There are numerous benefits to training with resistance, or increasing lean muscle mass through strength training.
Lean muscle mass is in itself metabolic and passively burns body fat.
However, there are a few guidelines to work with to ensure that the stress or “load” of the training is managable and that the results are long term:
- Maintaining a lid on both average and maximal exertion. Training shouldn’t feel like it is dangerous, too intense, too strenuous, or like it is pushing you to the limit. Remember, the goal is to create a sustainable and repeatable practice that is pro-health. My general approach to this is if I’m having to twist my face up into extremes to complete or attempt a movement, it’s too hard and I should lighten the load and double check that the movement quality is where I want it to be.
- We need to have adequate rest to “recover” from the stimulus. Most of the plateaus I see are from people under too much physiological load (stress) outside of their training, then trying to add high frequency training. Sleep, energy, mood and sex drive should be generally good. These are all signs of the state of the system.
- We need adequate food. There is a scarcity mindset that is rampant in the fitness world. It’s generally an increase in training accompanied by a decrease in food quantity or some sort of “clean eating” attempt. Typically, we arrive at a body with too few resources relative to the demands. I’ve seen countless men who are regularly training eating less than my wife, who is a lean 57kg or so. This only means that they have managed to run their metabolism down slow enough such that they are in survival mode with a small amount of food. The goal is pro-metabolic food, high food frequency for most and a fast metabolism.
Long term success in training comes from patience and remaining just that little bit detached.
This helps us to see things how they really are and keep things in check. Are all the boxes being ticked for us to succeed?
