Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBuilding MuscleWalking MusclesBuild Muscle, Lose FatStrengthen Leg MusclesImprove a Walking WorkoutMaximize Muscle Building
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Building Muscle
Walking Muscles
Build Muscle, Lose Fat
Strengthen Leg Muscles
Improve a Walking Workout
Maximize Muscle Building
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How Muscle Building Works
Resistance training (also called strength training) is the ideal muscle-building exercise. For muscles to grow in size—a process calledhypertrophy—you must also eat enough protein to support their growth.
Protein is an essential part of many structures in the body, including your muscles. If you’re not eating enough protein, exercise can cause your muscles to break down to provide the energy you need to sustain those activities.
The amount of protein you need depends on various factors, but a person should eat at least 0.35 grams of protein per pound of body weight for general overall health. To build muscle mass, you must increase that amount to approximately 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight.
What Muscles Does Walking Work?
Walking works many musclesin the upper and lower legs, including:
Increasing Muscle and Losing Fat
Exercise isn’t the only factor influencing yourbody composition—the amount of lean muscle tissue vs. fat.Genetics, sleep habits, medical conditions, and age affect your body composition. The food you eat plays a significant role, too.
If you want to increase muscle and lose fat, consider consulting aregistered dietitianfor individualized dietary recommendations.
Benefits of WalkingIn addition to stronger muscles, walking has a host of other benefits, such as:Better balanceBoosted moodDecreased blood pressureImproved balanceLower “bad” cholesterolSteadier blood sugar levelsWeight loss
Benefits of Walking
In addition to stronger muscles, walking has a host of other benefits, such as:Better balanceBoosted moodDecreased blood pressureImproved balanceLower “bad” cholesterolSteadier blood sugar levelsWeight loss
In addition to stronger muscles, walking has a host of other benefits, such as:
Strengthening Leg Muscles for Walking
Leg strengthening exercises can help you get the most out of your walking routine. Perform each movement below 10 times, working up to three sets in a row.
Examples include:
How to Boost Your Walking Workout to Build Muscles
There are steps you can take to help increase lean muscle mass andlose body fat with walking. Try these tips:
You can wear a weighted vest for an added challenge in your walking routine. A weighted vest is preferred over a rucksack because it evenly distributes the weight over the torso.—RAYNETTA SAMUELS, PT, DPT, CLT, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
You can wear a weighted vest for an added challenge in your walking routine. A weighted vest is preferred over a rucksack because it evenly distributes the weight over the torso.
—RAYNETTA SAMUELS, PT, DPT, CLT, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Tips for Maximizing Muscle Building With Walking
Add some resistance exercises into the mix to maximize your muscle-building potential during your walking workouts.
For example, your workout could look like this:
Summary
Walking has many health benefits—such as better balance, weight loss, and improved heart health. However, it’s not the best choice if you’re trying to build bigger muscles. Muscle-building is accomplished with resistance training and diet.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Krzysztofik M, Wilk M, Wojdała G, Gołaś A.Maximizing muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review of advanced resistance training techniques and methods.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(24):4897. doi:10.3390/ijerph16244897American College of Sports Medicine.Protein intake for optimal muscle maintenance.American College of Sports Medicine.Starting a walking program.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for maintaining healthy weight.American Diabetes Association.The benefits of walking.Heart Foundation.Strength exercises to support your walking.Harvard Health Publishing.Power up your walking routine.American Heart Association.Create a circuit home workout infographic.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Krzysztofik M, Wilk M, Wojdała G, Gołaś A.Maximizing muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review of advanced resistance training techniques and methods.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(24):4897. doi:10.3390/ijerph16244897American College of Sports Medicine.Protein intake for optimal muscle maintenance.American College of Sports Medicine.Starting a walking program.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for maintaining healthy weight.American Diabetes Association.The benefits of walking.Heart Foundation.Strength exercises to support your walking.Harvard Health Publishing.Power up your walking routine.American Heart Association.Create a circuit home workout infographic.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Krzysztofik M, Wilk M, Wojdała G, Gołaś A.Maximizing muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review of advanced resistance training techniques and methods.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(24):4897. doi:10.3390/ijerph16244897American College of Sports Medicine.Protein intake for optimal muscle maintenance.American College of Sports Medicine.Starting a walking program.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for maintaining healthy weight.American Diabetes Association.The benefits of walking.Heart Foundation.Strength exercises to support your walking.Harvard Health Publishing.Power up your walking routine.American Heart Association.Create a circuit home workout infographic.
Krzysztofik M, Wilk M, Wojdała G, Gołaś A.Maximizing muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review of advanced resistance training techniques and methods.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(24):4897. doi:10.3390/ijerph16244897
American College of Sports Medicine.Protein intake for optimal muscle maintenance.
American College of Sports Medicine.Starting a walking program.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for maintaining healthy weight.
American Diabetes Association.The benefits of walking.
Heart Foundation.Strength exercises to support your walking.
Harvard Health Publishing.Power up your walking routine.
American Heart Association.Create a circuit home workout infographic.
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