“I don’t want to bulk up or get ‘BIG’, I just want to lose weight. Should I just do cardio until I lose the weight? Is it necessary to strength train?”
Sound familiar?
As trainers, we are often asked these kinds of questions concerning the importance of developing muscle mass and weight management. Many individuals want to know whether cardiovascular activities such as walking, running, swimming, etc are more effective in weight loss or weight maintenance than strength training.
Of course, cardiovascular activities have many benefits and are essential in weight management plan. However, combining strength training and cardiovascular activities create an unrivaled combination that cannot be obtained by either alone.
The development and maintenance of muscle mass plays a critical role in meeting and upholding your weight loss goals. Imagine two individuals weighing the same on the scale, but one has a higher percentage of muscle mass in comparison to the other. Who do you suppose will use up more energy, burn more calories during the course of the day,if all other variables are unchanged?
The individual with more muscle will have a higher Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), that is, they will expend more energy at rest compared to the individual with minimal muscle mass and higher body fat percentage. Muscles require more energy at rest compared to fat. Therefore, building muscle mass increases your metabolism and, as a result, your body burns more calories throughout the day!
Good news, right? Wait, there’s more!
Weight loss is not the only reason for maintaining muscle mass. There are also many benefits to your health and fitness. Here are FIVE more reasons why building and maintaining lean muscle mass is vital to your health and wellness:
1. Strength is an essential part of functional fitness. Building a strong foundation allows you to perform everyday activities, such as lifting heavy objects, doing housework, and climbing stairs with more ease and efficiency. Functional fitness is also advantageous to athletic performance in recreational and competitive activities.
2. Strong muscles equal strong joints and play a crucial role in injury prevention.
3. Strong muscles and joints can increase your level of confidence in your abilities to perform lifestyle activities. As a result, you may be more willing to challenge yourself to try activities that may have previously been avoided!
4. Proper strength training can improve posture and help prevent joint pain from occurring.
5. Weight bearing activities improve bone density during bone development and can help to slow bone loss in aging adults. This is a significant factor in the prevention of osteoporosis.
OK, enough said…So, get out there, build a strong foundation, enjoy doing the activities you love to do, and at the same time, creating a healthy new ‘You’!
By Erin Tetarenko, Personal Trainer
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