The Iceberg effect in training: Why real progress only shows below the surface
When we look at other people’s transformations - perfectly sculpted bodies, explosive performance, flat stomachs - it’s easy to believe that progress happens quickly and in a straight line. But the truth is completely different. In the world of training, there is a phenomenon that perfectly explains the real process of improvement: the iceberg effect.
What is the iceberg effect?
We only see about 10% of an iceberg above the surface. The other 90% is hidden below - invisible, but crucial for the stability and size of the entire structure.
What people see are the results. What they don’t see is everything behind those results. What lies below the surface (90% of success)?
1. Consistency
This is the biggest hidden layer.
Training three times a week when you don’t feel like it, cooking meals after work, choosing sleep instead of scrolling - no one sees that, but that builds the transformation.
2. Micro-improvements
Small things that seem insignificant:
• 2 more reps than last week
• 1 kg more on the bar
• 10 minutes of walking per day
• 200 kcal less throughout the day
These are millimeter steps that create kilometer-level change.
3. Habits outside the gym
Nutrition, hydration, stress, sleep - all the invisible but essential factors.
That’s why someone who trains the same as you may have twice the results.
4. Patience
The most underrated factor.
In the early phases of progress, changes are not visible - but they are happening on the level of your nervous system, metabolism, hormones, muscle fibers.
5. Setbacks and comebacks
What no one posts on Instagram:
• weeks without motivation
• half-effort workouts
• breaks because of work or personal life
• the struggle to get back into rhythm
This is also part of the iceberg.
What is on the surface (10% of success)?
Just the result:
• a flat stomach
• toned arms
• more strength
• muscle definition
• better conditioning
People only see these 10% and think that is the transformation.
But the real transformation happens in the 90% no one celebrates.
Why is it important to understand the iceberg effect?
It removes the pressure of perfection
You don’t need to be perfect every day - only consistent.
You understand that progress happens in phases
If you don’t see results yet, it doesn’t mean they aren’t happening. You’re just in the “below the surface” phase.
You stop comparing yourself to others
Because you don’t know how long they’ve been building their “hidden part.”
You develop an athlete’s mindset
Athletes know that victory is born from unseen work - not on competition day, but in the months before.
How to apply this in your training?
Focus on the process, not the results. Celebrate small wins. They are the base of the iceberg.
Plan your week in advance. Training, meals, sleep - as a system, not improvisation.
Track your progress. Below the surface, you often don’t see changes until you compare them.
Show up even when you don’t feel like it. This is the most powerful layer below the surface.
Let time do its part. Results are the slow reward for consistent effort.
Conclusion
The iceberg effect in training is the most realistic representation of how transformations truly happen. What you see on the surface is just a small part of what was invested.
So don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results yet. You may have already built 70% of your “iceberg,” it just hasn’t surfaced. Keep doing the work others don’t see. Later, they’ll see the results they can’t ignore.
Ready to build your iceberg?
Book your first session today with Nikola Jeremić, owner of Ragukai Fitness.
Start each day as it’s meant to be - strong, grounded, and in harmony with the Ibiza sun.
