“I want to be a triathlete who does bodybuilding”
😆 I heard this when a fellow triathlete asked me if it was possible.
I joked with her and replied, “yeah, I tried doing that for over 20 years.”
Sure THAT 👆🏾scenario may be possible for a small subset of the population with some genetic gifts. But kidding aside, I see similar muscle building issues with my 40+ babes A LOT. How do I know? I was one of them!
Here’s the top 3 MOST COMMON obstacles I see with my ladies struggling to build muscle and lose body fat:
#1. Women are unwilling to EAT MORE FOOD. Muscle is metabolic. Muscle needs CALORIES to sustain itself. To build muscle, you’ll need to spend much time eating at maintenance or in a surplus. But too many of us get in our heads about weight gain. We start and give in when the uncomfortable sets in. Babe, this is a SEASON. Stay the course! It’s worth it! You can’t build on 1500 calories either! Ya gotta eat! And I mean eat WELL not like an A hole!
#2. Lack of Progressive Resistance Training. Too many of us spend WAY TOO MUCH time and energy on cardio and interval training. We trade an immediate cardio high for the subtle yet effective monotony of resistance training. Building muscle requires consistent and appropriate resistance training. If someone is only engaging in cardiovascular exercises or not progressively increasing the intensity of their resistance training, muscle growth can be limited. Incorporating activities like weightlifting, bodyweight exercises, or resistance bands, and gradually increasing the resistance over time can stimulate muscle growth.
#3. Can you guess?! It’s a food! 😆 Insufficient Protein Intake!! Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair. As people age, their protein requirements may increase due to changes in metabolism and reduced efficiency in utilizing dietary protein. If women over 40 are not consuming enough protein to support muscle synthesis, they may struggle to build muscle even with exercise. Aiming for an adequate protein intake, ideally spread across meals, can help support muscle-building efforts.
Do you struggle with this? Let’s chat! I’ve been there! 💪🏾🔥❤️🐠 #leveluplifestyle
