It can take three to four weeks to experience improvement in strength, and up to six months or more to notice visible changes

Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or a complete beginner, building muscle mass can be an exciting journey for everyone. But muscle building isn’t an overnight process. It takes time and dedication to exercise, diet and nutrition. But if you start down the path to building muscle, just how long will it take until you can expect to see visible, physical results?

Athletic trainer Tom Iannetta, ATC, CSCS, provides a timeline for building muscle and shares what important factors determine your muscle-building speed.

How long does it take to gain muscle?

It generally takes about four to 12 weeks to see physical improvements in muscle growth, and sometimes, upwards of six months to visibly notice really big gains in muscle mass. That said, how fast you build muscle depends on a variety of factors related to:

  • How often you exercise
  • How much weight you’re lifting
  • The amount of repetitions and sets you do when you’re strength training
  • The foods you eat
  • The amount of protein you consume
  • How long you rest and recover
  • Your genetics, age and medical history

For example, it becomes harder to gain muscle as we get older because of a natural age-related progressive loss of muscle mass and strength. In those instances, it may take longer for someone to build muscle than a younger athlete — but it’s still possible to make improvements if you’re consistent with strength training and nutrition.

Timeline for building muscle mass

“With any kind of workout, the first three weeks is neuromuscular reeducation, where your muscles are basically learning how to lift that particular weight or do that particular exercise,” explains Iannetta.

That means you likely won’t see any physical results right away. A general timeline for muscle building looks like the following:

  • Three to four weeks. You’ll notice improvements in your performance. Your endurance will increase, allowing you to lift heavier weights, do more reps or exercise longer before exhaustion sets in.
  • Two to three months. After a few months, you’ll notice slight, visible changes in muscle definition if you stick with a consistent strength-training routine and nutritional plan that prioritizes protein, hydration and three healthy meals a day.
  • Four to six months. You (and others) will notice obvious changes to your frame and muscle composition if you continue to challenge yourself with strength training.

“As your muscles work harder and get stronger, they rebuild and repair themselves, producing stronger muscle tissue and eventually more muscle mass,” Iannetta further explains. “As you gain strength and improve your endurance, you can progressively overload your muscles and take on more weight or do more reps, which then results in further muscle definition.”

How do you build muscle mass fast?

Muscle building takes time, but there are things you can do to make sure you stay on track and get the results you need without distraction. First, pushing yourself too hard too fast could potentially lead to injury and delay your ability to gain muscle — so be smart about your approach.

“You should build in time for rest and recovery because your muscles need time to repair themselves in order to build more muscle tissue,” stresses Iannetta. “For every five days of exercise, you should have at least 24 to 48 hours of rest.”

That doesn’t mean you have to spend those days doing nothing. Iannetta strongly recommends active recovery, which involves participating in low-impact, light physical activity like walking, swimming or yoga.

“By doing active recovery exercises, you can reduce soreness, increase your muscle recovery time, keep your heart rate up and focus on other areas of your body that benefit from flexibility and stretching,” he adds.

Sculpt your strength

At the end of the day, more muscle leads to improvements in strength and endurance, which can then improve your quality of life. Try not to give up. If you don’t recognize visible results right away, focus on other benefits and improvements, like your ability to exercise longer or your ongoing strength, until those visible changes begin to surface.