4 Proven Tips to Help You Build Lean Muscle

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Building lean muscle is a common fitness goal, whether you're a seasoned athlete or weekend warrior. Muscle is lean tissue. So, building lean muscle usually refers to increasing muscle fiber and strength without significantly increasing body fat.

This goal does far more than help you look more muscular, says Rocky Snyder, C.S.C.S., author of strength-training guide Return to Center. "There are so many advantages with building lean muscle mass, from increased strength and endurance to better speed and mobility," he adds. "In many ways, muscle mass is one of the keys to longevity and an increased health span in addition to life span."

What are the best tips for building lean muscle?

Making meaningful changes to your body composition - including the amount of fat or muscle you have - involves several factors, says Neel Anand, M.D., professor of orthopedic surgery and director of spine trauma at Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles. You have to consider your age, fitness level, and health conditions.

That said, there are proven tactics to help you build muscle. These research-backed methods can put you on the right track if you tailor your approach to suit your needs.

1. Start strength training

To build muscle, you need to stress your muscles so they grow stronger, says Anand. That's where resistance or strength training comes into play. During these workouts, your muscles face mechanical tension from your body weight, machines, or free weights. That tension may cause metabolic stress that allows your muscles to grow over time.

Regular strength training may also prevent age-related muscle loss. Experts recommend doing resistance workouts 2 to 3 times per week, says Anand. These workouts should target major muscle groups in your upper and lower body.

You might start with bodyweight exercises like push-ups or squats that challenge your muscles to work against gravity. But work up to using weights, such as machines, dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells. This strategy helps you increase resistance over time to continue challenging your muscles.

2. Focus on progressive overload

Progressive overload is the body's natural response to increasingly difficult training, says strength and conditioning trainer Reda Elmardi, C.S.C.S. The strength-training method gradually increases exercise intensity or stress to help your muscles get stronger. Basically, the harder you train by adding more weight or volume, the more muscle strength and size you gain.

"More training equals more muscle growth and greater resistance to damage," Elmardi explains. Metabolic stress from resistance training can trigger cellular damage. Your muscles may grow when they adapt to this stress. "Therefore, you need to train harder [to] make the necessary gains," he says.

Progressive overload has been shown to build or strengthen muscles. It can also help you avoid plateaus that stop you from reaching fitness goals.

Here are a few ways to use the method in your strength-training sessions:

• Add more reps and sets. There isn't a specific number of reps and sets to do for bigger muscles. But the American College of Sports Medicine recommends 6 to 12 reps per exercise.

• Lift more weight. It's important not to do too much too soon. Try slowly adding 2% to 10% more weight when you can do 1 to 2 more exercise reps than your desired max.

• Change your tempo. Try faster or slower reps to challenge your muscles in different ways. Slower reps can make each exercise harder, which may help your muscles get stronger. Faster reps with lighter weights may boost muscle endurance.

3. Remember to recover and rest

Proper recovery and adequate rest are crucial but often overlooked factors for achieving fitness goals. So, aim for 2 to 3 rest days between strength-training sessions. On those days, you can focus on active recovery.

Active recovery involves doing low-intensity activities on your rest day. And it helps your body recover from training sessions, says Snyder. The strategy can increase circulation, reduce muscle soreness, and increase muscle flexibility, he adds. It can also help you avoid injuries or overtraining.

Low-intensity movement boosts blood flow to the muscles you worked in strength-training workouts. This can help your muscles repair damage from strenuous exercise. Active recovery might include activities such as walking, swimming, or doing yoga. Snyder says gentle movement like this can improve recovery and help build lean muscle.

Be sure to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Adequate sleep is essential for your physical and mental health. Without it, your muscles may not recover from exercise. You might even lose muscle mass. That could put a serious dent in your strength-training plan.

4. Prioritize protein and a balanced diet

A healthy diet with balanced meals is key to reaching your fitness goals. That includes getting enough protein. Research suggests that increased protein consumption can help you build or maintain muscle.

Experts recommend that adults get 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight daily. But those recommendations can change depending on your age, activity level, and goals. For example, the International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests that active people get 1.4 g to 2.0 g of protein per kg of body weight to build or maintain muscle.

Consider adding protein-packed foods like eggs, soybeans, or almonds to your diet. But remember, the overall goal is to include a healthy mix of protein, carbs, and fat in your diet. You can work with a registered dietician if you don't know where to start.

What are the benefits of building lean muscle?

Building lean muscle isn't just important for aesthetics. It's essential for your overall health. "As we age, our muscle tone naturally decreases," says Anand. In fact, muscle mass declines by about 3% to 8% per decade after age 30. And it may speed up after age 60.

This muscle loss is associated with less mobility and function - and a higher risk of falling - among older adults. But you shouldn't wait until you're older to see this as an issue, Anand says.

"It's incredibly important to focus on prevention rather than trying to build lean muscle later when you're experiencing problems related to lower muscle mass," he adds. "Also, there are numerous benefits to having a good amount of muscle mass at any age."

Lower risk of illness

Research shows a link between low muscle mass and a higher risk of frailty. Frailty isn't just about weaker muscles, says Liron Sinvani, M.D., geriatric hospitalist at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in New York. It can affect the entire body, including the brain.

Frailty may even weaken the immune system, Sinvani explains. This can increase the risk of chronic diseases and make it harder to cope with everyday illnesses, says Sinvani. A strength-training routine can help you build muscle and stave off that frailty.

Less body fat

Regular resistance workouts help you increase lean muscle, which may decrease body fat. Your body uses more energy (calories) to build or maintain muscle mass than fat. That could increase daily calorie burn and give your metabolism a boost. It could also have a considerable effect on body composition and overall health.

Increased bone density

Like muscle mass, bone density declines with age. Low bone density increases the risk of osteoporosis, falls, and fractures. Fortunately, strength training can help you build strong muscles andstrong bones. In fact, muscle mass has been linked to increased bone density.

Better balance and mobility

Stronger bones and muscles could mean better balance and mobility. Research shows that regular strength training can help older adults prevent falls and improve mobility.

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