JJ Virgin4x NYTimes Best Selling Author, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Fitness Hall of Famer

REAL Muscle vs. Aesthetic Muscle

10 Jun 2025 · 1 min

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In a brief interview, JJ Virgin explains that building strength should be the primary goal, even though many people prioritize appearance. She argues that focusing on gaining muscle, rather than merely losing weight, delivers both strength and aesthetic benefits. Muscle is described as a "metabolic sphincter" that tightens the body and boosts metabolism, and as a "sugar sponge" that channels dietary carbs into muscle for energy instead of fat storage. Additionally, muscle acts as a multitasking messenger that promotes fat burning, muscle growth, reduces inflammation, and supports immune function. The key takeaway is to prioritize muscle building first, then address weight loss, to achieve optimal health, performance, and looks.

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Hey JJ, do you think it's more important for people to have aesthetics or to have strength?
Okay, the reality is it's more important to have strength, but we all know people want the aesthetics. And here's what's great, you actually will get both when you do this correctly. When you focus on putting on muscle over losing weight, you will get stronger, but you will also look better because muscle is your metabolic sphincter. It holds everything in tighter and boosts your metabolism. It's also a sugar sponge, so when you're eating those carbs, they're going to go into your muscles for energy for your next workout rather than being converted to fat and stored in your gut. And they're also this multitasking messenger that's telling your body to burn fat, build muscle, reduce inflammation, have a better immune system. So you can have it all. That's the big takeaway. If you focus first on putting the muscle on rather than losing the weight.