The Best Evidence-Based Body Transformation Guide For Skinny-Fat Professionals 📖

Are you someone with a high percentage of body fat with low levels of muscle mass aka skinny-fat ? 👋🏻

Looking to gain muscle & lose fat while simultaneously getting leaner & stronger in one process? 🏋🏻‍♀️ 

This is the whole idea behind what is known as body recomposition, the holy grail when it comes to body transformations. 🏅

This is especially for those with a skinny fat (🙋🏻‍♂️) or higher body fat physique, since we will be able to shred off fat while building muscle (two exact things that our body needs to aesthetically look better) with just one process.

Body Recomposition is challenging but not impossible to achieve! 🙅🏻‍♀️

The basic law of thermodynamics states that we need to be at a calorie deficit in order to lose weight and strip off fat. But the drawback with being at a calorie deficit is that it severely compromises our ability to build muscle. 💪🏻

Multiple scientific research papers have also shown that muscle protein synthesis significantly reduces by about 20-30% due to the fact that we are not providing optimal fuel for our muscles to recover and grow bigger. 📉

However, the body has actually been shown to be able to oxidise our own body fat (process of breaking down fatty acids) as fuel to now provide the necessary energy it needs to recover and grow our muscles despite being in a calorie deficit. Hence allowing us to build muscle and lose fat simultaneously. 🙌🏻 

[Note: Turning fat into muscle is physiologically impossible, as muscle & fat are made up of different cells.]

With that being said, research has indicate that the following individuals are more likely to experience this and benefit the most from the strategy that I’ll be sharing in this blog post. 👫

They are:

1. Beginner lifters with no or minimal training experience.

2. Detrained individuals who have spent some time off from the gym.

3. Those at quite a high body fat (eg. >25%)

4. “Slackers” who have never taken their training and nutrition seriously or have never really been consistent with it.

Nonetheless, trained & experienced individuals can still experience body recomposition especially with the proper execution of the strategy. It has occured multiple times in research and also in my own experience.

Aforementioned, if you fit into the above 4 categories or just simply want to give this strategy a try, here’s 3 simple steps you need to take! 🐾

Step1: Set up your Body Recomposition Nutrition Strategy 

A. Suggested Total Daily Calorie Intake 🍽

Eat at a very slight deficit of approximately 5% to a maximum of 20%. For most individuals, this equates to around 100-500 calories below maintenance calories. If you are at a higher body fat percentage, you should aim for the higher end. And vice versa for those at a lower body fat percentage.

This allows your body to:

1. Have adequate energy it needs for optimal performance in the gym and recovery.

2. Will not experience a dramatic decrease in protein synthesis for muscle growth.

3. Able to achieve further fat loss through better exercise expenditure, a faster metabolic rate, and higher levels of NEAT. Basically, you will burn more calories per day by being more subconsciously active since you are better fuelled.

How to calculate your suggested daily calorie intake: 🧮

1. Multiply your bodyweight in lbs by 15-16 depending on your body fat. This gives you a rough idea for your maintenance calories.

2. Subtracting that number by 100-500 calories to find your daily calorie intake on a deficit. 

B. Splitting your Macronutrients 

1. Aim for a daily protein intake of around 1g/lb of your bodyweight. [1g protein=4cal]

2. Fill the rest of the calories with carbs [1g carb=4cal] & fat [1g fat=9cal]. 

3. General recommendation for macros breakdown in percentages for body recomposition [Protein 35-40%, Carb 30-35%, Fat 25%-30%]

Step 2: Set up your Optimal Training Program based on progressive overload principle & periodisation.  

A. Ideal Training Frequency Per Muscle Group & Sets [Progressive Overload Principle]

1. Train each muscle group at least 2x a week

2. Adequate volume of around 10-20sets per muscle group per week. 

B. Periodisation 

1. Switching up to a new training split (Full Body, Upper/Lower, Push/Pull/Legs)

2. Change exercise sequence and/or exercise selection in your training program. 

This allows the introduction of novel stimulus to your body to continue gaining lean muscle & shredding excess fat at the same time especially if you have been stagnant using the same routine for a while & not progressing well.

Execute the new routine consistently & focus on gradually getting stronger and progressively overloading it week after week.

Step3: Optimising Nutrient Timing ⏱

A. Protein distribution throughout the day 

Distribute your daily protein intake evenly during the 3-4meals to keep your protein synthesis levels elevated & optimised throughout the day. 

B. Before & After Workout Nutrition 

Consuming adequate protein around our workout such as a post-workout protein shake allows the body to blunt the cortisol response & significantly increase protein synthesis as compared to not consuming or inadequate protein intake.   

Optimising nutrient timing will enable your muscles to recover & grow optimally despite being in a calorie deficit. 

Final Takeaway ✍🏻

As you implement these steps and progress throughout the weeks, take measurements to assess your results.

If your weight is more or less remaining the same, yet your waist circumference is decreasing, your muscle measurements are increasing, you are getting stronger in the gym, and you visually look better, then these are all signs that you are indeed successfully achieving a body recomposition for yourself. 🎖

So there you have it, it is possible to gain muscle & lose fat at the same time! 

Implementing the above strategies can be an effective way for you to shortcut your transformation & take advantage of the current situation you are in. 

Subsequently, you can transition to a dedicated muscle building or fat loss period to prioritise one or the other depending on your own fitness & health goals! 

If you find this blog post article helpful, feel free to connect with me on all my social media platforms to stay up to date with my content. 📲

For those looking to gain muscle & lose fat while simultaneously getting leaner & stronger in the process, do schedule your complimentary personal training consultation to explore the possibilities of working together & providing you valuable takeaways that you will find it beneficial to get started! 📧