Body recomposition: lose fat and build muscle at the same time

You want to look leaner, but the scales barely move - and yet your jeans feel looser. Sound familiar? Then you have probably already seen body recomposition at work, without calling it that. It's the process of losing fat and building muscle at the same time, so your body composition changes while your weight sometimes stays almost the same.

What is body recomposition?

Body recomposition means losing fat and building muscle in the same period, so the ratio between fat and muscle improves. You don't steer by a lower number on the scales, but by your body composition: less fat, more muscle, a firmer and leaner body.

For a long time the rule was that this couldn't be done together: first a bulking phase to build muscle, then a cut to lose fat. For many people that is outdated. With the right stimulus your body can use fat as fuel and build muscle at the same time, especially if you haven't trained in a focused way for years.

Can you really lose fat and build muscle at once?

Yes, for most people you can. Losing fat and building muscle at the same time works best if you are relatively new to strength training, returning after a break, or carrying a bit more fat to lose. Your body is then extra responsive to the training stimulus.

If you are already lean and well trained, it will go more slowly. Even then the balance shifts the right way, as long as you are patient and steer by the right things.

How do you approach body recomposition in practice?

Four things do the work: strength training, enough protein, a small energy deficit and patience.

Strength training is the engine. Without a solid training stimulus, you also lose muscle when you lose weight. Strength training gives your body a reason to hold on to muscle and build it.

Protein protects your muscles. Eating enough protein limits the loss of muscle tissue while you lose weight.¹ Adults need an average of 0.83 grams of protein per kilo of body weight per day; those who train and steer by body composition usually sit higher.¹

A small deficit, not a crash diet. You lose fat through a negative energy balance, but keep it modest. Too strict a diet costs you muscle and energy, and is hard to keep up.

Patience and the right measure. The scales tell only part of the story. Photos, how your clothes fit, your strength in training and your measurements together say far more about your body composition than your weight alone.

A real example from our practice

"Someone who came to us mainly wanted to look leaner, but was frustrated that the scales wouldn't move. In fact, after a few weeks he weighed slightly more. When we put photos side by side and saw his strength in the logbooks, the penny dropped: he had lost fat and gained muscle. We stopped staring at that one number and started steering by his body composition. That kept him motivated, precisely because he could see what was changing."

Who does body recomposition work for, and for whom less so?

It works most strongly for beginners, those restarting and people with a bit more fat to lose. For very experienced, already lean athletes, losing fat and building muscle usually no longer happens as quickly at the same time; a phased approach can then make more sense. For most people who want to get fitter and leaner, body recomposition is actually the most realistic and pleasant route.

At De Werf it starts with reflection: where are you, what do you want to achieve and what fits your life? From there we build a rhythm of strength training and nutrition that you can sustain, and we steer by results that last. That way you change your body composition without a crash diet or endless cardio.

Want to change your body composition in a way that fits your life? Discover how we guide you one to one at De Werf in The Hague, with training and nutrition, at your own rhythm.

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Sources:
¹ Protein - Voedingscentrum