As a bodybuilding legend, cinematic icon, and owner of the Pump Club fitness app, Arnold Schwarzenegger is inundated on a wide range of health topics. But one question that the Last Action Hero says he is asked, time and time again, concerns whether lean mass can convert to unwanted weight. “Your muscle didn’t turn to fat,” explained Arnold in a recent Q&A. “But here’s why it seems like it.”
Arnold, who is fighting fit at 79, explained in a recent edition of his Pump Club Newsletter, that both fans and friends ask him if soft midsections, shapeless shoulders, and less than chiseled chests are the result of muscles turning to fat. “Here’s what I tell my friends (if they want my opinion), and what I’ll tell you,” he answered. “You are not imagining the change. Your body did get softer, probably weaker, and the mirror is not lying to you. But the story you’re telling yourself about why, is wrong in a very specific way, and that specific way is exactly where all the good news is hiding.”
Can Muscle Turn Into Fat?
“Muscle and fat are two different kinds of tissue,” explained the Terminator star. “One does not become the other, in either direction, ever,” he confirmed. Adding that when people say their muscle “turned to fat,” something real is happening, “but it’s two separate processes running at the same time, and you’re blaming one, when the culprit is both.”
Arnold points out that the first process is a natural one. As we age, muscle mass begins to decrease if not trained effectively. That’s when the second process then takes hold, as fat tissue moves into the muscle itself, “threading between the inside fibers, which researchers have linked to weaker, stiffer muscle,” explained Arnold.
In other words, muscle did not turn to fat, but muscle degraded and made space for fat to accumulate. “That is why the mirror tells such a convincing conversion story,” said Arnold, before providing hope for us all.
What Causes Age-Related Muscle Loss and How To Prevent It?
“The overwhelming evidence suggests that the process of losing muscle and accumulating fat can be slowed and steered in the right direction,” advised the seven-time Mr Olympia. “By the same habits that built the underlying muscle in the first place.”
The Austrian Oak admits that “Father Time is undefeated,” but he encourages us to hold back the hands of time. “The more you fight to keep what you have, the more you can hold on to your muscle and strength. And even if you start late, your body is still willing to respond and become stronger and more muscular.”
Arnold’s 4 Tips To Prevent Muscle Loss as You Age
The able actor added that, “The science on muscle, strength, power, and function is clear: you don’t just lose it. You lose it because you don’t use it.” So, to take back control, the Commando star prescribed:
- Lifting, two to three times per week: “This is the main lever, full stop,” advised Arnold.
- Add intensity, speed, and power: “Move some of your reps with intent.”
- Eat plenty of protein: “At the lower end, expert consensus targets are at least 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. The more active you are, it might be better to get 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of your goal body weight. And at the highest end, you’re looking at 1.8 to 2.2 g/kg.”
- Move more: “Don’t overlook everyday movement. It’s what pushes back on the fat creeping into the muscle and helps keep the wiring between nerve and fiber intact.”
How Often Should Older Adults Lift Weights?
Guidelines for physical activity among adults aged 65 years and older advise at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-to-intense aerobic activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, weekly. But whatever you do, start now, said Schwarzenegger. “The response to training does shrink a little with age, which is an argument for starting sooner, not that it stops working. The evidence runs all the way into the nineties,” encouraged the inspirational actor. “The worst time to start was a decade ago. The second-worst time is to keep waiting for a tidier week, putting it off until tomorrow, next week, or next year.”
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