How long before noticeable results?

[SofaGeorge]

Interesting thought here... don't even be looking for results. Let them find you.

The guy who first took me into the gym said day one, "Don't let the mirror become your enemy." He said that when people started lifiting they start scrutinizing their bodies... checking themselves 10 times a day for little gains... and that can be very self defeating.

I took his advice. I never looked in the mirror... then a year or so later I was doing cable crosses in front of a mirror with no shirt and said, "Damn... is that me?"

 

[gonelifting]

your muscles will feel better before they look better. you`ll feel tighter and stronger. the size and shape will come.

 

[eazyb81]

"Don't let the mirror become your enemy"

Wow, that's a great quote SofaGeorge. I'm definately gonna remember that one for the long haul.

I'm thinking about starting a 3-day split here in a week or 2, what do you guys think about this.

M - chest/back

W- biceps/triceps

F- shoulders/legs

and then i'll probably do abs every other day i'm in the gym. Should I be doing any cardio yet, or just concentrate mainly on bulking and eating practically everything in sight? Thanks for all the help guys, i'm learning a lot.

 

[blinddeafmute]

I liked splitting my 3 day split out like this.

Monday
Chest, Triceps, Shoulders

Wednesday
Legs (hams, quads, calves)

Friday
Biceps, Back width, back thickness.

Its the push pull legs method I mentioned earlier. If you are doing compound lifts (Which you should be if you are new) then these groups go very well together. Most rows work back and biceps. Bench and other chest exercises work the triceps and shoulders too. Squats & deads work your entire legs/ass/erector spinae.

 

[SofaGeorge]

[BI'm thinking about starting a 3-day split here in a week or 2, what do you guys think about this.

M - chest/back

W- biceps/triceps

F- shoulders/legs[/B]

That is basically the routine I do when business meetings shorten my number of days in the gym.

 

[Citruscide]

Sofa is on the right track here... basically, you're probably not going to notice the results before people around you do. I remember when I first started hitting the weights in college, I started in September... and around March of the following semester (year), someone said "Hey, your arms are looking bigger" -- I wasn't a monster, but I think they went from 11" to like... 12.5" ... so it was somewhat noticeable LOL.

Full body routines... I'm really not for them... I mean, you're talking to someone who usually hits one body part a day...

C-ditty

 

[Peckz]

You will make some newbie gains but dont expect people to go *woah* when they see you. Took about a year for me until people started noticing i was getting bigger.
I did however get allot more defined as i was an ectomorph like yourself. My legs and back was the parts where i could visibly see new and bigger muscles appearing after only two months.

 

[casualbb]

I'm gonna have to disagree...if you do it well you can have amazing results in 2-3 months. Like those transformation photos where you say "oh my god, how?!?" Newbie gains.

-casual

 

[BodybuildingUniverse]

when the compliments start coming in you will be psyched! first six months you will notice the most progress, at least I did. 155 to 175 or so...lots of sweat and calluses

 

[The Red Dragon]

6 weeks if you train smart/hard
People won't notice it on you but you'll definately notice it. Other people start noticing in 2-4 months (this is based on personal observations of myself and friends)