Body composition
Body recomposition: how to lose fat and build muscle at the same time
The classic advice is to “bulk” to build muscle, then “cut” to lose the fat you gained. Body recomposition skips the cycle: you lose fat and build muscle at the same time, while your scale weight barely moves. It’s real — but it works much better for some people than others.
Who can recomp?
A 2020 review by Barakat and colleagues in the Strength and Conditioning Journal concluded that recomposition is possible even in trained lifters, but it happens most readily in:
- Beginners, whose muscles respond quickly to any sensible training.
- People returning after a break — lost muscle comes back faster than it was first built.
- People with more body fat, who have plenty of stored energy to fuel muscle growth.
If you are already lean and have trained hard for years, a recomp will be slow. You may get better results from a focused period of muscle gain followed by a short fat-loss phase.
Set your calories
Recomp works at or slightly below maintenance — the calories that keep your weight stable. A simple approach is to eat at maintenance on training days, to fuel your sessions, and about 15% below on rest days. Over a week that creates a small deficit without undermining training.
| Example (age 30, moderately active) | Training days | Rest days | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man, 80 kg, 180 cm | 2759 kcal | 2345 kcal | 128–176 g |
| Woman, 65 kg, 165 cm | 2124 kcal | 1805 kcal | 104–143 g |
Maintenance here is estimated with the Mifflin–St Jeor equation and an activity multiplier. Treat it as a starting point: if your weight trends steadily down or up over 2–3 weeks, adjust by 100–200 kcal.
Prioritise protein
Protein is the non-negotiable part. A 2018 meta-analysis by Morton and colleagues found the benefit of extra protein for muscle gain levelled off around 1.6 g per kg of body weight a day, with some people benefiting up to about 2.2 g/kg. For a recomp, aim for that range every day, spread across three or four meals.
Train for strength and size
- Lift three to five times a week, training each muscle group at least twice.
- Use progressive overload: add weight or reps over time. If your lifts stall for weeks, recovery or calories may be too low.
- Most sets should end 1–3 reps short of failure.
- Cardio helps your health and the deficit, but keep it from wrecking leg sessions.
- Sleep 7–9 hours; muscle is built during recovery.
How to tell it’s working
Because fat loss and muscle gain cancel out on the scale, weight is a poor guide. Track these instead, every two to four weeks:
- Waist measurement at the navel, first thing in the morning.
- Progress photos in the same light and pose.
- Strength on your main lifts.
A shrinking waist with steady or rising strength is the signature of a successful recomp. Expect visible changes in 8–12 weeks and meaningful ones over 6–12 months.
Try the Body Recomposition CalculatorCalories and protein to lose fat while building muscle.General fitness information, not medical advice. Check with a doctor or qualified coach before major changes to diet, supplements or training.