How to Lose Fat and Gain Muscle at the Same Time
How to Lose Fat and Gain Muscle at the Same Time what it takes to get there?
One of the most common goals personal trainers hear about from clients or new members is they want “to get toned”.
Whether they realize it or not, these people are referring to body recomposition, the act of altering your physique by burning fat and gaining muscle at the same time.
Body recomposition requires a different approach to health and fitness than the typical weight-loss mindset.
Because we know that to reduce your body fat, you have to eat fewer calories than you burn, but to build muscle, you have to eat more calories than you burn, many people think that true body recomposition is impossible.
However, your body is smarter than you may give it credit for, and by keeping a close eye on your diet (specifically when you eat what) and personalized training, you can absolutely lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.
What is body composition?
Body composition is a method of describing what the body is made of. It includes fat, protein, minerals and body water.
Body recomposition refers to the process of changing your ratio of fat mass to lean mass.
The goal of body recomposition is to lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously, unlike the traditional approach of "bulking and cutting" in which you intentionally put on a lot of weight first (muscle and fat) and then go through an intense calorie deficit to lose the fat and reveal the muscle underneath.
Forget about weight loss
Body recomposition does not refer to weight loss, but to the loss of adipose tissue. In a bodybuilding plan, you can maintain your current weight or you can even gain weight. Muscles weigh more than fat, so you can give up scales because it doesn't make the difference between losing fat and losing muscle mass. However, there is one caveat to consider: if you want to lose a lot of body fat and do not intend to gain muscle mass, you may lose weight in the long run.
Body reshaping is a long process
Because you have two goals to achieve: to lose fat and gain muscle mass, you can't treat a body rebuilding plan like a fad diet. Healthy weight loss and healthy muscle growth take a long time. The slow and steady process of body rebuilding provides lasting results.
How to get rid of adipose tissue?
To lose body fat, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn. Combined cardio and endurance exercises, along with a healthy diet, are the best technique for losing fat. Losing fat in a safe and sustainable way also means having realistic goals and not depriving your body of the nutrients it needs.
How to increase muscle mass
To build muscle mass, focus on two main factors: weight training and protein intake. Strength training is essential for changing your body composition - your muscles will not grow unless you challenge them. In addition, you cannot increase muscle mass without being in a caloric surplus, so you need to eat more calories than you burn to stimulate muscle growth. Without enough protein, your body will struggle to repair the muscle tissue that breaks down during weight training.
People who have followed a strength training program, increased protein intake and adhered to a weightlifting training routine lead to improved body composition.
Caloric cycle
It seems confusing that you need to eat fewer calories than you burn to lose fat, but you need to eat more calories than you burn to build muscle. It's pretty simple when you learn about the concept of calorie cycling: changing your calorie intake and macronutrients to fit your fitness goal.
The first thing you need to do is find out how many calories you burn on a day when you are not exercising. On the days when you do cardio, you should consume enough calories to reach the number of calories you maintain. This way, you will have a slight deficit to cause the loss of body fat, but not so much that the body begins to use muscle tissue as fuel.
On days when you do a strength workout for 30 minutes or more, it consumes more calories than the number of calories you burn daily without any effort, with an emphasis on protein. On days when you don't train at all, eat less than your calories.
Think of it this way: Every day, you consume new calories and your body must decide what to do with those calories. Your body essentially has three basic choices: immediately burn the calories for fuel, use them to repair and build muscle tissue or store them as fat.
If you want to control the increase of muscle mass and the elimination of body fat for the much dreamed physical form, then arm yourself with patience and intense work. Regular weight lifting, adequate protein, and replenishment of muscle creatine stores should meet your needs for muscle gain, while a low calorie deficit will help eliminate that unwanted body fat.