Lean muscle mass - Restore Clinic

Lean Muscle Mass

Lean muscle mass refers to the weight of your muscle without fat. It's the amount of muscle you have built through strength training and exercise.

Having more lean muscle mass provides several benefits:

• It helps boost your metabolism - Muscles burn more calories than fat even at rest, so more lean muscle = higher metabolism
• Supports functional strength for daily activities
• Contributes to an athletic, toned appearance
• Reduces risk of injuries

How Much Lean Muscle is Considered Good?

The ideal amount of lean muscle mass depends on your gender and goals:

• For women: 20-30% of total body weight
• For men: 30-40% or more of total body weight

Athletes and more serious weightlifters will be on the higher end of the ranges.

Let's say for a 150 lb woman who works out regularly but isn't a competitive athlete, a good goal is 30-45 lbs of lean muscle mass.

How to Build Lean Muscle Mass

The two keys are:

1. Strength Training: This stimulates muscle growth. Aim for 2-4 strength sessions per week targeting major muscle groups with compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench press.
2. Protein Intake: Consuming enough protein gives your body the building blocks it needs to add new muscle tissue. Shoot for ~0.7-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight if building muscle is a goal.

Other helpful strategies include:

• Getting enough sleep and managing stress
• Eating in a slight calorie surplus
• Tracking progress over time - This helps ensure your training program is effective

Give your muscles 48 hours to recover between working the same muscle groups. Be patient and consistent as it takes time to build lean tissue naturally.

Many also find supplements like creatine monohydrate helpful to support energy, strength, and muscle growth.

Summing It Up

Lean muscle mass is the amount of muscle without fat in your body. Having more lean mass boosts your metabolism, gives you strength for daily function and an athletic physique. A good goal is ~20-40% of total body weight depending on gender and fitness level. The keys are progressive strength training 2-4 times per week along with enough protein intake to supply your muscles. Stay patient and track your training to ensure you're making steady progress towards your goals!