26 Feb Maintaining Muscle Mass While Working Out

If you are trying to reach a higher level of fitness or if you are attempting to lose weight, it is important for you to pay just as much attention to your muscle mass as you do your cardio.  Yet, many people who are attempting to lose weight fail to pay attention to weight training and can actually lose muscle mass from their workout.  Therefore, it is essential for you to consider your muscles when planning a diet and exercise plan for losing weight.

The Importance of Muscle Mass

When trying to lose weight, maintaining or increasing your muscle mass will actually help you with the weight loss process.  This is because the body uses more energy to maintain muscle, which means you will burn more calories while at rest if you have a greater muscle mass.  Maintaining muscle mass will also help to improve your stability and overall physical performance, which will reduce your chances of becoming injured when working out.

How to Maintain Your Muscle Mass

In order to be certain you are not depleting your muscle mass, you may want to consider limiting your cardio workouts to just three times per week.  Otherwise, you may burn too many calories and your body will need to burn energy from your muscles in order to provide your body with the energy it needs.  It is also a good idea to avoid performing cardio training and strength training on the same day.  By alternating between cardio training and weight training, you can keep your body In good shape while maintaining your metabolism levels and burning more fat.