5 things I would absolutely NOT do if I was trying to build lean muscle.

1. EAT IN A DEFICIT

If the goal is to BUILD lean muscle (yes this includes body recomposition & toning), then you have to give your body the resources it needs to do so. You don't have to enter a bulking phase, but it's best to eat slightly more than your maintenance so your body can cover all the bases of recovery, repair damaged muscle fibers, and increase mass & size of your muscles.

2. CARDIO

Mixing cardio in with your training sessions can inhibit your molecular pathways from building muscle. If you need to do cardio, try to separate your cardio and resistance training days so your molecular pathways favor muscular hypertrophy and you have energy for maximum strength output. Be sure to fuel properly as well so you're body doesn't sacrifice muscle for energy!

3. NEGLECT PROTEIN

Protein is made up of amino acids. Amino acids are the molecules that all living things need to make up protein. These little things are what build your muscles. Protein is not only critical for recovery after your workout (AKA after creating micro-tears in those muscle fibers) but also throughout the day so your body can spend as muscle time repairing/building your muscles as possible.

Protein also has a high thermic effect which means it requires more energy to break down and use, speeding up your metabolism. It ALSO can make you feel satiated because in the gut, amino acids stimulate the release of several hormones that activate satiety centers in the brain.

WIN WIN WIN!

4. ONLY DO 10+ REPS

If you've been doing 10 reps for every exercise you're whole life, your results may be stagnant and limited. I challenge you to lift more for less. Staying in the 8-12 rep range can increase muscle mass for a certain amount of time, but doing >8 reps for 4+ sets will increase strength as well. You can also use your 5th set for lighter weight and higher reps to keep a wide range of reps for overall body and muscle benefits, like greater strength and endurance.

5. NEGLECT SLEEP

No matter what your goals are - burning fat or building muscle - your body NEEDS good quantity AND quality of sleep to regulate your hormones. Your body produces hormones crucial for muscle growth and repair while you sleep. If you're not getting enough sleep or you're floppin around all night, your body will not have the opportunity to recover correctly which will limit growth.

You have to do something you've never done before to get results you've never had before.

These 5 factors can be POWERFUL for building lean muscle if you stick to them.

Plan ahead, set yourself up for success, and message me for support✊🏼

Talk soon,

Madison