Less is More – Celebrate Your Muscle!

by Analisa Naldi

When you think of fat loss, you associate everything with lower numbers: fewer calories, less body weight and smaller clothes. It is not uncommon to forget that, while working towards altering your body composition and decreasing body fat, your lean muscle mass will likely increase. In this situation, less IS more. Less body fat and more lean muscle lead to more strength, more power production and, therefore, more calories burned regularly.

Let’s take a second to define some basics. Lean body mass describes all body tissues that are not fat and water (muscle, bone, connective tissues). An increase in lean body mass usually means muscular hypertrophy, which is an increase in the cross-sectional area of the muscle. The contractile components of the muscle (actin and myosin) increase in number yielding a slight increase in the size of the muscle.

Fat mass is the amount of body composition that is all fat. Fat mass is made up of essential fats (those that our body needs for basic physiological functioning) and non-essential fat (a direct result of taking in more calories than you are expending).

Keep thinking: Less IS more! While training to weigh less, I focused my objectives on squatting more weight, producing more power (increasing my Olympic-style weightlifting totals), and completing more pull-ups and push-ups consecutively. It is optimal for athletes involved in activities that require strength, power and muscular endurance to focus on increasing lean muscle and decreasing fat. Therefore, I am continuing to monitor my diet, so as to maintain my current body weight (73kg-74kg). I am currently training to achieve my Olympic Weightlifting goals and not doing any additional cardiovascular/aerobic workouts outside of my two-hour sessions with barbell club.

“Aren’t you worried you’re going to get fat?” I’ve been asked this a number of times since beginning my new weightlifting goals (which exclude aerobics) around New Year. I weigh the same (my body weight fluctuates between 0-3 lbs during the course of the day) as I did on New Year’s Day and I haven’t done a bit of “cardio” since December 29, 2007. I am currently being coached by our own Barbell Club Coach Rob, am 60 days into my training, and my body has changed physiologically and aesthetically.

A typical workout starts with a general warm-up on the rowing machine, treadmill, or jump rope. This takes me anywhere from 5-10 minutes, depending on how cold it is. This is different from previous workouts in duration, intensity, and activity choice. I am not as aggressive in my warm-up due to the increased demands on my muscles during my actual workout. My warm-up is followed by overhead squats, which I do everyday since it’s is one of the most difficult movements for me to consistently do correctly. Workouts will consist of full snatch and/or clean and jerk, or their variations. High-volume days are cycled with heavy days, and there is always one “play day” during the week, which usually falls on a Friday. “Play day” is a day in which I do a plethora of non-weightlifting movements (pull-ups, push-ups, burpees, box jumps, lunges, etc) for 45-60 minutes to work out any soreness and keep my sanity.

My squat totals have all increased steadily over the last six weeks. I’ve set two more personal records in my Snatch and Clean and Jerk totals, which are due to a combination of strength gains and improved technique. Strength gains have become apparent in my daily performance. It is hard work, but rewarding because the improvements have been steady and realistic.

The aesthetic results have been entertaining and exciting. My body type (somewhere between a mesomorph and endomorph) is not naturally lean and muscular. A mesomorph is referred to as an “hourglass” figure with a higher percentage of muscle mass and higher rate of muscular development. An endomorph typically has a greater number of fat cells, wide waist, and larger bone structure than the average person.

Every little striation (muscular definition) that I can see is the direct result of hard workouts and monitored nutrition. The best part of doing burpees is not only dropping to the ground and knowing that I have the upper body strength to pop up, but also seeing my deltoids and triceps pop out. My point here is that, while it is important to focus on your performance goals, it’s okay to celebrate the small visual victories that accompany your success.

Don’t be afraid of your muscles. You will not turn into a “large-and-in-charge” woman or man simply by gaining some muscle mass. You will not get “big and bulky” unless you consume an excessive amount of calories, decrease exercise to little to none, or begin a body-building training program. The key is to remember that muscle does not mean “big and bulky.” Muscles indicate functional strength, healthier body composition, and improved athletic performance.

I’ve read a ton of studies that have shown the correlation between an increase in muscle mass and a decrease in body fat. Studies have shown high negative correlations between relative amounts of body fat and athletic performance. Wilmore and Costill (1994) discussed that, when an athlete moves the body through space, higher lean muscle mass and lower body fat is optimal for success. Based on my own workouts, burpees, pull-ups, squats, you name it, I agree.

I realize that there are psychological battles with the numbers, both on the scale and in the weight room. But, coming from somebody who has struggled with both, placing a greater focus on the latter definitely leads to more success. It is important to remember that your body weight may increase anywhere from 1-5lbs during the transition. But if these small weight gains occur while performance is improving, then you’re moving in the right direction: improved body composition and aesthetics.

Now, after reading parts of my personal testimony, struggles, and muscle battles, do you believe that less IS more? Less body fat accompanies more lean muscle mass. More lean muscle mass leads to improved athletic performance. Improved athletic performance leads to increased functional strength. Increased functional strength is directly applicable to life, daily activities, and overall healthier existence. This being said, why wouldn’t you want to increase lean muscle mass if you can reap all of these benefits?


Reference: Wilmore, J.H. and D.L. Costill. Physiology of Sport and Exercise. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1994.