I grew up in an era where the word “muscle” brought up images of beefy dudes flexing for competition. A lot has changed since then, and so many realize the numerous benefits of building muscle. Yet I still hear women say things like, “I don’t want to lift weights because it will make me look bulky.” Or, my favorite, “I want long and lean muscles.” Because we have all been sold this philosophy that sweaty cardio workouts are the key to the best and lean body, many pursue programs with all sweat and cardio and wonder why they aren’t losing weight. After all, they’ve sweat gallons, and their heart rate is maxed out for most of the session. 

Building muscle is one of the best things you can do to increase your metabolism, burn fat, improve your body composition, and ultimately achieve the body you desire. The stronger you are physically, the stronger you will be emotionally. Building muscle is hugely important, especially as we age beyond 45. I just turned 55 and work daily to keep every millimeter of muscle I can!

Why is building muscle so important?

Muscle is not just something that gives our arms that “tone” or allows us to carry heavy things. Muscle improves our strength, power, balance, regulates our blood sugar, and helps us prevent injury. Building muscle speeds up our metabolism and increases fat burning (even at rest.)

As we age, our muscle mass declines. Individuals experience a 2% - 4% decline in resting metabolic rate each decade beyond 25 years old. We lose around five pounds of lean muscle mass per decade between 25 - 65 years of age. Combine the two, and it’s a disaster if strength training is not a part of your exercise program.

Not only is strength training essential for boosting metabolism, but it also helps build muscle, stimulates bone growth, aids in maintaining body composition, helps maintain good posture, reduces stress, and helps with sleep.

Since we lose muscle with each passing year (and our resting metabolic rate decreases), it’s wise to choose exercises that preserve our muscle and boost our metabolism. Unfortunately, we only have so much time to exercise in our busy lives.

Our bodies demand about 15% - 30% of our energy when we exercise. Yet all activity is not created equal. Different types and modes of exercise have different effects on the energy utilized. For example, high-intensity, short-duration activity burns a moderate amount of energy during exercise. After this type of exercise, the energy expenditure time elevates from minutes to hours. Low intensity and long duration exercise burns more energy during the activity, yet the total energy expenditure is much less after the session is complete. Different forms of activity burn from different fuel sources, whether carbohydrate or fat.

One of the best ways to boost your metabolism is to focus on intense exercise or any exercise that challenges you, incorporates many muscle groups, and elevates the heart rate periodically (closer to your maximum heart rate.)

Below are my top four exercises to boost your metabolism. You will notice each of these movements has a few things in common: they are intense, total-body movements that challenge several muscle groups, require core engagement, and tax your cardiovascular system.

1. Battle ropes. Just 10 - 15 second intervals of this challenging movement can get your heart rate up and bring your muscles to exhaustion quickly. There are tons of variations, from the most modified to seriously advanced, so you can switch it up each workout and challenge many different muscle groups in a very short period of time.

2. Kettlebell swing and Kettlebell cleans. Explosive kettlebell movements are one of the most efficient ways to challenge your strength and cardiovascular system all at once. If you’re short on time, just a few sets of swings are enough to give you that boost you need. Here is a quick snapshot of a “power” swing.

Check out my buddy Franz explain how to Kettlebell clean here and here. We program A LOT of these at AW! and

3. Explosive Medicine ball work. Ball slams are great for building strength and power, improving your hip hinge, and getting your heart rate up all at the same time. They can also help you get your stress and frustrations out in a healthy and fun way!

4. Interval running. This does NOT mean jogging at a “steady state” pace for 45 minutes. Running at different speeds is a great way to build muscle and get your cardio in all at once. Try 10-second intervals. Jog, faster run, sprint, walk, repeat.

As I mentioned above, intensity is important. These modes will increase muscle mass and raise the heart rate (“get your cardio”) and give you the best bang for your buck.

The importance of muscle cannot be overstated. The more intense the exercise, the more muscles are recruited and utilized, the more oxygen is consumed and expended. Don’t get me wrong, daily tasks like carrying objects, walking the dog, gardening, doing dishes, and many more also require energy and expend energy. Yet if you are serious about muscle growth and boosting your metabolism, I suggest adding some high-intensity strength exercises into your workout routine.

Here are a few bonus “metabolism-boosting” exercises to add to your workout program:

• Sprints

• Hill sprints

• Circuit training 

• Climbing

• Cycling 

• Rowing 

Stay tuned for Part 5, the final part of this series, where I will give you my TOP tips to boost your metabolism. If you are interested in any of our newest programs, like our latest special for our small group fitness program, email us at alicia@alexandriawellness.com.