Lean

Lean seems to be important because when I was in the grocery store there was a huge sale for lean beef. I have yet to see sales for fat beef. I have yet to see companies labeling their products with fat filled. It seems that fat free is the place to be. So, I see that lean is more desirable, especially in our bodies. Let me explain what I mean by this. Our metabolic rate has a direct relation with our lean muscle mass. We have fat cells which are responsible for storing fat and calories. Our genetics play a role in how and where our bodies store fat, our muscle make up, and our bone structure. In general, the more fat you have, the less efficient your body is. Obesity has been linked with some people who have hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney issues. I am not saying that you need to be obese to have any of these situations. I am saying that obesity may lead to a greater chance of having these situations. Based on various studies that I have read, losing weight, losing excess body fat, and increasing lean muscle mass has led to an improvement in people who are diabetic, hypertensive, and have kidney and heart issues.

Our performance has a connection with our body composition. This applies to every day life and athletics. All fitness components are factored into our success. Did you know? An increase in lean body mass contributes to strength and power develop? Yes, it does, so if you are in need of more strength to pick up your kids, lift boxes, and carry in your groceries, increasing your lean body mass helps. Excess body fat can limit endurance, balance, coordination, and movement capacity. In addition, the range of motions of our joints can be hindered so having lower levels of body fat will help us with being more efficient movers. When exercising to increase lean muscle mass and decreasing body fat we are able to increase our power, speed, and agility. So what does that translate to in daily living? If you are an athlete participating in sports you simply perform better in the efficiency of your movements. If you are athlete in the game of life, you can keep up with your kids, you can climb flights of stairs instead of depending on an elevator, you can keep your balance when stepping up and down from a curb. It makes it easier to get out of your car, participate in every day cooking, cleaning, and completing errands. If your profession requires you to lift such as working in construction, or working as a painter or working as a chef, the more muscular endurance and lean muscle mass you have the more efficient you're going to be. You can complete more tasks and use less energy which allows you to work longer at whatever pace you set. So make sure that you spend time increasing your lean muscle mass. If you need assistance or know someone who does, please share this.

Have a fantastic Friday and wonderful weekend! Reference: NSCA Guide to Tests and Assessments, Human Kinetics