Can you build muscle and lose fat at the same time?
45sChallenges the common belief that you can't build muscle and lose fat simultaneously, sparking curiosity and debate.
▶ Play ClipThe 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.
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.
New lifters, overweight individuals, detrained individuals, and those using anabolic steroids are the four main groups where recomposition is most effective.
Training is the engine; nutrition is the fuel. Without progressive overload, no amount of protein will build muscle.
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 intake should be 1.2-1.6 grams per pound of lean body mass, with leaner individuals aiming higher.
A 2018 study showed sleep-restricted dieters lost 85% of weight as lean mass, while well-rested dieters lost 83% as fat.
Tier 1 supplements: protein powder, creatine (3-5g/day), and caffeine (use strategically to avoid tolerance).
"The title accurately reflects the content, which provides a step-by-step guide to body recomposition."
What are the four main groups for whom body recomposition is most effective?
New lifters, overweight individuals, detrained individuals, and those using anabolic steroids.
1:44
What analogy is used to describe the relationship between training and nutrition?
Training is the engine; nutrition is the fuel.
4:38
What is the recommended weekly training volume for most people?
10 to 20 sets per body part per week.
5:10
What is the recommended protein intake range for body recomposition?
1.2 to 1.6 grams per pound of lean body mass.
6:33
What was the key finding of the 2018 study on sleep and body composition during a caloric deficit?
The sleep-restricted group lost 85% of their weight as lean mass, while the well-rested group lost 83% as fat.
7:53
What are the three supplements listed in Tier 1 for recomposition?
Protein powder, creatine, and caffeine.
8:57
What caloric intake is recommended if your primary goal is to build muscle?
A slight caloric surplus of 5-25% above maintenance.
5:53
What caloric intake is recommended if your primary goal is to lose fat?
A slight caloric deficit of 10-20% below maintenance.
6:05
What is the recommended daily dose of creatine monohydrate?
3 to 5 grams per day.
9:27
What type of protein powder is recommended for vegan lifters?
A blend of rice and pea protein.
9:03
Overfeeding study results
Shows that a large caloric surplus primarily leads to fat gain, not muscle gain.
0:24Four groups for recomposition
Identifies the specific populations where recomposition is most practical and common.
1:44Five-step recomposition protocol
Provides a clear, actionable framework for implementing recomposition.
4:23Sleep and body composition study
Highlights the dramatic impact of sleep on fat loss vs. muscle loss during a deficit.
7:53Training as engine, nutrition as fuel
Emphasizes that training is the primary driver of muscle growth, not diet alone.
4:38[00:00] how, can, you, build, muscle, and, lose, fat, at
[00:02] the, same, time, a, lot, of, people, on, the
[00:03] internet, think, the, answer, is, simple, you
[00:05] can't, if, you, want, to, build, muscle, you
[00:07] need, to, do, a, proper, bulk, and, if, you, want
[00:09] to, lose, fat, you, need, to, do, a, proper, cut
[00:11] I, think, this, idea, has, made, its, way, into
[00:13] the, mainstream, from, old, a, bodybuilding
[00:15] lure, where, it, was, thought, that, you, had
[00:17] to, be, in, a, massive, caloric, surplus, to
[00:19] build, size, and, then, trim, down, for
[00:21] competition, but, recent, scientific
[00:22] evidence, has, challenged, this, idea, for
[00:24] example, this, 2013, study, from, Garth, and
[00:26] colleagues, found, that, even, when, they
[00:28] overfed, subjects, by, 600, extra, calories
[00:31] per, day, they, actually, didn't, gain
[00:32] significantly, more, muscle, but, did, gain
[00:34] over, three, times, the, fat, mass, so, nearly
[00:37] all, the, extra, bulk, came, as, fat, now, I
[00:39] should, say, I, don't, actually, have
[00:40] anything, against, cutting, and, bulking, in
[00:43] the, right, circumstances, I, think, it, makes
[00:44] perfect, sense
[00:45] and, many, of, you, guys, know, last, year, I
[00:47] ran, a, pretty, hefty, bulk, myself, that, I
[00:49] called, it, bear, mode, and, I, still, think
[00:50] that, if, you, want, to, gain, as, much, muscle
[00:52] and, strength, as, possible, as, fast, as
[00:54] possible, than, being, in, a, bigger, caloric
[00:57] surplus, is, the, way, to, go
[00:58] however, this, quick, our, muscle, gain, will
[01:00] come, at, the, expense, of, more, fat, gain, as
[01:02] well, and, many, people, simply, don't, want
[01:04] that, but, just, accept, it, as, an
[01:06] inevitability, but, it, doesn't, have, to, be
[01:08] that, way, in, fact, it's, perfectly, possible
[01:09] to, build, muscle, without, a, large, surplus
[01:12] or, even, without, any, surplus, at, all
[01:14] because, fat, tissue, and, muscle, tissue, are
[01:16] separate, systems, and, I've, broken, down
[01:18] the, math, explaining, why, this, is, possible
[01:19] in, another, video, that, I'll, link, below
[01:21] now, many, people, will, get, on, board, with
[01:23] this, and, say, ok, building, muscle, while
[01:25] losing, fat, is, possible, but, not, really
[01:27] practical, because, it, only, applies, in, a
[01:29] handful, of, more, limited, and, obscure
[01:31] scenarios, but, I, think, these, scenarios
[01:33] aren't, as, limited, as, they, seem, and, I
[01:35] would, say, body, recomposition, is, a
[01:37] realistic, goal, not, only, for, some, people
[01:39] but, nearly, all, people, so, let's, quickly
[01:41] cover, the, situations, where, I, think
[01:42] recomposition, makes, the, most, sense
[01:44] first, of, all, new, lifters, newbies, can
[01:47] build, muscle, and, lose, fat, at, the, same
[01:48] time, quite, easily, because, as, a, new
[01:50] lifter, you're, the, most, primed, for, muscle
[01:52] growth, you'll, ever, be
[01:53] this, means, that, calories, can, be, pulled
[01:55] from, stored, body, fat, to, fuel, the, muscle
[01:57] building, process, with, just, basic
[01:59] progressive, resistance, training, and, a
[02:01] reasonable, diet, second, because
[02:02] overweight, individuals, have, very, large
[02:04] energy, reserves, stored, in, body, fat, they
[02:06] can, eat, in, a, caloric, deficit, and, still
[02:08] have, plenty, of, stored, energy, to, fuel, the
[02:10] muscle, building, process, thirdly
[02:12] detrained, individuals, who, got
[02:13] Jack, before, but, then, stops, training, due
[02:15] to, injury, or, other, commitments, are, in, a
[02:18] similar, camp, to, the, new, trainee, we're
[02:19] going, to, the, very, powerful, muscle, memory
[02:21] effect, they're, able, to, rebuild, a, lot, of
[02:23] muscle, very, quickly, making, recomposition
[02:26] common, and, finally, using, anabolic
[02:28] steroids, allows, most, people, to, build, a
[02:29] lot, of, muscle, very, quickly, allowing, the
[02:32] body, to, tap, into, fat, stores, to, fuel
[02:34] muscle, building, but, at, this, point, I
[02:35] would, say, even, if, recomposition, were
[02:37] limited, to, these, four, groups, walk, into
[02:40] any, commercial, gym, and, most, people, will
[02:42] fall, into, one, of, these, four, categories
[02:43] for, example, even, if, you've, been, in, the
[02:45] gym, for, several, years, you, might, still
[02:47] fall, under, the, newbie, category, if, you
[02:49] haven't, been, training, nearly, hard, enough
[02:51] or, smart, enough, over, the, years, I'd, also
[02:53] add, a, fifth, category, to, this, list, the
[02:55] sub, optimized, trainee
[02:57] this, would, include, anyone, who's, been
[02:58] going, to, the, gym, for, a, while, they, even
[03:00] count, themselves, as, an, intermediate, or
[03:01] advanced, level, lifter, by, training, age
[03:03] but, deep, down, hasn't, really, been, putting
[03:05] in, their, best, effort, with, their, training
[03:06] or, nutrition, and, according, to, my, good
[03:08] friend, and, co-author, Chris, Barakat, he
[03:11] sees, recomposition, in, his, lab, all, the
[03:12] time, even, in, more, advanced, trainees, so, I
[03:15] literally, see, this, every, single, semester
[03:17] every, training, study, we, had, we've, ever
[03:19] ran, I've, seen, body, recomposition, occur
[03:21] once, you, really, start, paying, attention
[03:23] to, some, of, the, -, some, of, the, details, to
[03:25] a, higher, extent, like, nutrient, timing, and
[03:27] really, optimizing, their, macro, nutrient
[03:29] intakes, we, can't, see, recomposition, with
[03:31] some, of, the, best, athletes, ever, this, one
[03:33] subject, in, particular, he, gained, 20
[03:36] pounds, of, lean, mass, in, ten, weeks, and, he
[03:39] actually, lost, like, a, pound, of, fat, mass
[03:40] at, the, same, time, so, he, was, a, basketball
[03:42] player, pretty, well, trained, when, it, comes
[03:44] to, resistance, training, he, was, able, to
[03:46] squat, 1.75, times, his, body, weight, so, he
[03:49] set, the, criteria, for, the, study, and, he
[03:51] just, blew, up, he, basically, came, in, the
[03:53] lab, looking, like, a, normal, basketball
[03:55] player, and, then, he, looked, like, Phil
[03:57] Keith
[03:57] [Music]
[03:58] so, I, think, there's, really, only, a, tiny
[04:00] subset, of, the, population, that
[04:02] recomposition, wouldn't, be, practical, for
[04:04] truly, advanced, trainees, already, with
[04:06] perfectly, optimized, training, and
[04:08] nutrition, who, are, near, their, genetics
[04:10] ceiling, for, muscle, growth, but, in, my
[04:11] opinion, this, is, the, Obscure, scenario, and
[04:14] it, only, occupies, a, tiny, sliver, of, the
[04:16] total, population, looking, to, improve
[04:18] their, physique
[04:18] ok, so, body, recomposition, is, not, only
[04:20] common, but, practical, now, how, do, we, do, it
[04:23] let's, break, it, down, into, five, simple
[04:24] steps, first, you, need, to, recognize, that
[04:27] raining, is, the, driving, force, of, body
[04:28] recomposition, in, any, scenario, can, have
[04:30] the, most, optimal, diet, in, the, world, eat
[04:32] over, 9000, grams, of, protein, per, day, and
[04:35] you, still, won't, build, much, new, muscle
[04:36] without, a, progressive, training, stimulus
[04:38] in, the, book, we, use, the, analogy, of, a, car
[04:40] where, we, can, think, of, our, training, as
[04:42] the, engine, and, our, nutrition, as, the
[04:44] gasoline, to, fuel, performance, better, the
[04:46] fuel, the, better, the, performance, however
[04:48] without, the, engine, the, car, simply, won't
[04:50] move, regardless, of, the, fuels, quality, we
[04:52] can, also, think, of, sleep, and, stress
[04:53] management, as, the, oil, changes, and, tire
[04:56] rotations, required, to, keep, things, moving
[04:58] so, when, it, comes, to, training, you, want, to
[05:00] focus, on, progressive, overload, applying
[05:02] effort, and, using, proper, technique, and
[05:04] once, you, have, the, fundamentals, in, place
[05:06] fine-tune, your, volume, to, fit, your
[05:08] advancement, level, generally, speaking, 10
[05:10] to, 20, sets, per, body, part, per, week, is, a
[05:13] good, ballpark, for, most, people, and, most
[05:15] muscles, next, you, need, to, decide, on, a
[05:17] primary, goal, even, though, you, may, want, to
[05:19] do, both, at, the, same, time, it's, important
[05:21] to, establish, which, is, more, important, to
[05:23] you, for, example, if, you're, currently, on
[05:25] the, leaner, side, let's, say, 8, to, 12
[05:26] percent, body, fat, as, a, male, or, 18, to, 22
[05:29] percent, as, a, female, then, your, primary
[05:31] goal, should, probably, be, to, build, muscle
[05:33] and, if, you're, not, so, lean, so, somewhere
[05:35] between, 15, to, 20, plus, percent, as, a, guy
[05:37] or, 25, to, 30, plus, percent, as, a, girl, then
[05:40] maybe, your, primary, goal, should, be, to
[05:42] lose, fat, once, you've, decided, on, your
[05:44] primary, goal, next, you, want, to, Center
[05:46] your, caloric, intake, around, maintenance
[05:48] calories, the, number, of, calories, you, need
[05:50] to, eat, to, maintain, your, weight, if, your
[05:51] primary, goal, is, to, build, muscle, you
[05:53] should, enter, a, slight, chloric, surplus
[05:54] adding, 5, to, 25%, to, your, maintenance
[05:57] intake, if, your, leaner, less, advanced, and
[05:59] more, genetically, gifted, for, building
[06:01] muscle, you, can, get, away, with, a, bigger
[06:03] surplus, if, your, primary, goal, is, to, lose
[06:05] fat, you, should, enter, a, slight, caloric
[06:07] deficit, slashing, 10, to, 20%, off, your
[06:09] maintenance, intake, the, more, fat, you, have
[06:11] to, lose, the, bigger, the, deficit, should, be
[06:13] and, in, the, book, we, outline, other
[06:14] considerations, such, as, if, your, detrained
[06:16] highly-advanced, skinny, fat, or
[06:19] significantly, overweight, next, you, need
[06:21] to, set, up, your, macronutrient, targets
[06:23] starting, with, protein, the, most, important
[06:25] macro, for, recomposition, in, the, book, we
[06:27] recommend, a, sliding, model, for, protein
[06:29] intake, based, on, lean, body, mass, wear, the
[06:31] leaner, you, are, the, closer, you, should, be
[06:33] to, 1.6, grams, per, pound, of, lean, body, mass
[06:35] and, the, more, body, fat, you, have, the
[06:38] closer, you, should, be, to, one, point
[06:39] two, grams, per, pound, lean, body, mass, using
[06:42] myself, as, an, example, I, currently, weigh, a
[06:43] hundred, and, sixty-five, pounds, at, about
[06:45] ten, percent, body, fat, using, our, sliding
[06:47] model, since, I'm, quite, lean, I, should, be
[06:49] more, toward, the, high, end, of, intake, I'll
[06:51] pick, 1.5, multiplying, it, out, that, would
[06:54] give, me, a, daily, protein, intake, of, two
[06:56] hundred, and, twenty, two, point, eight, grams
[06:57] per, day, so, I, can, round, that, up, to, two
[06:59] hundred, and, twenty-five, which, is, what
[07:01] I'm, eating, at, the, moment, and, my, last
[07:02] full, day, of, eating, video, I, explained, the
[07:04] benefits, of, going, higher, on, protein, than
[07:06] might, be, required, just, to, build, muscle
[07:08] so, even, though, you, could, probably, get
[07:10] away, with, less, I, think, eating, a, higher
[07:12] intake, is, both, safe, and, advised, for
[07:15] those, looking, for, recon, from, here, you
[07:16] want, to, determine, your, fat, and, carbon
[07:18] take, personally, I, set, my, fat, intake, at, a
[07:20] minimum, of, twenty, percent, of, caloric
[07:22] intake, and, then, fill, in, the, rest, with
[07:23] carbs, ok, the, fifth, and, final, step, to
[07:26] achieving, paneer, II, composition, is, to
[07:27] pay, attention, to, the, details, like, I
[07:30] mentioned, earlier, this, step, might, not, be
[07:31] required, for, beginners, they, can, get
[07:33] recom, Phi's, following, the, first, four
[07:35] steps, but, as, you, get, more, advanced, we
[07:37] comp, gets, more, difficult, so, it's, more
[07:39] important, to, optimize, your, approach, we
[07:41] spend, a, lot, of, time, in, the, book, laying
[07:42] out, these, optimization, strategies, I'm
[07:44] gonna, focus, on, a, few, of, them, here, the
[07:46] first, is, to, sleep, more, I, think, sleep
[07:48] might, be, the, single, most, underrated
[07:50] factor, when, it, comes, to, transforming
[07:51] your, physique, just, consider, this, 2018
[07:53] study, from, wining, colleagues, they, split
[07:55] 36, subjects, up, into, two, groups, that, both
[07:58] entered, a, caloric, deficit, except, one
[08:00] group, slept, one, hour, less, five, nights
[08:02] per, week, they, were, also, allowed, to, sleep
[08:04] one, hour, extra, on, the, weekends, to, catch
[08:06] up, as, it, turns, out, after, eight, weeks, of
[08:07] dieting, weight, loss, was, the, same, in, both
[08:09] groups, but, the, group, that, slept, well
[08:11] lost, 83, percent, of, their, weight, from, fat
[08:14] whereas, the, sleep, restricted, group, lost
[08:17] 85%, of, their, weight, as, lean, mass, that, is
[08:20] crazy, now, it's, worth, mentioning, that
[08:21] these, subjects, weren't, weight, training
[08:23] so, lifting, probably, would, have, flattened
[08:25] out, the, results, a, bit, but, I, don't, think
[08:27] it, would, have, been, enough, to, offset, that
[08:28] enormous, difference, that, sleep, made, the
[08:31] next, area, we, can, look, to, optimize, our
[08:32] approach, is, through, parry, workout
[08:34] nutrition, or, the, timing, of, nutrients
[08:36] around, the, workout, now, I, already
[08:37] discussed, some, of, the, misconceptions
[08:38] around, this, topic, and, my, latest, full, day
[08:40] of, eating, video, so, I'll, just, link, that
[08:42] video, down, below, we, can, also, turn, to
[08:44] supplements, to, optimize, but, it's, worth
[08:45] noting, that, there, aren't, any, recon
[08:47] supplements, that, just, cause
[08:49] recomposition, on, their, own, however, there
[08:51] are, a, few, worth, mentioning, that, can, help
[08:53] in, the, book, we, organize, our, supplements
[08:55] list, in, two, tiers, at, the, top, of, the, list
[08:57] in, tier, one, we, have, protein, powder
[08:58] creatine, and, caffeine, protein, powder, is
[09:01] especially, important, for, vegan, lifters
[09:03] and, I, recommend, so-called, vegan, way, a
[09:05] blend, of, rice, and, pea, protein, that
[09:07] offers, a, full, spectrum, of, amino, acids
[09:09] and, has, a, high, leucine, content, whey
[09:11] protein, can, be, used, at, any, time, of, day
[09:13] to, help, make, meeting, total, daily, protein
[09:15] goals, easier, in, consuming, a, casein
[09:17] source, before, bed, might, have, merit, as
[09:19] well, creatine, is, by, far, the, most, well
[09:21] studied, supplement, on, the, market, and
[09:22] given, how, cheap, it, is, and, how, low, its
[09:24] risk, of, side, effects, are, it's, a, pretty
[09:26] obvious, choice, to, supplement, 3, to, 5
[09:28] grams, of, creatine, monohydrate, per, day
[09:30] and, I'll, link, my, creatine, science
[09:31] explained, video, down, below, if, you'd, like
[09:33] more, info, on, that, caffeine, rounds, out
[09:34] tier, one, of, our, supplements, shortlist
[09:36] for, increasing, strength, prolonging, time
[09:39] to, fatigue, increasing, acute, fat
[09:40] oxidation, and, more, however, unlike
[09:42] creatine, caffeine, is, susceptible, to
[09:44] tolerance, so, it, might, be, smart, to
[09:46] reserve, it, for, your, heaviest, our, most
[09:47] demanding, training, sessions, are
[09:49] periodically, cycle, off, it, to, resent, eyes
[09:51] yourself, to, the, effects, and, of, course, we
[09:53] dive, into, many, other, optimization
[09:55] strategies, across, the, 15, chapters, in, the
[09:57] new, nutrition, guide, including, sample
[09:59] meal, plans, pre, and, post-workout, meal
[10:01] examples, more, supplements, cardio
[10:03] strategies, and, a, lot, more, so, if, you, guys
[10:05] are, looking, to, take, your, nutrition, up, a
[10:07] notch, you, can, save, 25%, off, the, ultimate
[10:10] guide, to, body, recomposition, at, the, first
[10:12] link, in, the, description, box, below
[10:13] for, the, launch, or, you, can, head, over, to
[10:15] Geoff, nipper, calm, go, to, the, nutrition
[10:17] plans, tab, and, you, can, find, it, over, there
[10:19] and, after, launch, week, so, next, weekend
[10:21] it'll, be, going, up, to, full, price, so, the
[10:23] manual, has, over, a, hundred, and, forty
[10:24] scientific, references, an, exact
[10:26] step-by-step, guide, for, setting, up, your
[10:27] calories, and, macros, a, list, of, foods, to
[10:29] focus, on, and, even, a, full, chapter, on
[10:31] training, for, recon, it, also, include
[10:34] customer, service, so, if, you, guys, have, any
[10:35] issues, there's, a, support, email, that, you
[10:37] guys, can, contact, so, hit, up, the, link, over
[10:39] here, next, to, my, head, if, you, guys, are
[10:40] interested, in, checking, it, out, don't
[10:42] forget, to, leave, me, a, thumbs, up, if, you
[10:43] enjoyed, the, video, or, if, you, found, it
[10:44] helpful, subscribe, if, you, haven't, already
[10:45] and, I'll, see, you, guys, all, here, in, the
[10:47] next, one
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