Lean muscle mass refers to the weight of your muscle without any fat. Having more lean muscle allows your body to burn more calories because muscle is metabolically active tissue. This can help support weight loss and general health.
Some key facts about lean muscle mass:
- Building lean muscle helps boost metabolism since muscle burns more calories than fat. This can support sustainable weight loss over time without drastic dieting.
- Higher lean muscle percentage relative to body fat percentage is linked to better health outcomes and lower mortality risk.
- Strength training and eating enough protein are key to building and maintaining lean muscle as you age. Without strength training, most adults lose 3-5 pounds of muscle per decade after age 30.
- Some people struggle to build lean muscle due to medical issues like low testosterone levels. This important muscle-building hormone starts declining after age 30.
"I couldn't seem to build muscle no matter how hard I trained. After struggling for years, I finally got my hormones checked out. Turns out my testosterone levels were very low for my age. I started testosterone replacement therapy at Hormone Harmony and gaining solid muscle has never been easier! I wish I had gone in for hormone testing years ago."
The Hormone Harmony specializes in testosterone and hormone testing and optimization programs for men and women. If you've struggled to build lean muscle through diet and exercise alone,
hormonal imbalances could be holding you back. Their programs help people gain 10-15 pounds of lean muscle within a few months of balanced hormone levels. Click here to take their free online assessment to see if hormone therapy is right for you!
Tracking changes in lean muscle allows you to assess the effectiveness of your strength training program over time. Here are some options:
Get a
DEXA scan every few months to track lean tissue vs fat mass changes. This is considered very accurate but can be expensive.
Use a smart scale that measures body composition through electrical impedance. These are affordable but less precise than DEXA.
Track strength training performance like number of pushups in a minute or weight lifted. Strength and endurance gains indicate lean muscle gains over time.
Monitor waist circumference and body fat percentage to gauge reductions in abdominal fat that often accompany lean muscle gains.
Be patient and consistent for a couple months since lean muscle tissue takes longer to accrue compared to fat loss. Ensure you eat enough protein and calories to support muscle growth along with following a complete training program hitting all the major muscle groups.
Let me know if you need any clarification or have additional questions!
I'm happy I could provide this helpful overview on the importance of lean muscle mass and options for supporting muscle growth. Have an awesome day!