How Long Does it Take to Reach Your Goal Physique? (Naturally) 

Yoooooo! If anyone responds to your comment who looks like me (probably saying you've won a prize and should message them on Telegram), it's not me. Beware RU-vid comment scam bot weirdos! Enjoy the video, friends.

Also, even if it takes 10 years, it's not like you look like shit for the first 9 years and 364 days, and then on the last day, you get hot as fuck. No, you start looking better each year, and you'll enjoy your progress and your physique throughout.

The Joe Delaney arc from that really fun randomer at a sesh to the greatest fitness advice on RU-vid has been incredible

"...if someone told me it would take 20 years I'd probably still do it because what the f**k else are you gonna do?" Your words hit me like a bullet through my brain. I'm 40 this year and still thinking you are absolutely right. Thank you for the video bro!

Cheers to natural transparency. It took me about 8-9 years to get to my “peak” physique that’s fairly similar to yours. I’ve basically maintained and lost a little bit of muscle over the following 7 years.

After JoeyD videos I always get this chilled out sense that it doesn't matter how long it takes because the journey is enjoyable. Life is pretty fun hey?

Your honesty and authenticity is absolutely refreshing. Thanks for your content and for keeping it real.

Love the honesty, good quality advice and the old old old photos!

Can we all just give Joey D a polite golf clap for how many years he's been rocking that gold Casio watch. 👏

Im almost 2.5 years through consistent training with maybe 5 months of trips and things that kept off the gym. The change is really there. But I know im far from my peak. This kind of videos builds up my patience and perseverance to continue. More videos like this please

Great video, love the editing style

bro you should make your own merch, definitely my favorite fitness channel. the explanations and information/relatability aren't like any other channel I've seen. keep it up man!

love your videos bro, keep up the good work

I've had 10 years of 'I'll start on Monday'.

There's a massive difference between peak physique and achieving aesthetic levels of progress. Assuming you're not obese to start, you will still look better than the majority of the population with 6 months to a year of consistent diet and exercise without gear thanks to newbie gains. Just realize that there's still a lot of potential progress left after that point.

Great video Joe. I've taken long breaks from training (upwards to a year at a time) and still have been able to progress in a physique I am proud of over the past 5 years. Time and consistency is the most people lack regarding the physique they want. Great video.

Thanks for the pep talk

Thanks for another great video. I'm on my own natural high journey and it's great motivation and insight to learn from you bro.

Great vid Joe! I've been using your push app lately and been really enjoying how much it actually "pushes" me. I've been lifting consistently for about 12 months now and I'm noticing progress I'm very proud of for this amount of time. I'm down to 66kg which is the point where I'm looking to now put on weight, rather than take it off. I have a 4 year old, work full time, and I'm kicking off my PhD. The only two things that enable me to be consistent in the rest of my life are quality sleep and frequent exercise. Thanks again for great content bro!

Thanks for the realistic checkin!! I think watching something like these will give a lot of motivation to folks that maybe started lifting as a regular person a year or so ago

Jigsaw puzzle? Love it. Thanks for the clarity. I am on course. And yes, it is exactly as you say.

You are incredibly underrated man. I love and appreciate your energy and always leave me feeling great about myself while always helping me learn something

Great and real advice, Joe!

Animations have recently gotten super clean on these vids Joe. Thanks for sharing good sir

Yo Joe - loved the video as always. Question: do you think another factor in the timeline could be stopping a bulk to cut down for the summer? Or a trip, etc.? -- I wonder if you could have been in a perpetual bulk for as long as it took to make all the gains and therefor speeding up the process. Thanks mate!

Joey Delaney is my hero !

Great insightful video

I came across your channel yesterday and subscribed immediately after watching one video. Even though I'm a woman, I can easily apply what I've learned into my fitness and nutrition plan. Plus, your sense of humor and honesty is just f#$%ing refreshing. Thanks.

Love this video. Didn't start properly lifting till maybe Spring 2021. I'm 30.5 years old now and still pretty skinny. Gets disheartening making slow progress so I like that your vid emphasises that, even for you, it was still a long road and non linear. I sometimes wish I'd started sooner but let's see where I am at 40. (What else am I gonna do?) Many gains to be had!!

Amazed to see you put some photos of Cambodia places in the content, Salut from a Cambodian fan🙏

Brilliant video mate respect YNWA brother

I was really surprised that there were no health related breaks in there. Through the years I lost many weeks if not months of progress due to colitis and shoulder injuries and I was still blessed to not have any broken bones or surgeries aside from a wisdom tooth. I know that most of your injuries (back, biceps tendon) hapened after peaking, but it's still pretty incredible. And also goes to show how important it is to start young (aside from hormones and stuff). Starting at 31 myself, I'll always be somewhat envious and wonder "what if".

This really puts things in to perspective.

top quality fitness advice

Video quality & editing is elite man, unreal

Absolutely love that rationality at the end. What else you gonna do? Love it.

This actually gave me so much peace of mind ❤

Thanks for the advice mate, I'm quite early in my journey

Yo Joe. Can u make a video on how to help deal with anger. I resonate with u and ur advice is always on point. I could do with some advice.

Joe Delaney is my hero

Great video. I'm at 5 years of consistent training and look pretty great, but I definitely have some years to go to get to my absolute peak physique (man, it takes a long time to build muscle). Extrapolating from my own experience, I'd guess you're right. 10-ish years from untrained to peak seems pretty spot on. Five more to go!

Nice video 👍

Interesting video topic ❤

Bloody hell, wish I'd known this before I bought one of your 16 week programs 😂

Well maybe 6-10 years to get THAT far, but really most of gains happen in about 3-4 years. Each year it's just a slight, almost insignificant, improvement. So while I don't refute that I'd take you 6 years, I still think you could've made vast majority of those gains in like 3 years.

New vid. Sunday is saved

great video

Another important thing to point out is that growth isn’t linear, it has marginal returns. That means that if it takes you 8 years to achieve your ideal physique it doesn’t mean that after 4 years you will have 50% of the gains. You’ll actually have most of the gains already

joe delaney is my hero

You have one of if not the best real life fitness RU-vid channels!

I love this guy’s content! So honest about his journey here and always based in sience. Note to anyone discouraged by the genetics thing: Most people are average with a few strong points. My traps, triceps and shoulders are disproportionately strong and bigger than the rest of my body. Blessed with a capped look for not much time + training. Everything else is below average or at average.

Great ending 👏

This makes me feel so much better about me slacking for the first few years

9 Years into lifting and I can 100% attest to what he's saying. This was spot on dude, great stuff!

i know the process is part of the journey, but dang 10 years is discouraging thanks for sharing your thoughts on a realistic timeline!

Quick question. I've been using the push app for a month and it is awesome, love it. I have a full body 3 day program. If I have to skip the third day because of life and stuff. When i get back to training next week, should i continue with the third day or start the week on day 1? Great job with the app, it really works, thank you.

The hero we all need.

Such a cool topic to delve into, weird but cool 🤣

This is so inspiring. I've been 3 months on 3 months off for a damn decade and for me to even feel satisfied with how I look right now feels wrong.

Another elite video. Best fitness content creator in the game. Also, any tips on treating bicep/elbow tendinitis? Got it on my right side. Been skipping rows and curls for the time and just doing reverse/wrist curls and some rehab shit. Annoying but better than nothing

Great reality check

Good video

Absolutely agree, will take years and years to achieve a great physique or even a lifetime for some people, many thanks.

Great video Joe. I hope people start to realize that this is a long term process and not something that can be achieved within a year or 2 (natty at least). One thing you forgot, imo, is the age at which you start. I'm 38 and only started lifting last year - I expect it will easily take a few more years for me (on top of the decade you mentioned) and that 'peak physique' expectations should also be lowered by a good margin simply due to age (lower T, more prone to injury etc.). That isn't going to stop me though. I'm not good at jigsaw puzzles anyway.

I’ve definitely experienced the m&m and almond diet during my backpacking/ travelling days

1:57 "physique after losing gains" better than 90% percent of guys lol

Best gym motivation - it’s this or jigsaw puzzles

hey joe dont put yourself down bruv i think you looked good the whole time you have a really toned shredded body joe i think you have worked hard to get the physique i would dream of having.

I think it’s important to understand that and internalize fitness as a lifestyle not a destination

At least you got to come to Vancouver 😅. I live there. Maybe that's my problem.

I started at the gym 3 years ago age 43 went from 17.5 stone to 12.5 stone I'm back up to 13 stone and it's only the last 6 months everything is started to pop be it slowly patience is the key somebody did say at the gym I'm looking kinda jacked though 🤣🤣🤣

I think 3 years and u can have great physique. Everything after 3 years is not really that noticeable 1-2lbs of muscle a year, if ur lucky …

And this is why people take gear. Love that fast forward button.

Jheeeez 2015 Joey D x Tommy B vlogs are RU-vid royalty 🤴 whatever happened him Joe?

What software do you use for the text and animations ? @Joe Delaney

"If someone told me it'd take 20 years, I'd probably still do it, because what the fucc else you gonna do? Jigsaw puzzles?" -Joe Delaney 2023, fitness influencer/mathematician/modern age philosopher/sick fucc

Great genetics

something worth noting is that he's peak and close to peak is years apart but visually not that different! so getting the first years going at somewhat of a effiency level is going to to yield amazing results!

Great vid, but I think if you missed one crucial thing it's the impact of diminishing returns; I think beginners could be put off by the thought of 10+ years, when in reality they could hugely improve their physique in the first year even. Would be interesting to see a vid on the rate of return across a full transformation eg what someone with average genetics could expect after 1, 2, 3 years etc of optimal training.

Fresh

There is truth to what you're saying. I never blamed my genetics, I never put guilt on my 2 kids or our dog, I never faulted my 50 hour work week or even my messed up back for me not being an absolute beast. It all fell apart with that bloody bonsai mate! On another note, any suggestions on what to do when Bulk instructs u to do 3x10 and then 3x12 of incline bench with the same weight back to back? Nearly wrecked a brothers toe with a dumbbell trying to increase reps on the 4th set mate

Good points.

Yea I look at my own journey (this profile pic is about 3 years of consistency in but 5 months of home workouts included) and think I can feel pretty good about that. Already at the point where I don't expect major changes year to year, but also maybe I hold myself back a bit staying six-pack lean or very close all year (though I do bulk/cut just 8-12lbs at a time). Just wish I had this same dedication in my teens and 20s, might've took a little longer without the same maturity/wisdom but also would've been easier LOL.

If he bulked up instead of staying lean year round for instagram he could crush his peak at 27 y/o. I'm in the same boat

I started training at 19 - I'm now 53. I still don't think I've peaked 😂 Whatever keeps you in the gym...

Finally a video that makes sense with real numbers. Your physique has been amazing for the last 8-10 years, but it still takes at least 5 doing things right to achieve a great looking body. Meanwhile 90% of fitness youtubers will tell you it can be achieved in 3 months. Guess they always forget the roids bit.

@joedelaneyy what about someone who has a bit more muscle to start with?

Doing everything right is boring anyway. Improving on something you were previously doing wrong is one of the best feelings you can experience!

Best physique on RU-vid

The absolute best part of these videos are your realistic mentality and approach. “Just STFU & do it.” 🤣😎👍

Bro looking perfect even in the worst time! 😂👍

How much would you say age plays a factor in this? For example, would it take much longer if you started at say 25 instead of 15?

10 years folk. Get started now!

"The time is going to pass anyway" - Joe Delaney. "It's not who we are but what we do that defines us" - Batman.

Im much the same as in being lucky to have good genetics for building muscle despite being small and skinny before i started. It took me around 8 years to get to my genetic potential back when I was around 28 (im 44 now). possibly a bit longer as had lifted over the years before that on and off so at the start of that 8 years muscle memory kickstarted the progress. I was just very consistent with both training and diet and luckily being naturally very lean even whilst getting bigger I was perma bulk the whole time. My first two years of this time period training properly were full body and then switched to a 'bro split'

‘The time will pass anyway’ mantra for life

No way If Joe video pop-up I'll watch immediately

I need to know your abs routine!

Never miss the 30 second anabolic window

"This green peas are looking naughty mate" . Classic line.