Avoid These Mistakes to Prevent Muscle Loss
When you’re working out to lose weight or stay fit, building muscle is important. When you build more muscle, that muscle burns more calories, making it easier to burn off unwanted fat. Unfortunately, whether you’re working out with a personal training or enrolled in a boot camp, you may not be seeing the results that you want. You may be making some mistakes that will make you lose muscle instead of gaining it. Make sure you avoid the following mistakes, preventing muscle loss so you can build more muscle.
Mistake #1 – Drastically Cutting Calories
While you may need to cut calories to lose weight, drastically cutting calories can backfire and make you lose muscle mass instead of helping you build muscle. If your body isn’t getting the calories it needs, it will start using muscle tissue for energy. Make sure you’re getting enough calories to support your body, preventing the body from relying on muscle for its energy.
Mistake #2 – Doing Too Much Cardio
Cardio offers many great benefits, but too much cardio could end up costing you muscle tone. Doing cardio too often, too long, and without eating enough calories can be problematic. If you don’t have the fuel your body needs, too much cardio could cause your body to start metabolizing muscle.
Mistake #3 – Overtraining
Sure, when you head to boot camp, you expect to push your body. However, pushing too far can be a problem. Overtraining, which can include doing too many reps or too many sets, can get in the way of muscle gain. You won’t see the muscle gains you want if you overtrain those muscles, so make sure you train carefully.
Mistake #4 – Following the Same Routine
Are you constantly doing the same workout? If you keep following the same routine, it’s hard for your body to keep building muscle. Your body will get used to the routine, which means you won’t see the growth you want. You need to switch up your movements, do more reps, or add more weight to challenge your body.
Mistake #5 – Failure to Rest Your Muscles
To build muscle tissue, you actually need to give your muscles some time to rest. Rest allows your body to repair muscle fibers, which helps your muscles grow. Failure to rest your muscles will keep the body from having the time to repair muscle fibers. Make sure you get plenty of rest at night, and give your muscles periods of rest so you enjoy better muscle gains.
You don’t want your hard to work to end up costing you muscle mass. Avoid these mistakes and workout the smart way to enjoy increased muscle mass, which will give your metabolism a boost.