The foundation of any successful fitness regime is built on healthy habits. Whether your goal is to run your first marathon, set a personal record, or stick to a daily walking routine, the key is to stick to regular habits that propel you along the path to health and fitness. However, when it comes to reaching your health and fitness goals, knowing what not to do is often just as important as knowing the right things to do. Building and maintaining muscle mass It is no exception to this universal rule. To help you develop and stick to your lean muscle, we share five bad fitness habits that lead to muscle mass loss so you can avoid them at all costs.
You can spend countless hours in the gym and train at a Tasmanian Devil-like intensity, but if you have the Poor fitness habitsYou’re shooting the proverbial in the foot and you’re unlikely to reach your fitness goals. Fortunately, by making small adjustments to your diet, exercise routine, and daily behaviors, you will avoid the pitfalls of bad habits, and radically. Improve your ability to develop muscle. Certified personal trainer Kate Meyer, CPT from Garage gym review He shares the lowdown on the bad fitness habits you should avoid like the plague. Keep reading to find out what they are and then check it out Top 5 diet and exercise tips for regaining muscle mass.
A surefire method You lose muscle mass Not consuming enough energy (calories). Food is fuel for your muscles, and not eating enough calories means your body will be running at an empty tank.
“Significantly cutting calories combined with intense cardio will lead to muscle loss over time,” says Meyer. “Talk with a dietitian or use an online calorie calculator to help determine how many calories your body needs to support daily functions and your training regimen.”
“Continuous training is one of the key aspects of building muscle, but overtraining can have the exact opposite effect,” warns Meyer. Unless you’re an endurance athlete who runs marathons or competes in triathlons, working out too much can lead to overtraining syndrome (OTS), a condition that occurs when you don’t allow for proper recovery after vigorous, consistent training sessions, according to the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). in addition to, Low muscle glycogen levels and muscle weakness Research has shown an association with overtraining. Common symptoms of OTS include extended fatigue, poor sleep quality, decreased energy, persistent muscle soreness, and mood swings, according to the HSS.
Sleep is probably the strongest (yet underrated) aspect of any health or fitness goal. Adopting good healthy sleep habits and making quality restorative sleep a top priority will help you maintain and grow muscle. Search It shows that not getting good sleep, or not getting enough sleep, can increase your risk of losing muscle mass.
“Your muscles recover and grow while you sleep, and sleep regulates practically all of your body’s functions,” says Meyer. “Aim to get a steady eight hours of sleep each night. This will help prevent long-term fatigue and aid in muscle growth if you exercise consistently.”
Your body is made up of Almost 20% protein; It is found in all of your cells. Therefore, getting enough protein is crucial not only for good health but also for building and maintaining muscle mass.
“No matter what your nutrition strategy is, make sure you’re getting enough protein in your diet,” says Meyer. “Muscles are fed protein, so proper recovery and muscle growth depend on that.”
While the International Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for the amount of protein you should consume is 0.8 grams per kilogram of your body weightYou’ll need to consume more if your goal is to improve muscle growth and recover from workouts faster. American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) He recommends eating between 1.2 and 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for best results. Just make sure you are strength training and getting your protein from whole food sources and high quality protein powders.
While regular cardio exercise is great for overall health, overdoing it can cause muscle loss. the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans We recommend that healthy adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week. However, constantly exceeding this threshold—combined with not eating enough calories or doing strength training—is a bad habit for anyone who wants to maintain or regain muscle mass.
“Making sure you properly fuel your body before cardio is crucial, because as much as it helps you burn more calories and fat, it will also burn muscle once your other energy sources are depleted,” says Meyer. “The bottom line is that you have to find a good balance between cardio and strength training if your goal is muscle growth.”
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Adam Meyer
Adam is a health writer, certified holistic nutritionist, and 100% vegan athlete. Read more about Adam