how long does it take to build muscle

Clem Duranseaud
Oct 26
4 min read

You’ve been going to the gym for a few months now. You’re eating better, lifting weights, and—if we’re honest—spending more time than usual inspecting your reflection. When, you wonder, will those muscles actually show up?

It’s one of the most common questions I get from clients (usually after a couple weeks). “How long does it take to build muscle?” The truth is, longer than you’d like, but faster than you think.

Let’s unpack what really happens in your first three months, how much muscle you can expect to gain, and what makes progress visible (or not).

Table of Contents

The 3 months rule
How much muscle can you build
The muscle building checklist
Sample workout

How Long Does It Take to See Muscle Growth (The 3-Month Rule)

When you start a new fitness routine, there is a generally accepted time frame for your results. This is assuming you are sticking to your workout plan consistently and eating and recovering properly.

After one month of training

You will start to feel different. You will feel stronger, and you will understand how to do the exercises properly. Sadly, you won't see any new muscles.

Think of your body like a sculptor at work. In the first few weeks, the clay is being shaped, not displayed. You won’t see the masterpiece yet, but the foundation is forming beneath the surface.

After two months of training

Rejoice! This is when you will start noticing subtle changes. Perhaps a new bicep vein, pants that fit better, or a slightly different body shape.

After three months of training

Others will start noticing the changes. Coworkers and friends usually start to see your results. You start hearing things like "Hey you look a bit different".

This may go faster or slower depending on the individual. Now let's take a look at how much muscle you can expect to build.

Visible Results Timeline chart with three red boxes. Month 1: Feel different, no changes. Month 2: Subtle changes. Month 3: Others notice.

How much muscle can you build

Depending on your training age (how long you've been working out), you can expect different rates of muscle growth.

Beginners (Lifting for less than 6 months): the glory gains! At this early stage, you can expect to gain 1%-1.5% of body weight per months by building new muscles. This is mainly due to you learning how to exercise properly, your nervous system firing more efficiently and not requiring too much intensity to stimulate protein synthesis.
Intermediates (lifting for 6 months - 2 years) can expect and increase 0.5%-1% of body weight. As your technique gets better and better, the weights become tougher and tougher to move. Progressive overload needs to be planned at this stage, and the intensity required to build new muscles gets higher and higher.
Advanced lifters (2 years +) experience the full force of diminishing returns and can usually put on 0.25%-0.5% of body weight per month. Serious planning and intensity are required to keep progressing at this level. Although you haven't reached your true strength potential yet, the rate of muscle growth slow drastically.

The muscle building checklist

Building muscle takes time, and it's not something you can notice on a day to day basis. Instead of aggressively flexing in the mirror in an attempt to notice unnoticeable gains, focus on the following daily.

Muscle building checklist on muscular man's background: 1. Proper form, 2. Intensity, 3. Sleep, 4. Protein, 5. Progressive overload. Emoticons included.

Lift with proper form

Good technique concentrates you efforts on the target muscles. It's also the best way to ensure you don't hurt yourself and can train consistently.

Lift with the right intensity

Do most of your sets at an RIR (reps in reserve) of 2. You want to get close to muscular failure each time you do a set. Further reading: Best rep range to build muscle

Focus on recovery

Recover properly by sleeping a minimum of 8 hours a day. Your muscles repair themselves and grow during your deep sleep. Poor quality recovery is a sure way to avoid building muscle. Further reading: Sleeping guide

Eat like you want to build muscle

You are building new muscle tissue, so you'll need to be in a calorie surplus. Nothing crazy, start with a daily 250 calorie surplus and adjusting according to your results.

Eat at least 1.6g of protein per kilogram of body weight.

Further reading: How much protein should you eat, 10 protein rich recipes

Train smart

Apply progressive overload. Try to increase your training volume by 2-5% every other week. Making your workouts gradually harder over time will make your muscles get stronger over time. Further reading: Progressive overload guide

Building muscle doesn't happen overnight. It's a continual process of consistency and smart decisions. Keep showing up, trust the process and you'll see results.