Why you need more muscle to get results…
Here’s the truth, ya’ll.
Increasing your lean muscle mass is key to improving your health and body composition (if you care about that sort of thing).
Here’s why you need strength training + muscle & how it helps you achieve your goals:
- The athletic looking body you desire generally requires having more muscle on your frame and probably weighs more than you do right now.
- Strength training & improving your lean muscle allows you to look lean & sculpted (aka toned).
- You can’t manipulate the body in the same way with cardio.
- Strength training & building muscle help the body adapt & burn more calories on its own. It supports the metabolism & works FOR you (not against you).
- Just 2 days a week of full body training over time can teach the body to burn > 800 calories/day on its own.
- Cardio teaches us to be efficient, use less calories, & slows the metabolism.
- Weight loss doesn’t always equal fat loss. If the scale goes down we want to ensure you’re losing primarily body fat. Not muscle. Or you just become skinny.
- Contrary to belief, you can’t turn fat into muscle. So if you don’t put the work into eating at maintenance/surplus + lifting weights you probs aren’t going to get abs, defined/toned muscles, or a shredded bod when you diet down.
- Strength training results take time but are easier to maintain long-term.
- Cardio can support quick weight loss (sometimes) but then you usually plateau because your body adapts. It sounds like this: move a lot, eat a little.
- You get STRONGER!! You can add more weight or reps to your lifts. DANG! This is one of the best feelings in the world. Get stronger, lifting heavy weight (appropriate for your body & technique)
- You can more easily pick things up outside of the gym too: groceries, children, pets, backpacks, moving boxes, etc.
- You are a more functional human.
AND… You won’t get too bulky. I know it’s a common fear, and I laugh when I say that because I have never coached anyone that turns into Arnold Schwarzenegger or tells me that they are getting “too big.” Looking like Arnold or other bodybuilders (especially for females) requires a vastly different type of dedication, training, nutrition, and maybe some special sauce that helps those folks out 😉
So how do you get started with improving your muscle, strength, and body composition?
- I would suggest you add in at least 2 days of strength training to start
- Begin tracking your foods (if you haven’t already). We want to create some awareness around what you’re eating and how much (or how little).
Check out my previous Blog on Reasons You’re Not Building Muscle (aka getting toned): https://coachingwithabby.com/blog/reasons-youre-not-building-muscle/
