Body Recomposition: How to Lose Fat and Build Muscle Simultaneously

Conventional fitness wisdom says you must choose: bulk to build muscle, or cut to lose fat. You can't do both at the same time.

That's not entirely true.

Body recomposition—or "recomp"—is the process of losing fat AND building muscle simultaneously. It's slower than traditional bulking and cutting cycles, but it allows you to improve your physique without extreme diet phases.

For many people, especially beginners, it's the ideal approach.

What is Body Recomposition?

Body recomposition means changing your body's ratio of fat mass to lean muscle mass. The scale might not move much—you could lose 5 pounds of fat while gaining 5 pounds of muscle—but your body looks dramatically different.

This is why the scale is a terrible measure of progress during recomp. You could be making excellent progress while your weight stays constant.

Who Can Achieve Body Recomposition?

Body recomp is possible for nearly everyone, but some groups see better results:

Ideal Candidates

Beginners: If you're new to lifting, your body responds quickly to resistance training. You can build muscle easily while losing fat.

Detrained Individuals: People returning to fitness after time off can regain muscle quickly (muscle memory) while losing fat accumulated during their break.

People with Higher Body Fat: Those with more fat stores have extra energy available for muscle building, making recomp more achievable.

Those on Performance Enhancers: Steroids and other PEDs dramatically enhance recomp ability (but come with serious health risks—we don't recommend them).

More Challenging Candidates

Advanced Lifters: The closer you are to your genetic potential, the harder it is to build muscle while losing fat.

Lean Individuals: With less fat to spare, your body is reluctant to build muscle during a deficit.

Natural Competitors: Getting stage-lean while maintaining muscle is extremely difficult without pharmaceutical assistance.

The Science Behind Body Recomposition

Energy Balance Basics

Traditional thinking: You need a calorie surplus to build muscle and a deficit to lose fat. Since these are opposites, you can't do both.

The nuance: Your body doesn't operate on 24-hour accounting periods. Throughout each day, you shift between anabolic (building) and catabolic (breaking down) states based on food intake, activity, and hormones.

The Recomp Window

During certain conditions, your body can:

1. Use stored fat for energy
2. While directing protein and carbs toward muscle building

This happens most easily when:

• You're in a slight caloric deficit or maintenance
• You consume adequate protein
• You provide a strong muscle-building stimulus (resistance training)
• Your hormones are optimized (sleep, stress management)

How to Set Up Your Body Recomposition Plan

Step 1: Calculate Your Calories

For recomp, aim for maintenance calories or a slight deficit (10-20% below maintenance).

Finding Maintenance:

• Multiply your body weight in pounds by 14-16
• Active people: use 15-16
• Less active: use 14-15

Example: 180 lb moderately active person 180 × 15 = 2,700 calories (maintenance) Slight deficit: 2,400-2,500 calories

Step 2: Set Your Protein Target

Protein is the most critical macronutrient for recomp.

Target: 0.8-1.2 grams per pound of body weight

Example: 180 lb person 144-216 grams of protein daily

Higher protein:

• Preserves muscle during fat loss
• Provides building blocks for new muscle
• Increases satiety (feel full longer)
• Has the highest thermic effect (burns calories during digestion)

Step 3: Fill Remaining Calories

After protein, fill the rest with carbs and fats based on preference:

Higher Carb Approach:

• 25-30% fat
• Remaining calories from carbs
• Good for: High training volume, carb-tolerant individuals

Higher Fat Approach:

• 35-40% fat
• Remaining calories from carbs
• Good for: Lower training volume, those who feel better on fats

Balanced Approach:

• 30% fat
• Remaining from carbs
• Good for: Most people, flexibility

Step 4: Design Your Training

Resistance training is NON-NEGOTIABLE for recomp. Without it, you'll lose muscle along with fat.

Training Principles:

Progressive Overload: Gradually increase weight, reps, or sets over time. This signals your body to build muscle.

Volume: Aim for 10-20 working sets per muscle group per week.

Frequency: Hit each muscle 2-3 times per week.

Compound Movements: Prioritize squats, deadlifts, bench press, rows, and overhead press.

Recovery: Muscles grow during rest, not during workouts.

Step 5: Manage Recovery

Recovery is often the missing piece:

Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours. Growth hormone releases primarily during deep sleep.

Stress: Chronic stress elevates cortisol, which promotes fat storage and muscle breakdown.

Rest Days: Take 1-2 complete rest days per week.

Sample Body Recomposition Workout Split

4-Day Upper/Lower Split

Day 1: Upper Body

• Bench Press: 4×6-8
• Barbell Row: 4×6-8
• Overhead Press: 3×8-10
• Pull-ups or Lat Pulldown: 3×8-10
• Dumbbell Curl: 3×10-12
• Tricep Pushdown: 3×10-12

Day 2: Lower Body

• Squat: 4×6-8
• Romanian Deadlift: 4×8-10
• Leg Press: 3×10-12
• Leg Curl: 3×10-12
• Calf Raise: 4×12-15
• Ab Work: 3 sets

Day 3: Rest

Day 4: Upper Body

• Incline Dumbbell Press: 4×8-10
• Cable Row: 4×8-10
• Arnold Press: 3×10-12
• Face Pulls: 3×12-15
• Hammer Curl: 3×10-12
• Overhead Tricep Extension: 3×10-12

Day 5: Lower Body

• Deadlift: 4×5
• Bulgarian Split Squat: 3×8-10 each leg
• Leg Extension: 3×12-15
• Glute Bridge: 3×10-12
• Seated Calf Raise: 4×12-15
• Ab Work: 3 sets

Days 6-7: Rest or Light Activity

Sample Recomp Meal Plan (180 lb person)

Daily Targets: 2,500 calories, 180g protein, 250g carbs, 83g fat

Meal 1: Breakfast (Post-Workout)

• 4 whole eggs scrambled
• 2 slices whole grain toast
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 banana ~700 calories, 45g protein

Meal 2: Lunch

• 8 oz chicken breast
• 1.5 cups rice
• Mixed vegetables
• 1 tbsp olive oil ~650 calories, 55g protein

Meal 3: Snack

• Protein shake (2 scoops)
• 1 apple
• 2 tbsp peanut butter ~450 calories, 50g protein

Meal 4: Dinner

• 8 oz salmon
• Large sweet potato
• Roasted broccoli
• Side salad with olive oil ~700 calories, 50g protein

Tracking Progress During Recomp

Don't Rely on the Scale

The scale measures total body weight, not body composition. During recomp, your weight might:

• Stay the same (fat lost = muscle gained)
• Go up slightly (muscle gain exceeds fat loss)
• Go down slightly (fat loss exceeds muscle gain)

All three scenarios can represent successful recomp.

Better Progress Markers

Progress Photos: Take weekly photos in consistent lighting and poses. Month-over-month changes become obvious.

Measurements: Track waist, hips, chest, arms, and thighs monthly. Waist going down while arms stay the same or increase = recomp working.

Strength Gains: If you're getting stronger, you're building muscle.

How Clothes Fit: Pants fitting looser while shirts fit tighter is the recomp dream.

Body Fat Percentage: If measurable, this directly tracks your goal.

Common Body Recomposition Mistakes

1. Eating Too Little Protein

This is the most common mistake. Without adequate protein, you'll lose muscle during the fat-loss process. Track your protein intake, at least initially.

2. Ignoring Resistance Training

Cardio alone won't build muscle. You must lift weights (or do challenging bodyweight training) to signal muscle growth.

3. Expecting Fast Results

Recomp is slower than aggressive cutting or bulking. Expect 0.5-1 lb of fat loss per week and 0.25-0.5 lb of muscle gain per week under optimal conditions.

4. Being in Too Large a Deficit

A huge calorie deficit causes your body to sacrifice muscle for energy. Keep the deficit moderate (10-20%).

5. Inconsistent Training

Occasional workouts won't drive recomp. You need consistent, progressive resistance training—ideally 3-5 days per week.

6. Poor Sleep

Sleep deprivation tanks muscle-building hormones and increases cortisol. Prioritize 7-9 hours.

How Long Does Body Recomposition Take?

Realistic timelines:

Beginners (first year of training):

• Noticeable changes: 8-12 weeks
• Significant transformation: 6-12 months
• Potential: 15-25 lbs of muscle, 15-30 lbs of fat loss

Intermediate (1-3 years training):

• Noticeable changes: 12-16 weeks
• Significant transformation: 12-24 months
• Potential: 5-10 lbs of muscle, variable fat loss

Advanced (3+ years training):

• Recomp becomes very difficult
• May be better served by bulk/cut cycles
• Maintenance recomp possible (holding muscle while leaning out slowly)

When to Consider Bulk/Cut Instead

Recomp isn't always the best approach:

Consider Cutting First If:

• Body fat above 25% (men) or 35% (women)
• Health concerns related to weight
• Want faster visible results

Consider Bulking First If:

• Already very lean (under 12% men, under 20% women)
• Experienced lifter wanting maximum muscle gain
• Comfortable gaining some fat temporarily

Stick With Recomp If:

• Moderate body fat (15-25% men, 22-35% women)
• Beginner or returning to training
• Want sustainable, balanced approach
• Hate extreme dieting phases

Track Your Recomp Journey

Body recomposition requires tracking multiple variables:

• Workouts and progressive overload
• Calorie and protein intake
• Progress photos and measurements
• Recovery (sleep, stress)

FORGE - Habits & Fitness helps you track all of this in one place, making it easier to stay consistent and measure what matters.

Ready to transform your body composition? Download FORGE - Habits & Fitness and start tracking your recomp journey today.