How long does it take for lifting weights to have an effect?

2 days.

Three to four weeks.

May be some soreness and regression at first, but stay with it and in 10-12 weeks you have your strength cycle.

Just don’t start too aggressively.

You may very likely start seeing some improvements in lifting performance within a couple weeks but these will be largely due to neuromuscular effects- ie the right muscle fibers being recruited and utilized more efficiently. True muscle strength gains and hypertrophy will take at least 6 weeks.

lol. Have you guys ever lifted? It really does take about two days for gains to be seen.

Gains season wrote:

I'm an 18 year old male, 5'11", 145 lbs. Mainly a runner but want to get in to weightlifting more. How long does it take to get progress from a weightlifting program, usually? I plan to do it about 3-4x a week.

Strength gains? As a newb? A few days. As a newb you’re going to be gaining 2.5–5% to your lifts each week. Less on lower body lifts if you’re running a lot.

It’s all improvements in neuromuscular coordination and recruitment at first.

All depends on your goals. Do you want to be a runner who lifts to improve running or a lifter who runs occasionally or all around fitness and athleticism?

I put 100-200lbs on my main lifts in a year as a newb, but I severely cut down my running.

Alan

Runningart2004 wrote:

Gains season wrote:

I'm an 18 year old male, 5'11", 145 lbs. Mainly a runner but want to get in to weightlifting more. How long does it take to get progress from a weightlifting program, usually? I plan to do it about 3-4x a week.

Strength gains? As a newb? A few days. As a newb you’re going to be gaining 2.5–5% to your lifts each week. Less on lower body lifts if you’re running a lot.

It’s all improvements in neuromuscular coordination and recruitment at first.

All depends on your goals. Do you want to be a runner who lifts to improve running or a lifter who runs occasionally or all around fitness and athleticism?

I put 100-200lbs on my main lifts in a year as a newb, but I severely cut down my running.

Alan

Also no reason to lift more than 2x per week if you lift hard enough.

I'm going to be the bearer of bad news. As long as you're training (running), you'll be hard pressed to see gains unless you are training low mileage high intensity a la 400/800/mile (maybe). I lifted when I competed in college. Will you get stronger? Probably. Will you see weight gains? Probably not. It takes a lot of food to put on muscle mass.

As long as you eat over 10k cals a day, you'll get huuuge. Doesn't matter how much you run, just eat 10k cals. Good luck!

MyosinMan wrote:

You may very likely start seeing some improvements in lifting performance within a couple weeks but these will be largely due to neuromuscular effects- ie the right muscle fibers being recruited and utilized more efficiently. True muscle strength gains and hypertrophy will take at least 6 weeks.

This info is what I was taught.

However psychological effects of lifting should not be discounted.

Instantly.

Gains season wrote:

I'm an 18 year old male, 5'11", 145 lbs. Mainly a runner but want to get in to weightlifting more. How long does it take to get progress from a weightlifting program, usually? I plan to do it about 3-4x a week.

Start doing compound movements now, and study proper form, at 18 years old, sky is the limit.

At no other point in life will your natural Testosterone be as high as it is right now. If you train smart between 18-25, you can set yourself up for lifetime strength. I lifted amounts of weight around 18-21 that I won't touch now, but consistency with that during that period of development for sure shaped me for life moving forward. Your recovery time is what sets you apart from a 30+ year old. Maximize it now.

Like Runningar

Gains season wrote:

I'm an 18 year old male, 5'11", 145 lbs. Mainly a runner but want to get in to weightlifting more. How long does it take to get progress from a weightlifting program, usually? I plan to do it about 3-4x a week.

Up to 6 weeks on average

all kinds of T wrote:

Gains season wrote:

I'm an 18 year old male, 5'11", 145 lbs. Mainly a runner but want to get in to weightlifting more. How long does it take to get progress from a weightlifting program, usually? I plan to do it about 3-4x a week.

Start doing compound movements now, and study proper form, at 18 years old, sky is the limit.

At no other point in life will your natural Testosterone be as high as it is right now. If you train smart between 18-25, you can set yourself up for lifetime strength. I lifted amounts of weight around 18-21 that I won't touch now, but consistency with that during that period of development for sure shaped me for life moving forward. Your recovery time is what sets you apart from a 30+ year old. Maximize it now.

Like Runningar

***Like Runningart2004 stated, what's your goal as a runner and weightlifter? If you're training to become a bodybuilder, your running will take a back seat. The focus on more volume, reps, and more isolation movements won't really benefit your 5k time. You can for sure add lean muscle mass, relative to your bone structure and frame and still maintain a running prowess.

It's a unique balance though. Listen to your body.

It depends!!

If you hit the weights hard you should start to get slower immediately.

If you build into the weights slowly it will take a lot longer to get slow.

Honestly not really sure yet. I'm just tired of feeling scrawny and also want some attention from girls lol. I run 5ks in the mid 16s usually. Just kinda want to get jacked and gain maybe 10-15 lbs.

you can easily verify this yourself. instead of talk about it just do it and see.

if you take a muscle to total failure then rest and recover for 5 to 7 days, muscle growth is immediate provide you eat more than you burn. = protein .

for example, on the bench press, you do a couple of warm up sets say 12 reps 50% max,

rest 2 min. then max out on the bench 6 reps or so, as if it w

then 6 days rest.

as a life and death struggle.

you do another 3 or 4 chest exercises to exhaustion.

with the chest you do bicepts.

other days you work other muscle groups.

after a couple of workouts, you will see a real difference, 10 workouts and you're on a new level all together.

if you do more work, the results will be less.

I remember watching an interview where a young thin guy asked a bodybuilder "How long would it take for me to look like you?" and the bodybuilder answered "Three generations"....!!! lol Great answer!

roughly wrote:

2 days.

longjack wrote:

you can easily verify this yourself. instead of talk about it just do it and see.

if you take a muscle to total failure then rest and recover for 5 to 7 days, muscle growth is immediate provide you eat more than you burn. = protein .

for example, on the bench press, you do a couple of warm up sets say 12 reps 50% max,

rest 2 min. then max out on the bench 6 reps or so, as if it w

then 6 days rest.

as a life and death struggle.

you do another 3 or 4 chest exercises to exhaustion.

with the chest you do bicepts.

other days you work other muscle groups.

after a couple of workouts, you will see a real difference, 10 workouts and you're on a new level all together.

if you do more work, the results will be less.

.

Old school programs. before steroids, were all total body programs.

Frequency is king as a newbie. Total body 2-3x a week is a great start.

Workout A

Back Squat 5x5

Bench Press 5x5

RDL 3x10

Pull-ups 3 x as many as you can

Bi/Tri whatever exercise rep/set scheme you want

Workout B

Deadlift 5x5

Shoulder Press 5x5

Front Squat 3x10

T-bar or Chest supported row 3x10

Bi/Tri whatever

5x5: increase weight over 5 sets until you reach a last set of a 4-6 rep max. Rest is whatever you need, 60s or so until the last set which is 2-3min rest prior

3x10: same weight for 3 sets, you likely won’t hit all 3 sets for 10 reps, that’s fine. 60s rest, strict.

Progression:

5x5: when you are able to hit that last set for 6 reps add 2.5-5% or 5-10lb the next workout

3x10: when you can hit all 3 sets at 10 reps with a strict 60s rest then add 2-5-5% or 5-10lb the next workout

Forget age. I put 30lbs on my deadlift after age 40. I’ve not gotten weaker in any lift. Granted I didn’t start lifting until I was 30....

Alan