So you started making some changes – maybe it’s nutrition, or workouts, or a combination of both. Maybe you just started a dieting phase, or maybe it’s a muscle-building phase. Whatever it is, you probably wanted those results yesterday, right?
That’s why you’re here. That’s why you started. I’ve never personally had a client tell me “well, I’d like to feel more confident in my body in like 6-8 weeks.” They say, “I want to feel confident in my body” and usually they’ve been feeling like that for far longer than 8 weeks already in the first place.
And it makes sense. I’m the same way. We tend to not make a change until we already want the thing that the change is going to get us, right?
But let’s say you make these changes, and a few weeks in, you start feeling frustrated at the lack of progress that you’re making. You’re working so dang hard. So you’re wondering if you are doing something wrong, or if you need to workout more, or eat even less, or up calories a bit, or switch gyms or fire your coach.
The ultimate question all of these questions are truly asking, is “how long does it take to see progress?”
And this is exactly why you’re asking, “If I haven’t seen progress in the first few weeks, do I need to change my nutrition and training?”
The short answer?
It depends, but probably not.
Very likely not, actually, if you are taking small steps towards your goal & those steps are aligned with the goal.
I hate being the bearer of not-so-good-news, but at the end of the day, progress typically takes longer than you want it to.
Can you see some change in 3-4 weeks?
Yeah, sometimes- depending on your approach & adherence!
Will you always see change in 3-4 weeks?
Nope- but that doesn’t mean what you’re doing it “wrong!”
You have to give your behaviors time to compound towards the result you’re after.
For most of us, 3-4 weeks is just straight-up not enough time for that to happen if we’re taking a sustainable approach. There is nothing wrong with you or what you’re doing if you don’t see progress right away.
I’d even argue that if you do happen to see some sort of MASSIVE change in just a few weeks, your approach probably isn’t sustainable and it’s probably not going to end well for you. Will you get to your goal? Maybe. But will you keep that goal- the fitness, the weight change, the habits- after reaching it? Probably not.
I’m sure it feels like I’m being a negative Nelly right about now, but I want you to succeed, I’m going to tell you the truth. You need to know the truth-
Don’t abandon ship & don’t try to switch everything up just because you’re not seeing what you want to see as fast as you want to see it.
So how do you know if you started doing what’s right in the first place?
Let’s cover our bases- I’m going to talk about some GENERAL rules of thumb, which y’all tend to enjoy overcomplicating & finding exceptions to the rule. But the thing is, we’re all in different places and we’re all all-over the board. I cannot write this- and you cannot read it- and expect to be able to easily and clearly apply everything I write to your life exactly.
Frankly, I don’t know you. (Well, maybe I do, but unless you’re my client, I probably don’t know enough about you to be able to guide you into exactly what your game-plan should or could look like.)
I’m sharing these rules of thumb for you to gain some context and be able to recognize the BS that the fitness industry throws at you sometimes. You know- like the $80 supplement and two-a-day gym sessions and outrageously privileged nutrition advice trying to convince you that if you don’t eat organic you’re going to die by the age of 50.
ZOOM OUT. LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE. Stop getting caught up in tiny details that are bringing you more stress than they are health. It’s silly, it’s unnecessary, and it’s getting in your way to actual health and progress.
So like I said, before any of you come at me for being super vague, know that I’m trying to tell you exactly what you should be doing and how- I’m trying to give you context and the general, basic rules of thumb for no-BS health & fitness advice from a health-first, progress-second (but still prioritized) standpoint.
TRAINING
Training needs vary person-to-person depending on personal history, current fitness level, and largely, what goal they have in mind.
If your goal is to build strength or muscle mass…
then you’ll again want to be lifting 3-5x/week, with maybe 1-3 shorter or lower intensity cardio sessions, depending on your goal current fitness level, and training age. There are a million ways to split up your lifts and workouts, but we won’t get into that today. The main point here, though, is that you’re lifting frequently and heavy, and progressing over time so you can build that muscle.
If your goal is some sort of body-recomposition…
(aka “toning up,” which is gaining muscle & losing body fat), you should be lifting 3-5x/week, following a program that progressively overloads your body. Cardio anywhere from 1-4x/week, usually 15-45 minutes each, again depending on your goal, phase, & and how much time you realistically have available to you to put toward this. The main point here, though, is that you’re lifting frequently and heavy, and progressing over time so you can build (or at the very least, maintain the muscle that you have).
If your goal is a different performance goal…
(like running or another sport), then you’ll want to consistently practice and trying specifically for that sport, while strength training at LEAST 2x/week, upwards of 4x/week. (Strength training makes you better at almost every sport & protects you from injury, which is why it’s still a rule of thumb here).
While most people would benefit from *any* type of solid strength training programming, individualized programming can be *extra* great if you’ve had injuries, have more specific goals, or have a higher training age (which means you’ve been lifting for a few years at this point). This is where a coach, who’s able to assess your goals, preferences, and history comes in handy.
Regardless of whether your programming is individualized or not, though, doesn’t matter if you’re not RECOVERING well. In my opinion, it’s the “health hack” that everyone’s been asking about but no one wants to accept the importance of…but that’s a soapbox for another time.
RECOVERY
Recovery needs also vary person-to-person, but I can promise you one thing about everyone:
You’re. Not. Going. To. Progress. If. You’re. Not. Recovering. Well.
Stress (aka workouts) does NOT = adaptation/progress by itself.
Stress + RECOVERY = adaptation.
Your muscles don’t build up & get stronger during your workout- that’s when you’re breaking DOWN the fibers.
Your muscle is building back up and getting stronger when you’re- you guessed it- recovering. And by recovering, I’m not really talking about all the cryotherapy and compression therapy and ice tubs- although those things are pretty cool- I’m talking about the basic factors of your life that a lot of us suck at controlling.
Sleep and stress management.
I have a personal theory that no one pays enough attention to these simply because they’re boring- and honestly, they are on the surface. But when you truly understand how integrated and complex sleep and stress is within our bodies, you realize it’s actually pretty interesting. We won’t get into that here, but let me know if you want a deeper dive into it- I know I’m far from the only one who finds it fascinating.
SLEEP
You should be sleeping 7-9 hours. Yes, you.
From both a health and a progress standpoint.
“But I don’t need that much sleep.”
Okay, well The National Sleep Foundation says that 6-10 hours is acceptable- but that doesn’t mean they recommend it.
From a health standpoint, it’s a foundational NEED. Yes, it’s a privilege that not everyone has equal access to. It feels like a luxury many wish they could have more of. But at the end of the day, sleep should be one of your biggest priorities, considering 50-70 million Americans are habitually sleep deprived. And even if they’re not feeling the immediate affects of it, chronic sleep deprivation increases the risk of dementia- by 33%, actually- as well as depression, anxiety, irritability, forgetfulness, brain fog…and car accidents.
I could continue, but I hope you get the point by now from a health standpoint.
From a progress standpoint, however, it’s also a foundational factor.
In THIS study, two groups were placed short-term on a moderate calorie deficit. Group A step 5.5 hours and Group B slept 8.5 hours.
Group A lost 55% LESS body fat and 60% MORE fat-free mass (aka muscle).
Sleep. Isn’t. Lazy.
You need it.
STRESS
Yes, working out. Yes, therapy. Yes, a good support system.
All of those things, and at the same time, it doesn’t have to be hard or complicated or expensive.
Take 2 minutes.
Deep breathing. Meditation. Journaling. Dancing. Talking.
It all counts.
It may look different for you than it does for your significant other or your parent or your friend or your coworker or your kid- but you *have to* do SOMETHING to help yourself cope and manage the inevitable stress that comes with existing as a human in the world today.
NUTRITION
This is pretty simplified summary, but let’s keep it that way for this post’s purposes.
Maintenance phases are utilized to maintain, approximately, the weight you currently are. Before you skip to the next session, you should know two things:
- Most of your time should be spent in this phase. Yes, even if your goal is to lose weight or “tone up.” And yes, I mean MOST of your time. You cannot be in a deficit forever, which is one of the reasons your diets may not be “working.”
- Maintenance doesn’t mean your body is going to stay the same. Body recomposition is the idea of changing how much fat mass and how much muscle mass your body has – even if your weight stays the same. At a maintenance intake, where you’re eating and using the same amount of energy, it is possible to do this, especially if you haven’t been training for very long. Maintenance intake is a beautiful thing, my friends.
If you’re trying to build muscle or reverse diet, a caloric Surplus of about 10-12% = a good building phase. Sometimes more, sometimes less depending on your intake and goals. You might be asking, “why in the world would you want to gain weight?!”
And to that I say this: weight loss isn’t the greatest accomplishment you’ll ever have and weight gain isn’t always a bad thing- far from it, in some cases. Sometimes weight gain is healthy for people and sometimes weight gain is necessary for muscle, strength, or performance progress.
And a lot of people- women included- have goals like that. You’re allowed to have goals other than weight loss.
On the flip side, a caloric deficit of about 200-400 calories, depending on what intake you’re at is generally a range used for “cutting” or “dieting” phases, where the main goal is fat loss. And you’re allowed to have this goal, too. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s important that you are mentally, physically, and strategically ready for a phase like this. Personally, I think it’s important for those with this goal specifically to work closely with a coach to ensure both health and progress.
CHECK YOUR BOXES
Whew. That was a lot, but it was important.
So now that you know you have a fairly good protocol (or don’t), it’s time to check the basics boxes.
Instead of looking to change your training and nutrition to some obscure and incredibly complicated method your uncle told you about last Thanksgiving, zoom out. Check the following big-picture boxes to make sure your basics are covered.
- Sleep: Are you sleeping at least 7 hours/night?
- Stress: Are you doing something proactive to manage it?
- Nutrition: Are you adhering to your nutrition goals at least 5 days/week? Are the other days completely off?
- Hydration: Are you drinking at least 1/2 gallon of water each day?
- Training: Are you adhering to training more often than not?
If those are covered, give it a *solid* 6 weeks in whatever phase you’re in & then reassess! And if you’ve been checking the boxes and are at a loss of what in the world to do next, hiring a coach is probably going to be your best bet if you truly want to make progress.
You can apply for KML Coaching with one of our awesome coaches HERE.
