There are a few types of people that come to me for coaching, and, almost all of them, (whether they want it or not) could do with adding some muscle mass.
Adding muscle mass is brilliant for a multitude of different reasons, here’s a few:
Posturally you’ll be far better off long term I.e. older age Stronger, faster, fitter Aesthetically better Metabolically healthier
I appreciate that not everyone wants to look like me in the picture to the left. I happen to have placed 2nd in the world in 2013 in that picture. But the simple act of adding a few more kilos of muscle to your frame will have profound effects.
Most people as they enter 30’s-40’s don’t get there without some aches and pains, usually, back, hips, knees or neck and shoulders. Unless you have had an injury to cause this then it’s almost certainly caused by a postural imbalance. For many individuals who sit down for the majority of the day the muscles behind you get long and loose, and your front muscles get short and tight. As most joints have opposing muscles to balance the joint it is no surprise that it may start to hurt.
If you have any plans on doing any kind of sport/event/regular activity or even playing with your kids, more muscle will make you much better at doing this. Larger more flexible muscles are able to move your body better. Enough said.
Wide shoulders, small waist and hips for guys…..slender firm arms, tummy and legs for women….I did not describe a fitness model, just what most normal people attain to look like, and in turn find attractive. More muscle means your skeletal frame has bumps in the right places and less lumps in the wrong places. More muscle also raises your metabolism which helps you to stay slimmer, as opposed to excess fat promotes more fat gain.
You may well have heard when a Dr says you’re 32 years old but you have the metabolic age of a 57 year old. This means that all your internal systems are knackered and running poorly. By eating better and training enough to add some muscle mass you can reduce this deficit or surpass it. Eating well and regular exercise makes all these systems run optimally.
Although I’ve not discussed the hows and whys of weight training I hope that you now understand why muscle mass is so important for a long healthy lifestyle. It will not cure all of life’s problems but it can go a long way to helping you feel and look much much better, and if you feel good, then life is easier.
I will do some posts on more detailed methodologies of training to increase muscle mass, but suffice to say, you will not grow more muscle by sitting on your ass and thinking about it, so get yourself into a gym and start lifting.
If you would like to know more or want some one on one coaching on the best practice for lifting safely then contact me on Ali@FatAlsGym.co.uk
