Body recomposition is a long process of body restructuring, in which is based on the desire to simultaneously gain muscle mass and burn fat. It is impossible to recompose the body without the right approach to nutrition and training. The question arises, is it possible to turn fat into muscle? Such a process is not possible. But gaining muscle mass and burning fat at the same time is very real, although this is contrary to your energy needs. Building muscle requires an excess of calories, and burning fat requires them deficit.
How to turn fat into muscle? How does it really work? Who able to succeed in this, and who is not and why? Read on to learn how to build muscle and burn fat …
- How to lose weight and build muscle?
- Is it possible to simultaneously build muscle and get rid of fat?
- Physiology of muscle growth
- Physiology of Fat Burning
- How much protein should I consume?
- How to simultaneously gain muscle mass and burn fat
- Focus on basic exercises
- Do HIIT workouts instead of regular cardio
- Get enough sleep
- Take the right fat burning supplements
- Supplement No. 1 for body recomposition
- Creatine
- Carnitine
- Supplement No. 2 for body recomposition
- Supplement No. 3 for body recomposition
- Supplement No. 1 for body recomposition
- Conclusion
- How to lose weight and build muscle?
- Is it possible to simultaneously build muscle and get rid of fat?
- Physiology of muscle growth
- Physiology of Fat Burning
- How much protein should I consume?
- How to simultaneously gain muscle mass and burn fat
- Focus on basic exercises
- Do HIIT workouts instead of regular cardio
- Get enough sleep
- Take the right fat burning supplements
- Supplement No. 1 for body recomposition
- Creatine
- Carnitine
- Supplement No. 2 for body recomposition
- Supplement No. 3 for body recomposition
- Conclusion
How to lose weight and build muscle?
Nothing makes people come to the gym and take supplements like the desire to build muscle and burn fat, then have a body recomposition, as they like to call this process specialists.
Body recomposition is a very long and difficult process. body adjustment based on desire to simultaneously increase muscle mass body and fat reduction, which is often impossible exercise without observing strict rules in calculating calories and number of workouts.
The main thing you need to know is muscle building and burning are two opposite process in terms of our energy organism. Building muscle requires an excess of calories, and burning fat – their deficiency. Without the right approach, trying to implement these actions at the same time can lead to unwanted the consequences.
Everyone says: “To get rid of fat, you need to do certain exercises, eat right and take supplements, “- is not it? You can burn fat while maintaining muscle mass, right?
Is it possible to simultaneously build muscle and get rid of fat?
Well, I have news: good and bad.
- Good: yes, lose fat and build muscle at the same time perhaps.
- Bad: this is only possible under certain conditions.
- Very bad: most tips on how to lose weight to leaving fat and not muscle, is no good.
Yes, those “gurus” who swear they know the secret muscle gain, almost always carry nonsense. And I can do it to prove.
In this article we will talk about how the body actually builds muscle and gets rid of fat, and then we’ll see what for this needs to be done.
Let’s start with a set of muscle mass.
Is it possible to simultaneously gain muscle mass and burn fat!?
Physiology of muscle growth
There are two vital processes in your muscles every day. – protein synthesis and protein breakdown.
- The destruction of proteins means their breakdown into smaller ones components: peptides and amino acids.
- The synthesis of proteins means their new creation, as well as their smaller components.
When you are healthy and your diet is fine, muscle tissue remains in fairly stable condition. That is, the level of synthesis and decay more or less balanced and you do not lose or gain a significant amount of muscle in everyday life. (Strictly speaking, you lose muscle mass as you age, but the essence of the process is you understood).
In order for the muscles to grow over time, the level of synthesis protein must exceed its level of breakdown.
This means that the body must produce more protein than loses, and then muscle growth rises slightly.
Then what to do so that the rate of protein synthesis exceeds the pace decay?
You must take certain actions to launch and maintaining this process. The muscles are quite active metabolism (metabolism), which requires quite a lot of energy to to support him. Without this, muscles will not grow.
And the main thing that you should do here is, of course, train your muscles. Strength training damages muscle cells, which gives the body a signal to increase protein synthesis to restore muscle tissue.
Although this does not mean that restoring muscles, the body brings them to their former state. He seeks to adapt to new stimuli – training – and produces new muscle cells, increasing muscle size and strength.
Studies show that progressive overload is the main condition for muscle growth.
“What is progressive overload?”, You ask? it gradual increase in muscle fiber tension. When you systematically give your muscles a bigger and bigger load, they constantly adapt to it, becoming bigger and stronger.
As a true weightlifter, you must become stronger if you want to become bigger.
Of course, muscles can become stronger without an increase in size (due to increased neuromuscular activity), but the moment you need more muscle fibers to reach your training goals.
Pamping is great and can be included in the program. training, but a high range of repetitions and exhausting sets should never be the center of attention. Such training is significantly increases metabolic stress, which promotes muscle growth, but not as much as progressive overload does.
Therefore, the largest athletes in the gym, as a rule, are also the largest strong, and therefore those who pursue pumping, doing supersets, drop sets, giant sets, etc., do not have the same physical data.
Your main goal in training should be constant working weight gain.
If you don’t do this, you won’t get any benefits, which gives progressive overload and gain a little muscle mass, regardless of what you have done for this (well, if you, of course, do not use “chemistry”).
Heavy training and progressive overload do not guarantee muscle growth because you must also eat right.
You’ve probably heard that you need to eat a lot to become bigger, and there is some truth to this.
You must consume enough protein, which creates basis for muscle growth and also consume sufficient number of calories, which guarantees the most effective synthesis squirrel.
However, before we talk about diet, let’s look at the other side of the body recomposition, namely burning fat.
Physiology of Fat Burning
How to make the body burn fat? Getting rid of fat is easier. than you expected.
- Do not get hung up on a diet.
- No need to avoid carbohydrates, and indeed, any other food products.
- Do not eat strictly a certain number of servings of food per scheduled day.
- Do not try to manipulate hormones.
In order to avoid mistakes during weight loss, you need to understand the mechanics of this process – how to burn fat.
The first and most important mechanism is energy balance.
This means the relationship between the energy you give. the body through food, and the energy that is spent on cellular and physical activity. This attitude is often measured in kilocalories.
As tests carried out over the past 100 years show regarding weight loss, the truth is: you must spend more energy than you consume.
You may have heard all this before, and if you are disappointed, then let me explain how to burn fat, not the muscles.
When you eat food, you give the body a relatively large amount of energy in a short period of time. Part of this it burns energy, and stores part of it in the form of fat for further use.
Scientifically, this process of absorption of nutrients called “postprandial.” “Fast” means “after”, and “prandial” – “food related.” In that postprandial fat burning does not occur because the body is in the mode of conservation of body fat.
The reason for this is simple: why does the body burn fat for energy production, if you provided it to him in the necessary quantity and even more?
As a result, the body completes the digestion and absorption of food, which takes a few hours and then goes into a state that scientists call “postabsorbent.”
The energy received from food is over, but functioning organism must continue. What can an organism do for meeting your energy needs?
That’s right – it can burn fat. The body should now go into “fat burning mode” to work while it waits for the next food intake.
Every day your body goes from postprandial to postabsorbent state and back, storing and burning fat.
Here is a simple graph that demonstrates this:
The bright parts of the graph show what happens when you eat: insulin levels increase to help metabolize nutrients, and fat burning stops.
Dark patches show what happens when energy, derived from food ends: insulin levels drop, giving signal to the body to start burning fat.
What happens if these two parts of the graph are more or less balance? That’s right – the fat level will remain the same. The body will burn about the same amount of fat as stocks up.
What happens if light parts exceed dark? Then reserves of fat will exceed the volume of its burning, and fat deposits will increase.
And what happens if the dark parts collectively exceed the light? You burn more fat than you store, which means a decrease total fat mass.
That’s why to get rid of significant reserves of fat. require more energy than you receive.
It doesn’t matter how many “unclean” foods are and when you ate. Your metabolism works according to the first law of thermodynamics, and this means that fat reserves (energy) cannot be increased without providing excess energy and cannot be reduced without restrictions on its consumption, thereby creating energy deficit.
- That’s why research shows that the result low-calorie diets becoming clinically significant weight loss, no matter what macronutrients they are based on
- Therefore, Professor Mark Haub was able to lose 12 kg while dieting from protein shakes, cakes, cookies, chips and pastries.
When it comes to simply getting rid of extra pounds, calories remain calories. The body spends a certain the amount of energy, and if you give it less than you need, then he has no choice but to continue to burn fat to support life.
But what if your goal is not just to lose weight? What if you want to get rid of fat, but not muscle masses? In this case, the calories cease to be just calories. Some types of calories are becoming more important here. others.
I already wrote about this in detail in my books and articles, therefore I will briefly outline the essence.
When you cut calories to to get rid of fat, make sure you consume enough amount of protein.
Studies show that with a reduced calorie diet with high protein are more effective in reducing fat deposits, as well as these diets help maintain muscle and strengthen feeling of fullness.
How much protein should I consume?
Special government agencies recommend 0.8 g. on the kilogram of body weight, but studies show that if you double or triple this amount, then this will not be enough to maintain muscle mass during a diet.
Instead, I prefer to follow the advice of Oxford scholars University. Here’s what conclusion they came to:
“The need for protein for athletes involved in power workouts and dieters will be approximately 2.3-3.1 grams. per kg body weight without fat and increase in depending on the severity of the diet and muscle gain masses”.
Simply put, I recommend consuming 2-2.4 grams. per kg body weight with calorie restriction in order to get rid of fat.
If you have a lot of body fat (a man with 20% + fat or woman with 30% + fat), you can reduce this amount to 0.8 g., and everything will be alright.
So, now you know how the body builds muscle mass, and also stores and burns fat. Let’s see what occurs when these 2 processes occur simultaneously.
How to simultaneously gain muscle mass and burn fat
Around the simultaneous gain of muscle mass and fat burning there is a lot of talk.
People sell pills, powders, programs based on super secret technologies. Skeptics say it at all impossible. The truth, however, is somewhere in between. Some may achieve recomposition, some not. How to lose weight in order to was fat and not muscle gone?
The main determining factors are the level of training and athlete experience. Here are 2 general principles:
- If you are new to strength training or re-starting with them start after the break, then you should not have problems with at the same time gaining muscle mass and burning fat.
- If you exercise for at least 6-8 months without big breaks, you probably won’t be able to reach recomposition.
The exception to the 2 points are those who trained during certain time, but did not focus on basic exercises with heavy weight. They are likely to be fast, like newbies. progress at the beginning, including muscle growth in deficiency calories.
“Why are there such rules?” You ask. – “Why can’t anyone achieve success in recomposing the body regardless circumstances? ”
Because in terms of physiology between getting rid of fat and muscle growth is an irreconcilable discrepancy. Their mutual incompatibility stems from their relationship to energy body balance.
When the body has a negative energy balance (deficit calories), it reduces fat mass, but also appears unwanted side effect: reduced ability of the body synthesize proteins.
You lose muscle mass when you are on a diet with the goal of burn fat. The body is not able to synthesize enough protein, to balance the processes of its formation and decay.
Thus, if your goal is to maximize muscle growth, make sure that you are not deficient in calories. AND since it is impossible to accurately determine the daily energy expenditure, then athletes who want to gain muscle mass are deliberately overstating body energy needs, thus supporting a slight excess of energy.
This is the scientific rationale for the statement that more follows eat to get bigger. Although it will be more accurate to say that you should consume a little more energy than you consume to become more. This creates the basis for muscle growth.
That’s why it’s so hard to burn fat and gain muscle. at the same time. You limit calories and lose fat, but with this limits the ability of the body to build up and restore muscle tissue.
As you probably already understood, muscle building with calorie deficiency requires a very high level of synthesis protein (or a very low level of its breakdown, or both another at the same time). In short, all you can do to increase the body’s ability to synthesize protein and for reduce its decay, great help you in the pursuit of to recomposition.
That’s why beginners or those who resume training can so successfully get rid of fat and build muscle. Their bodies “hyperresponsive” to training, and this outweighs the limitations on protein synthesis, which imposes a calorie deficit.
Over time, these “privileges” beginner come to naught, however, restrictions on synthesis are becoming more and more until finally will not become insurmountable. You just can’t stimulate synthesis and inhibit the breakdown, maintaining the balance necessary for muscle growth. This is why the goal of experienced weightlifters is maintaining muscle and strength during fat burning, not their increase.
So, we have completely covered the theory of body recomposition, now let’s get to practice and talk about what you should do to achieve it.
Maintain a moderate calorie deficit
This is the basis of body recomposition. How to lose weight so that fat leaves and not muscle? You must have a calorie deficit to get rid from fat, but should not eat so little so that the loss accelerates muscle mass.
Instead, you need to maintain moderate (20-25%) calorie deficit, which will quickly get rid of fat while maintaining muscle mass.
If you do not know how to do this, here is a simple formula that I cite in my books to maintain daily deficiency calories about 20% if you exercise 4-6 hours a week.
- 2.4 gr. protein per kilogram of body weight per day;
- 2 gr. carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per day;
- 0.4 gr. fat per kilogram of body weight per day.
This is a good starting point for most people, but it can be adjusted if you exercise more than 4-6 hours in week, or if you are thin enough woman (you may you will need to reduce carbohydrates to 1.5 g / kg and increase fats to 0.5 g / kg).
Once you define these numbers for yourself, create your own daily nutrition program.
Focus on basic exercises
Idea that through isolating exercises and high range repetitions you achieve the maximum possible effect is a myth that is promoted by many athletes.
Get rid of body fat and you will look bold. One training style does not provide a greater definition than another.
When you are deficient in calories, you should go straight the opposite of what many people talk about: you need focus on heavy basic exercises. Especially if you want to gain muscle mass and burn fat.
You have to do squats, deadlift, army bench press and bench press every week and should also do most of the work with a weight of 80-85% of your 1PM (4-6 or 5-7 repetitions).
This is a key type of training for natural athletes who wish to increase muscle mass and strength. The main “secret” of efficiency high rep range and high volume training about which say fitness models, is the use of chemistry. And the point.
If you, being a natural bodybuilder, go this way, then do not achieve your goals.
Do HIIT workouts instead of regular cardio
You do not have to do cardio if you want to gain mass, but in at a certain moment you will have no choice but to include cardio training in your program. In the end you it’s just necessary to spend more energy every week, to continue to burn fat, as strength training you can perform only to a certain extent, otherwise do not avoid overtraining.
When this moment comes, you should not begin to perform the usual low-intensity cardio workouts for 1-2 hours 5-7 days a a week. Of course, it consumes energy and helps get rid of fat, but it also reduces muscle mass.
Instead, perform within 1-2 hours High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) 1 once a week. Yes, you understood everything correctly: you can work on terrain, making cardio no more than 2 hours in a week.
Do not believe? Here is the “summer version” of my body that I reach and which I support by doing strength training for 4-5 hours per week and HIIT workouts for 2 hours per week.
I find it short (20-25 minutes) HIIT workouts burn more fat and also better retain muscle and strength than long cardio workouts low intensity.
There are not many shortcuts to health and good physically fit, but HIIT training seems to be specifically designed for fat burning. Use it.
Get enough sleep
This point is often overlooked, however it is extremely important for gaining muscle mass and burning fat.
If you do not get enough sleep during the week, then this will be enough to lower testosterone, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor – 1 (IGF-1), which play an important role in the recruitment and maintaining muscle mass and burning fat.
The amount of sleep a person needs varies, but National Sleep Foundation (USA) recommends an adult sleep 7-9 hours at night to avoid the consequences lack of sleep.
Take the right fat burning supplements
I’m talking about supplements last, because taking them it makes sense only if you stick to a diet, exercise and get enough sleep.
And I’ll say for clarity: you don’t need additives to achieve body recomposition, but they will help you achieve it if choose them correctly.
In particular, you should achieve 3 things with supplements:
- you must maintain the intensity of the workouts that help maintain muscle and strength;
- you must improve the body’s ability to maintain and build muscle mass and strength;
- you have to burn fat as fast as possible that minimizes the amount of time spent in short supply calories.
Fortunately, there are several safe, natural supplements, to help achieve each of these goals. Information about them you find below.
Supplement No. 1 for body recomposition
The first thing you need is a recovery supplement after workouts that contains 2 ingredients to help achieve body recomposition:
Creatine
Creatine is a compound of 2 amino acids. Creatine is synthesized in the human body, as well as its source, is food.
This is the most studied supplement in the world of sports nutrition, and evidence of its effectiveness is clear: it helps build up muscle and strength even with a calorie deficit, and also reduces muscle damage and inflammation that occur after training.
Conclusion: if you are doing strength training, you should take creatine.
Carnitine
Carnitine is a substance made up of the amino acids lysine and methionine and involved in the production of cellular energy.
Studies show creatine supplements reduce muscle damage and pain that appear after workouts, and also improve muscle recovery.
Supplement No. 2 for body recomposition
It is a caffeine-free fat burner that helps Get rid of fat in 3 different ways:
- sharply increases the metabolic rate;
- enhances the action of fat burning substances formed in organism;
- enhances the feeling of satiety.
This is achieved using effective dosages of synephrine, naringin, hesperidin, forskolin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), hordein, salation and 5-HTP (hydroxytryptophan).
In addition, the caffeine-free formula means that you can keep drinking coffee and your favorite pre-workout drinks, containing caffeine.
The conclusion is obvious: in combination with proper nutrition, fat burning the supplement will help to get rid of fat faster.
Supplement No. 3 for body recomposition
A clinically effective pre-workout drink dosage of 7 ingredients, the effect of which is expressed in increase energy levels, improve attention, and increase health.
The better you can maintain the intensity of your workouts during diet time, the easier you can maintain muscle and strength. All very simply.
In addition, it is worth noting that caffeine directly helps burn more fat, and also enhances the fat burning effect.
Conclusion
Now you know everything about simultaneously building muscle and burning fat.
It is not as mysterious and difficult as many “experts” to you. they say. And there are no tricks and tricks to achieve this.
Maintain a moderate calorie deficit, consume a lot protein, train hard, do HIIT workouts, take the right supplements, and the result will be.
And even if you have too much training experience to successfully recompose, however you can use everything written in this article to maximize burning fat and minimize muscle loss.
What is your opinion on body recomposition? Do you want them to share? Leave your comments below!