“Gaining muscle is like depositing funds into your 401K, it will pay massive dividends later.” -Jill Coleman

It’s true; there are SO many short- and long-term benefits to building muscle.

If you want to slow aging, get stronger or look lean, defined, and “toned,” you’ll want to spend more time building muscle than dieting.

Read that again ^

I see far too many women chasing a lean, athletic physique but dieting all. the. time. (or undereating without realizing it)

What would benefit their health and physique the most? Dedicating time to eating more and lifting heavy. 

Now I know the thought of eating more can sound terrifying. 

(I’ve been down the road of undereating and freaking out the first time my coach kept increasing my calories.)

Not to mention having patience can be hard since building muscle can take much more time than losing fat, especially for us ladies.

But it’s absolutely worth it and doesn’t have to be scary. (Reach out here if you need guidance with a smart training and or nutrition plan.)

If you still need some convincing, here are four reasons to build muscle (i.e. dedicate months at a time to truly optimizing your diet for transforming your physique — and probably your mindset along the way!)

Strength training stimulates the release of growth hormone, which some have described as the closest thing to the fountain of youth. This slows the loss of muscle and bone mass that typically happens with aging. Lifting weights can also improve posture and keep joints healthy, preventing injury and helping you stay active longer. like…

These days it’s all too common for people’s hormones to get out of whack as they age, resulting in symptoms like low sex drive, moodiness, and stubborn fat loss. Strength training not only prevents the decline of important sex hormones but also keeps them balanced.

Eating to build muscle means you’re spending more time at a healthy caloric intake (vs dieting), which will keep your metabolism going strong. And the more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism and the more calories you burn at rest. (Yay for more food!) Plus, strength training even improves insulin sensitivity, which also makes it easier to lose fat and maintain weight.

While I don’t love the word “toned,” it’s a word many of my clients use to describe their goals. It’s important to understand that looking “toned” = building more muscle tone. 

When you work out to build muscle or strength, it can help you focus more on what your body can do rather than the scale. Seeing the weight you can lift increase can be incredibly motivating to keep your healthy lifestyle going. Plus, more food + flexibility in my diet is way more fun than constantly restricting.

I hope those help you kick some fear and commit to building muscle if it aligns with your health, physique and fitness goals.

If you need help with either nutrition or training, you can set up a Strategy Session here. 

As we head into the holiday season, let’s put those extra calories to good use. Your future body will thank you!