What is lean muscle mass?
Lean muscle mass refers to the weight of your muscles without including 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.
Here's a quick overview of lean muscle mass:
- Lean mass includes everything in your body except fat. This means muscles, organs, bones, water, and glycogen stores.
- Skeletal muscle makes up the largest portion of lean mass. This muscle moves your bones and gives shape to your body.
- Men naturally have more lean muscle than women due to higher testosterone levels. But through strength training, anyone can build lean muscle over time.
Benefits of building lean muscle
Focusing on lean muscle building offers many rewards:
- Boosts metabolism - Muscle burns about 6 calories per pound versus 2 calories per pound of fat. More muscle = higher resting metabolism.
- Supports fat loss - Added muscle changes your body composition so you burn more calories round the clock.
- Enhances athletic performance - More muscle improves speed, endurance and strength for sports and activities.
- Reduces injury risk - Lean muscle supports joint health and stabilizes the frame to prevent falls.
- Promotes functional fitness - Daily tasks like lifting groceries, bending down or climbing stairs become easier.
Tips for building lean muscle
Follow these best practices for maximizing lean muscle growth:
- Lift weights - Challenging your muscles with resistance training is the most direct path to muscle building.
- Sleep 7-9 hours - Adequate sleep facilitates muscle repair and new muscle cell formation.
- Manage stress - High cortisol from chronic stress can negatively impact muscle building hormones.
The key is consistency. Working out several times per week and fueling your body properly will transform your physique over time. Be patient and keep after it!
Let me know if you need any clarification or have additional questions on adding lean muscle mass. I'm happy to discuss further.