A Short No
If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either a) a man looking to lose some weight, or b) a woman who wants to build some muscle. If you fit into either of those categories, then I’ve got some fantastic news for you! The answer to your question is…yes, building muscle will help you lose weight. But, it depends on what you mean by “help”.
How Building Muscle Can Help You Lose Weight
Let’s start with the basics. Everyone agrees that building muscle is beneficial to your health. Now, you might be wondering how much muscle you need to build in order to lose weight. According to most experts, the amount of muscle you need depends on whether you want to lose weight or not. If you want to lose weight, you need to build more muscles. However, if you don’t want to lose weight, you need to build fewer muscles.
Let’s say you want to lose 10 pounds. You need to build enough muscles to support that weight. If you’re currently carrying around 35 pounds of extra fat, then you’ll need to build about 3-5 pounds of muscle with weight training to be able to lose the fat. Don’t be scared off by the number of pounds you need to lose; once you have the basics down, it’s relatively easy to lose the rest. In fact, the majority of people who lose weight eventually gain back a little bit of the weight they lost. Don’t give up hope yet!
When you build muscle, your body naturally resists the urge to eat large meals because it takes more energy to fuel the muscles than it does to store the food. This means that you’ll have to eat less frequently throughout the day. While it might not seem like much, consider that an average meal contains about 4,000 calories. If you burn through about 4,000 calories per day, then you’re not going to lose weight. You’ll stay at the same size.
When you build muscle, it also means your body will change. You won’t be as susceptible to diseases related to aging because it takes more energy to fight off everyday infections and sicknesses. What’s more, when you build muscle, you increase your body’s ability to metabolize food and burn calories. As a result, you’ll be able to lose weight without worrying about gaining back the weight you lost!
To create the perfect muscle-to-fat ratio, you need to build three types of muscles:
- Cardio muscles
- Flexor muscles
- Intramuscular muscles
The first two groups of muscles help with everyday activities. Your cardio muscles help control your heart rate and blood pressure. Your flexor muscles help move your fingers, hands, and arms. Intramuscular muscles are the muscles inside of your body that control your movement. For example, your biceps muscle is the muscle that forms the inside of your arm.
If you want to find out how much muscle you need to build, use this formula:
- Your body weight x 1.7
- For women
This formula gives you an estimate of how much muscle you need to build. Don’t worry, you don’t have to build exactly this amount; you can start off with a few pounds and then gradually add more as you continue to build your muscle. Remember, it’s always a good idea to work with a personal trainer who can help you develop a workout routine that’s right for you.
Why Do You Need To Build Cardio Muscles?
Your heart is a muscle, and it needs to be exercised just like any other muscle in your body. However, your heart has special requirements. First, let’s talk about the size of your heart. Your heart is the muscle that pumps blood throughout your body. In fact, your heart is about two inches in diameter and it weighs about three pounds. So, if you want to know the perfect weight for your heart, it would be about six pounds for a man and about four pounds for a woman. Your heart needs to work hard every day, so be sure to give it some extra attention. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to exercise your heart without going overboard with a gym membership:
Walking is the most natural way to exercise. Your body is already using the art of walking to stay alive. But, instead of just staying healthy, you can work on conditioning your body to burn more calories. When you walk, your body builds muscle, increases your heart rate, and gets your blood circulating throughout your body. The result is that you’re able to shed off those extra pounds!
Even better, you don’t need a gym membership to exercise with walking. All you need is the ability to walk and the motivation to walk. If you can do that, then you’re all set. You’ll be able to build your cardio muscles and lose weight without even thinking about it. A lot of people say that the walking exercise helps them lose weight because it gets their muscles moving. While this is true, it’s also because it gets their heart pumping and their metabolism working hard. When your body is active, it burns calories even when you’re sleeping. So, if you want to lose weight, you shouldn’t be afraid to get moving!
Why Do You Need To Build Flexor Muscles?
If you’ve ever had a long day at work, school, or home, and you came home only to find that your couch was more comfortable than your bed, you know that your body naturally wants to go to sleep. So, if you’re looking for a way to unwind and relax, then watching TV is the perfect solution. Unfortunately, those hours of peaceful relaxation might be the worst for your health. The reason is that sitting down all day puts pressure on your back. This in turn, puts pressure on your organs, specifically your spleen and your liver. The result is that your organs start to atrophy and let’s just say that watching TV isn’t good for your general health.
When your organs start to atrophy, it makes it harder for your body to fight off infection. This is why it’s important to keep your body active by engaging in some kind of exercise. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to exercise your flexor muscles without needing a gym membership. Just take a walk!
Just like with your heart, working your flexor muscles is almost always easier said than done. It takes a lot of patience and practice to build up the muscle tissue in your flexors that’s necessary for flexing your fingers, hands, and arms. The good news is that once you’ve built that muscle, it stays with you for the rest of your life. This means that you’re not limited to just walking; you can do other exercises as well. Talk to your doctor about what exercise program is right for you.
Why Do You Need To Build Intramuscular Muscles?
If you want to find out how much muscle you need to build, use this formula:
- Your body weight x 1.7
- For women
- Your body weight x 1.3
- For men
These formulas give you an estimate of how much muscle you need to build. Just like with your other two forms of muscles, building intramuscular muscles is also easier said than done. Even though you might have the basic knowledge and the tools to build the muscles you need, it still takes a lot of practice to get good at it. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Just like with your other two forms of muscles, working out with a personal trainer can help you develop a workout routine that’s right for you.
Don’t Forget About Eating Clean!
If you want to lose weight, you need to make a conscious effort to cut back on the amount of food you consume. There are plenty of foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients. If you want to shed off those extra pounds, then it’s essential that you avoid eating foods like cookies, cake, and chocolate. These foods are high in calories and contain no protein. Instead, opt for fruits and vegetables that are low in calories and high in fiber. The combo of fruits and vegetables helps speed up digestion and prevent those extra pounds from building back up again.