I workout constantly! I eat clean. Why do I still have trouble spots that just won’t go away?

Muscle Mass and Metabolism

Life isn’t fair. We have all heard our mothers say this. As we age, we lose muscle mass. When we lose muscle mass, our metabolism slows down. When our metabolism slows down, we are not burning as many calories. It can become a vicious cycle. There are things you can do to combat this…

Build More Lean Muscle Mass

Weight training should be the cornerstone of any fitness regime. It evens out muscle imbalances. It protects the body from injury. It helps speed up metabolism slow down caused by age and calorie restriction.

You should hit the gym at least 3 times a week to help build and maintain muscle mass. If you’re looking to gain muscle, you need to eat enough calories to fuel the muscle building process. Protein consumption is vital. You should do 8-12 reps at a moderate weight. Do three sets of each exercise. Choose one movement for each body part. Calf raises, lunges, leg press, squats, bicep curls, tricep extensions, lateral raises, bench press, lat pulldowns, hyperextensions, crunches. If you do each of those exercises, you will have hit every major muscle in the body.

If you’re looking to lose weight, building muscle will turn up your internal thermostat causing you to burn more calories and body fat. You can drop down to 2 weight training sessions per week for weight loss. You want to do higher reps 15-20 of each exercise 3 times through. You want to use a light enough weight that you can maintain form during each exercise.

You should never go to the gym hungry. And you should consume a serving of protein within 30 minutes of finishing your workout. A ready made protein shake or serving of Greek yogurt will do the trick!

Do not freak out if you get on the scale and you have gone up a pound or two! Muscle is heavy. It weighs more than body fat so in the long run, it is always better to have more muscle. A better way to gauge progress is to use a measuring tape.

How does Cardio affect my Muscle Mass?

If you are a triathlete or marathon runner, you likely are all about the cardio! Lifting weights is still a vital part of staying healthy and lean. When you do aerobic exercise, you are tearing down muscle. Micro tears in your muscle fiber occur during intense or prolonged exercise. In endurance sports, being light is equated with speed. The lighter you are, the faster you will go. However, ignoring strength training can be to the overall detriment of your training. You need balance. Balance is the best way to stay healthy and perform at optimum levels.

What about those Stubborn Pockets of Fat that won’t go away?

Luckily, we live in a world that has made great strides in medical aesthetics. For those who are already at or close to their ideal weight, there is an option. LavaSculpting is a proprietary procedure where we inject deoxycholic acid into stubborn fatty tissue dissolving it away. It is then followed by 3 ultrasound treatments. This drives the deoxycholic acid deeper into the fatty tissue improving its efficacy. This is real, permanent fat loss. It only requires one treatment and there is little to no down time.

You can schedule your LavaSculpt appointment online today at our Newport News medspa or Virginia Beach medspa or by calling us directly: 757-223-0882 (NN) or 757-707-0256 (VA Beach). Choose Hawaii Blue… because youth is a gift of nature, but age is a work of art.