6 Ways to Keep Your Muscle Mass Up This Summer

By Jillian Boston, Personal Trainer & Fitness Nutrition Specialist

Hi everyone! Can you believe it?! The warm weather is finally here and it is amazing! We hope you all have awesome plans for summer and that you get to make the most of the good weather. With all the traveling that summer brings it may seem hard to keep up the gains you’ve made over the spring but we’ve got you covered with our go-to tips for keeping our muscle mass up.

1. Schedule your strength workouts in advance to help you hold yourself more accountable. Make it a habit to take just 2 minutes on Sunday to figure out what days and times you can make it to the gym for a workout during the upcoming week. Whether you prefer to book a strength class or use the weight room, make sure to add it as an appointment in your calendar so it is non-negotiable. 
2. Take your workout inside when the weather’s hot and humid. While the warmer weather is a great time to workout outside, the humidity can definitely impair your performance if you’re not used to it. Schedule an early morning strength workout at the club on the hot and humid days to prevent overheating! 
3. Book a session with a personal trainer to help give you an extra layer of accountability during the busy summer season. When the weeks are full of social happenings, it can be hard to wake up to get your workout in during the week but it is always so worth it. Schedule a session with a trainer to take the effort out of putting together your own workout and have us do it for you! 
4. Take a virtual class with your favorite instructor while you are traveling. On our Fitness Unlimited App we have over 1600 classes that you can take on demand at a time that works for you. Classes that will help you build and maintain your strength rang from Barre, Pilates, Strength, Band Burn and HIIT. 
5. Keep your protein intake up to help preserve lean muscle. Protein is one of the building blocks of our muscles so if we fuel our body with protein rich foods it will help us maintain muscle mass. Great sources of protein are lean meats, fresh fish, eggs, tofu and legumes. Try out this grilling recipe from our new Taste of Summer Recipe book that is loaded with lean protein.
6. Stay hydrated. Our bodies react differently to the heat so it is important to stay as hydrated as possible. This will help you absorb the nutrients from your food to recover better from your strength workouts which will in turn help you build leaner muscle. 

We hope these tips help keep you strong this summer 💪🏽!