyte told The Post. “But working out two to three times a day is way too much.” Excessive exercise often results in “a plethora of overuse injuries,” according to Whyte.
Your timeline to a six-pack depends on the body fat percentage you're starting with. A good rule of thumb (and a safe one) is to aim to lose 1 to 2 percent of body fat per month. So, unveiling your abs can take anywhere from 3 months to 2 years. It really does vary.
The ideal workout duration can vary significantly depending on the person, their goals, their preferences, and the exercise type. For weightlifting and bodyweight strength training, 45–60 minutes per session may suffice. Meanwhile, cardiovascular and calisthenic training may be better if performed for 30–60 minutes.
After three months, you'll start to see more of a significant improvement in strength and endurance along with a noticeable improvement in resting heart rate, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and other health indicators.
The American Council on Exercise says a 1 percent body fat loss per month is safe and achievable. Given that math, it could take a woman with average body fat about 20 to 26 months to achieve the appropriate amount of fat loss for six-pack abs. The average man would need about 15 to 21 months.
Significant weight loss and muscle gains will take approximately eight weeks to see, however, even though you're not seeing muscle definition, the benefits going on in your body and mind are considerable. “Your clothes will fit better, your posture will be better and you'll walk taller,” Sharp says.
It is possible to see toning in a month if you work out every day although most people see noticeable results within 6 to 8 weeks.
But after decades working with bodies of all shapes and sizes, what Flex instructors definitely can advise is that with 30 days of rigorous, dedicated exercise, you will see and feel huge change – physically and mentally – that is highly likely to create a new, lifetime habit.
Thirty days will fly by, but if you stay focused, you can achieve big results. “While it's physically impossible to go from overweight and out of shape to looking like a Men's Health cover model by Memorial Day,” said Fauci, “one month is definitely a reasonable amount of time to see clear results in terms of fitness.”
After Two Weeks of Consistent Workouts
“There may be noticeable improvements in performance, such as muscles improving reaction time to stimulus or strength increase in the form of more repetitions completed or weight lifted,” he adds. The greatest difference at two weeks is actually in your mood.
Your pants and/or shorts are looser in the waistline.
It is the easiest and most effortless way to notice your progress on the journey to a washboard stomach. If your pants are fitting more loosely or if you have to tighten your belt, then you are losing fat around your stomach.
10 to 14 percent
This range of body fat is still lean, which means your abs will be visible.
You should be able to see visible abs at around 17% body fat for men and 24% for women. Keep in mind they won't be well defined and you may only see the top 2 or 4 abs at this point. For a shredded 6-pack, you'll need to get below 10% for men and below 18% for women.
Even if you're well-upholstered, the good news is that two months is plenty to substantially change your figure.
After a month of regular exercise, you will be noticing improvements to your strength and fitness. "You may be able to do more reps in weight training or slightly raise the load, or you're able to walk, jog or cycle a bit faster," Robergs says.
So, how much muscle can you realistically gain in one month? For most beginners, gaining 2-4lbs of muscle per month is a realistic rate of muscle gain. More advanced lifters should aim to gain 1-2lbs of muscle per month, as research has shown slower rates of muscle gain the more advanced a lifter becomes.
Morning workouts are ideal for burning fat and losing weight, but afternoon workouts may give your performance a boost, since you'll have eaten a meal or two by the time you get going. “Any time you eat, your blood sugar levels rise,” Hackney says.
Between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., your body temperature is at its highest. This may mean you'll be exercising during the window of time your body is most ready, potentially making it the most effective time of day to work out.
The primary benefit of sweating when you work out is that sweating helps cool your body down, says Gallucci. This can help prevent you from overheating. Exercise and high temperatures cause your body to heat up. Your body then responds with sweat.