How long does it take to tone up? Toning up is probably one of your personal goals as far as fitness goes. While it is achievable by all means, it is a time taking process. You will need a strategy, patience, and consistency to see the results you desire.
The time it takes to tone up and see muscle definition depends on a few factors, such as your sex, diet, metabolism, and body shape. That said, you cannot compare your progress with that of your friend, as bodies react differently to everything we put them through.
In this article, you will understand how long it takes to see muscle definition, what you need to get there, and the tips to help you achieve results.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- The time you take to tone up depends on your fitness program, sex, diet, and metabolism.
- With a consistent exercise routine, a healthy diet, and rest, you can tone up and define your muscles.
- There is no defined timeline; but, you can set achievable goals, put strategies in place, and work towards achieving them.
How Long Does It Take To Tone Up
There is no definite time that you should expect to tone up and see muscle definition. How long it takes to see the results depend on the strategies you have in place, including your nutrition, workout routine, consistency, etc.
On this note, it does not mean that you spend your entire day at the gym weight training. Toning up and defining muscles requires a balance between how hard you engage the muscles and how well they recover after workouts.
Below, you will find helpful tips on what to do to see desirable results in a reasonable time. Your personal trainer will guide you on following an exercise routine that will work specifically for you.
What You Can Do To See Results
Set Realistic Goals
Being muscular is different for everyone, depending on what they perceive as right. This is why you have to be specific on what goals you want to achieve and the changes you want to see.
Setting goals helps you see a clear path you need to take to get your desired results. Additionally, you can determine the steps you need to take to get there.
A great way to get results is to break down the goals into small goals. This is not only helpful to track progress but also motivational to keep you on track. With realistic goals, you can commit and build up as you go.
For example, if you are currently overweight and would like to lose weight and burn calories, focus on setting up weight loss goals and work on that first.
It is easier to start with weight loss and incorporate weight training as you go than go ham on an unachievable goal the moment you start.
Cardio and Strength Training
Well, muscle growth is often associated with lifting weight and putting the muscles under tension.
While this is right, it is important to include HIIT sessions in your exercise program.
Cardiovascular exercise helps to get your heart rate up, burning calories and those extra layers of body fat. Mix up both resistance training and cardio exercise sessions throughout your training program to get the benefits of both.
If you do not know how to spread cardio and strength training workouts, ensure 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week and two days per week of strength training as recommended by the US Department of Health and Human Services [1].
While at it, ensure you are taking the proper form for each workout to get benefits and avoid injury. Talk to your personal trainer for guidance if you are not sure of the correct form and prevent injury.
Challenge your body as you go by increasing intensity. You will need to exert more tension on the muscles. This could be changing up the workouts at the point your body gets used to them by increasing weights, endurance, energy, time under tension, high intensity, etc.
Be Patient and Consistent
It is easy to get discouraged and throw every effort out of the window, mainly because growing muscles and defining them takes time. Remember, your body will take time to change and adapt to the pressure you put it through.
It can take weeks or months for noticeable changes, but this does not mean your body rejects the strategies. As with all fitness goals, growing muscles and toning up needs time and consistency.
Stay on track with your workouts, incorporate HIIT exercises and be consistent. You will start to notice changes that will eventually build up to a toned, muscular body with time.
Prioritize Rest Days
Rest is as good as working out. Rest days are when your muscles grow as they recover and repair. When you are working out, your muscles suffer tiny tears that heal and recover when the muscles rest.
However, rest days do not mean sleeping on the couch all day and doing nothing. You can have active rest days when you can do chores, take a walk, perform yoga, and other physical activities.
The major muscle groups of your body, such as the legs, core, arm, and upper body muscles, need between 48 to 72 hours of rest before you can train them again. This is as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine [2].
A great exercise routine should allow a muscle group to rest before you work it again. You can strength train as many as four days or even a week, as long as you alternate the muscle groups you work with each time.
Check Your Diet
Abs are made in the kitchen, they said, and yes, this is something to go by. What you eat highly affects your improvement whether that is weight loss or toning up. Food determines how much body fat you hold, how much fat you burn, and your body shape.
Keep track of your food and make sure you are eating enough protein and fiber. Cut back on snacks, especially if you want to lose weight. To build muscle, you need to ensure you get high protein and high fiber; also beneficial for overall health.
While you may push to go ham on a diet and eliminate unhealthy foods, it is advisable to go slow and start small. Make the changes gradually to prevent throwing yourself off at some point.
FAQ
How Long Should You Workout To See Results?
It is important to note that you do not need hours on end at the gym to notice results. Toning up and defining muscles in a combination of consistently exercising, eating right, and resting.
On this note, you should see results in a few weeks to months, depending on your exercise program.
How Many Months Does It Take to Tone Up?
It can take as little as one month to as long as four months to have a toned body. This depends on the strategies you have in place with regards to fitness and nutrition.
On average, you should start seeing results in 8 weeks to 12 weeks with a consistent resistance training routine.
The Bottom Line
Toning up is achievable, but you have to put in the work. Your health and fitness routine will play a part in how fast or slow you see results. The good thing is that you will define your muscles as long as you follow through with your exercise program.
References
- https://health.gov/our-work/physical-activity/current-guidelines
- https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/fulltext/2011/07000/Quantity_and_Quality_of_Exercise_for_Developing.26.aspx
