PART 2

I have finished the last blog talking about how people tend to lose muscle mass while they are getting older and why that might be a reason why almost 80% of men and 70% of women over 60 years old are overweighed.
Now, to begin with, some interesting studies talk about how resistance training effects and actually reverses aging factors.

There is some evidence which claims that resistance training increases the mitochondrial content and the oxidative capacity of the tissue. Another study showed a reverse in the deterioration of mitochondria that occurs with aging. After six months of training, adults having a mean age of 68 years old illustrated gene expression reversal that resulted in similar characteristics to those in moderately active young adults. CRAZI ISNT IT?

To give you a better idea about what those elements are:
Mitochondria is a power generator cell which is suggested to be more prone to mutation during aging. In addition, the aging process creates a decline in mitochondrial enzymes activity and other elements. On the other hand, oxidative capacity could limit the ability of the muscle to function normally.

Now, if you are in the position where you tell yourself: Well, the benefits are there, they are researched, I need to start doing something…but where do I start?

If that is something you have been thinking of, you are in the right place.
Congratulations! You have not entered a field where confusion, lack of knowledge, contradictory results of the studies, and people who would do anything to sell you something are mixed with highly experienced coaches, articles which show black and white results and people who have a genuine desire to help others.

Now, everything comes to your critical thinking and your knowledge. With the availability of the internet today, you have everything to learn and make informed choices.

This is the point where I can see how education, a degree, a master, or your genuine interest in a subject can make a huge difference. All these academic qualifications in Sports Science do not offer magic answers to your questions, but they teach you skepticism and critical thinking. If I have learned something during all those years of studying that stayed in my mind is HAVE DOUBTS and ASK QUESTIONS.

The most crucial question which will make you a badass is “WHY?”

If someone asks you this sacred question, you have two options:
• Know you fucking stuff and have a reasoning process behind everything that you do
• RUN

And this does not apply only to coaches or personal trainers, but it applies as well to the person that just starts lifting weight. If you want to be healthy in the long term, you have to make informed choices in regards to your training, nutrition, and lifestyle. Think about it in this way: every mistake that you do, which is consistently repeated, becomes a habit; every habit created will, at some point, influence your overall wellbeing.
At this point, I will briefly describe what you need to consider if you just started to lift weight or if you are a current lifter, I will refresh your knowledge.

Studies showed that brief sessions of 12 to 20 exercise sets repeated three nonconsecutive days per week can increase muscle mass in adults of all ages. Some of them claimed a lean weight gain of 1.4 kg, following approximately three months of resistance training. And this is only through 12 exercise sets per session. However, if you want more significant results, this will change, as the volume is a prime influencer in gaining higher levels of muscle mass.

For instance, I have been able to gain 10 kg of muscle mass in 12 months, having a previous background of consistent resistance training, the only elements which have changed being increased volume (sets, reps, exercises) and frequency (number of sessions per week). Therefore, you cannot say that I was a beginner. This would describe a monthly increase of 0.83 kg of muscle mass, and even for me, this sounds like a dream. But I guess dreams do come true as long as you work hard enough.

Here comes the part which hopefully will make people that run 1 hour/day on the treadmill understand that is not the best option for them.

Cardiovascular training has its place in training, but think about what is your goal and what you are doing for your goal. Being smart with your options has never been easier. Running on a treadmill will make you get rid of some calories, and if your nutrition is right, you will lose weight because of the caloric deficit. But what happens when you stop eliciting all that effort daily because of its lack of sustainability?

Well, your legacy could be described through getting back to your initial weight, some pain, and if you are unlucky, some injuries such as tendinopathy or a stress fracture due to exacerbating forces going through your body and overuse. However, the same problems will arise from uninformed resistance training. But studies have shown that the muscle gained created through resistance training will decrease body fat loss: 1.4kg of lean tissue is associated with approximately 1.8kg of fat loss. Gain muscle, decrease body fat percentage and make the results sustainable.

These results will be more durable because muscle mass naturally achieved will not disappear overnight, like the calories that you just burned on your treadmill run.
And if you are a lazy person, I will tell you another detail as well: muscle maintenance requires even less effort than building it.
However, my honest advice is: Don’t be one!