You can't have excess calories and a deficiency of calories at any given moment. Well, doing so is incompatible with the laws of thermodynamics and what we know about human biochemistry: anabolic processes like muscle hypertrophy require a surplus of energy (calories), whereas catabolic processes like burning body fat necessitate an energy deficit. Many fitness enthusiasts take umbrage with the claim that it's not possible to lose fat and build muscle at the same time. While you theoretically can't build muscle and lose body fat simultaneously, body recomposition is possible with strategic calorie-cycling and diligent training. (Hence, fat-free mass (FFM) is synonymous with LBM.) For body recomposition, the goal is to increase FFM as this is a corollary of being leaner and more muscular ( 1 ). LBM is your total body weight minus fat mass. Another way to look at it is that body recomposition aims to increase the proportion of lean body mass (LBM) to fat mass. In other words, it's when someone wants to lose fat and gain muscle (thereby reducing body fat percentage). What is Body Recomposition?īody recomposition is the process of improving body composition. This guide will outline all the finer points of body recomposition and help you get started on the right foot with an 8-week diet and workout protocol to lose fat and gain muscle. However, this shouldn't discourage you! Body recomposition is achievable with the right diet, training, and supplement regimen.

Countless hours of cardio and crunches aren't the answer, either (unless your goal is to be skinny/thin, which is not synonymous with being lean and muscular). If you want rock-hard abs, you need to be lean all over - generally under 10% body fat if you're a man and sub-12% body fat if you're a woman. Can You Lose Fat and Gain Muscle at the Same Time?

2 oz skim milk calories