BODY RECOMPOSITION.
The concept of building muscle while losing fat, must have been stumbled upon by most fitness enthusiasts. As conflicting as it may sound, guys are now shifting from the traditional way of first losing weight then building muscles to this concept of body recomposition.
This recent Meta analysis https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11405322/ and what experts are suggesting is utilization of this new concept for sustainability.
The body is made up of key components like, fat mass, muscle mass, water mass and bone density. This tends to fluctuate resulting in either an increase or a decrease of the weight.
This brings out the difference between weight loss versus fat loss. As stated above, most traditional mechanisms revolve around weight loss. A reduction in water mass, highly influences a reduction in weight loss. This can be regained by consuming a few glasses of water.
This is among the key reasons why body recomposition has been a huge topic of discussion in modern day fitness industry. It's more like killing two birds with one stone.
During the process, there are few key factors to consider:
a) Type of training.
This has to be different from the discussed old traditional ways of weight loss. The goal being ability to replace fat mass with muscle mass, a proper resistance type of training has to be in place. Nothing suits this better than incorporation of compound lifts i.e. deadlifts, bench press, pull ups/assisted pull ups, squats and military press.
This standard compound lifts will help pave way for muscle density and insights in understanding the basics of weight-lifting. They are few to grasp and the most important part is having the ability to keep track of the progress during progressive overload.
This is not to say accessory-type of workout like machine use or having a bros-split type of program won't work.
The goal especially for a new lifter is to understand the foundation of lifting and capitalizing on the initial phase of lifting as much as possible. Basically doing less for more which can be translated as doing less workouts but for more input. This has more potential and it's reliable in the long-run.
Adding some form of steady pace cardio using the ideal target BPM will be a great execution strategy. A recommendation of 30 plus minutes of doing steady pace cardio will help to properly tap into the fat stores.
b) Identifying a primary goal.
Often times especially for beginners, it's difficult to precisely specify what one wants. This could be spot reduction (Reduction of fat on a specific area often times the belly fat) which by now we all know it's close to impossible when relying on a workout regimen or food deprivation to do the magic.
As from the defination, envisioning a situation of replacing the current fat mass with muscle mass, would be quite ideal and easy to track.
Having a clear goal of fat loss or muscle gain would be quite motivating unlike cruising blindly. This amplifies the saying that "Direction is way important than speed".
c) Calorie intake.
This will be a key pillars in the execution of all these. The notion of calories in versus calories out or in other terms being on a calorie deficit versus being on a calorie surplus will solely be influenced by the individual's goal. Fat loss will lean more towards being on a calorie deficit while weight gain will lean towards calorie surplus.
This means tracking anything and everything one consumes for accurate data. An investment in vital tools like a kitchen scale for tracking what you eat and a smartwatch to track how much you burn, will be a necessity especially for guys with a very slow or fast metabolism. This will give insights on whether to increase/reduce physical activities or increase/decrease calories intake.
d) Macronutrient target.
Protein intake during the process has to top the chat. The "sweet spot" for protein intake during body recomposition typically ranges from 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (or about 0.7 to 1.0 grams per pound). This amount supports muscle growth and repair while promoting fat loss.
For individuals with higher activity levels or those aiming to maximize muscle gain, protein intake can go up to 2.4 grams per kilogram of body weight (about 1.1 grams per pound). It's also beneficial to distribute protein evenly across meals to optimize muscle protein synthesis.
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| Ability to distribute your daily protein consumption evenly throughout your daily meals. |
This doesn't mean perceiving carbs or fats as the enemy. Without a doubt, they act as a huge limiting factor when consumed in excess for guys trying to lose fat. In moderation and when consumed during right timings, like few minutes or hours before working out, could be ideal. This ensures sufficient energy for the workout.
Supplementing might be necessary when a deficiency of any macros or micros is detected for a good amount of time.
e) Pay attention to details.
This cuts across a wide spectrum. One of the key details will be sleep. Studies are proving the importance of sufficient sleep. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2951287/#:~:text=The%20amount%20of%20human%20sleep,and%20related%20metabolic%20risk%20reduction. This study concludes that the amount of human sleep contributes to the amount of fat-free body mass at times of decreased energy intake (Calorie deficit). Deprivation of sleep highly contributes to hormonal imbalance making it difficult for body recomposition to take place.
Here are key fundamentals to note during the process:
1. Who are most likely to benefit from this:
- New lifters - the fact that their bodies haven't experienced any sort of challenging impact, body recomposition easily and quickly picks up for them. As compared to advanced lifters whose bodies are used to certain amount of stress, it becomes difficult and takes time for their bodies to react as quick as it would for a newbie.
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| This is made possible in the "Newbie" stays consistent with the program. |
- Detrained lifters - this are people who used to train a while back resulting in significant amount of muscle mass but stopped training for a long while resulting to fat mass accumulation. The greatest asset they have is muscle memory. Embarking on a few month of proper training and dieting, their body composition can tremendously pick up again.
- The enhanced guys - the ability to alter hormones in the body using PEDs ensures quick and easy response of the body from a workout and nutritional approach. The individual is in a position to easily shift from having a high amount of fat mass to packing substantial amount of muscle mass in the shortest time possible. The bulking season appearance of a professional bodybuilder is totally different from their contest season look. The level of transformation is insane.
Lee Priest, was one of those bodybuilders who went all out during offseason.
During prep, his ability to recompose his physique was insane.- Overweight/obese people - it's not always a guarantee but with precise intervention of proper nutrition, adequate amount of calorie deficit, proper training regimen, sufficient recovery and consistency, the concept of body recomposition works perfectly for them. To obtain this, the individual has to be properly dialed in emotionally for results might not come as easy as they would want.
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- Sub-optimized trainee - this is a group of guys whose form of training isn't as solid as it's supposed to be. They could be guys who go to the gym to socialize more than anything or people who perceive fitness as a place to unwind and get out of their day to day environment. This is totally fine and way better than nothing. If these individuals were to take serious the fundamentals for example nutrition and training, the possibility of them experiencing body recomposition is quite high. It will somehow put them in "The new lifters" category, for they will be in a position to push their bodies to heights they have never been before. This will stress and challenge the muscles to grow.
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2. How different is from a bulking and cutting phase?
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During the cutting phase, this is where the aftermath of bulking starts getting revealed. The leanness is a by product of being on a calories deficit and increase in cardio exercises /physical activity.
- For someone to gain muscles they have to be on a calorie surplus which is more of bulking phase.
- For someone to lose fat, being on a calorie deficit and increasing physical activities will be necessary which is more like being on a cutting phase.
Why does the concept of body recomposition spark controversies:
1. Conflicting Science - Some argue that simultaneously losing fat and gaining muscle is physiologically challenging because fat loss requires a calorie deficit, while muscle gain typically needs a calorie surplus. This creates skepticism about the possibility of achieving both goals at the same time.
2. Misleading Expectations - Critics point out that body recomposition is often marketed as a quick fix, which can lead to unrealistic expectations. In reality, it requires consistent effort, proper nutrition, and tailored exercise plans.
3. Individual Variability - The effectiveness of body recomposition varies widely based on factors like age, genetics, fitness level, and training history. This variability fuels debates about its universal applicability.
4. Focus on Aesthetics - Some view body recomposition as overly focused on appearance rather than overall health and well-being, which can perpetuate unhealthy body image ideals.
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| Even though it serves as a motivating factor, it can spiral into body dysmorphia resulting in mental problems. |
5. Lack of Standardized Guidelines - There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and the lack of clear, standardized methods can make it confusing or controversial for those trying to adopt it.
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