Although muscle loss is sometimes unavoidable, it is important to understand how to combat it. Weight loss, a lack of protein in the diet, a sedentary lifestyle, and aging all contribute to muscle loss. In most cases, however, resistance training and a healthy diet can counteract much, if not all, muscle loss.
It is necessary to convey frequent messages to the muscles that they are needed to prevent muscular loss.
The trick is to keep your resistance training efforts consistent. Continue reading to learn about the greatest workouts to undertake to prevent muscle loss, as well as the necessity of maintaining and growing muscle.
Muscle Plays a Crucial Role for Health
A healthy quantity of muscle mass is linked to a longer, more independent life, disease prevention, a healthy body weight, and lower all-cause mortality. Low muscle mass has been linked to inferior results in a variety of medical settings, including post-operative recovery, physical functioning, and quality of life.
Muscle loss is common as people age, and this is especially true if they are sedentary. In reality, once you reach the age of 30, your muscle mass begins to drop. 5 Much of the muscle loss associated with aging can be avoided by engaging in physical exercise, particularly resistance training, which helps build and maintain muscle and strength.
A calorie deficit, especially if you do not consume enough protein to prevent muscle loss, is another cause of muscle loss.
If you've spent time gaining muscle, you've probably developed some body fat as well. Because muscle building normally necessitates a calorie surplus (consuming more calories than you require to maintain your weight), you will inevitably gain body fat, as not all of the excess calories are used to create muscle.
If you want to lose body fat gained during the muscle-building phase (also known as bulking), you'll need to lower your calorie intake below maintenance. This is commonly referred to as a cutting phase, however, it is simply a period of weight loss.
Muscle loss is very common when people lose weight, whether it's for a bulking and cutting cycle or any other cause. It is critical to engage in resistance training during this time. The exercises listed here are the greatest for preventing muscle loss, regardless of your goal.
Training Tip
Prioritize bilateral, multijoint exercises (compound lifts) across a full range of motion with roughly four weekly sets per muscle group using a 6 to 15 rep maximum loading range to make resistance training workouts more time-efficient.
7 Exercises to Prevent Muscle Loss
1- Deadlifts
Deadlifts are essential for maintaining a healthy weight, gaining muscular mass, and developing strength. In weightlifting, the hinge pattern is a basic movement pattern that can be applied to everyday life. Bending to pick items up securely is essential for avoiding back injuries and maintaining good function.
Because it engages numerous muscles at once, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and back, this compound, multi-joint, multi-muscle activity is good for avoiding muscle loss. Some of these muscles will be emphasized more than others in each version.
There are different varieties of deadlifts to choose from. Choose the one that you are most at ease with. To get the most out of the hinge design, it's a good idea to incorporate a few modifications.
Deadlift Variations
Sumo deadlifts
Traditional deadlifts
Romanian deadlifts
Single leg deadlifts
2- Squats
Squats are a basic movement pattern that everyone should be able to perform. You don't have to lift large weights or use a barbell to perform this exercise, but being able to squat is essential for functional mobility and is considered a basic human stance.
Because it works muscles throughout the body, including the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and core (back and abdominal muscles), including the deep core stabilizing muscles, the squat efficiently avoids muscle loss.
Resistance exercise for the lower body is essential for preventing muscle loss. The squat is also the ultimate lower-body exercise.
Squat Variations
Basic squat
Front squat
Half squat
Overhead squat
Goblet squat
Barbell snatch (includes a squat and press)
3- Bench Press
The bench press is another important compound lift. The upper body is the center of this exercise.
The chest muscles are primarily targeted by bench press variations (pectorals). They will, however, engage the shoulders and triceps.
Bench Press Variations
Bench press
Close-grip bench press
Incline dumbbell press
Decline chest press
4- Shoulder Press
A functional body requires healthy, muscular shoulders. Because of their tremendous mobility and lack of structural support, the shoulders are one of the most injury-prone parts of the body.
Shoulders also regulate everything you do with your arms and hands, as well as many other human actions.
Preventing muscle loss in your shoulders is critical for injury prevention and optimal functioning for these reasons. The anterior (front), posterior (back), and lateral (side) deltoids are the three muscles that make up the shoulder.
These muscles aid in moving your arms to the front, back, and sides, as well as supporting the ligaments and other structures that support the shoulder joint, therefore it's crucial to grow and maintain muscle in this area. Because it can activate all of the shoulder muscles, the shoulder press is an ideal choice for training the shoulders.
Shoulder Press Variations
Shoulder press
Dumbbell overhead press
Push press
Other shoulder exercises that target different parts of the shoulder muscle and keep the ligaments strong in all planes of motion should be included in your programming as well. Lattice raises, front raises, upright rows, and Turkish get-ups are all good options.
5- Rows
The row is a complex exercise that helps build and maintain muscle in the upper and mid-back muscles, while the typical deadlift focuses on the lower back. Muscle loss in the back can lead to poor posture, injury, and pain.
There are a variety of rowing exercises to choose from. This exercise can be performed with a loaded barbell, dumbbells, cables, or resistance bands, as long as the weight is kept challenging and progressing.
Variations for Row
Barbell row
Dumbbell bent-over row
Seated cable row
TRX row
Renegade row
6- Lunges
Lunges and other unilateral lower-body activities are great for growing and maintaining muscle in your legs, glutes, and even your core, which works to keep you balanced. The majority of your leg activities, such as climbing stairs, walking, and stepping over things, are unilateral. It's critical to keep the lower body's stabilizing muscles in good shape as you get older.
Single leg motions strengthen muscles that can be weakened by sitting for long periods. Inactivity can cause these muscles to tense and weaken, resulting in muscle loss and dysfunction. 19 Lunges help the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves create and maintain muscle.
Lunge Variations
Lunges
Walking lunges
Dumbbell lunges
Overhead lunge
Side lunge
Twisting lunge
Step-ups, Bulgarian split squats, single-leg leg press, and curtsy lunges are some more unilateral lower body exercises to attempt.
7- Loaded Carries
Loaded carries include walking with a heavier weight, commonly a kettlebell or dumbbell, held in various ways in your hands or on your shoulders. They're great for biceps, triceps, forearms, shoulders, upper back, trapezius, quads, hamstrings, calves, lower back, obliques, transverse abdominis, and rectus abdominis muscle building and preservation.
They are, in essence, a full-body functional workout that improves grip strength and shoulder stability, as well as other aspects of functioning everyday living.
The core muscles that help you steady and balance are preserved with 2122 Loaded, which helps you avoid injuries, back pain, and falls.
Other Loaded Carries
Farmer's walk
Suitcase carry
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