How to increase muscle strength and tone
As we age our muscle mass decreases, more specifically starting age 30 our muscles start losing strength and tone. Lately, I have been paying even more attention to what I can do to increase strength and tone not only for an aesthetic purpose, but also because strong abs and leg muscles can play a major role in preventing, or at least diminishing, lower back pain, which is something I happen to suffer from. In fact, strong muscles are key to a healthy musculoskeletal system which also includes bones, ligaments and tendons etc.
The best way to achieve tangible results includes a combination of physical exercises, known as resistance training and, of course, a diet rich in proteins. Let’s look at what each one means in practice.
What is resistance training?
Resistance training is an anaerobic exercise that leverages resistance to muscular contraction in order to build muscle strength. It can be done using free weights (not attached to a machine), weight machines, resistance bands or just the body weight as in squats and push ups.
Resistance or strength training is one of the best way to gain lean muscles and you can do it with or without any equipment.
When done consistently resistance training improves strength and tone; progressive resistance training (PRT), whereby we gradually increase workout volume—weight size, repetitions, and number of sets— contributes to improving both strength and endurance.
Ideally, we should exercise at least 3 times a week with a tailored program that includes a mix of strength and power exercises, where we teach our muscles to do quick and efficient movements, such as going up the stairs quickly.
Aside from helping us gain muscle strength and power, resistance training has many other benefits like increasing stamina, making us feel less tired, improving posture and mobility, and boosts our mood and self esteem, which is critical at any given age. Here are a few exercises you can do anywhere with the help of a resistance band.
Muscles are of course denser than fat, but muscle density is not everything. In fact, we can have dense muscle (muscle quantity) and look lean, but have low power (muscle quality). Muscle quality means that our muscles can actually generate force and for that we need to have a good workout routine as well as a proper diet. Let’s look into that!
How much protein do we need daily?
As many already know, proteins are the building blocks of muscles: the body breaks down protein into amino acids which then feed the muscles. However, this process gets sabotaged by aging. In fact, as we age our body loses the ability to break down and synthesize protein, which means that we need to increase our intake. When we are young (below 40) we need an average of 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight, for example someone who is 50 kg or 110 lbs needs around 40 grams of protein daily. As we age and our body is able to synthesize less we need to take in more protein, around 1 to 1.3 grams per kg of body weight, according to how physically active we are: the more active we are the more protein we need, up to 2 grams per kg of body weight.
Protein-rich foods, particularly animal products, are essential to build lean muscles.
Lean meat, such as poultry and fish, are top of mind when it comes to the best protein to consume, but also eggs and milk, yogurt, soy and beans. Although vegans can also get a good source of protein from plants (beans, rice, quinoa), animal protein (meat, milk, eggs) has by far the best ratios of nine essential amino acids which our body cannot produce. Here is a pretty good protein calculator that can help you plan your meals.
Personally, I was never particularly fond of protein powders as they contain whey which can definitely upset my stomach and make me feel bloated, so I always leveraged my diet in order to get the proper amount of protein until I came across one of the cleanest protein powders out there Human Improvement, which I now add it to my smoothies at least 3 times a week. Also, when I feel like I want a snack, Tusol is my go to protein bar, which has only the cleanest ingredients, it’s sweetened with Lucuma, and it actually tastes great.
As we have seen, a lifestyle that includes a regular thought through fitness routine and a balanced diet is crucial to keep our muscles lean and strong, even more so as we grow older.
Try it and let us know what you think!
