Whether you’re at rest or working out, Arnold Schwarzenegger has some new information on how to improve your physique. In a recent Arnold’s Pump Club Newsletter shared on August 30, 2024, Schwarzenegger discussed active and non-active calorie expenditure, underlining that the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn.
Can building muscle help you burn more calories? While it seems too good to be true, Arnold Schwarzenegger provided all the details in his latest Arnold’s Pump Club Newsletter. Considering he’s a former seven-time Mr. Olympia champion, Schwarzenegger knows all the benefits of getting beefed up.
Combining his experience on the competitive stage with his love for fitness, Schwarzenegger is committed to learning all he can about living a longer and healthier lifestyle. After gathering all the facts, he shares his findings with his dedicated followers.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Breaks Down ‘The Calorie Burning Potential of Muscle’
Sometimes, though, Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn’t always get it right. In the past, Schwarzenegger shared a study that revealed the number of calories a pound of muscle burned, estimating it to be around six. However, he is now reevaluating his findings and explaining how he misinterpreted the results.
“We Were Wrong: A Fresh Look At The Calorie-Burning Potential of Muscle”
“When we say our job is to get it right and not just be right, we mean it. So when we get something wrong, we’ll be the first to admit we made a mistake.”
“A few months ago, we explained why a pound of muscle does not burn 50 calories per day but that each pound of muscle really burns six calories per day.”
“However, we missed something in the research and underestimated the total burn.”
To understand how muscle burns calories, you must first take into account the different types of calorie expenditures based on your activity levels.
“The calories you burn for each additional pound of muscle you add depends on your activity level and isn’t a static number.”
Schwarzenegger explains how building muscle can increase your calorie-burning potential for non-active energy expenditure, which includes all the simple functions required to stay alive like breathing and thinking.
“Building muscle increases your non-active energy expenditure, which is most of your metabolism. This includes all the energy you burn to function as a human, such as powering your brain, heart, lungs, and other major organs, as well as the calories you burn when you metabolize food (known as the thermic effect of feeding or TEF).”
Then he explains the calorie-burning potential of active energy, such as hitting the gym or going for a walk, which is where he misinterpreted the research findings in the past.
“But your metabolism is more than just non-active energy expenditure — you also have to consider the calories you burn when you’re active (known as your active energy expenditure) — including things like resistance training, cardio, doing chores around the home, walking, and even standing instead of sitting or laying down. And that’s where we made the error.”
“When you add more muscle, you burn more calories from your non-active and active energy expenditure. Our original interpretation of the research only considered the non-active portion of your metabolism and not your active metabolism.”
Schwarzenegger reveals that the calorie-burning potential is more than the previously stated six calories and varies greatly with activity levels.
“So, while it’s still nowhere as high as the 50 calories per pound that people have used for decades, it’s more than six calories and fluctuates based on your activity levels.”
“If you are extremely sedentary, each pound of muscle you add might increase your caloric burn during activities by an additional one or two calories per pound. If you’re extremely active (think pro athlete), you could boost that by up to an additional 9 or 10 calories per pound (for a total of 15 to 16 calories burned per pound of muscle added).”
Arnold Schwarzenegger pointed out that each pound of muscle increases the amount of calories and fat your body can burn.
“As a rule of thumb, if you are decently active, you’ll burn about 9 to 10 calories per pound of muscle you add. So, if you add 5 pounds of muscle, you’re likely burning about an extra 50 calories per day (or 350 calories per week). At most, each pound of muscle will increase your metabolism by about 16 calories, meaning the more muscle you have, the more calories (and fat) your body will burn.”
In order to burn more calories, you have to first put on more muscle, and who better to guide you on getting jacked than Arnold Schwarzenegger himself? Recently, Schwarzenegger revealed if free weights were better than machines when looking to build muscle and strength. He also shared a study suggesting that people who eat high-protein meals at breakfast pack on more muscle.
Overall, it seems that more muscle equals more calories burned whether active or resting. Coming from Arnold Schwarzenegger himself, you now have more reasons than ever to get jacked in the gym. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to go pump some iron!
RELATED: Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals If You Should Cut Carbs or Sugar for Optimal Fat Loss
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