For years, the fitness industry has treated this as a black and white issue. You either should be bulking up or you cut. You need to pick one though. The idea behind this is traditionally programs that help you gain muscle are inherently different than programs that help you lose fat. The thought is that these two styles don’t play nice together.
The good news is, research is showing a different picture that we can learn from.
The Old Thinking
The logic behind the bulk/cut model isn’t crazy. It does work too. Building muscle typically requires a calorie surplus to fuel growth. If you are trying to build something like muscle you need to take in extra calories to support that growth. Losing fat on the other hand requires a calorie deficit. Since you can’t be in a surplus and a deficit at the same time, the two goals seem to oppose each other. This is a common body building a physique technique of spending a few month bulking and then cutting down. The cycle would just continue.
This isn't just for body builders
I know what you are probably thinking. “I’m not a body building so why would I need to worry about this.” Even if you are interested in body building or a physique show, this is important to understand.
You have probably heard many times the importance of building muscle, especially as we get older. When we age, muscle mass becomes harder and harder to come by. Loss of muscle tissue can lead to many health related diseases and problems.
The other important fact to note is that when you lose weight, you are losing more than just fat. Going on just about any diet plan will get you into a caloric deficit in order to start burning stored fat. But since you are in a deficit your body not only burns fat but it will burn other tissue like muscle, organ, and bone tissue.
With the explosion of GLP-1 medications, we see this effect exaggerated. Rapid weight loss through medication or through a restrictive diet leads to substantial loss is lean body mass.
So how can we minimize this effect so we don’t lose our health along with our weight?
What the Research Actually Shows
Luckily we have some research studies that show this traditional logic might not always be true. Traditionally we would see both fat loss and muscle gain in specific populations. These were typically untrained individuals. Those who never workout, tend to see impressive results when they do get started. So it was very common to see those that were just getting into strength training show the ability to build muscle and lose fat at the same time. But new research is showing that body recomposition is possible in trained individuals.
In a 2020 meta analysis, researchers looked at this effect through a number of different studies and found that building muscle and burning fat at the same time was possible. In fact, many of the studies were actually in a caloric surplus and still lost fat. This goes against what we thought was possible.
The even better news was, they looked at trained individuals, both men and women. Typically we see this effect harder to accomplish in this population. And the results were significant. One study showed in 10 weeks an increase in 5kg of lean mass with a 1.4kg decrease in fat mass. Another showed in 7 weeks a 2.7kg increase in lean mass with a 2.7 decrease in fat mass. Those would be noticeable changes in the mirror.
Of course not everyone will respond the same. Beginners will still tend to have the best results followed by those that are returning to training after a break. Those that have more body fat to lose will also see better results. If you are already lean and experienced, true recomposition slows down, but this research shows that it is still possible. At a certain point it may still make more sense to pick one goal such as bulking or cutting, as we see in our traditional model.
The Non-Negotiables
If you want the best shot at better body recomposition, three things show up over and over again that you MUST pay attention to.
- Resistance training. This is the actual stimulus that tells your body to hold on to or build muscle tissue. Without it, weight loss will always include significant muscle and not just fat.
- Protein (more than you think). I mentioned in the research that fat loss occurred, even in a caloric surplus. This only works when the extra calories are from protein. This is going to be vital. Some of these studies used very high protein amounts. One as high as 3.5g/kg of body weight.
- Patience and consistency. This is more than having a good day or even a good week. In order to get results like like you have to consistently do the first two items. You need to be training 2-3 days every week, and hitting your nutrition goals every day. Of course it is ok to miss a day here and there or mess up on the diet now and then, but consistency is always key.
What This Means for You
I’m assuming if you are reading this, you are trying to be proactive with your health. You most likely aren’t a body builder, but you understand the importance of building muscle tissue (or at least holding on to it) and being at an ideal body composition.
This research is showing us that maybe we don’t have to pick or sacrifice one or the other. You can lose fat and you can maintain muscle. But you have to be specific with your approach.
Rapid weight loss with always mean that you are losing a decent amount of muscle tissues. Slow and steady is the way to go.
Each week make sure you include total body resistance training exercise. You can’t just go through the motion either. You must be training at a high enough intensity to signal for muscle growth. At the same time, don’t only think about cutting calories or sugar out of your diet. Of course you have to manage it, but start focusing on getting adequate protein in. A good goal to start with is around 1g/kg of body weight. The most active you are the higher this number will get. We might see your daily amount around 1.6g/kg or higher.
The final piece will be to track your progress the right way. If you were to hop on the scale and see you lost 10lbs, you would probably be excited. But what if we found out you lost 9lbs of lean body mass and 1lb of fat. You might not be as happy about that. Track the results that matter and tell the whole story. If you don’t have a scale that tracks more than just weight, you might want to look into it. I recommend the Body Pod by Hume Health. You can check it out here and use code MIKE20 for a discount.
If you need help with your training plan or your nutrition plan, let us know. This is what we help all of our clients work towards to maximize their results. Click here to set up a free consultation with us.