If you’re a runner who’s just added strength training to your routine, firstly – way to go! I’m super proud of you. Secondly, you may be wondering “How long until I start to see results?” While many are eager to see physical changes, the first benefits of strength training are happening behind the scenes, in your brain. Whether you are new to lifting or looking to fine tune your approach, understanding the timeline of strength gains can help you stay motivated and on track.
In this blog, we’ll look at what’s happening when you start a strength training program, how long it takes to see visible results, and why patience is important for long term progress.
What Happens During the First 4 to 8 Weeks: It’s All About the Brain
When you first begin a new strength training program, the biggest adaptations are happening in your nervous system, rather than in your muscles. These early “brain gains” are neural adaptations, which improve your ability to recruit muscle fibres efficiently and perform movements with more coordination.
Neural Adaptations Explained: Intermuscular and Intramuscular Coordination
During the first 4 to 8 weeks of training, your brain is learning how to be more efficient at performing the exercises you are doing. This includes improving both intermuscular coordination and intramuscular coordination.
- Intermuscular coordination : This refers to how well your muscles work together to perform a movement. As you continue training, your nervous system gets better at recruiting the right muscles at the right time to lift a given load. In simple terms, your body learns to make things more efficient, so you use less effort to perform the same movement.
- Intramuscular coordination : This involves improving the synchronization and recruitment of muscle fibres within a single muscle. With practice, your brain gets better at firing multiple motor units at the same time, which means you can lift more weight or perform exercises with greater power and control. Your brain also learns to recruit more motor units when needed, and to increase the rate at which they fire, which improves strength over time.
These neural adaptations create the foundation of your strength development and set the stage for the muscle gains that follow.
What Recent Research Shows
Research over several decades supports this pattern. Early strength gains in the first weeks of training are driven mainly by neural adaptations, while meaningful muscle hypertrophy tends to contribute more after roughly 6 to 10 weeks of consistent training.
Some studies using high intensity strength training have shown detectable hypertrophy within about 3 to 5 weeks, although for most recreational athletes training a couple of days per week, visible changes usually take longer.
For runners, the key takeaway is that the first phase of lifting is teaching your nervous system how to move better and produce force more efficiently. That improvement is happening even if you don’t yet see a clear change in muscle size.
When Do You Start Seeing Muscle Gains?
While neural adaptations occur quickly, muscle growth takes more time. After the initial 4 to 8 week period of brain gains, your body begins to experience hypertrophy, or muscle growth. This is when muscle fibres increase in size, and you may start to notice physical changes such as increased muscle tone and definition.
For beginners, these strength gains can feel rapid at first. You will usually be able to lift heavier weights or perform exercises with more control within the first couple of months. It is important not to feel discouraged if you do not see dramatic changes in muscle size right away. Lack of obvious visual change does not mean your body is not getting stronger; you are likely still building the neural base that supports later hypertrophy and performance improvements.
Why Progress Slows for More Experienced Lifters
As you continue your strength training journey, you may notice that gains come more slowly. This is a normal part of the process. After the initial rapid improvements, your body reaches phases where progress feels slower, even though you are still building strength.
Many runners become frustrated at this stage and jump to a completely new program in search of faster progress. In most cases, it is more helpful to keep the overall structure of your plan and focus on progressing your exercises by:
- Increasing the weight
- Adding a small number of reps
- Choosing slightly more challenging variations
This approach supports continued overload without constant program hopping and helps you work through plateaus.
Practical Tips for Sticking with Strength Training
Here are a few key tips as you integrate strength work into your running routine.
1. Focus on form first
Before you increase the intensity of your workouts, make sure your technique is solid. Good form reduces injury risk and makes each rep more effective.
2. Be patient with visual changes
Remember, the biggest changes at first are happening in your nervous system. You may feel stronger and more stable before you notice visible muscle changes. Stay consistent and give your body time to respond.
3. Track your progress
Keep a simple log of your workouts. Note the exercises, sets, reps, and weights you use. Look for small wins such as:
- Lifting the same weight with better control
- Adding a rep or two at the same load
- Feeling more stable in single leg work
These are all signs that your program is working, even before you see major changes in muscle size.
4. Adapt your program over time
As you progress, adjust your strength routine by:
- Increasing weights in small steps
- Adding reps where appropriate
- Trying more challenging variations of key movements
For runners, 2 to 3 strength sessions per week is often enough to build and maintain strength while still supporting quality running sessions.
Conclusion: Trust the Process and Stay Consistent
Strength training offers many benefits for runners, including improved performance and reduced injury risk. The most significant early gains happen in your brain and nervous system, which lay the groundwork for later increases in muscle size and power.
By understanding the timeline of neural adaptations and muscle hypertrophy, you can stay motivated, avoid unnecessary program changes, and keep moving forward. If you feel discouraged by slow physical changes in the early weeks, remember that useful adaptations are happening beneath the surface.
Stay consistent, make small, planned progressions, and you will see both strength and running performance improve over time.
WANT TO OPTIMIZE YOUR STRENGTH TRAINING ROUTINE?
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References:
- Moritani T, deVries HA. Neural factors versus hypertrophy in the time course of muscle strength gain. Am J Phys Med. 1979 Jun;58(3):115-30. PMID: 453338.
- Gabriel DA, Kamen G, Frost G. Neural adaptations to resistive exercise: mechanisms and recommendations for training practices. Sports Med. 2006;36(2):133-49. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200636020-00004. PMID: 16464122.
- Schoenfeld BJ. The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Oct;24(10):2857-72. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e840f3. PMID: 20847704.
- Damas F, Phillips S, Vechin FC, Ugrinowitsch C. A review of resistance training-induced changes in skeletal muscle protein synthesis and their contribution to hypertrophy. Sports Med. 2015 Jun;45(6):801-7. doi: 10.1007/s40279-015-0320-0. PMID: 25739559.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2016 Nov;46(11):1689-1697. doi: 10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8. PMID: 27102172.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Krieger J. How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency. J Sports Sci. 2019 Jun;37(11):1286-1295. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2018.1555906. Epub 2018 Dec 17. PMID: 30558493.
