How Fast Can a Woman Get Results by Lifting Weights?

Training with weights is one of the best things a woman can do for her body. Weight training helps you manage your weight, creates a lean frame, reduces disease risk and increases stamina, independence and daily function. You may be eager to see results fast, but the numerous benefits of weight training take time to appear. Your fitness experience, size and age all affect how soon you'll see results.

  1. Upper Limits

    • The upper limit for muscle gain for women is about 2 1/2 pounds per month, according to Lou Schuler, author of "The New Rules of Lifting for Women." This rate of growth is particularly aggressive and assumes your training and eating routines are top notch and consistent. Most women will not achieve this level of muscle growth, due to lifestyle and genetics. Realistically, after three to four months of consistent resistance training, you can expect to increase your strength by 20 to 40 percent.

    Body Type and Age

    • Your body type determines how soon you'll see results from weight training. For example, mesomorphs have a naturally muscular body, which may put on muscle easily. Endomorphs, who tend to be more curvy, and willowy ectomorphs will build muscle more slowly -- even when following similar training regimens as mesomorphs. Older women can still build muscle and see changes in their bodies, but it may take longer than it would if they were younger. As you age, you produce less estrogen, which is converted to testosterone -- a key hormone in muscle growth. Body fat levels also tend to be higher for older women. Higher levels of body fat make muscles harder to see, so you might be physically feeling stronger, but visual changes may take longer to notice. To reduce body fat, you have to couple your weight training with a diet that promotes weight loss with foods such as lean proteins, leafy greens and whole grains.

    Fitness Level

    • If you are brand new to training, you'll likely see results such as increased strength and enhanced muscle definition in the first couple of months. You'll experience diminishing returns, however, as you strength train for longer. Visible improvements may naturally taper off after a few weeks. You are still making changes and improvements in your body, but because you are at a higher level of fitness, these changes aren't as dramatic or quick.

    Weight Loss

    • If you are hoping to lose weight by strength training, you'll have to pair your workouts with a low-calorie, portion-controlled diet. Although increasing the amount of muscle on your body does raise your resting metabolism somewhat, it will not help you lose weight unless you also trim your calorie intake to create a daily calorie deficit. Resistance training doesn't provide a huge calorie burn either, so you'll need to add some cardiovascular exercise -- such as running or kickboxing -- to help create a bigger calorie deficit. A 500-calorie deficit per day yields a 1-pound per week weight loss. Adding muscle with strength training helps you achieve this rate of loss and keep off the weight for the long term.

    Strategy

    • You won't see results from weight training if you are inconsistent or fail to lift heavy weights. Aim to use weights that weigh more than 70 percent of the amount you can lift for a one-repetition maximum. Go for at least one set of eight to 10 repetitions of an exercise for every major muscle group. As you feel stronger, add an additional set or two -- allowing for 30 to 60 seconds of rest between sets. Once you can easily do 12 repetitions of an exercise with a particular weight, increase the weight by 5 to 10 percent so you continue to see results. Resistance train a minimum of three times per week and leave at least 48 hours between training sessions for specific muscle groups to enable them to repair. If you do not allow for rest, your results will be slow coming.