Am I too Lean to Build Muscle?

Lindsay explains why someone can be “too lean” to effectively build muscle even if they’re eating at maintenance and maintaining body weight. She argues maintenance calories don’t automatically mean an optimal physiological environment for growth because the body also evaluates energy reserves (body fat), recovery, training stress, sleep, and hormone signals like leptin, plus changes in estrogen and thyroid hormones that affect performance and recovery. 

Topics discussed:

• (00:00) - Welcome
• (01:31) - Social Media Body Bias
• (06:51) - Maintenance vs Reserves
• (08:08) - Budgeting Analogy Explained
• (11:58) - Hormones and Leptin
• (16:36) - Menopause Muscle Reality
• (18:58) - For Who and What Goal?
• (24:13) - Shredded Influencer Myth
• (30:00) - Is There a Bodyfat Number??
• (33:17) - Find Your Sweet Spot
• (35:19) - Wrap Up

Connect With Lindsay

Instagram: @liftinglindsay

Join the BeStrong Community for science based training, nutrition education, coaching, live calls, and a supportive community of women who want to get stronger, build muscle, and improve their health.

Learn more at liftinglindsay.com

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✔ Lengthened position training

✔ Strategic pauses and isometrics

✔ Improving muscle tension

✔ Building strength and muscle with intentional execution

✔ Learning how to make the target muscle do more of the work

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