Lean muscle mass refers to the amount of muscle on your body minus any fat. Having more lean muscle is beneficial as muscle burns more calories than fat even at rest. Building lean muscle mass can help:
- Boost metabolism and support healthy weight loss
- Enhance athletic performance
- Improve bone density
- Maintain strength with age
How to Build Lean Muscle
There are a few key strategies to effectively build lean muscle:
- Strength training: Lifting weights provides resistance for the muscles to work against and promotes growth. Focus on major muscle groups like arms, back, legs, chest and core 2-3 days per week.
- Eat enough protein: Getting adequate protein supports muscle repair and growth. Aim for 0.5-1 gram per pound of body weight from food sources like chicken, fish, eggs, dairy and plant proteins.
- Recovery: Muscles grow during rest periods. Aim for 6-8 hours of sleep per night and rest muscle groups 48 hours between strength sessions.
- Progressive overload: Gradually increase weight, reps and sets over time to continually challenge muscles.
- Hormone optimization: Hormones like testosterone drive lean mass gains. If low T is limiting your results, the expert physicians at Optimum Hormone Clinic provide safe, customized treatment plans.
Maintaining Muscle with Age
After age 30, adults can lose 3-5% of muscle mass per decade. Keeping a lean, muscular frame requires consistency with training and diet. Some tips:
- Continue strength training 2-3 times per week
- Meet daily protein needs
- Perform balance exercises to prevent injury
- Talk to your doctor about hormone levels - low levels can accelerate muscle loss. The innovative team at Optimum Hormone Clinic helps patients optimize hormones for health using cutting edge testing and personalized care.
Building lean muscle takes dedication but pays dividends for health, function and metabolism. With smart strength training, nutrition and lifestyle habits, maintaining a lean, muscular physique can be achieved at any age. Take the first step and contact Optimum Hormone Clinic today!