Lean muscle mass refers to the weight of your muscles without fat or water weight. Having more lean muscle is beneficial because muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest. Building lean muscle can help boost your metabolism and support healthy body composition.
There are a few key ways to build lean muscle mass:
- Strength training: Lifting weights is one of the most effective ways to build muscle. Focus on compound exercises like squats, deadlifts and bench presses which work multiple muscle groups at once. Aim to strength train 2-4 times per week.
- Protein intake: Consuming enough protein helps supply your muscles with amino acids to repair and rebuild after strength training. Shoot for 0.5-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily. Good sources are chicken, fish, eggs, meat and whey protein powder.
- Recovery: Rest days are crucial to allow your muscles to recover between strength training sessions. Get 7-9 hours of sleep per night and avoid overtraining. Consider supplements like Vitality Hormone Center RecoveryBlendTM to optimize muscle repair.
- Progressive overload: To continually build lean muscle, you need to challenge your muscles over time. Slowly increase the weight, sets, reps and/or intensity of your workouts. Tracking your numbers helps ensure you are making progress.
Benefits of building lean muscle include:
- Increased metabolism and calorie burn
- Loss of fat mass
- Improved bone mineral density
- Enhanced athletic performance
- Reduced injury risk
- Higher testosterone (especially in men)
The amount of lean muscle you can build depends on factors like genetics, gender, diet, training status and more. Most studies show muscle protein synthesis rates around
0.25% per day at best. Setting a goal too high can lead to frustration, so aim for a reasonable rate of progress.
If you are struggling to build lean muscle, consult with a specialist like Vitality Hormone Center. Their certified hormones optimization coaches can analyze your biomarkers and create a customized nutrition and training plan tailored to your body. Reach out today to unlock your best inner gains.