How long to look strong?
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Anonymous
Another 58 year old. 6 months. LIfted weights 1 hour 3x per week. I was obese most of my life. |
Anonymous
| Just stopping by to say that I find this post inspiring. Want to get back into strength training, and this is a nice push in that direction. |
Anonymous
| work your triceps. You could do nothing else and look so much different |
Anonymous
| Think about adding some swimming. It is great for toning (and cardio), especially if you just use your arms. |
Anonymous
| Work out daily. Don’t overdo it. Drink water. Sleep. Eat enough. Repeat. |
Anonymous
| Took me about a year to notice a difference. You really have to start slow and work up to it to avoid injury. I started lifting 3 years ago and people just started commenting in the last 6 months or so. |
Anonymous
My kids are swimmers have toned conditioned shoulders and backs so I think it will be easier going forward to look toned quickly. |
Anonymous
| Depends on how much fat you have. It's easier to look ripped if you have less fat. |
Anonymous
| Look there’s people on this board who claim you can see differences in a week or two. You cannot. To BUILD MUSCLE to the point you actually look strong and incredibly defined is at least a year. I have been diligently lifting weights and progressively increasing the difficulty of my workout routine since I turned 30, I just turned 38, and it is a process of growth each year. Each year there is more and more definition or an increase in strength. I am sure I noticed small differences a couple months in, and it was probably clear to others that I routinely worked out at the one year mark, but the kind of “what do you do to get your arms to look like that” comments I get from even men - that took years of work. |
Anonymous
| What do you mean by “look strong “? Fit? Or bodybuilder? Two very different timeframes. Either way, it requires fat loss. |
Anonymous
|
If by looking strong you mean having visible muscles, it depends enormously on genetics. Body fat, too, but that’s also a lot of genetics - not everyone can reduce body fat low enough to see muscles in a healthy way. There’s also some muscle memory involved, so people who started strength training at a young age and are getting back into it have some advantage.
I say this as a woman who puts on muscle fairly easily (again, genetics and I started lifting in high school). When I wear tank tops, people ask me if I CrossFit (no). I’ve had plenty of lifting partners/teammates over the years who are just as strong as me but who don’t look it - they weren’t fat, it was just harder for them, as it is with most women, to build muscle. |
Anonymous
|
This is depressing.
I lift heavy 3x a week and I am over 50, thin and don't build muscle easily. I will keep doing it for health reasons but I guess I have to accept that I may never "look" strong. |
Anonymous
Never heard of Caroline Girvan, but going to look her up! I could always use fresh ideas and workout tips for my gym days. |
Anonymous
PP directly above you - I hear you. Body types have trade offs; I “look” very strong (and am, thanks to workouts) but I’ll never be thin without starving myself. Win some, lose some. Bei |
Anonymous
| Ugh. I need this. I’ve recently had a lot of stress and lost some weight and just look too thin now. I would love some more muscle mass. |