Can You Burn Fat and Gain Muscle at the Same Time? Experts Weigh In

There are, however, ways you can strategically structure your exercise methods and eating habits to achieve this, alongside learning about your muscle fiber types. To discover the circumstances under which losing fat and gaining muscle can be achieved in tandem, we turned to registered dietitian, and obesity and nutrition specialist, Edibel Quintero MD for answers. There’s a lot of information out there when it comes to building muscle and losing fat fast, and it can be tough to work out the fact from the fads. Join us as we discuss how to reduce body fat through small changes to your gym routine, and how this can help you achieve a lean body mass.

Delivered daily

Cardiovascular exercise, or combined cardio and resistance exercise, alongside a healthy diet remains as the best technique for fat loss — there’s just no way around the science. Losing fat in a safe, sustainable way also means having realistic goals and not depriving your body of the nutrients it needs — disordered eating habits are never worth the risk. But, in the long run, you’ll likely eventually want to transition to a dedicated muscle building or fat loss period and prioritize one or the other.

Can You Build Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time?

Because body weight can remain fairly stable during a change in composition, some confuse this phenomenon with turning body fat into muscle – this is not possible. Fat is made up of different components than muscle, thus breaking down fat in the body doesn’t supply all the necessary pieces to form muscle tissue. Multiple papers (here, here) have also shown that muscle protein synthesis significantly reduces by about 20-30%. As we just aren’t providing adequate fuel for our muscles to recover and grow bigger.Which just makes building muscle while losing fat very difficult for your body to physiologically do when it’s in a calorie deficit. Making your body more athletic, or losing fat and gaining muscle simultaneously, is done by changing the fat mass ratio to lean mass. Many people can lose weight and feel very slender but not have the shapely and toned physique they want or the muscle strength they desire.

• Protein powder is especially important for vegan lifters and I recommend so-called Vegan Whey, a blend of rice and pea protein that offers a full spectrum of amino acids and has a high leucine content.
• If you lift four or more days/week, alternate between upper and lower body each day.
• If there’s anything we can gather from clinical studies, it’s that most active gym-goers fare best on a balanced diet with a generous amount of protein (8).
• For HIIT sessions, complete 5 to 6 all-out sprints (each lasting about seconds).
• If you’re looking to lose weight (rather than stay at the same weight but increase muscle while decreasing fat), consider creating a calorie deficit.
• So it’s no surprise that your ability to build muscle while losing weight is heavily impacted by how much protein you eat in a day.

Tracking Progress Using Your Body Fat Percentage and Other Indicators

This way, on the day that you’re working your upper body, your lower body is resting. A 2020 study published in the Medicine & Science in Sport and Exercise journal found that lack of sleep led to a lower release of cytokines—the proteins that build up our muscles. Core muscles include the abdominal muscles, back muscles and the muscles around the pelvis. If you’re currently not eating a lot of fiber, it’s best to add it to your diet gradually to prevent any bloating or digestive discomfort.

Step 3.1 = Protein Distribution

On the other hand, if you’re leaner and want to improve your muscle definition, then focusing on muscle gain might be a better strategy. Building muscle usually increases your basal metabolic rate, which helps you burn even more calories while at rest, making it easier to maintain fat loss later on. A weight loss doctor in Bowie can help you determine the best approach based on your current body composition and goals.

What to Eat to Build Muscle and Lose Fat Simultaneously

Fat loss cannot occur without burning more calories than you can consume. So the first step in decreasing your body fat percentage must require calorie control.Figure out how many calories you need a day to lose weight and aim to eat this amount or less consistently. If you’re looking to lose weight (rather than stay at the same weight but madmuscles app review increase muscle while decreasing fat), consider creating a calorie deficit.

Why try body recomposition?

Our RP Diet app creates an optimal diet for you based on your schedule and training regimen, including setting your protein intake to best maintain and build muscle. Beware of coming on too hard, too fast when starting a fitness routine. Overtraining can lead to injury, which could take you out of the gym all together. That’s why prioritizing recovery is important if you’re trying to burn fat and gain muscle, Ellis says.