How to Build Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time
How to Build Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time
You came here wanting to know how to turn fat into muscle.
You now know that what you really want to know how to do is build muscle and lose fat at the same time.
And you’re in luck because it’s actually quite simple.
If you’re new to weightlifting, you can easily lose 10 to 15 pounds of fat and gain the same amount of muscle in just your first year in the gym…if you follow the advice I’m about to give you.
If you’re an intermediate or advanced weightlifter, however, then you’re going to have to pick one or the other — ”cutting” or “bulking” — because your “recomp” days are behind you.
My guess is you’re in the former camp, though, so here’s what you need to do:
Step 1
Maintain a moderately aggressive caloric deficit.
The only way to lose a significant amount of fat is to eat less energy than you burn.
Yes, calories in vs. calories out matters. A lot.
When you eat fewer calories than you burn, you’re creating an energy deficit that must be filled, and your body turns primarily to its fat stores to accomplish this.
Keep your body in this state for long enough, and your fat stores get smaller and smaller.
This is why the first prerequisite of a successful of body recomposition is a caloric deficit. This is what drives fat loss.
No caloric deficit = no fat loss to speak of, period.
That’s why I recommend an aggressive, but not reckless, caloric deficit of about 25%.
In other words, I recommend that you eat about 75% of the energy that you burn every day because studies show that
this is large enough to keep you losing fat at a rapid clip, but not so large that you’ll suffer unwanted side-
effects.
Step 2
Eat enough protein.
Research shows that when restricting calories, a high-protein diet results in more fat loss, muscle preservation, and fullness (which means less hunger and cravings).
Thus, if you want to lose fat and not muscle and generally have an easier time of it, then you need to make sure you’re eating enough protein.
The RDI for intake protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, but studies show that double and even triple that amount isn’t enough to preserve lean mass while dieting.
That’s why I recommend that you eat around 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day when cutting.
If you’re very overweight (25%+ body fat in men and 30%+ in women), then this can be reduced to 40% of your total daily calories.
Step 3
Do a lot of heavy, compound weightlifting.
Compound exercises are those that use multiple major muscle groups, like the squat, bench press, military press, and deadlift.
If you want to gain muscle and strength as quickly as possible, then you want to emphasize these exercises in your training, and particularly with heavy loads (75%+ of your one-rep max).
There are several reasons for this, but the biggest one has to do with progressive tension overload.
This refers to increasing tension levels in your muscles over time, and it’s the primary driver of muscle growth.
The best way to progressively overload your muscles is adding weight to the bar over time, which is why increasing whole-body strength is critical as a natural weightlifter.
And the style of training most conducive to that goal is…you guessed it…heavy, compound weightlifting.
Step 4
(Optional) Do high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
You don’t need to do cardio to lose fat, but it’ll speed up the process. Do too much, though, and it’ll interfere with muscle gains.
That’s why I recommend a style of cardio called high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, where you alternate between near-max-effort sprints and low-intensity recovery periods.
It’s harder than traditional low-intensity cardio, but research shows that it burns more fat, increases your metabolic rate for over 24 hours, and improves insulin sensitivity in your muscles (which is good for muscle growth).
It’s also better for preserving muscle than regular low-intensity cardio, mainly because you don’t have to do nearly as much to keep the fat loss needle moving.
Step 5
Take the right supplements.
I saved this for last because it’s the least important.
The truth is most supplements for building muscle and losing fat are worthless.
Unfortunately, no amount of pills and powders are going to make you muscular and lean.
That said, if you know how to drive your body recomposition with proper dieting and exercise, certain supplements can accelerate the process.
The Bottom Line on Turning Fat Into Muscle
Trying to turn fat into muscle is a fool’s errand.
It simply can’t be done because they’re two completely different tissues and the body has no way to transform one into the other.
What you can do, though, is “replace” body fat with muscle (so to speak) by losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time.
It’s not hard, either. Here’s the recap:
Maintain an aggressive (but not reckless) caloric deficit of 25%
Eat enough protein
Do a lot of heavy, compound weightlifting
(Optional) Do high-intensity interval training
Take the right supplements
Follow that simple formula and before long, you’ll be well on your way to your best body ever.