How long should it take to get results?
It’s one of the most common questions I’m asked on the R.D.P YouTube channel and Instagram. People want to know if they are making enough progress or if they are not making progress fast enough.
It would be nice if I could give a concise answer to this question, but everyone’s timetable for results is different. Some people can achieve their first muscle up within a week. Other’s will have to train for months, or even over a year before they get their first rep. The same goes for weight loss. Some people will lose 10 pounds in a week. Other’s may have to wait over a month or more.
There are many influences that play a role in determining how quickly you can accomplish something. Here are a few of the biggest ones:
#1 Consistency
Maintaining consistent habits is one of the 5 Delta Principles that guarantee success. It’s pretty hard to make much progress, let alone fast progress when your diet and exercise habits are inconsistent.
Pick a plan and stick to it. Feel free to adjust and modify the plan as needed, but DON’T STOP whatever you do. Even maintaining a short workout or simple diet habits will do 100% than giving up and doing nothing for a while.
#2 History
Your potential for success is built on the foundation you’ve been building since the day you were born. If you walked and jogged to school as a kid you’ll probably make faster progress on the track team. If you spent your youth eating junk food and playing video games you can expect progress in the gym to come slower.
While you can’t do anything to change your current history, you can take action today to improve your future. Time will pass you by no matter what. You may as well ensure your next 5 years set you up for progress over the rest of your life.
#3 Luck
They say life isn’t fair, but then again neither is fitness. Despite promises and hype from people trying to sell you something, some people are just going to have an easier time accomplishing certain goals.
Don’t let this discourage you though. Everyone has their strengths and I encourage you to play to yours. Maybe you’re a wiz with formulas and numbers, then break out those spreadsheets and analyze your workouts like a scientist. Perhaps you can zone out and train for hours at a time, then rock on that marathon training and German Volume training. Exploit your strengths as much as you can and don’t stress too much about your weaknesses.
#4 Education
It’s very hard to make fast progress when you’re always doing things the same way. A competent coach can teach you how to improve your skills and abilities so you can accomplish more in a week than what you would do on your own in a month.
You don’t have to hire a personal trainer or nutritionist. Even listening to podcasts or reading books can help you learn and improve your skills.
Above all, remember that progress takes time and it may take longer than you think. With that said, pursue progression on a daily basis. Don’t just sit back and hope the results will come if you wait long enough. The passage of time does not promise success so strive to improve something, anything at all, on a daily and weekly basis. Even small improvements can add up quickly and help you get results much faster.