First is consistency. It takes time and consistent effort. The second thing you need is progressive overload. This means steadily increasing the capacity of your workout. Overload comes first with the number of reps.

Start with low reps, and try to slightly increase your reps each workout. Once you hit a certain point in reps, increase the weight and start from a lower rep range again. Work in building more and more reps each time. You can basically break down a body recomposition plan into two parts. Muscle building requires heavy resistance training.

Putting your muscles under resistance stimulates muscle hypertrophy i. muscle growth when combined with good nutrition and rest.

The heavier you can lift, while still maintaining safety and proper form, the greater the adaptation in your muscles. At the same time, building muscle while you lose body fat simultaneously requires more than just resistance training, which means you may not have the time to focus on each muscle group in isolation.

So you want to focus on compound lifts which utilize multiple muscle groups at the same time, allowing you to work out more efficiently. Lifting heavy on its own is a great way to build muscle and get bigger. The best thing for that is high-intensity interval training, or HIIT.

This involves short, intense bursts of activity, followed by a small rest period. HIIT is an extremely effective tool for burning body fat. And there are two additional benefits of HIIT that makes it perfect for a body recomposition workout plan.

You can get the benefits of burning excess body fat with minimal weight loss. Too much low-intensity cardio - long-distance running, for example - can lead your body to adapt to this kind of exercise, which can interfere with your goal of gaining muscle. Your goal is reducing body fat percentage, but.

HIIT is a great way to burn fat, and does so while stimulating a strength response and activating your muscles as well. MISS cardio, or moderate-intensity steady-state cardio, is the best option if you want to add some more aerobic activity into your workout plan. You could do minutes on the bike or a moderate to high-paced run for MISS cardio.

Consider adding this in on off-days or at the end of lifting sessions if you need to up your calorie output. Like the workout plan, nutrition for body recomposition is deceptively simple. Excess protein is also not turned into stored body fat the way carbs and fats are.

That makes a high-protein diet much more efficient for building fat-free mass. And finally, protein boosts satiety, making you feel full for longer. This helps you stay disciplined to your diet and avoid going over your ideal calorie intake.

The other thing to aim for is a slight calorie deficit, meaning you have more calories going out, from your workouts and base metabolic activity, versus the calorie intake from your diet. You still need enough energy from your diet to support your training. You need protein to support muscle growth, and for a couple of other reasons, as mentioned above.

The most important thing for building lean body mass is getting enough protein to support muscle protein synthesis, in which the body utilizes protein to rebuild, repair and grow muscle tissue. Yet you still need other macros to support energy production.

Carbs in particular, as a lot of your workouts will be utilizing the anaerobic energy system, which primarily uses carbohydrates for fuel. But most find it a lot easier to focus on one specific goal, such as slimming down or bulking up.

You can achieve results more effectively by working towards one goal at a time. It just takes a more disciplined, more deliberate workout plan to achieve simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain. You want to focus on whole, unprocessed foods. These are foods with a high density of vitamins and nutrients, and few empty calories, which will just add unnecessary fat to your frame.

Look for things like lean meats, fish, eggs, greek yogurt and whey protein to support your protein needs. Fruit and vegetables, whole wheat pasta, brown rice and quinoa are good sources of clean, nutritious carbs. Dumbbell front raises : reps x 3 sets. Take rest days in between where necessary.

The schedule can vary based on what works for you, but it could go like this:. Pair this workout routine with consistency and proper nutrition, and you should start to see significant results after around 8 weeks. Strength training exercises should be a staple in any body recomposition program.

Compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and rows engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, promoting muscle growth and improving overall strength. Start with lighter weights and gradually increase the resistance as your strength and technique improve.

High-intensity interval training HIIT is a time-efficient and effective form of cardiovascular exercise for body recomposition. HIIT workouts involve alternating between short bursts of high-intensity exercise and periods of active rest or low intensity.

This training method helps burn calories and fat while preserving muscle mass. Examples of HIIT exercises include sprints, burpees, and kettlebell swings. Perform each exercise at maximum effort for a short duration, followed by a brief rest period.

Repeat this cycle multiple times to create a high-intensity workout. Aside from HIIT, traditional cardiovascular exercises like running, swimming, or cycling can also contribute to body recomposition. These exercises help burn calories and improve cardiovascular health, while also providing a platform for steady-state endurance training.

Consider incorporating longer-duration cardio sessions into your routine, aiming for moderate-intensity exercise for minutes several times per week.

This will help boost calorie expenditure and support fat loss. A balanced exercise routine is essential for an effective body recomposition program. Varying your exercises and considering different factors such as frequency and intensity can help you achieve optimal results.

This not only helps prevent boredom but also ensures that all major muscle groups are adequately stimulated. Consider alternating between strength training exercises, HIIT workouts, and cardiovascular exercises throughout the week.

This will help maintain your interest and keep your routine challenging and effective. The frequency and intensity of your exercise will depend on your current fitness level and goals. Aim for at least three to four days of strength training per week and two to three days of cardiovascular exercise.

When it comes to intensity, listen to your body and gradually increase the difficulty of your workouts. Push yourself, but also be mindful of your limitations to prevent injury or burnout. It can be helpful to consult with a fitness professional to determine the optimal frequency and intensity for your individual needs.

Proper form and technique are crucial to prevent injuries during exercise. Always warm up before your workouts and cool down afterward to prepare your muscles and joints for the demands of exercise and promote optimal recovery. Avoid lifting weights that are too heavy or performing exercises with incorrect form, as this can put unnecessary strain on your muscles and joints.

Gradually progress the weight and intensity of your exercises to avoid overexertion. If you experience pain, fatigue, or any other discomfort, take a break and allow your body to rest and recover. Pushing through pain or ignoring warning signs can lead to injury.

Additionally, make sure to prioritize sleep and rest days in your routine. In conclusion, body recomposition is an effective approach to achieve a lean and toned physique by combining fat loss and muscle growth.

By understanding the science behind body recomposition and the benefits it offers, you can create a successful exercise routine that prioritizes both cardiovascular and strength training exercises.

Incorporating a variety of exercises, determining the right frequency and intensity, and prioritizing safety and rest will help you achieve the best results in your body recomposition journey.

Check out our Body Recomposition Blueprint here. The Best Exercises for Body Recomposition Body recomposition is a process that involves simultaneously losing fat and gaining muscle. Understanding Body Recomposition Body recomposition is a term used to describe the process of changing your body composition by reducing body fat while increasing muscle mass.

The Science Behind Body Recomposition Body recomposition is based on the principle of energy balance.

For most people, fat loss is going to mean weight loss. But gaining the same amount of muscle can take anywhere from weeks to months and eventually a lot longer , depending on your training status beginner, intermediate or advanced and what your muscle-building genetics are like.

In general, people who can gain a substantial amount of muscle while losing fat at the same time tend to be untrained beginners, especially those with a large amount of fat to lose, people returning to training after an extended layoff, and individuals taking anabolic drugs.

In my view, those are the people who have a realistic chance of seeing their weight stay the same on a body recomposition plan. But anyone outside of those three categories is likely to lose weight. It is possible in theory at least, depending on how much fat you have to lose and how genetically gifted you are in the muscle-building department , to end up at the same weight you are right now, having replaced all of the lost fat with muscle.

But changing your body composition in such a dramatic way is going to require multiple training cycles, some of which are focused on building muscle and some of which are focused on losing fat. In many cases, a body recomposition program is nothing more than a cutting phase done properly.

Executed properly, a cut will lead to some degree of body recomposition, in that muscle will be gained while fat is lost. You can expect to see big changes to your physique with that type of approach, just as long as you work hard and stay consistent.

This body recomposition plan involves training the major muscle groups in two different workouts, a push workout and a pull workout. The push workout revolves around pushing movements for the upper body, which involve the chest, shoulders and triceps.

The pull workout centers on pulling movements for the upper body, which mainly involve the back and biceps. In addition, the push workouts also involve exercises that focus on your quads, while the pull day workouts include some work for your hamstrings. Rather than devote an entire training session to your lower body, you do a little bit of leg work every time you train.

The workout routine is flexible, and you can move the training days around if you miss a workout. FREE: The Muscle Building Cheat Sheet. This is a quick guide to building muscle, which you can read online or keep as a PDF, that shows you exactly how to put on muscle.

To get a FREE copy of the cheat sheet emailed to you, please click or tap here. GET THE CHEAT SHEET. You might start out with the intention of training four days a week, but life gets in the way and you only do three. Just keep on rotating through the workouts, from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4, with the goal of averaging training sessions each week.

Dividing your body into pushing and pulling exercises means that your energy and focus is distributed across fewer muscle groups, which should translate into faster gains. Some people will run out of steam towards the end of a full-body workout routine. The muscles being trained towards the end of a workout receive less work than the ones trained at the start.

The four weekly workouts will also burn off extra calories. In short, lifting weights makes a direct contribution to the calorie deficit required to lose fat. That means you have the option of pairing those exercises, which in turn can save you time in the gym.

rest… and so on. But with paired sets, also known as supersets, instead of resting between sets, you do an exercise for another set of muscles. Give yourself a bit of time to catch your breath and set yourself up properly. On some lower body exercises, such as the leg press or squat, you may want to stick to regular straight sets.

In other words, use supersets at your discretion. You might use them on some exercise pairs but not others. For example, in the first push workout, the prescription for the bench press is 3 sets of reps.

The idea is that you select a weight that allows you to perform at least 5 reps in each set, but no more than 8. Every time you go to the gym, you try to do more reps than you did the workout before. Typically, people use the scale to gauge weight loss progress.

Body composition—which refers to the percent of fat and muscle that makes up your body weight—gives a better picture of your health than just weight or BMI. Having too much body fat is linked to chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease 3.

But having a better contrast of fat to muscle mass can decrease your risk of those diseases 4, 5, 6. Body recomposition is the act of improving the ratio of body fat to muscle in your body.

Those who are well-trained can expect to see changes, too—albeit, more slowly and by making educated tweaks to their training regimen, calorie intake, and macros split of proteins, fats, and carbs over time. Instead, focus on eating nutrient-dense whole foods, which will naturally cut calories when swapped with the Standard American Diet SAD.

Whole foods are loaded with macro and micronutrients which keep your body running optimally, increase satiety and fullness, and fuel your body with the energy it needs to perform and recover from your workouts. From here, focus on protein. One study found a high protein diet facilitates fat loss while increasing muscle mass 8.

Another found that athletes who ate more protein lost the least amount of muscle mass while cutting calories 9. A recent review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests. To get more protein, prioritize high-protein whole foods like eggs, lean meat, fish, beans and legumes, tofu, tempeh, and protein powder.

Cardiovascular exercise is helpful for weight loss and overall health, but strength training is necessary to alter body composition. A recent study found regular aerobic training can induce slight gains in muscle mass 11 , but the effect is minimal when compared to adaptations to resistance training.

Aim to get at least two lifting sessions that hit all major muscle groups per week to maximize muscle Focus on compound moves which target the most muscle mass, burn the most calories, and train you to move functionally as you do in daily life.

If you do have stubborn fat to lose, cardiovascular exercise is still helpful for burning calories. A combination of low intensity steady state cardio LISS and high intensity interval training HIIT is ideal.

To effectively lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, we recommend a combination of LISS cardio, HIIT cardio, and strength training. Ideally, your strength training sessions should be relatively high intensity limiting rest breaks to one minute between sets , this will help increase the anabolic response of your muscles to the hard work you put in, while burning more calories, too.

LISS involves any form of zone 2 cardio running , cycling , tennis, hiking —take your pick. Zone 2 cardio is exercising at a rate of perceived exertion RPE of about 4 to 5 out of HIIT involves any form of aerobic training that takes well to high speeds—sprints on a treadmill , elliptical , rowing machine , or cycle bike all do well here, or feel free to head outside for some hill sprints.

Each workout is coached by a certified fitness instructor who is there to teach you the basics of training like form and modifications. Below, is an example of a program you can do at home on your own using dumbbells and a bench to build strength.

Use heavy resistance for supersets A and B. For superset C, decrease the weight and focus on form paired with maximum tolerated intensity.

Once you build a significant amount of strength, it can be hard to load up significant weight with dumbbells. Muller, M. et al, Functional body composition: insights into the regulation of energy metabolism and some clinical applications, Aristizabal, J.

et al, Effect of resistance training on rest metabolic rate and its estimation by a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry metabolic map, Hruby, A.

et al, The Epidemiology of Obesity: The Big Picture, Zeng, Q. et al, Percent body fat is a better predictor of cardiovascular risk than body mass index, Again, it has only been 4 weeks so I really have just begun.

I am looking forward to seeing the progression over the coming months! I would recommend this program! Yes, of course! Chapter 8 explains exactly how to set up your calories, protein, carbs and fats based on your bodyweight, estimated bodyfat, and other factors specific to you.

There are many detailed examples given for calculating macros based on whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced trainee. Anyone who is looking to build muscle and lose fat will benefit from this plan.

It includes multiple examples of different males and females with different ages, experience levels, and goals to teach you how YOUR nutritional approach should be optimized to build muscle and lose fat!

Chapter 9 specifically discusses important protein considerations for vegans. For example, you will learn the importance of consuming complete proteins that have all nine essential amino acids and their role in muscle protein synthesis crucial for recovery and growth. There are practical examples of how pairing two incomplete proteins can be used to ensure that your meal contains all essential amino acids.

There are further details included that dive into the science and make practical recommendations for vegans and vegetarians. Chapter 12 explains the frequency times per week , intensity high or low , and different modalities of cardio you should use, while also providing multiple examples with mock-subjects who have different goals, starting points and dietary approaches.

Yes, even people with lifting experience can recomp. The latest research shows that trained individuals build muscle while losing fat quite commonly in exercise science studies. Because of the muscle memory effect, you will be able to build muscle very quickly, making it quite simple to see simultaneous muscle gain and fat loss.

Whether you should enter a caloric surplus, caloric deficit or eat maintenance calories depends on your current bodyfat level, how long your break was and a few other factors. The book details exactly how to set this up to best leverage the muscle memory effect and transform your physique efficiently.

While a bulking approach may be tempting since you want to build muscle quickly , bulking will lead to even more fat gain, along with the potential associated health risks. Probably not the best option. Cutting may also be tempting since you want to lose fat quickly , but an aggressive cut will seriously dampen your muscle building goals.

Not Sure Which Program Is Right For You? Take My Free Quiz. Item added to your cart. Check out Continue shopping. The Ultimate Guide To Body Recomposition BUILD MUSCLE AND LOSE FAT AT THE SAME TIME. ADD TO CART.