Blog
|July 2, 2020
Tips for lean muscle gain
4 min

Building lean muscle can be beneficial in several aspects of your life, from improving your confidence to increasing your basal metabolic rate, but what is the best way to go about it?
In this blog we take an holistic look at the benefits of building lean muscle and share 8 workout and nutrition tips to help women make it happen.
In this blog we take an holistic look at the benefits of building lean muscle and share 8 workout and nutrition tips to help women make it happen.
What is the difference between lean muscle and muscle?
Not all muscle is the same and as you are developing muscle tissue you want to make sure it is lean muscle. Lean muscle is densely packed with contractile tissue, rather than lower quality muscle which has a higher level of fat and connective tissue. Simply explained, lean muscles refer to muscles that do not have a lot of fat around or within it. Most women are afraid to get muscly and desire to get “toned” muscles, this refers to less muscle mass and a more toned and tight body.
There is no way to check this simply by looking in a mirror, but using a Tanita body composition scale such as the RD-953, will help you to build a better understanding of your body by giving you the weight of your muscle mass and a muscle quality score.
There is no way to check this simply by looking in a mirror, but using a Tanita body composition scale such as the RD-953, will help you to build a better understanding of your body by giving you the weight of your muscle mass and a muscle quality score.
Why is lean muscle good?
If you thought that building muscle is only for the #Fitboys and #Fitgirls who spend their life in a gym, think again! Building lean muscle can be just as relevant if you are more likely to be found on a yoga mat than holding a kettlebell.
Increasing your level of lean muscle will have several benefits. It creates a virtuous circle which will help you to maintain a healthy weight. The higher metabolic rate in your muscle tissue will burn calories more quickly than the equivalent fat so increasing your muscle will boost your metabolism, or basal metabolic rate.
Confidence is often linked to how we look and building muscle is a really positive and confidence boosting step, when compared with the sense of failure which can come with dieting. When you know you are looking good and taking positive steps to improve your health and fitness you will be a really positive influence on those around you.
Building muscle is also important to protect your health long term. Increased lean muscle mass will;
Increasing your level of lean muscle will have several benefits. It creates a virtuous circle which will help you to maintain a healthy weight. The higher metabolic rate in your muscle tissue will burn calories more quickly than the equivalent fat so increasing your muscle will boost your metabolism, or basal metabolic rate.
Confidence is often linked to how we look and building muscle is a really positive and confidence boosting step, when compared with the sense of failure which can come with dieting. When you know you are looking good and taking positive steps to improve your health and fitness you will be a really positive influence on those around you.
Building muscle is also important to protect your health long term. Increased lean muscle mass will;
- reduce the risk of injury to ligaments and tendons;
- improve your posture, through stronger core and back muscles
- protect your bones from becoming weaker in later life with increased bone density and strength
- strengthen your immune system so you can better fight illness, infection or stress
- reduce the likelihood of muscle loss which can occur with menopause and aging.

Tips to gain lean muscle
There are lots of different workouts available which you can select to build your lean muscle, but these 4 tips will help you to integrate muscle building in the activity you are already doing;