Over the course of the next few blogs I’m going to cover a number of things that are technically true……….
But massively overrated.
Things that you may have heard are useful considerations for getting in shape…….
But that will really make next to no difference.
The first is what I used to hear a lot several years ago……….
Then seemed to go quiet for a while……..
But has recently come back into popularity.
It’s the concept of creating lean muscle mass as a way to “increase your metabolism”.
I see things online that say stuff like “Gaining some lean muscle mass will turn you into a fat burning machine”.
Which, to me, is an insane exaggeration of something that is only just true.
When we use the term “metabolism” what we’re essentially normally referring to is energy that we use.
And whilst it’s true that lean muscle uses more energy on a daily basis than fat (or, obviously, nothing)……….
The difference is fairly inconsequential.
At rest a pound of body fat uses about two calories per day……..
Whilst a pound of muscle requires six.
So if we were to drop a stone of body fat and gain a stone of muscle……..
We would use an extra 56 calories a day at rest.
About a couple of squares of Dairy Milk.
It’ll be a bit more when we factor in activity, but we’re talking a few mouthfuls of foods worth at most.
And the effort that goes into adding a stone of lean muscle masses is substantial.
An awful lot of training and eating in a particular way.
And, whilst most people would be happy maintaining their lean mass or putting a bit on tactically to help “tone”, I’m sure a fairly high proportion wouldn’t be up for gaining a stone of it.
Gaining lean muscle mass is great for lots of reasons.
It helps our bodies look and feel better.
Maintaining muscle mass as we age is one key predictor of longevity.
We’ll probably have more energy, feel better and be able to do more stuff that we enjoy doing.
So it can definitely be worth doing.
Just not for the fat burning effects.
Much love,
Jon ‘Gainz’ Hall
P.S. If you want to lose some body fat, tone and shape up and increase energy and mood (and have realised going back to a gym for the 100th time isn’t going to be any different), then jump in on our May risk free trial at www.myrise.co.uk/apply
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RISE in Macclesfield was established in 2012 and specialise in Group Personal Training weight loss programmes for those that don’t like the gym and find diets boring and restrictive!
