---
title: 'How To Build Muscle And Lose Fat At The Same Time: Step By Step Explained (Body Recomposition)'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=M4K0s792wAU'
video_id: 'M4K0s792wAU'
date: 2026-06-28
duration_sec: 649
---

# How To Build Muscle And Lose Fat At The Same Time: Step By Step Explained (Body Recomposition)

> Source: [How To Build Muscle And Lose Fat At The Same Time: Step By Step Explained (Body Recomposition)](https://youtube.com/watch?v=M4K0s792wAU)

## Summary

The video challenges the traditional bodybuilding belief that you must bulk to build muscle and cut to lose fat, presenting scientific evidence that body recomposition—building muscle while losing fat—is possible and practical for most people. It outlines specific groups for whom recomposition is most effective and provides a step-by-step protocol.

### Key Points

- **Overfeeding doesn't boost muscle gain** [0:24] — A 2013 study overfed subjects by 600 extra calories per day; they didn't gain significantly more muscle but gained over three times the fat mass.
- **Four groups for recomposition** [1:44] — New lifters, overweight individuals, detrained individuals, and those using anabolic steroids are the four main groups where recomposition is most effective.
- **Training drives recomposition** [4:27] — Training is the engine; nutrition is the fuel. Without progressive overload, no amount of protein will build muscle.
- **Set primary goal and adjust calories** [5:17] — Set a primary goal (build muscle or lose fat) and adjust calories accordingly: slight surplus (5-25%) for muscle gain, slight deficit (10-20%) for fat loss.
- **Protein sliding scale** [6:23] — Protein intake should be 1.2-1.6 grams per pound of lean body mass, with leaner individuals aiming higher.
- **Sleep is critical for fat loss** [7:53] — A 2018 study showed sleep-restricted dieters lost 85% of weight as lean mass, while well-rested dieters lost 83% as fat.
- **Key supplements for recomposition** [8:57] — Tier 1 supplements: protein powder, creatine (3-5g/day), and caffeine (use strategically to avoid tolerance).

## Transcript

how, can, you, build, muscle, and, lose, fat, at
the, same, time, a, lot, of, people, on, the
internet, think, the, answer, is, simple, you
can't, if, you, want, to, build, muscle, you
need, to, do, a, proper, bulk, and, if, you, want
to, lose, fat, you, need, to, do, a, proper, cut
I, think, this, idea, has, made, its, way, into
the, mainstream, from, old, a, bodybuilding
lure, where, it, was, thought, that, you, had
to, be, in, a, massive, caloric, surplus, to
build, size, and, then, trim, down, for
competition, but, recent, scientific
evidence, has, challenged, this, idea, for
example, this, 2013, study, from, Garth, and
colleagues, found, that, even, when, they
overfed, subjects, by, 600, extra, calories
per, day, they, actually, didn't, gain
significantly, more, muscle, but, did, gain
over, three, times, the, fat, mass, so, nearly
all, the, extra, bulk, came, as, fat, now, I
should, say, I, don't, actually, have
anything, against, cutting, and, bulking, in
the, right, circumstances, I, think, it, makes
perfect, sense
and, many, of, you, guys, know, last, year, I
ran, a, pretty, hefty, bulk, myself, that, I
called, it, bear, mode, and, I, still, think
that, if, you, want, to, gain, as, much, muscle
and, strength, as, possible, as, fast, as
possible, than, being, in, a, bigger, caloric
surplus, is, the, way, to, go
however, this, quick, our, muscle, gain, will
come, at, the, expense, of, more, fat, gain, as
well, and, many, people, simply, don't, want
that, but, just, accept, it, as, an
inevitability, but, it, doesn't, have, to, be
that, way, in, fact, it's, perfectly, possible
to, build, muscle, without, a, large, surplus
or, even, without, any, surplus, at, all
because, fat, tissue, and, muscle, tissue, are
separate, systems, and, I've, broken, down
the, math, explaining, why, this, is, possible
in, another, video, that, I'll, link, below
now, many, people, will, get, on, board, with
this, and, say, ok, building, muscle, while
losing, fat, is, possible, but, not, really
practical, because, it, only, applies, in, a
handful, of, more, limited, and, obscure
scenarios, but, I, think, these, scenarios
aren't, as, limited, as, they, seem, and, I
would, say, body, recomposition, is, a
realistic, goal, not, only, for, some, people
but, nearly, all, people, so, let's, quickly
cover, the, situations, where, I, think
recomposition, makes, the, most, sense
first, of, all, new, lifters, newbies, can
build, muscle, and, lose, fat, at, the, same
time, quite, easily, because, as, a, new
lifter, you're, the, most, primed, for, muscle
growth, you'll, ever, be
this, means, that, calories, can, be, pulled
from, stored, body, fat, to, fuel, the, muscle
building, process, with, just, basic
progressive, resistance, training, and, a
reasonable, diet, second, because
overweight, individuals, have, very, large
energy, reserves, stored, in, body, fat, they
can, eat, in, a, caloric, deficit, and, still
have, plenty, of, stored, energy, to, fuel, the
muscle, building, process, thirdly
detrained, individuals, who, got
Jack, before, but, then, stops, training, due
to, injury, or, other, commitments, are, in, a
similar, camp, to, the, new, trainee, we're
going, to, the, very, powerful, muscle, memory
effect, they're, able, to, rebuild, a, lot, of
muscle, very, quickly, making, recomposition
common, and, finally, using, anabolic
steroids, allows, most, people, to, build, a
lot, of, muscle, very, quickly, allowing, the
body, to, tap, into, fat, stores, to, fuel
muscle, building, but, at, this, point, I
would, say, even, if, recomposition, were
limited, to, these, four, groups, walk, into
any, commercial, gym, and, most, people, will
fall, into, one, of, these, four, categories
for, example, even, if, you've, been, in, the
gym, for, several, years, you, might, still
fall, under, the, newbie, category, if, you
haven't, been, training, nearly, hard, enough
or, smart, enough, over, the, years, I'd, also
add, a, fifth, category, to, this, list, the
sub, optimized, trainee
this, would, include, anyone, who's, been
going, to, the, gym, for, a, while, they, even
count, themselves, as, an, intermediate, or
advanced, level, lifter, by, training, age
but, deep, down, hasn't, really, been, putting
in, their, best, effort, with, their, training
or, nutrition, and, according, to, my, good
friend, and, co-author, Chris, Barakat, he
sees, recomposition, in, his, lab, all, the
time, even, in, more, advanced, trainees, so, I
literally, see, this, every, single, semester
every, training, study, we, had, we've, ever
ran, I've, seen, body, recomposition, occur
once, you, really, start, paying, attention
to, some, of, the, -, some, of, the, details, to
a, higher, extent, like, nutrient, timing, and
really, optimizing, their, macro, nutrient
intakes, we, can't, see, recomposition, with
some, of, the, best, athletes, ever, this, one
subject, in, particular, he, gained, 20
pounds, of, lean, mass, in, ten, weeks, and, he
actually, lost, like, a, pound, of, fat, mass
at, the, same, time, so, he, was, a, basketball
player, pretty, well, trained, when, it, comes
to, resistance, training, he, was, able, to
squat, 1.75, times, his, body, weight, so, he
set, the, criteria, for, the, study, and, he
just, blew, up, he, basically, came, in, the
lab, looking, like, a, normal, basketball
player, and, then, he, looked, like, Phil
Keith
[Music]
so, I, think, there's, really, only, a, tiny
subset, of, the, population, that
recomposition, wouldn't, be, practical, for
truly, advanced, trainees, already, with
perfectly, optimized, training, and
nutrition, who, are, near, their, genetics
ceiling, for, muscle, growth, but, in, my
opinion, this, is, the, Obscure, scenario, and
it, only, occupies, a, tiny, sliver, of, the
total, population, looking, to, improve
their, physique
ok, so, body, recomposition, is, not, only
common, but, practical, now, how, do, we, do, it
let's, break, it, down, into, five, simple
steps, first, you, need, to, recognize, that
raining, is, the, driving, force, of, body
recomposition, in, any, scenario, can, have
the, most, optimal, diet, in, the, world, eat
over, 9000, grams, of, protein, per, day, and
you, still, won't, build, much, new, muscle
without, a, progressive, training, stimulus
in, the, book, we, use, the, analogy, of, a, car
where, we, can, think, of, our, training, as
the, engine, and, our, nutrition, as, the
gasoline, to, fuel, performance, better, the
fuel, the, better, the, performance, however
without, the, engine, the, car, simply, won't
move, regardless, of, the, fuels, quality, we
can, also, think, of, sleep, and, stress
management, as, the, oil, changes, and, tire
rotations, required, to, keep, things, moving
so, when, it, comes, to, training, you, want, to
focus, on, progressive, overload, applying
effort, and, using, proper, technique, and
once, you, have, the, fundamentals, in, place
fine-tune, your, volume, to, fit, your
advancement, level, generally, speaking, 10
to, 20, sets, per, body, part, per, week, is, a
good, ballpark, for, most, people, and, most
muscles, next, you, need, to, decide, on, a
primary, goal, even, though, you, may, want, to
do, both, at, the, same, time, it's, important
to, establish, which, is, more, important, to
you, for, example, if, you're, currently, on
the, leaner, side, let's, say, 8, to, 12
percent, body, fat, as, a, male, or, 18, to, 22
percent, as, a, female, then, your, primary
goal, should, probably, be, to, build, muscle
and, if, you're, not, so, lean, so, somewhere
between, 15, to, 20, plus, percent, as, a, guy
or, 25, to, 30, plus, percent, as, a, girl, then
maybe, your, primary, goal, should, be, to
lose, fat, once, you've, decided, on, your
primary, goal, next, you, want, to, Center
your, caloric, intake, around, maintenance
calories, the, number, of, calories, you, need
to, eat, to, maintain, your, weight, if, your
primary, goal, is, to, build, muscle, you
should, enter, a, slight, chloric, surplus
adding, 5, to, 25%, to, your, maintenance
intake, if, your, leaner, less, advanced, and
more, genetically, gifted, for, building
muscle, you, can, get, away, with, a, bigger
surplus, if, your, primary, goal, is, to, lose
fat, you, should, enter, a, slight, caloric
deficit, slashing, 10, to, 20%, off, your
maintenance, intake, the, more, fat, you, have
to, lose, the, bigger, the, deficit, should, be
and, in, the, book, we, outline, other
considerations, such, as, if, your, detrained
highly-advanced, skinny, fat, or
significantly, overweight, next, you, need
to, set, up, your, macronutrient, targets
starting, with, protein, the, most, important
macro, for, recomposition, in, the, book, we
recommend, a, sliding, model, for, protein
intake, based, on, lean, body, mass, wear, the
leaner, you, are, the, closer, you, should, be
to, 1.6, grams, per, pound, of, lean, body, mass
and, the, more, body, fat, you, have, the
closer, you, should, be, to, one, point
two, grams, per, pound, lean, body, mass, using
myself, as, an, example, I, currently, weigh, a
hundred, and, sixty-five, pounds, at, about
ten, percent, body, fat, using, our, sliding
model, since, I'm, quite, lean, I, should, be
more, toward, the, high, end, of, intake, I'll
pick, 1.5, multiplying, it, out, that, would
give, me, a, daily, protein, intake, of, two
hundred, and, twenty, two, point, eight, grams
per, day, so, I, can, round, that, up, to, two
hundred, and, twenty-five, which, is, what
I'm, eating, at, the, moment, and, my, last
full, day, of, eating, video, I, explained, the
benefits, of, going, higher, on, protein, than
might, be, required, just, to, build, muscle
so, even, though, you, could, probably, get
away, with, less, I, think, eating, a, higher
intake, is, both, safe, and, advised, for
those, looking, for, recon, from, here, you
want, to, determine, your, fat, and, carbon
take, personally, I, set, my, fat, intake, at, a
minimum, of, twenty, percent, of, caloric
intake, and, then, fill, in, the, rest, with
carbs, ok, the, fifth, and, final, step, to
achieving, paneer, II, composition, is, to
pay, attention, to, the, details, like, I
mentioned, earlier, this, step, might, not, be
required, for, beginners, they, can, get
recom, Phi's, following, the, first, four
steps, but, as, you, get, more, advanced, we
comp, gets, more, difficult, so, it's, more
important, to, optimize, your, approach, we
spend, a, lot, of, time, in, the, book, laying
out, these, optimization, strategies, I'm
gonna, focus, on, a, few, of, them, here, the
first, is, to, sleep, more, I, think, sleep
might, be, the, single, most, underrated
factor, when, it, comes, to, transforming
your, physique, just, consider, this, 2018
study, from, wining, colleagues, they, split
36, subjects, up, into, two, groups, that, both
entered, a, caloric, deficit, except, one
group, slept, one, hour, less, five, nights
per, week, they, were, also, allowed, to, sleep
one, hour, extra, on, the, weekends, to, catch
up, as, it, turns, out, after, eight, weeks, of
dieting, weight, loss, was, the, same, in, both
groups, but, the, group, that, slept, well
lost, 83, percent, of, their, weight, from, fat
whereas, the, sleep, restricted, group, lost
85%, of, their, weight, as, lean, mass, that, is
crazy, now, it's, worth, mentioning, that
these, subjects, weren't, weight, training
so, lifting, probably, would, have, flattened
out, the, results, a, bit, but, I, don't, think
it, would, have, been, enough, to, offset, that
enormous, difference, that, sleep, made, the
next, area, we, can, look, to, optimize, our
approach, is, through, parry, workout
nutrition, or, the, timing, of, nutrients
around, the, workout, now, I, already
discussed, some, of, the, misconceptions
around, this, topic, and, my, latest, full, day
of, eating, video, so, I'll, just, link, that
video, down, below, we, can, also, turn, to
supplements, to, optimize, but, it's, worth
noting, that, there, aren't, any, recon
supplements, that, just, cause
recomposition, on, their, own, however, there
are, a, few, worth, mentioning, that, can, help
in, the, book, we, organize, our, supplements
list, in, two, tiers, at, the, top, of, the, list
in, tier, one, we, have, protein, powder
creatine, and, caffeine, protein, powder, is
especially, important, for, vegan, lifters
and, I, recommend, so-called, vegan, way, a
blend, of, rice, and, pea, protein, that
offers, a, full, spectrum, of, amino, acids
and, has, a, high, leucine, content, whey
protein, can, be, used, at, any, time, of, day
to, help, make, meeting, total, daily, protein
goals, easier, in, consuming, a, casein
source, before, bed, might, have, merit, as
well, creatine, is, by, far, the, most, well
studied, supplement, on, the, market, and
given, how, cheap, it, is, and, how, low, its
risk, of, side, effects, are, it's, a, pretty
obvious, choice, to, supplement, 3, to, 5
grams, of, creatine, monohydrate, per, day
and, I'll, link, my, creatine, science
explained, video, down, below, if, you'd, like
more, info, on, that, caffeine, rounds, out
tier, one, of, our, supplements, shortlist
for, increasing, strength, prolonging, time
to, fatigue, increasing, acute, fat
oxidation, and, more, however, unlike
creatine, caffeine, is, susceptible, to
tolerance, so, it, might, be, smart, to
reserve, it, for, your, heaviest, our, most
demanding, training, sessions, are
periodically, cycle, off, it, to, resent, eyes
yourself, to, the, effects, and, of, course, we
dive, into, many, other, optimization
strategies, across, the, 15, chapters, in, the
new, nutrition, guide, including, sample
meal, plans, pre, and, post-workout, meal
examples, more, supplements, cardio
strategies, and, a, lot, more, so, if, you, guys
are, looking, to, take, your, nutrition, up, a
notch, you, can, save, 25%, off, the, ultimate
guide, to, body, recomposition, at, the, first
link, in, the, description, box, below
for, the, launch, or, you, can, head, over, to
Geoff, nipper, calm, go, to, the, nutrition
plans, tab, and, you, can, find, it, over, there
and, after, launch, week, so, next, weekend
it'll, be, going, up, to, full, price, so, the
manual, has, over, a, hundred, and, forty
scientific, references, an, exact
step-by-step, guide, for, setting, up, your
calories, and, macros, a, list, of, foods, to
focus, on, and, even, a, full, chapter, on
training, for, recon, it, also, include
customer, service, so, if, you, guys, have, any
issues, there's, a, support, email, that, you
guys, can, contact, so, hit, up, the, link, over
here, next, to, my, head, if, you, guys, are
interested, in, checking, it, out, don't
forget, to, leave, me, a, thumbs, up, if, you
enjoyed, the, video, or, if, you, found, it
helpful, subscribe, if, you, haven't, already
and, I'll, see, you, guys, all, here, in, the
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