What is the fastest way to get in shape? The fastest way to get in shape comes down to three things done together. Lift weights 3 to 5 times per week, eat enough protein, and walk 7,000 to 12,000 steps every day. Most people chase complicated workout programs or extreme diets, but the research shows these basics work better than anything else.
Getting in shape takes around 8 to 12 weeks when you do it right. You will notice changes in your strength within the first 2 weeks, and visible changes in your body around week 4 to 6.
How Long Does It Actually Take to Get in Shape?
It takes about 8 to 12 weeks to see real changes in your body.
Your strength improves first. Most people can lift more weight within 2 weeks of starting a program. This happens because your brain gets better at telling your muscles what to do.
Visible changes come next. Around week 4 to 6, you will start to see differences in how your body looks. Your clothes will fit differently. Other people might start noticing too.
A habit takes around 66 days to really stick according to research on behavior change. So if you can make it through the first 2 months, working out becomes automatic.
What Type of Exercise Gets You in Shape the Fastest?
Strength training beats everything else for getting in shape fast.
Here is why lifting weights works so well. Your muscles burn calories all day and all night, even when you sleep. One pound of muscle burns about 6 calories per day at rest, while one pound of fat only burns about 2 calories. Build 10 pounds of muscle and you burn an extra 40 calories every day without doing anything.
Strength training also builds bone density. Your bones hit their peak density around age 25 to 30, then start declining. After 40, the decline speeds up. Lifting weights slows this down and can even reverse it. This matters for staying healthy as you age.
Research shows you can build muscle with anywhere from 5 to 30 reps per set, as long as you push close to failure. The weight you use matters less than how hard you work.
A basic strength training setup looks like this. Train 3 to 5 days per week. Hit each muscle group twice per week. Do 10 to 20 sets per muscle group per week total. Keep workouts to 50 to 60 minutes of actual lifting after your warmup.
Past 60 minutes, your cortisol levels rise and that slows down recovery.
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Does Cardio Help You Get in Shape?
Cardio helps your heart and lungs, but it does not help as much as people think for changing how you look.
A study took people and had them burn 2,000 calories per week through cardio. On paper, this should equal about 2 pounds of fat loss per month. But the actual fat loss was less than half that amount. Some people lost no fat at all.
Here is what happens. When you do a lot of cardio, your body compensates. You move around less the rest of the day without even realizing it. You might also eat more because cardio makes you hungry.
Research shows that for every 100 calories you burn through cardio, you only increase your actual daily calorie burn by about 72 calories. Your body claws back the rest.
Walking works better than running or cycling for fat loss. Walking does not make you as hungry, does not wear you out for the rest of the day, and you can do it every day without needing recovery time.
Aim for 7,000 to 12,000 steps per day. A 30 minute walk gives you about 3,000 steps and burns 100 to 200 calories.
What Should You Eat to Get in Shape Fast?
Protein is the single most important thing in your diet when trying to get in shape.
Eat 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight every day. If you weigh 80 kilograms, multiply by 1.8 to get your daily target in grams. So an 80 kg person needs around 144 grams of protein per day.
Protein does three things that help you get in shape faster.
- It builds and repairs muscle after your workouts
- It keeps you full so you eat less overall
- It burns more calories during digestion than any other food
Your body uses 20 to 30 percent of protein calories just to digest it. Compare that to fat, which only uses 0 to 3 percent, or carbs at 5 to 10 percent.
A 2005 study had people double their protein intake without changing anything else. They naturally started eating fewer calories and lost over 4.5 kilograms in 12 weeks, almost all of it fat.
For fat loss, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn. Aim to lose 0.5 to 1 percent of your bodyweight per week. Faster than that and you will lose muscle along with the fat.
What is the Best Workout Schedule for Beginners?
Start with 3 days per week and focus on compound exercises that work multiple muscles at once.
The best exercises hit the biggest muscle groups in your body. Squats, deadlifts, bench press, rows, overhead press, and pull ups or lat pulldowns cover almost everything.
A simple beginner program looks like this.
Day 1
- Squats, 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
- Bench Press, 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
- Rows, 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
- Planks, 3 sets of 30 seconds
Day 2
- Deadlifts, 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
- Overhead Press, 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
- Lat Pulldowns, 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
- Lunges, 3 sets of 10 reps each leg
Day 3
- Squats, 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
- Incline Bench Press, 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
- Cable Rows, 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps
- Glute Bridges, 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
Rest 2 to 3 minutes between sets of heavy compound exercises. Rest 60 to 90 seconds for lighter accessory work.
Train your legs early in the week. Legs are the biggest muscles in your body, and training them sets off metabolic processes that carry you through the whole week.
How Do You Know If You Are Making Progress?
Track these five things to measure your progress.
- Your strength on main lifts. Can you lift more weight or do more reps than last week? This is the most reliable sign of progress.
- Your bodyweight. Weigh yourself every morning after you use the bathroom. Take the weekly average and compare it to the next week. Day to day weight can swing 2 to 3 kilograms from water alone.
- Progress photos. Take photos every 2 weeks in the same lighting and same poses. Changes happen so slowly you will not notice them in the mirror.
- How your clothes fit. Your pants getting looser or your shirts fitting tighter in the shoulders tells you something is working.
- Your measurements. Measure your waist, hips, chest, and arms every 2 to 4 weeks. Tape measures do not lie.
If the scale is not moving but your lifts are going up and your clothes fit better, you are probably building muscle and losing fat at the same time. This is called body recomposition and it happens especially well in beginners.
What Are the Biggest Mistakes People Make?
Most people fail at getting in shape because of one of these five mistakes.
Mistake 1. Relying on motivation. Motivation comes and goes. People who get in shape treat exercise like brushing their teeth. They do it whether they feel like it or not. It takes around 21 days to start building a habit, and 66 days to really lock it in.
Mistake 2. Starting too hard. People jump into 6 day programs and extreme diets. They burn out in 3 weeks. Start with 3 days of lifting and a small calorie deficit. Add more as you adapt.
Mistake 3. Not eating enough protein. Most people eat half the protein they need. Hit your protein target and everything else gets easier. Your muscle grows faster, you stay fuller, and you recover better between workouts.
Mistake 4. Doing too much cardio. An hour of running burns maybe 500 calories, but it tanks your energy and makes you hungry. Walking 10,000 steps burns a similar amount of calories but does not make you want to eat a whole pizza afterward.
Mistake 5. Expecting results too fast. Real, lasting changes take months. People who lose weight and keep it off for years report that they had to build a whole new identity around being someone who exercises and eats well.
Research shows 6 out of 7 people who lose significant weight will gain it back. The difference between those who keep it off and those who do not? Over 70 percent of successful weight maintainers exercise regularly. Less than 30 percent of people who regain the weight exercise at all.
How Much Does Getting in Shape Cost?
You can get in shape for almost nothing or spend thousands. Here is what different options cost in Australian dollars.
Home workouts with no equipment. $0. Bodyweight exercises like pushups, squats, lunges, and planks work fine for beginners.
Basic home gym. $200 to $500. A set of adjustable dumbbells and a bench covers most exercises.
Gym membership. $15 to $80 per week depending on the gym. Budget gyms start around $15 per week. Mid range gyms run $30 to $50 per week. Premium gyms with pools and classes can hit $80 per week or more.
Online coaching. $50 to $300 per month. You get a customized program and check ins with a coach through an app or email.
In person personal training. $60 to $150 per session. Most trainers recommend 2 to 3 sessions per week to start.
Protein powder. $40 to $80 per kilogram. One kilogram lasts about a month if you use one scoop per day.
The best investment is usually a gym membership and learning proper form on the main exercises. You can find thousands of free tutorials online. Once you know the basics, you can train yourself for years.
FAQ
Can I get in shape in 30 days?
You will see and feel improvements in 30 days, but real transformation takes 8 to 12 weeks minimum. In 30 days, expect to feel stronger, sleep better, and have more energy. Visible changes take longer.
Do I need supplements to get in shape?
No. Supplements are not required. Protein powder helps if you struggle to eat enough protein from food, but it is just food in powder form. Most other supplements make little to no difference.
Should I do cardio or weights first?
Weights first. You want your muscles fresh for strength training. Do cardio after, or on separate days. Research shows doing endurance work before weights can reduce your strength gains.
How do I stay motivated?
Stop relying on motivation. Build a habit instead. Put your workout at the same time every day. Lay out your workout clothes the night before. Start with just 5 to 10 minutes if you have to. The goal is consistency, not perfection.
Is it bad to work out every day?
Your muscles need recovery time to grow. Most people do best training each muscle 2 to 3 times per week with rest days in between. Walking every day is fine and encouraged.
What if I have never exercised before?
Start with 3 days per week and focus on learning proper form with light weights. Hire a trainer for a few sessions if you can afford it. Even just 5 minutes of movement per day builds the habit.
Will lifting weights make women bulky?
No. Women do not have enough testosterone to build large muscles without performance enhancing drugs. Strength training will make women leaner and more toned, not bulky.
Can I lose belly fat specifically?
You cannot target where you lose fat. Your body decides where fat comes off based on genetics. But the good news is that belly fat, especially the dangerous visceral fat around your organs, responds well to exercise and diet changes. Some people see their belly shrink faster than other areas.
How important is sleep for getting in shape?
Very important. A study found that people who got enough sleep lost more than twice as much fat as people who were sleep deprived, even eating the same calories. Aim for 7 to 8 hours per night.
What should I eat before and after workouts?
Before your workout, eat something with protein and carbs about 30 to 60 minutes beforehand. After your workout, eat a meal with at least 20 grams of protein within a few hours. The exact timing matters less than hitting your daily protein target.
Getting in shape quickly requires a strategic approach to both exercise and nutrition. Consider whether walking for 30 minutes a day is enough exercise for your goals, and explore which meal is best to skip for weight loss if intermittent fasting interests you. An Elwood personal trainer can accelerate your results with expert programming.
