Three Exercises to Increase Muscle Mass and Strength

Muscle loss and consequently a decrease in strength can begin as early as your 30s.  Left unabated this process accelerates each year causing you to lose more muscle and strength until the activities of everyday life becomes difficult to do.  However, the good news is you can do something to slow down and even reverse this scenario.

Strength training (weight lifting), and proper daily protein intake are two of the most effective ways of maintaining your muscle mass and strength as you age.  In this post I will show you three exercises you can do to help you maintain and increase their muscle mass and strength.  You should perform these exercises in combination 2 to 3 times each week for best results.

Exercise 1.  Lat Pulldown

 

The lat pulldown is a great exercise for strengthening and developing the upper back muscles that are critical for good posture.  People whose shoulders are slumped forward most likely have underdeveloped upper back muscles.

First, sit down and adjust the thigh pad to a position that firmly fits over your thighs.  Then select a resistance with which the last three repetitions are difficult to complete.  If this is your first time doing this exercise, it may take experimenting at several weights before you find the right resistance.  Next, grip the bar a little wider than shoulder width, sit down on the seat and place your knees firmly under the pad.  Start with your arms fully extended and your chest held high.  This is your start position. Now, pull the bar slowly down to the base of your neck while squeezing your shoulder blades back and together.   Slowly return the bar to the starting position.  (It should take about three seconds to pull the bar down and about two seconds to return the bar to its starting position). Proper breathing is very important, so remember to exhale as you pull the bar down and inhale as you return the bar to the starting position. 

Exercise # 2 - The Dumbbell Chest Press

 

The dumbbell chest press is one of the best exercises for developing and strengthening your chest, and the front of your shoulders.  Again, you will have to experiment to select the proper weight to use.  Pick-up a dumbbell in each hand, and sit on the end of a bench.  Place the dumbbells end-up on your knees, then lay back on the bench and position the dumbbells chest height at your sides.  This is your start position.  Press the dumbbells up over your chest until your arms are fully extended, being careful not to lock your elbows.  Slowly return the dumbbells to the start position.  Your breathing pattern is to exhale as you press up and inhale as you return to the starting position.

Exercise # 3 - Leg Press

The leg press is one of the best exercises for overall strength and development of your legs.  First, sit in the seat, positioning your feet about shoulder width apart and chest high on the platform.   Adjust the seat height by pulling the handle and sliding forward until your thighs are parallel to the platform.  This is your start position (make sure that your lower back is pressed firmly against the back of the seat).  With your feet flat, slowly press upward until your legs are fully extended but short of locking.  Slowly return to the position where the weight almost touch the weight stack.  The breathing pattern for this exercise is to exhale as you press up and inhale as you return to the start.  Again, you will have to experiment to find a weight with which the last three repetitions are difficult to perform.

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Strength Training and Protein, the Keys to Maintaining Muscle

I'm often asked how I maintain my strength and muscle mass being that I am in my fifties?  My reply is that strength training is the foundation of my fitness program, and I always get the proper amount of protein in my diet to maximize muscle growth and repair.  Scientific research is now proving that strength training and proper protein intake are two of the best ways to build and preserve your muscle mass as you age.

Severe muscle loss called sarcopenia affects nearly 4 million people in the United States resulting in weakness, fatigue, frailty, falls, fractures, disability, and even death.  While most people associate muscle loss with old age, sarcopenia can begin as early as your 30s.  Left unabated this condition accelerates with time as your body starts tearing down old muscle faster than it can build new muscle tissue.  The good news is you can slow and in some cases reverse muscle loss as you age via regular strength training (also known as weight lifting), and getting the right amount of protein in your diet.

Scientific research is showing that weight lifting is one of the most effective ways of building and maintaining muscle mass as you age and here's why.  Strength training is a method of overloading your body with a resistance that you are not accustomed to lifting.  In response your body adapts to this overloading process by building stronger muscles to accommodate the new load.  Research says that by the time you reach middle age you should start lifting weights at least 2 times per week to retain your muscle.  I lift weights 4 times each week to maximize my  muscle mass and strength.  I recommend you get with a properly trained fitness professional and let them design a safe and effective weight lifting program for you.

The second key to building and maintaining your muscle mass as you age is getting the proper amount of protein in your diet.  There has been much debate on how much protein you need daily.  While 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.36 grams per pound) has been the normal recommendation for daily protein intake, new studies show that 1 to 1.5 grams of protein of per kilogram of body weight (0.45 to 0.68 grams per pound) may be more beneficial in building, maintaining, and reducing muscle loss as specially as you age.

Not only is getting the proper amount of protein in your diet important to supporting muscle growth and repair, but also the timing of protein consumption.  The goal of protein consumption and lean muscle mass is to optimize muscle protein synthesis (the biological process by which muscle cells are regenerated).  Research shows consuming 25 to 30 grams of high quality protein at each meal is necessary to stimulate protein synthesis.  So, if don't get the proper amount of protein at each meal optimal muscle growth and repair does not happen.  I always make sure I get 25 to 30 grams of protein with each of my meals.

Try incorporating regular strength training and consuming the right amount of protein in your fitness plan and I assure you that you will see a gain in muscle mass and strength.  Then people will ask you how do you stay so muscular and strong as you age.

The Benefits of Cardiovascular Exercise

Cardiovascular exercise known as cardio by most in the fitness profession is associated with numerous health benefits; therefore, it is an invaluable part of any fitness program. Cardio exercise is any activity that increases the work of the heart and lungs. Activities such as brisk walking, running, training on the elliptical machine, biking, and working on the Stairmaster, are some of the more well-known forms of cardio. 

During cardio exercise you repeatedly move large muscles in the upper and lower parts of your body. Your body responds by breathing faster and more deeply providing increased blood flow to these muscles and back to your lungs. Your small blood vessels widen to deliver more oxygen to your muscles and carry away waste products, such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid. Your body also releases endorphins which are natural pain killers that promote an increased sense of well-being.

Regardless of your age, cardio exercise is good for you. As your body adapts to a cardio routine your heart and lungs will become stronger and more efficient in performing their activities. The following are additional benefits of cardiovascular exercise:[1]

·        Helps to lose and maintain a healthy weight. Combined with strength training and a healthy diet cardio helps you to lose weight and to keep it off.

·        Increase your stamina. Cardio may make you tired in the short term, but over the long term, you will enjoy increased stamina and reduced fatigue.

·        Ward off viral illnesses. Cardio activates your immune system, thus making you less susceptible to minor viral illnesses such as colds and flu.

·        Reduce health risks. Cardio, combined with strength training, reduces the risk of many conditions including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, osteoporosis, and certain types of cancer.

·        Manage chronic conditions. Cardio, combined with strength training, helps to lower blood pressure and to control blood sugar.

·        Strengthen your heart. A stronger heart doesn’t need to beat as fast and pumps blood more efficiently. Consequently, blood flow is improved to all parts of your body.

·        Keeps your arteries clear. Cardio boosts your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol and lowers your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol, which results  in less plaque build-up in your arteries.

·        Boost your mood. Cardio can ease the gloominess of depression, reduce the tension associated with anxiety and promote relaxation.

·        Stay active and independent as you get older. Cardio, in conjunction with strength training, keeps your muscles strong, helping you maintain mobility as you get older. Cardio also keeps your mind sharp. At least 30 minutes of cardio three days a week seems to reduce cognitive decline in older adults.

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[1] MayoClinic.org

Are You Getting Enough Protein In Your Diet to Build and Maintain Muscle?

I'm always amazed at how quickly food companies put together ad campaigns that tell you half-truths to get you to buy their products.  For example, research is now revealing how important building and maintaining muscle is to your overall health as you age.  And one of the key ingredients to building and maintaining muscle is getting enough high quality protein in your diet.  Now, we are bombarded with ads from food companies such as, "our product has 14 grams of muscle building protein!"

Most the products that you see advertized as having "muscle building protein" contains 10 to 14 grams of protein and they make you think that by consuming them you are feeding your muscles.  But what the food companies don't tell you is that you have to consume at least 21 grams of protein at a meal in order for your body to start building and repairing muscle tissue.

Protein is a necessary part of every living cell in your body.  Next to water, protein comprises up the greatest portion of your body weight.  Protein is important in the maintenance of enzymes and hormone levels that regulate critical body functions, and it is also important in the healing and repair of your bones, tissues, and cells.  Thus, your body uses the protein you consume for the most critical functions first, and if you don't get enough protein at a meal, muscle building does not happen.

It takes consuming at least 21 grams of protein at a meal for your body to get the signal that it has enough protein to start protein synthesis (the building and repair of muscle).  So you see, consuming an extra 10 to 14 grams of protein as a snack is beneficial to other bodily functions but, it won't help you build muscle.  Here's the whole truth about protein consumption and building muscle.  You need to eat 25 to 30 grams of protein at each meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) if you want to stimulate maximal muscle growth and repair.