You purchase a Rig Rack. You take the 3-5-minutes necessary to set it up in your driveway or at your favorite park. Then, you perform your first workout. At this point, it’s natural to start wondering, “when will I start noticing results?” (Who doesn’t love instant gratification, right?)
You don’t have to wait long at all. However, in regards to giving you an exact answer, it’s complicated. The answer depends on a few factors. Were you training prior to owning a Rig Rack? How much protein do you consume on a daily basis? Also, as we discussed in previous posts, are you using challenging weights and how often are you training?
Since we’re not sitting together as you’re reading this, I’m going to assume you’re new or fairly new to training (even though the Rig Rack is great for experienced trainees, too). I’m also going to assume you train around three times per week, eat a protein source at every meal, and increase your weights periodically. With this in mind, there is a general timeline for when you can start seeing muscle growth.
This timeline comes from a University of Oklahoma study where researchers monitored weekly muscle growth during a strength training program. The researchers used CT scans to measure muscle fiber thickness changes. The participants performed three weekly workouts for a total of eight weeks. The trainees also rested 48 hours between workouts, allowing them time to recover in between.
After the first week, the participants muscle fiber size increased 3.5%. After that, the weekly increase ranged from 0.2 to 1.4%. The total muscle growth after eight weeks was 10%.
So…what do these numbers mean? First, even if you don’t notice it, your muscles grow every week with training. Second, even one week of training can lead to noteworthy muscle growth.
Finally, getting back to the original question, the researchers said muscle growth was noticeable at 3-4 weeks of training. At this point, muscle fibers increased about 7-8%. A change of this size should start reflecting in a person’s appearance.
The study says it should take about a month to start noticing results. However, I think it could be even sooner for you. The trainees in the study trained three times per week, using only three exercises. If you perform more than three exercises in your workouts, it’s likely you’ll notice results in less than a month!
How can you notice these results? There are a few possibilities: new muscle lines appearing in your arms and shoulders, your thighs or arms fitting a little tighter in your pants or t-shirts, and/or your pants feeling looser around the waist.
To see results, use the Rig Rack three times per week, choose challenging weights, and eat protein regularly with your meals. You should start noticing changes in less than a month!
Reference
DeFreitas, J.M., Beck, T.W., Stock, M.S., Dillon, M.A., & Kasishke, P.R. (2011). An examination of the time course of training-induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy. European Journal of Applied Physiology. DOI 10.1007/s0042-011-1905-4.
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