Many of us know we shouldn’t gauge our fitness by how much we weigh, but it’s still tough to see the scale stay the same. Here’s a few reasons why you should stop worrying about what the scale says and what you can do about it:
Look at the photo above. When you train functional strength here at 212, you’ll burn fat and build muscle. If you replace 5 pounds of fat with 5 pounds of muscle, you’ll weight the same, but you’ll also be so much smaller. 5 pounds of muscle takes up much less space than 5 pounds of fat.
Muscle weight is good, especially if it’s concentrated. One of the biggest concerns I hear from people who are hesitant to lift weights is that they don’t want to get “bulky”. This comes from decades of strength information from bodybuilding type programs. These programs increase the amount fluid surrounding the muscle fibers, increasing the size of the athlete. However, in the 212 Functional Strength program, we focus on increasing the size of the muscle fibers themselves, which allows you to be stronger with a more concentrated, leaner muscle, giving the athlete a more defined, “cut”, look.
If the scale isn’t moving how you’d like and you’re training consistently 4-5 days per week, you’ll want to take a closer look at your nutrition. Ensure you’re eating plenty of protein (1 gram per pound body weight is a good baseline), in caloric deficit and limiting sugars and processed foods.
