I first heard Dr. Gabrielle Lyon on a podcast, and I was immediately intrigued by what she had to say. Once I heard that episode, I started seeing more from her in my social media feeds. Her contention is that we don’t have an obesity epidemic. On the contrary, she says we don’t have enough high-quality muscle, which is contributing to a whole host of health issues faced by so many today.
In her recently released book, Forever Strong, Dr. Lyon introduces her method, MUSCLE-CENTRIC MEDICINE®. It focuses on improving your metabolism, building better body composition, and combatting age-related diseases. Did you know that skeletal muscle is the largest organ in the body? And you can completely control it? You can!
Dr. Lyon explains that muscle is more than strength and mobility. It plays a vital role in fighting inflammation and is the largest site of glucose metabolism, helping keep insulin at healthy levels and preventing or treating chronic illnesses, such as diabetes.
Her free Lyon Protocol 2.0™ reinforces principles that will help you build and maintain muscle for life. It’s focused on three pillars — nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle — that all prioritize protein. In fact, I found myself nodding in agreement throughout her whole book! Building muscle is more than aesthetics; it’s a lifestyle. It’s critical for staying healthy into old age.
I wish more people listened to health and fitness experts who recommend resistance training first, followed by cardio, instead of the other way around. Cardio is important for your heart health for sure! But it won’t build muscle. For that, you need resistance training. Dr. Lyon’s book, along with Sal Di Stefano’s The Resistance Training Revolution, are must-reads for anyone who wants to live a long, healthy, and happy life. The principles are not difficult to implement. Muscle is life. I’m so glad there are experts taking the risk to say it louder for everyone in the back.
More Health and Fitness Books to Read
I highly recommend adding this book to your 2024 reading list. For a list of other health and fitness titles I’ve previously reviewed, click the link below!
Forever Strong Playbook Coming Soon
Dr. Lyon is set to release a sequel to this book on January 27, 2026. To help launch the new title, she hosted a Forever Strong Experience on January 10. Here are excerpts from that summit.