Women especially, please listen up. Yes, you read the title correctly–gaining weight from strength training is normal and it is a good thing. It really is, we promise.
Instead of fearing the scale because you are seeing the number increase, think of strength training as your long-term solution to weight loss instead of fearing that it will cause weight gain. The number increasing on the scale is not due to your fat increasing, it is actually your lean muscle mass that is going to assist in helping you drop body fat.
Building muscle mass comes with many health benefits, the biggest one you are probably concerned with is that it lowers body fat. In fact, for each pound of muscle you gain, you burn 35 to 50 more calories each day. Multiply that by 7 and you burn 245 to 350 more calories per week.
When it comes down to it, muscle weighs more than fat. The number on the scale might go up, but trust the process is knowing that the number going up is in a good way. An important thing to note too, is that when it comes to a body that weighs 140 pounds and runs all the time looks a lot different than someone who is 140 pounds of lean muscle created from strength training. The person who weighs 140 pounds and is made up of lean muscle will undoubtedly look smaller and leaner than someone who doesn’t have lean muscle that weighs 140 pounds.
A lot of women tend to ignore the scale if they are focusing on this type of shift in the composition of their body but it really can mess with their heads. A lot of professional trainers will suggest just paying attention to how your clothes fit over the scale. If you are super curious as to how much you weigh, try waiting until your clothes fit looser, then jump on the scale and don’t be alarmed if the weight is higher because you factually now know you are getting smaller because of your clothes feeling baggy.
In fact, we created a couple products that is designed specifically to help those looking to add lean muscle mass to their bodies. POW is our natural pre workout that enhances your mind and muscles to help you maximize your workouts. It also contains 5-HTP and L-theanine, two naturally occurring amino acids that help power you through your workout without the anxiety feelings associated with other pre-workouts products. With a good pre workout you are well prepared to work extra hard in your workouts which can lead to the results you are looking to achieve faster too. Our other product that works very well for lean muscle mass gain is our grass-fed whey protein, PRIME. An important ingredient it contains are BCAAS, Branched Chain Amino Acids, which are essential to support lean muscle growth and recovery while reducing muscle breakdown. Not only are you fueling your bodies with high quality protein that your muscles need after a great workout but also supply it with nutrients to help your muscles repair quickly and efficiently.
Remember, if you need to just throw that scale in the trash and trust the process.
