Recently, I underwent hernia surgery which meant I could not exercise for 4 weeks. In fact due to being in some pain, I didn’t train for over a week prior to the surgery. So no exercise for just over 5 weeks, yet I did not put on any weight at all. In fact my weight was exactly the same. I didn’t diet, I just went about my daily routine - still walking each day and still doing my meal prep each week.
How can this be? Well, my metabolism had been revved up to be a firing machine as I had done structured weight training for early 2 years. My muscle mass had built up, and whilst I am no Arnie by any stretch, I certainly had built up some very solid muscle mass through structured, planned resistance training. So what are the main influencers on gaining a firing metabolism?
On a daily basis, 66% of all the energy we metabolise (or burn) each day can be attributed to our our lean tissue or muscle. Whilst I could not exercise with any intensity or do any weights, the benefit of my long term training paid off with my metabolism at a heightened level, and as more muscle needs more energy for fuel, meant that whilst I could not exercise, my body was in a good place to cope.
This is a good example, of why ongoing, structured resistance training is a key part of the solution to your ongoing body composition.
So if you are not doing structured resistance training to build and maintain muscle mass, consider adding it to your plans.
