Found: A Functional Medicine Doc's Go-To Workout (& Breakfast) For Lean Muscle

So you want to start a strength training routine. Great! But you're also not sure how to fit a brand-new workout regimen into your already jam-packed schedule. You've got things to do, people to see, and maybe you have kids, pets, or other responsibilities that eat into your movement time. 

"I will try to get training in before the kids are awake," she explains. "On the days that I am taking them to school—which I do half of the week—I will try to train at 5 to 6 a.m." She personally prefers a morning workout, as it aligns best with her sleep schedule, but feel free to move based on your individual chronotype. 

In terms of the actual routine, Lyon's favorite workouts tend to include kettlebells. "I will do some kind of kettlebell activity, whether it's a carry, swing, or a Turkish get-up. I will also do a push-press or some kind of squat with kettlebells," she says. "We also have a Bulgarian bag—sometimes I'll throw [it] over my shoulder—and we have various levels of kettlebells. I'll hold those, and I'll just walk around in the garage." 

She doesn't specify exactly how many reps and sets, but make sure you train close to failure. Your muscles need to feel "fatigued" in order to grow, so if you are still able to perform 10 more reps with that same kettlebell, you might want to up the ante. 

Of course, to build lean muscle, Lyon also prioritizes protein. You can catch her whipping up a protein-rich breakfast every morning to reach a goal of at least 30 grams (though she aims for 40 if she can).

"Breakfast and your last meal of the day are the two most important meals," she notes. In the morning, she'll typically have some kind of egg dish, be it a scramble, omelet, or frittata. 

Then "I'll have some kind of dairy product, believe it or not," she adds. Dairy often gets a bad rap, but if you can tolerate it, go right ahead. Lyon loves kefir in particular for the natural probiotics. "I also might have a protein shake," she notes, using a high-quality protein powder (find our favorite recs here).