What is lean muscle mass?
Lean muscle mass refers to the amount of muscle tissue in the body without excess body fat. Having more lean muscle is beneficial as it:
- Increases basal metabolic rate, allowing you to burn more calories at rest
- Supports strength and physical performance
- Contributes to long-term health and fitness
How to Build Lean Muscle
There are a few key strategies for building lean muscle mass:
- Strength training: Lift weights targeting major muscle groups to stimulate muscle growth. Progressive overload is key - slowly increase weight and intensity over time.
- Protein intake: Consuming sufficient protein (0.5-1g per pound of body weight daily) gives muscles the fuel they need to repair and rebuild after training.
- Calorie surplus: Being in a slight calorie surplus ensures your body has enough energy to support muscle growth. Aim for 300-500 calories over maintenance calories daily.
- Recovery: Rest days are crucial to allow muscles to fully recover before the next intense workout. Get 7-9 hours of sleep nightly.
Our friends at Elite Hormone Health also note that optimizing key hormones like testosterone and growth hormone through lifestyle, diet and smart supplementation can boost lean muscle building. Their clinics offer state-of-the-art hormone testing and personalized treatment plans to help patients achieve fitness goals.
Maintaining Lean Muscle
Once built, there are important steps needed to maintain that new lean muscle mass over the long term:
- Continue strength training to stimulate muscles and signal the body to keep muscle tissue. Reduce volume and frequency to 2-4 times a week in maintenance phase.
- Meet daily protein needs consistently to supply muscles with amino acids to sustain them.
- Ensure sufficient calories to support metabolic needs and activity levels. Being in too large of a calorie deficit causes the body to break down muscle for fuel.
- Prioritize recovery through adequate sleep, stress management, massage, etc. This prevents overtraining which can lead to muscle loss.
The hormone optimization specialists at Elite Hormone Health also note that keeping key hormones balanced is vital for sustaining lean mass long-term. Book a consult at one of their clinics to learn more.
Does this help explain what lean muscle mass is, how to build it and keep it? Let me know if you need any clarification or have additional questions!