Strength Training: The Key to Building and Maintaining Muscle

Strength training (sometimes known as weight training or resistance training) is the foundation of functional strength. We build our strength whenever we perform exercises that contract our muscles against an outside resistance – which can be achieved using free weights, weight machines or using our body weight. The physiological and mental benefits of strength training are empowering and can improve our quality of life as we get older.

If you’ve ever wondered what approachable yet effective strength training looks like and how to maintain muscle mass once you’ve got it, the experts at F45 have you covered. Below, we’ll explain how strength training works, why it’s important and how you can find a training routine that effectively builds and maintains your strength.

Why is strength training important?

Strength training for muscle gain is a life-enhancing journey that will benefit you beyond your personal training goals. Below we’ll list how strength training can help you:

Improved muscle mass: regular strength training promotes muscle growth, creating greater functional strength.¹

Joint flexibility: stronger muscles mean greater support for your joints, helping ease joint pain and stiffness.²

Stronger bones: working your muscles also works your bones, improving bone strength and density.³

Weight loss and control: strength training burns fat and builds muscle. Depending on your training program this can result in weight loss or maintenance.4 

Mental wellbeing: strength training can boost our self-esteem and confidence, lowering feels of anxiety and improving our sleep quality and brain functioning. 5  

How easy is it to lose muscle mass?

Everyone stops training from time-to-time. You may get injured, have other commitments, or simply need a break. When we stop training, it can take around 2-3 weeks to begin losing muscle mass. This is because our muscles can become thinner when we’re not using them.

The good news is that people who have undertaken strength training for muscle gain should find it easier to regain muscle after they’ve lost it. 6  So, if you’re injured, rebuilding your muscle will be easier than the first time. It’s also important to know that a decrease in muscle size is not necessarily a decrease in muscle strength. Many F45 workouts focus on building lean muscle mass, where muscles become more defined and denser, rather than bigger.

For those on a weight loss journey, strength training can help you maintain muscle mass while reducing your weight.7 Regular strength training with a protein adequate diet can help you improve muscle strength and preserve muscle mass while you’re experiencing weight loss.

How to maintain muscle mass

Building and maintaining muscle mass requires consistent training, a healthy diet and adequate rest. The trainers here at F45 can help you implement a convenient muscle strength building routine that meshes with your lifestyle. Many F45 members want to build muscle strength in a way that’s physically satisfying yet time efficient. F45 imbues everyday people with the confidence to achieve their strength and fitness goals, by making training approachable, understandable and empowering. Keep reading to learn how to maintain muscle and build on your strength.

A healthy routine

A healthy strength training routine considers time to train and recover. By giving our body a healthy amount of time to rest, this can help with building and maintaining muscle, while also preventing burnout. To find a routine that is suitable for you, However, if there is any hesitation, it’s important that a new exercise regime is discussed with a healthcare provider. Let’s list the three pillars every healthy workout routine should have:

Workout intensity: your workouts are challenging enough to build quality muscle mass and strength.

Mentally uplifting: training should feel encouraging! Being part of the F45 community helps many members push just that bit harder to promote better results. Many workouts also require us to think and change exercises or tempo quickly, which can improve focus and composure under stress.

Time efficient: we understand training doesn’t need to take hours. Training hard and fast gives F45 members enough time to enjoy work, family, and social commitments. Freeing up time to enjoy nutritious food and receive quality sleep.

Regular strength training

F45 has a variety of resistance-based workouts available. Each workout is unique, challenging our bodies with various exercises, tempos and time limits. Our strength training workouts take place on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Optimizing recovery with a 1–2-day break between sessions. Three strength workouts per week allows regular members to challenge every part of their body, improving their overall muscle mass, balance and flexibility.

Balanced nutrition

To get the most out of your strength training for muscle gain, it’s important to follow a balanced and healthy diet. A general breakdown of a quality diet for building strength involves 45-55% carbohydrates, 15-25% protein and 25-30% fat.8 

Protein is essential for building muscle, as it helps with growing, repairing and maintaining muscle mass.9  Think of protein as the building blocks of your muscles, and to build them, we need to eat enough protein to repair the muscles we’ve worked out, and then build on top of that. 

If you’re on a weight loss medication such as GLP-1/Ozempic and wanting to maintain muscle mass, protein consumption becomes even more important. GLP-1/Ozempic can bring about rapid weight loss and the majority of that weight loss will come from the reduction of fat – but some will typically come from a decrease in lean muscle mass and bone density. Regular strength training paired with a high protein intake can help maintain lean muscle mass and bone density during the use of weight loss medication.10   Helping you reach your weight loss goals, while preserving and promoting the quality-of-life benefits of strength training.

A decent night’s sleep

A 2017 study showed that people who get 7 or more hours sleep can experience greater muscle growth.11 Sleep also helps lower our stress levels and is a fundamental part of learning how to maintain muscle mass.

At F45, we appreciate that getting enough sleep while strength training can sometimes be challenging. During the busyness of our lives, some days there simply isn’t enough time for everything. The key here is to do your best, and when you do have enough time to, prioritize sleep. A great tip is to stay off any devices an hour before bed – like your body, your brain needs time to wind down and relax before sleep.

Enjoy your strength training journey! Next learn how to build habits that last.

1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4836564/

2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5609666/

3 https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/strength-training-builds-more-than-muscles

4 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cardio-vs-weights-for-weight-loss#cardio

5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4090891/

6 https://theconversation.com/muscle-memory-is-key-to-helping-you-get-in-shape-again-after-time-away-from-exercise-200583

7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5421125/

8 https://perfectbalancenutrition.com.au/nutrition-for-strength-training/

9 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5852756/

10 https://www.healthline.com/health-news/ozempic-muscle-mass-loss

11 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5749041/