Personal training results. How long does it really take?

How quickly can I expect results from personal training?

When we pay for something, we expect a something for our money. At the coffee shop, I give you money, you give me coffee, I decline a 20% tip, we exchange an awkward glance, I walk away. We both know what we are getting.

When it comes to personal training, there can be confusion about what we are actually paying for and what we should expect in return for our investment.

The “result” is dependent upon the individuals goals, however we can say more often than not, clients come to us with body composition goals, maybe to alleviate pain and or because they have no idea what they are doing in the gym and find exercise confusing and intimidating and therefore fail to consistently show up and do the right thing.

It is our job to help you get clear on what you want, what you can do to achieve this and what a realistic time line is for that particular result to be achieved.

Can I build muscle and lose weight in 3 months?


I can say with confidence, 3 months of consistent hard work (its not easy!) can get you noticeable physical change from Personal training and people can achieve fantastic results from committing to a 12 week plan. The key word here is consistent!

However, as with most questions answered from a well thought out position the answer to what results you as an individual will see is, it depends.

On what exactly, is what we aim to explore in this blog.

Lets operate on the presumption that you are someone who is looking to gain some muscle, lose some fat aka look better naked and develop some improvements in overall fitness markers.

When engaging in a personal training program here is the order in which you may begin to notice change:

60 minutes: Immediate psychological changes occur from engaging in exercise. You will feel better (natural release of endorphins), gain more confidence from good supportive coaches who program appropriate exercises and show you, you can do this!

6 weeks: Noticeable improvements in fitness markers: You will gain strength, mobility, improved cardiovascular capacity, and your confidence in what you can do in a gym is rising rapidly!

3-6 months: With consistent application of resistance training and good nutritional habits, you will begin to notice real differences in the way you look, the way clothes fit and how you see yourself in the mirror! You have a solid understanding of exercise principles and of what to do, why and when.

12 months: A true transformation. The way you look, feel and confidence in what your body can do will have shifted dramatically.

Again, all of the results are dependent (granted your following a sound plan) upon the most important factor: CONSISTENCY!

You have to stay consistent with your training and your nutrition in order to see real change. This is where the investment of great personal training pays off.

Staying consistent is one of the hardest things for us to do, and no, it’s not because you lack discipline, have no time, or just lack the genetic capacity for change. We stay consistent when we are confident, have the conditions in place to facilitate change and have the competence to complete the task we set out for ourselves. Too may of us make the mistake of trying to do too much, in too short of a time frame and give up long before any real change can occur!

“Great personal training sets you up to stay consistent so you can finally see the results you want!”

Our genetics, training history, environmental factors and lifestyle behaviors will exert a big influence on the exact results you will see (alas i shall never have Chris Hemsworth pecs!) and why you should never compare your own personal journey to someone else’s…..results may vary!

However, we can almost always make progress when we value honesty, hard work and consistency.

In summary, 3 months time can yield some fantastic results, but the main emphasis should be using the first 3 months learning the principles of exercise, behavior change, and good nutritional habits that will last a lifetime and allow for you to not just get results, but maintain them for life.

The real result should be knowing you can achieve great things if you work hard and you have the knowledge to do the right things to make it happen.

Learn to love the process and being healthy, happy and lean will be a natural consequence of doing the right things you enjoy.

Interested in learning more? Set yourself with a complimentary 15 minute coaching call and find out how we can help you.