Can You Gain Muscle While Losing Fat?
A new client came to me with an ambitious goal last week. He didn’t want to lose fat. Or gain muscle.
He wanted to do both. At the same time.
5 years ago I would’ve told him:
“Hold your horses there, buddy boy! It’s impossible. To gain muscle, you need a calorie surplus. To lose fat, you need a deficit. You gotta pick one.”
But times have changed, and so has my perspective. Here’s what I told him on Saturday:
“Yes, we can achieve that. Based on our discussion, it’s a realistic goal for you. Let’s get started!”
Gaining muscle while losing fat is possible, and I’ve seen it happen with my clients. But here’s the catch: You need to be the right kind of person and follow the right strategies.
Who Can Gain Muscle While Losing Fat?
1. Those That Have a Lot of Fat to Lose:
If you’re carrying extra weight, your body is already equipped to handle some pretty intense transformations. When you have a higher level of body fat, your body can use stored fat as a source of energy while building new muscle.
This means you can achieve fat loss and muscle gain simultaneously because your body is able to leverage those fat reserves to fuel muscle growth.
2. Beginners to Strength Training:
For those new to resistance training, the initial phase is often marked by rapid improvements. Beginners tend to see quick changes because their muscles and metabolism are reacting strongly to the new stimuli.
This phenomenon, often referred to as “newbie gains” allows new trainees to make noticeable gains in muscle mass while simultaneously shedding fat.
3. Those Returning Post-Injury:
If you’re coming back to training after a period of inactivity due to an injury, you might find yourself in a favorable position for simultaneous muscle gain and fat loss. This is because your body can quickly regain muscle mass lost during the break.
Research on muscle memory indicates that returning athletes or those resuming exercise after a break often regain muscle and strength faster than those starting from scratch.
How You Can Lose Fat While Gaining Muscle
So, you’re ready to tackle the challenge of losing fat while building muscle. Let’s dive into how you can make it happen.
Principles for Success
Strength Training:
Intensity: To really make those muscles grow, you need to push them hard. Aim to train within 1-3 reps of failure. Think of it like this: if you're doing bench presses, pick a weight that makes those last 2-3 reps tough but manageable. This level of intensity ensures you’re hitting your muscles hard enough to spark growth.
Compound Lifts: Focus on compound exercises. These are the heavy hitters that work multiple muscle groups at once. Squats, deadlifts, and bench presses are your best friends here. They’re fantastic because they target big muscle groups and engage smaller stabilizers too. This approach not only builds muscle but also ramps up your metabolism.
2. Nutrition:
Caloric Deficit: To shed the fat, you need to stay in a slight caloric deficit. This means eating about 250-500 fewer calories per day than you burn. A moderate deficit helps ensure you’re still fueling your body enough for muscle repair and growth.
Protein Intake: Protein is crucial for muscle repair and growth. Shoot for about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. For instance, if you weigh 180 pounds, aim for around 180 grams of protein each day.
This helps maintain muscle mass while you’re cutting calories. More info on how to eat enough protein below!
Protein or Perish: How Eating Enough Protein Helps You Get Lean and Stay Strong
3. Monitoring Progress:
Objective Markers: Keep an eye on your body weight, strength improvements, and progress photos. Aim for a steady weight loss of about 0.5-2 pounds per week.
Track your strength gains and use progress photos to visually check how your body is changing.
Subjective Markers: Notice your energy levels, mood, and how your clothes fit. Your energy and mood can give you a sense of how well your plan is working.
If your clothes are fitting differently, that’s a sign of changes in body composition. For example, if your pants are looser around the waist but snugger around the shoulders, you’re likely losing fat and gaining muscle.
Remember, progress might slow down as you advance. Beginners often see faster changes compared to those with more experience.
But by sticking to these principles—training with intensity, focusing on compound lifts, keeping a moderate caloric deficit with ample protein, and tracking both objective and subjective markers—you’re well on your way to achieving both fat loss and muscle gain.
Most Common Mistakes When Trying to Gain Muscle While Losing Fat
While working towards both fat loss and muscle gain, it’s easy to trip up. Here are some common mistakes to watch out for:
1. Dietary Issues:
Not Eating Enough: If you’re not eating enough, your body won’t have the fuel it needs for muscle growth. Skimping on calories can lead to muscle loss instead of gain. Make sure you're getting enough energy to support your workouts and muscle repair.
Overeating: On the flip side, consuming too many calories can prevent fat loss. Even if you’re eating clean, excess calories can stall your progress. Keep your calorie intake in check to create that slight deficit needed for fat loss.
Inadequate Protein: Again, aim for that 1 gram per pound of body weight to ensure you're supporting muscle synthesis effectively.
2. Training Issues:
Neglecting Weights: If you’re avoiding strength training, you’re missing out on a key component for muscle growth. Cardio alone won’t build muscle. Incorporate resistance training into your routine to ensure you're stimulating muscle development.
Insufficient Intensity/Volume: Lifting weights without enough intensity or volume won’t cut it. If your workouts aren’t challenging enough, you won’t see the muscle growth you’re aiming for. Make sure your workouts push you close to your limits.
Lack of Progression: Progress doesn’t happen if you’re not increasing the challenge over time. If you don’t increase the amount of weight lifted or reps/sets performed over time, your muscles won’t get the signal to grow.
3. Cardio Considerations:
Too Much Cardio: Excessive cardio can interfere with muscle growth. While cardio is important for fat loss, too much can deplete your energy reserves and hinder muscle repair.
Too Little Cardio: Conversely, not enough cardio can slow down fat loss. Ensure you’re incorporating some cardio to help with overall calorie expenditure. I’d suggest 20-30 minutes of steady state cardio 2-3x/week and 8-10k steps/day.
4. Recovery Issues:
Poor Sleep: Adequate sleep is crucial for muscle recovery and overall progress. If you’re not getting enough rest, your body won’t repair and build muscle effectively. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to support your goals.
More on the importance of quality sleep below:
How To Sleep Well - Transform Your Health While You Snooze
By steering clear of these common pitfalls and following a well-rounded approach, you’ll be in a strong position to achieve both fat loss and muscle gain.
Wrap Up - Gaining Muscle While Losing Fat is NOT Impossible.
It’s entirely possible with the right approach. Quick recap:
1. Feasibility: With the right conditions—being new to training, having excess fat to lose, or coming back from an injury—you can indeed achieve both fat loss and muscle gain simultaneously.
2. The Principles:
Strength Training: Train with intensity and focus on compound lifts.
Nutrition: Maintain a slight caloric deficit with high protein intake.
Monitoring Progress: Track objective measures like weight and strength, and subjective ones like energy and how your clothes fit.
3. Avoiding Mistakes:
Ensure you’re eating enough but not too much, getting adequate protein, and lifting weights with the right intensity.
Balance cardio to support fat loss without hindering muscle growth.
Prioritize recovery with sufficient sleep to allow your muscles to repair and grow.
To illustrate what’s possible, allow me to shout out my client, Daniel.
He lost 12 pounds in 12 weeks while adding 80 pounds to his deadlift. He’s a testament to how effective these strategies can be when applied correctly and consistently.
If you’re eager to learn more about how to achieve similar results and get in the best shape of your life, I’m here to help.
It takes less than 2 minutes to fill out the form below and $0 to meet with me for 30-45 minutes to talk through your goals. What do you have to lose (besides fat, that is):
Whether you decide to team up with me or not, I’m rooting for you. Here’s to more muscle, less fat, and your success!
Best,
John
P.S. A fascinating graphic on fast food chains. McDonald’s is still king, but Chick-fil-A is the epitome of efficiency!
3 Steps You Can Take
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