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Getting stronger or staying strong is an important part of overall health. Muscles support joints and bones, and allow you to do the activities you want to do. Here, a personal trainer and registered dietician weigh in on how to build muscle mass with the right balance of exercise and foods.

The Exercise Basics

“The basic principle of getting stron ger is muscle overload, or making muscles work harder than they’re used to,” says Dan Horras, owner of personal training gym E5Fit in Buckhead. “Stimulate muscles, then give them time to rest and recover, and repeat the process.” It’s in the recovery state when everything from abs to biceps become stronger.

The average person should do a strength-training workout for 30-45 minutes, three days per week, says Horras. If you have time, you can do another two days of cardio, but he maintains that if you must choose because of a busy schedule, go for the strength training. “Cardio does not help you lose weight. Eighty percent of weight loss comes from diet, and the rest comes from muscle.”

To get stronger, he suggests focusing on compound exercises that involve a lot of muscles and making sure to work the entire body. Here are a few of his recommended exercises: l Squats and lunges for core, back, glute and leg strength. l Chest presses using dumbbells, a machine or pushups. l A pulling exercise with bands or a machine to work the front of the body. l Bracing moves that use the core to brace your body, such as planks. Horras also encourages his clients not to focus on the scale since muscle weighs more than fat. “A pound of muscle is much denser and smaller than a pound of fat. Fat requires more space. You might gain pounds on the scale yet drop two dress sizes.”

The Nutrition Basics

Many people mistakenly think that protein is the key to building muscle, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. “Protein is important. However, if you are in a calorie deficit or