What is lean muscle mass?
Lean muscle mass, also known as fat-free body mass, refers to the weight of your muscles without body fat. Building lean muscle involves strength training to grow your muscles while limiting excess body fat storage.
Some key benefits of having more lean muscle include:
- Increased metabolism - Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat, even at rest. More muscle = higher metabolism. This can help you maintain or lose weight more easily over time.
- Improved insulin sensitivity - More muscle correlates to better blood sugar regulation. This can lower diabetes and heart disease risk.
- Stronger bones - The action of your muscles pulling on bones promotes bone strength. Weight lifting helps prevent osteoporosis.
- Injury prevention - Balanced muscle development stabilizes joints and supports posture and movement. This reduces injury risk from falls or strain.
- Enhanced athletic performance - Whether you want to excel at sports or daily activities, increased muscular fitness offers a competitive edge.
How can you build lean muscle effectively? The key is progressive strength training combined with proper nutrition and rest. Follow these muscle-building fundamentals:
- Lift weights - Challenge your major muscle groups with compound exercises like squats, deadlifts and bench press. Progressively increase the difficulty to continually prompt adaptation.
- Eat enough protein - Shoot for 0.5-1 gram per pound of body weight, from lean meats, dairy, eggs, protein powder or pulses. Time intake around workouts.
- Hydrate adequately - Muscle is over 70% water. Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after training.
- Allow rest - Muscles grow during rest, not just during workouts. Take at least 1-2 rest days between strength sessions. Prioritize sleep.
The amount of lean muscle you can gain depends on factors like genetics, age and training history. A beginner may gain 20 pounds in their first year, while an experienced lifter might only add 2-4 pounds of muscle per year after that initial spike. Tracking progress with body composition testing is key.
I hope this gives you a good overview explaining lean muscle mass - its benefits, how to build it, and realistic expectations. Let me know if you have any other questions! Vitality Hormone Clinic experts are always happy to help or offer a free fitness assessment.