Did you know that starting at about the age of 25, you lose at LEAST a half of pound of lean muscle tissue each year? This degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass, quality and strength associated with aging, is called SARCOPENIA.
Muscle tissue loss means:
- your metabolism burns fewer calories (one reason why people gain fat as they get older)
- a reduction in body firmness
- loss of body shape
- loss of strength
- decreased quality of life
Can this be prevented or even reversed? YES!
High-intensity strength training helps preserve and build lean muscle but a lot of people (predominantly woman) hear “high-intensity strength training” and assume they will “BULK UP.”
WHY THIS IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY:
- Muscle is denser than fat
- More muscle on the body means an increase in metabolism
- By losing fat and gaining muscle = smaller, firmer and more shapely
- There is a rare genetic potential for muscles to grow excessively large from strength training
EXCESS FAT on your body will make the body larger! For example, a lot of women mistakenly conclude that their arms are large and so their arm muscles are too big. This is not due to the muscles, but the excess fat on their arms. Women need to make sure their diet is healthy in addition to their strength training, so the body can feed off that excess fat and not muscle. This will create a more toned appearance.
A lot of men would like to get a bulkier appearance from their SuperSlow workouts and THAT IS POSSIBLE! With the right diet and workout intensity, it is possible to increase the lean muscle mass/size to create a more toned/bigger physique.
Mark Sisson, 64 years old, American fitness author and blogger. Author of the best-selling The Primal Blueprint.