Throughout my lifetime, I can easily remember times when getting skinny at all costs was trendy.  We’ve had periods where curves were all the rage.  But now, thankfully, muscle is having its heyday.  Finally!  A trend that actually supports our health!  In my opinion, the importance of building and maintaining lean muscle mass is often overlooked on health journeys. While many associate muscle-building with aesthetics, its significance extends far beyond appearance, especially as we age. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the science behind why muscle is essential, how to measure muscle composition, and most importantly, effective strategies to increase muscle mass naturally.

Why Muscle Matters

Muscle plays a pivotal role in our overall health and well-being, particularly as we age. Beyond enhancing our physical appearance, lean muscle mass contributes to metabolic health, bone density, and functional independence. Research suggests that maintaining muscle mass is crucial for preventing age-related declines in strength, mobility, and metabolic function. Additionally, higher muscle mass is associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. Therefore, prioritizing muscle-building efforts is essential for promoting longevity and overall vitality.

Measuring Muscle Composition

Before we talk about how to build muscle, it’s important to understand what we’re targeting.  There’s no need to be able to deadlift 700 lbs. or look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but we do need more muscle than the average person has.  One common method for assessing muscle mass is through body composition analysis, which measures the proportion of lean muscle mass to body fat. Techniques such as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and circumference measurements can provide valuable insights into your muscle mass and body composition.  To get a DXA scan, I prefer BodySpec (here’s a discount link), and for an at-home (but less accurate) option, I use this scale.

Here’s the problem: it’s extremely difficult to get a straight “percentage” for your muscle mass.  A DXA scan will give you an accurate rating of your bone mass and fat mass, so you could calculate “the rest” as lean body mass (let’s say you weight 150 lbs. and have 30% body fat and 5 lbs. of bone.  30% of 150 is 45 lbs., and add 5 lbs. for the bone, so you have 100 lbs. of lean body mass).  But what percentage of that is water?  Connective tissue?  Skin?  Skeletal vs cardiac vs. smooth muscle?  We don’t really know, even by the best available technology, but we CAN look at trends. The mass of your skin, cardiac muscle, and connective tissue doesn’t change much.  So, if you look at trends in your weight and body fat, you can determine changes to your muscle mass.  For example, let’s say you weigh 150 lbs. today and have 35% body fat.  Then you spend a few months applying the tips below, and you weigh yourself again in a few months and are 150 lbs. again but have 31% body fat.  You have just drastically extended the quality and length of your life by increasing muscle – congratulations!  So, let’s talk about how to do this.

Strategies to Increase Muscle Mass

Nutrition Strategies

1. Protein Intake: Aim to consume adequate protein to support muscle growth and repair. The RDA is set at the extremely low level of 8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, and this is enough to keep you alive.  That’s about it.  To build muscle, I suggest up to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day.  Obviously, when we work directly with clients, we customize protein goals to their specific situation, but as a starting point, you can see this post for more on how to calculate your protein needs.
2. Protein Timing: Distribute your protein intake evenly throughout the day, with a focus on consuming protein-rich meals or snacks post-workout to support muscle recovery. Research for years has suggested that it takes 20-30 grams of protein to activate muscle protein synthesis (the process of telling your body you’re ready for it to build muscle), but that when we got much more than that, it was basically “wasted” and our kidneys filtered it out through our urine.  That would suggest that protein in doses of 20-30 grams per meal, spaced throughout the day was optimal.  There is some new research suggesting otherwise, that based on the type of protein, we may be able to utilize more – up to 70g or even more at a time – but the jury is still out on this.
3. Role of Supplements: To be honest, I think supplements should come only after we optimize diet. Diet is more important than supplements.  That said, if you’re doing what you can with diet, you may want to consider incorporating supplements like creatine and essential amino acids, which have been shown to enhance muscle protein synthesis and promote muscle growth when combined with resistance training.  Again, when we work directly with clients, we customize ALL supplement recommendations, but here is a starting point for muscle building:
   1. Essential amino acids are the building blocks of protein that the body cannot synthesize on its own and must be obtained through dietary sources. Supplementing with essential amino acids, particularly in conjunction with resistance training, can provide several benefits for muscle growth and recovery. Research has shown that consuming essential amino acids before or after resistance exercise can enhance muscle protein synthesis to a greater extent than consuming non-essential amino acids or carbohydrates alone. This increased stimulation of muscle protein synthesis contributes to greater gains in muscle mass and strength over time.  Furthermore, essential amino acids may also aid in reducing muscle protein breakdown, particularly during periods of calorie restriction or intense training, thereby preserving lean muscle mass and promoting recovery.  You can learn more about essential aminos through my podcast with the CEO of Kion, Angelo Keely, right here.  The brand of essential aminos I recommend is Kion, which you can find here.
   2. Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in small amounts in foods like meat and fish, but it’s also commonly consumed as a supplement. It’s perhaps one of the most researched supplements in the realm of sports nutrition and has consistently demonstrated efficacy in enhancing muscle growth and strength when combined with resistance training. Additionally, creatine has been shown to increase muscle mass by promoting water retention within muscle cells, leading to cellular swelling and anabolic signaling pathways that stimulate muscle protein synthesis. This is why many people experience a few pounds weight gain when starting creatine – your muscles are holding onto more water, which will taper off over time.  Research also suggests that creatine supplementation may have benefits beyond muscle growth, including improved cognitive function, enhanced bone health, and potential therapeutic effects in certain medical conditions.  Again, I like the Kion brand, which you can find here with code LYONS for a discount.
4. Strategic Consumption of Carbohydrates: While protein is essential for muscle repair and growth, carbohydrates play a crucial role in providing energy for workouts and replenishing glycogen stores post-exercise. Focus on consuming complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables around your workouts to optimize muscle recovery and glycogen replenishment.

Strength Training

Plain and simple, there’s no better way to build muscle than to complement adequate protein intake with a dedicated strength training routine. Engaging in regular strength training exercises is essential for stimulating muscle growth, increasing strength, and improving overall body composition. Strength training also boosts metabolism, enhances bone density, and reduces the risk of injury.

Ideally, we would incorporate a variety of resistance exercises targeting major muscle groups, including squats, deadlifts, lunges, chest presses, rows, and shoulder presses. But if that sounds like Greek, just start anywhere, and I do mean anywhere!  Bodyweight squats, lunges, push-ups (or push-ups against the wall), walking up and down the stairs, hiking, planks – it can all be helpful for building strength.  Things that feel heavy (whether it’s weight or body weight) help us build the large muscles; things that lead to “quivering” like Pilates help us develop the small muscles.  Ultimately, I recommend aiming for at least two to three strength training sessions per week, allowing for adequate rest and recovery between workouts.  Personally, I love kettlebell, HIIT, and Pilates classes at the gym, but most of my strength comes from at-home workouts with Madeline Moves.

The Power of Sleep

I can’t close this out without mentioning sleep.  Adequate sleep is paramount for muscle recovery, repair, and growth. During deep sleep stages, the body releases growth hormone, which plays a key role in tissue repair and muscle development. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night to support your muscle-building efforts.  See this post for more of my tips on how to improve sleep naturally.

The bottom line: Building lean muscle is a multifaceted process that requires a combination of proper nutrition, strategic supplementation, resistance training, carbohydrate timing, and quality sleep. By implementing these evidence-based strategies into your lifestyle, you can optimize your muscle-building potential, enhance your overall health, and achieve a stronger, more resilient body. Remember, consistency and patience are key on the journey to building lean muscle and unlocking your full potential.  Your efforts are worth it!

Now it’s your turn!  How much focus do you put on building muscle?

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️ Want to hear about this topic in audio format? → Check out the podcast episode here!