5 Secret Signs You’re Building Muscles

You’ve been weight training for a few weeks and are anxious to see the fruits of your labors. Where are those popping biceps and the ab ripples you’re looking for? Slow down my friend! Muscle gain takes patience, dedication, and consistency.

On average, you can expect to gain about a pound of muscle mass per month. But even then, you’ll need to train properly, use progressive overload, and consume enough calories and protein to support muscle growth. Plus, we all have different timetables for muscle growth. Some people build strength and muscle size faster than others.

But even when you don’t have visible muscles when you flex, there are subtle signs you’re making progress and visible muscle growth will soon follow. Let’s look at some of those.

Increased Strength
Even without documented muscle growth, you’re making gains if you’re getting stronger. If you can lift heavier weights or do more repetitions than before, you should slowly start to see muscle growth if you stay on course. That’s the hard part – being patient.

Stay engaged with your training! Keep a fitness journal and log your workouts and nutrition to make sure you’re sticking to the plan. As your lifts become easier, increase the resistance or number of reps you’re doing to make progressive overload work for you. Celebrate the small victories too, like the extra rep you did with perfect form!

The Scale is Going Up
Muscle growth is often slow and gradual, even if your training is on point. You might not see your biceps pop right away. The first sign that you’re building muscle may be an increase in body weight. The number on the scale goes up because muscle tissue is denser and heavier than fat. Therefore, it takes up less space for the same amount of weight. You can also get a boost in body weight from water retention and increased glycogen storage. Plus, it’s common to get weight gain due to fluid retention as your body responds to the stress and inflammation caused by the workouts. Still, weight gain can be a positive sign that you’re gaining muscle mass.

Your Workouts Feel Easier
As your muscles adapt to the imposed demands of training, they become more efficient at generating force, resisting fatigue, and recovering between your training sessions. These adaptations make your workouts feel less strenuous over time, signaling that muscle growth is taking place under the surface.

Your Posture Is Better
Posture improvements occur when you train the muscles in your core, back, and shoulders. As these muscles become stronger, they more efficiently support your spine and with better spinal support, your body alignment improves. You also get neurological adaptations, such as more coordinated muscle fiber recruitment, which makes it easier to keep your body in healthy alignment.

You’re Recovering Faster from Your Workouts
As you consistently engage in strength training, your body becomes more efficient at repairing and rebuilding the muscle fibers you damaged. This adaptation leads to shorter recovery times between workouts. If you’re experiencing less soreness and fatigue after training sessions and are ready to tackle the next workout sooner, it’s a sign that your muscles are growing stronger and more resilient. 

Summing It Up
Building muscle is an exercise in patience and consistency and you won’t see results right away. But if you’re seeing any of these subtle signs, you’re on the right path. Trust the process, stay consistent, and celebrate the small victories along the way and visual results will follow, and you’ll be able to look back on your journey with pride, knowing that the signs were there all along.

And don’t forget about the other benefits that go along with strength training: strength, endurance, better balance, and coordination, improved cognitive performance, better insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control. Even modest amounts of resistance training can offer benefits for your mental and physical path. Be patient and give it time!

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