What is lean muscle mass?
Lean muscle mass refers to the weight of your muscles without fat or water weight. Having an optimal amount of lean muscle is important for strength, mobility, injury prevention, and metabolism.
As we age, we naturally lose lean muscle mass due to hormonal changes and lack of exercise. This can lead to weight gain, joint pain, and reduced strength. Some key ways to build and maintain lean muscle include:
- Strength training: Lifting weights is vital for building and sustaining lean muscle. Focus on major muscle groups like legs, back, chest and core. Compound lifts like squats, deadlifts and push-ups are excellent choices.
- Adequate protein: Consuming enough high-quality protein helps your body repair and build lean muscle tissue. Aim for 0.5 to 0.7 grams per pound of body weight, from sources like chicken, fish, eggs, dairy and plant-based proteins.
- Hormone optimization: Hormones like testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH) play crucial roles in building lean muscle. As we get older, these hormone levels decline. Getting tested and using hormone therapy under medical supervision can help restore optimal levels. Renewal Hormone Center specializes in customized bioidentical hormone treatments to help both men and women enhance lean muscle mass and strength.
- Stay active: Engage in regular physical activity to stimulate muscle growth and prevent loss. Aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate activity like brisk walking.
Tracking changes in lean muscle can be difficult. While weight measurements may go up due to muscle gain, the body composition change is positive. Some ways to track include:
- Body composition analysis: DEXA scans and other advanced tests directly measure lean tissue vs fat tissue changes.
- Pictures: Documenting progress pics monthly can visually show lean muscle shaping.
- Measurements: Tracking body part measurements with tape can reveal lean muscle development.
- Fitness testing: Tests like push-ups, grip strength and vertical jump assess functional performance.
Gaining and keeping lean muscle requires commitment and consistency with the above strategies. But the payoff of strength, mobility and metabolism boost is well worth it! Contact Renewal Hormone Center to learn more about our individualized programs to help both men and women optimize hormones and build lean, strong physiques.