Strength Training - how long to feel results?

[GetFit2026]

Hi - after many years of procrastination... this year I've finally made some changes to my life and I am eating well (I have lost nearly a stone and back at a healthy BMI) and I'm feeling great as a result. More energy, more alert/focused, happier.

I've also, more recently, started strength training at home. I brought cast iron dumbbells that are adjustable (initially come with up to 20kg and can buy more plates as needed) and a resistance band set (5-125lb) with a door anchor. I've also got some mini loop bands in my Amazon "saved for later" and might get these for my upcoming birthday if I'm lucky. I'd quite like to add some kettlebells at some point in the future too.

It has been a learning curve but I've enjoyed it so far. For example on the "learning curve" I realised this week I've been doing it wrong for building muscle as I've been circuit training rather than doing straight sets.

Anyway, I'm only a few sessions in, so not expecting significant results yet. I mainly just want to feel stronger, any visual changes will be a nice bonus. But I'm wondering how long people generally take to feel (and to see!) results when embarking on strength training from doing zero strength training? I have already moved up a weight for my dumbbell floor press and gone up a band for banded rows, which I guess is a sign that I am making changes and getting a little stronger.

I'm trying to be consistent in working out at least 3 times per week. I've built a relatively simple routine, I will mix it up at some point but for me doing something I am familiar with is beneficial as I'm short on time (and I often work out first thing in the morning when the old brain is not perhaps quite firing on all cylinders) so I'll look to introduce a greater variety of exercises gradually once I feel more confident. I'm also keen to do exercises where it is more difficult to get the form wrong, seeing as I'm doing it by myself. I tried RDL at first and I really couldn't tell if my technique was good and was worried about hurting my back so I swapped to glute bridges.

This is my routine currently (I do goblet squats and glute bridges with a weight):
Goblet Squats
Dumbbell Floor Press
Seated Banded Rows
Dumbbell Overhead Press
Banded Pull-Aparts
Bird Dogs (body weight)
Glute Bridges

Any tips/recommendations and stories of your own experience with starting strength training (particularly DIY at home) would be very welcome.

I would recommend using the Ladder app - it’s brilliant.

If you do that consistently with progressive overload 4 times a week, if you can throw in a decent run once a week, watch your diet (high protein) then you should see pleasing changes in 3 months and significant changes in 6-12 months.

with ladder you tell it the equipment you have available at home and it will recommend a team for you to join (you can switch teams and there are about 20 odd to choose from)

Do you do the same routine 3 days a week? I started a weights based workout class this time last year that had this sort of routine like you 3 days a week - but in September I switched to doing my own thing in the gym as I wanted to build more muscle and target a specific shape.

So now I do 4 days of 30/40 mins - two lower body and two upper body / if your thinking about form I do find it helpful to film yourself and then look back! And stick with the same 4/5 things for at least 6 weeks the last reps should feel really hard! otherwise up the weight - I didn’t realise this for ages and the last 3 months has made a HUGE difference pushing to almost failure for each set.

But yes I felt stronger after 4 months and at 6 months I looked quite different but at 12 months I look and feel completely different!

Look at Caroline Girvan on YouTube and try her Iron series. Gradually increase your weights as you are able to. You will definitely start to see results!

Thanks. I'll check out the app.

I try to eat at least 100g of protein a day. I have done this for most of the time whilst losing weight and I find it a good way to eat as I feel full.

I also usually run 5-6k once a week (I bloody hate running), although I haven't made it out this week as my daughter has been poorly.

Yes, at the moment I'm just planning to do the same thing 3-4 times a week but I increase the weight next time if I still feel able to carry on at the end of the last set, if that makes sense? I would like to mix it up once I've started to feel more confident and ready to learn new exercises. I was aiming for something that works my whole body, but maybe in the long run a more targeted upper/lower body would be more beneficial?

It's interesting how different exercises feel different. Overhead presses my arms feel like wobbly useless noodles lifting 2k per arm, but the same weight feels like nothing on a floor press so I've doubled it already since starting.

You need to mix lower and upper body days and hit different muscle groups. Follow Caroline Girvan on you tube, Iron Series easy to follow and over the six week series you will have learnt so much!
I started three years ago on half the weight she uses, I’m now using what she does and still noticing incremental improvements