How I Maintained Muscle Mass During Pregnancy

Before getting pregnant, I prepped my body for pregnancy in a few ways. I changed my daily supplements (read more about that here) and I prioritized strength training to increase lean muscle mass.

Knowing that my body would be going through extreme changes, and then performing the most intense workout of all time (cough cough, birth), it was important for me to prepare physically. Read more about my pregnancy fitness here: 9 Reasons Why Strength Training Is Beneficial During Pregnancy.

Why It’s Important to Maintain Lean Muscle Mass During Pregnancy

Physical resilience. Feeling strong not only gave me confidence while pregnant, but also ensured that as my body changed, I could prevent some of the common ailments that come along with pregnancy (back pain, join discomfort, etc) and reduce risk of injury.
Stamina and endurance. Anything a mama can do to make birth easier, consider it done. Increasing lean muscle mass before pregnancy and maintaining it during pregnancy will only help make the physical demands of childbirth less strenuous.
Healthy weight management. Everyone is different, before, during, and after pregnancy. I didn’t feel any pressure to gain a certain amount of weight, nor do I feel pressure to lose weight postpartum. But, just as I always have, I like to eat and train to support my health. Increased lean muscle mass = increased metabolism. Weight management during pregnancy is really about mama’s health and baby’s, fighting off hypertension, gestational diabetes, and other pregnancy-related weight challenges.
Recovery. Stronger muscles before (and during) pregnancy can help lead to a quicker recovery postpartum. Those first few days post birth are crazy, everything feels so new and can be scary. But remembering everything I did to prep for that exact moment helped me through and gave me the confidence I needed to take care of myself and my baby!

How I Maintained Lean Muscle Mass During Pregnancy

I approached my health and fitness the same way I did pre-pregnancy: strength training and protein prioritization.

I made my way through GOOD // SWEAT Strength Level Up while pregnant, and adjusted each workout for my changing body. The focus of that guide is full body strength, with a rotating weekly split that keeps your muscles guessing (and therefore growing, trying to adapt). Each week I prioritized my form and my endurance, not getting too out of breath or lifting too heavy that it caused discomfort or soreness. The best thing I did during pregnancy is prioritize consistency, hitting each major muscle group every week and making sure I did plenty of breathing and stretching.

Luckily I didn’t have any major food aversions. There were a few weeks during my first trimester that I really couldn’t stomach the thought of eating meat, but it passed and I was able to eat just like I did pre-pregnancy. Protein is so important for women, and even more important for pregnant and postpartum mamas. My goal was 100+ grams of protein per day! Read more about how I hit my protein goal in this post: What I Eat In A Day (100+ Grams Protein).