It may take 4-6 weeks before you see an increase in strength, an improvement in performance, or an increase in muscle size. This is because your muscles have to go through a process of breaking down and rebuilding in order to grow. (This process is called muscle hypertrophy.)
But the changes may be so small at first that you don’t notice them when you look in the mirror every day. But if your friends and family who don’t see you every day can notice it. If they’ve started commenting on your physical appearance, that’s a good sign you’re doing something right!
How to tell if you’re gaining muscle and not losing fat
Now that you have a better understanding of what it means to gain muscle and not lose fat, how can you confirm if this is What’s going on? really with your body? There are several ways to check.
As I mentioned earlier, the most accurate way to tell if you’re actually gaining muscle and not losing fat is to measure your body fat percentage.
How long does it take to build noticeable muscle in women?
Metabolic Stress
If you’ve ever felt the burn from exercise or gotten the “pump” in the gym, then I felt the effects of metabolic stress. Scientists used to question bodybuilders when they said that the “pump” made their muscles grow. After further investigation, it seems they were on to something.
Metabolic stress causes the cells around the muscle to swell, which contributes to muscle growth without necessarily increasing the size of the muscle cells. This comes from the addition of muscle glycogen, which helps increase muscle along with the growth of connective tissue. This type of growth is known as sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and is one way that people can achieve the appearance of bigger muscles without increasing their strength.
You may see a visual difference
Taking weekly photos is a great way to keep track of your gains. This means you can have a visual comparison between before and after shots so you can get a clearer view of where you’re gaining muscle and other changes to your body.
The key, however, is to be consistent with your photos. Try to take them on the same day and at the same time each week to minimize variables that may explain differences in your injections. The ideal time is after using the bathroom in the morning and before exercising or consuming food and water. If you can too, place them in the same lighting. Take them from at least 3 different angles (front, side, and back) so you can see their whole body.