At BridgeFit Personal Training, it is common for us to hear from new members that weight loss and/or toning is their primary goal.
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Most people say, “If you want to lose weight and/or get toned, you need to just do more cardio and/or work on your nutrition.”
This alone is not ideal.
Because you’re missing one of the biggest factors in weight loss/toning for adults 40+:
Muscle loss
Muscle loss negatively impacts your basal metabolic rate (BMR). BMR is the number of calories you burn at rest, a.k.a. the number of calories you burn without doing anything. This makes up around 60% of your calorie burn throughout the day. That’s up to 6 times more calories burned than during a workout.
So if you lose muscle, your BMR will go down, which means you will burn fewer calories at rest. If this happens, it will be easier for you to gain weight, become less toned, and it will be harder to keep the weight off.
Here are two ways you can lose muscle:
Age-related muscle loss usually starts at around 30, and some research shows that after 40, you can lose 1 percent of muscle mass every year.
Nutrition-related muscle loss happens, usually, when people are trying to lose weight/fat. What you have to do to lose weight is the exact opposite nutritionally than what you need to gain muscle. So if you’re working to change your diet alone to lose weight, you run the risk of losing muscle. You also risk your BMR lowering, so you’ll burn less calories at rest, making it easier to gain the weight back.
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The secret to fighting age and nutrition related muscle loss is:
Strength training
Strength training is vital for losing weight, increasing tone, and making sure you keep the weight off. Strength training has many more benefits than weight loss/ tone. Don’t overlook this. The benefits of strength training can be life training.
Click here to see how Barb, at 67, lost 20 lbs and gained 5 lbs of muscle.
Click the links below for three articles on the keys/benefits to get the most out of your strength training and muscle loss:
Aging Strong – 5 tips to prevent muscle loss as you age
Transform your fitness – 3 strength training tips for adults 40+
Strength training – The key to a fit and active life at any age.
If you’re interested in getting started and/or getting more out of your strength training with a personalized plan that meets you where you are at, click here for TWO WEEKS FREE OF PERSONAL TRAINING (3 Spots Available)
BridgeFit is Overland Park’s Premier Personal Training Gym for ADULTS 35+. At BridgeFit we help busy adults lose weight, gain energy, and get strong… even if they are overwhelmed by their busy schedule, or haven’t found a solution that works long term. Find out more here.
