Body Recomposition: How to Build Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time

The conventional wisdom says you can’t build muscle and lose fat at the same time. You have to pick one: bulk to add muscle (and accept some fat gain), or cut to lose fat (and accept some muscle loss). Then repeat forever, see-sawing between phases.

That’s not entirely wrong, but it’s not entirely right either. Body recomposition, changing the ratio of muscle to fat on your frame without dramatic bulk/cut cycles, is real. It works. But it requires a more precise approach than either bulking or cutting alone.

Here’s how to do it.

What Is Body Recomposition?

Body recomposition (or “recomp”) means simultaneously gaining muscle and losing fat. Your total body weight might barely change, but your body composition shifts: less fat, more muscle, a dramatically different look in the mirror.

This is why the bathroom scale is the worst recomp metric. You could lose 2kg of fat and gain 2kg of muscle in the same month. The scale says nothing changed. Your belt says otherwise.

Who Can Actually Do This?

Not everyone responds to recomp equally. The research shows it works best for:

Beginners who are new to resistance training. “Newbie gains” are real: untrained muscles respond dramatically to a novel training stimulus, even in a calorie deficit. If you’ve never lifted weights consistently, your first 6 to 12 months are a golden window for recomp.

Returning lifters who took time off. Muscle memory is a genuine physiological phenomenon. Regaining lost muscle is significantly faster than building new muscle, and it can happen while losing fat.

Overweight or obese individuals who have excess body fat to fuel the process. The more body fat you carry, the more energy your body can liberate from fat stores to support muscle growth. This is why beginners who are overweight often see the most dramatic recomp results.

People on performance-enhancing drugs. We’ll be honest: much of the dramatic “recomp” content on social media is pharmacologically assisted. Natural recomp is real but slower and more subtle.

It’s harder (but not impossible) for:

• Lean, experienced lifters: your body fights harder to add muscle in a deficit when you’re already lean
• Anyone in an aggressive calorie deficit: your body prioritises survival over muscle building

The Nutrition Strategy

Recomp nutrition sits between bulking and cutting. You’re not eating at a significant surplus or a significant deficit. The precision of your macros matters more here than in either traditional approach.

Calories: Eat at Maintenance (or Close to It)

The classic recomp approach is eating at or very slightly below your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). Use our free macro calculator to find your maintenance calories.

Two approaches work:

Flat maintenance: Eat the same calories every day, right at your TDEE. Simple, sustainable, effective. This works especially well for beginners.

Calorie cycling: Eat slightly above maintenance on training days (TDEE + 100 to 200 calories) and slightly below on rest days (TDEE - 200 to 300 calories). The weekly average lands near maintenance, but you’re directing more energy toward training days when your muscles need it most.

Both approaches work. Calorie cycling is slightly more optimal in theory but flat maintenance is easier to follow. Pick the one you’ll actually stick with.

Protein: Go High

Protein is the single most important macro for recomp. You need enough to:

• Support muscle protein synthesis (building new muscle)
• Prevent muscle protein breakdown (protecting existing muscle)
• Maintain satiety (so you don’t overeat)

The research recommends 2.0 to 2.4g of protein per kilogram of body weight for recomp. This is higher than the standard 1.6 to 2.2g/kg recommendation because you’re asking your body to do two things at once.

For an 80kg person, that’s 160 to 192g of protein per day. It sounds like a lot, but it’s achievable with strategic meal planning. Check our high protein meals for practical options.

Carbs and Fats: Fill the Remainder

After setting protein, distribute remaining calories between carbs and fats based on your preferences and training style:

• If you train hard with weights 4+ times per week: favour carbs (they fuel intense training)
• If you train less frequently or prefer fattier foods: a more even split works fine

A practical split for an 80kg person eating at 2,500 calories maintenance:

Macro	Grams	Calories
Protein	180g	720
Carbs	250g	1,000
Fats	87g	780
Total		2,500

Sample Recomp Day

Breakfast: 3 eggs scrambled with spinach, 2 slices whole grain toast (P: 28g, C: 30g, F: 18g, 394 cal)

Lunch: 200g chicken breast, 80g rice, mixed vegetables, soy sauce (P: 48g, C: 55g, F: 6g, 466 cal)

Post-workout snack: Protein shake with banana (P: 30g, C: 30g, F: 3g, 267 cal)

Dinner: 180g salmon, 200g sweet potato, steamed broccoli, olive oil drizzle (P: 42g, C: 48g, F: 22g, 558 cal)

Evening snack: 250g Greek yoghurt with berries and honey (P: 30g, C: 28g, F: 5g, 277 cal)

Daily total: P: 178g, C: 191g, F: 54g, 1,962 cal

The Training Strategy

Nutrition creates the conditions for recomp. Training provides the stimulus. Without proper resistance training, you’ll just maintain your current body composition regardless of how dialled-in your macros are.

Non-Negotiable: Lift Weights

Resistance training is the primary signal that tells your body to build muscle. Cardio alone won’t do it.

Minimum: 3 sessions per week targeting all major muscle groups Optimal: 4 to 5 sessions per week with a push/pull/legs or upper/lower split Focus on: Compound movements (squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, rows, pull-ups)

Progressive Overload

Your muscles need increasing challenge to grow. Gradually add weight to the bar, add reps, or add sets over time. Track your lifts. If your numbers are going up over months, you’re building muscle.

Cardio: Keep It Moderate

Some cardio is fine, but excessive cardio interferes with recovery and creates a larger energy deficit than intended. 2 to 3 sessions of moderate cardio per week (20 to 30 minutes) is plenty alongside a proper resistance training programme.

How to Measure Progress

The scale is mostly useless for recomp. Here’s what to track instead:

Body measurements: Measure your waist, chest, arms, and thighs monthly. If your waist is shrinking while your arms are growing, recomp is working.

Progress photos: Take photos in the same lighting, same pose, same time of day, every 2 to 4 weeks. Changes that are invisible day-to-day become obvious in side-by-side comparisons.

Strength progression: If you’re getting stronger in the gym, you’re gaining muscle. Track your lifts.

How clothes fit: This is surprisingly reliable. Looser waistband plus tighter sleeves equals recomp.

Body fat percentage: If you have access to calipers or a DEXA scan, tracking body fat percentage over time gives the clearest picture.

Common Recomp Mistakes

1. Expecting Dramatic Changes Quickly

Recomp is slower than a dedicated bulk or cut. Expect visible changes over 3 to 6 months, not 3 to 6 weeks. Patience is the price of doing both at once.

2. Not Eating Enough Protein

At 2.0 to 2.4g/kg, protein requirements for recomp are high. Many people set the target and then consistently under-deliver. Track your protein daily, at least for the first few months.

3. Neglecting Sleep

Growth hormone is released primarily during deep sleep. Recovery happens when you rest. If you’re sleeping 5 hours a night and expecting recomp, you’re fighting with one hand tied behind your back.

Aim for 7 to 9 hours. This isn’t optional; it’s part of the programme.

4. Too Much Cardio, Not Enough Weights

Running 5 times a week while lifting twice won’t produce recomp. Flip the ratio. Lift 4 times, do moderate cardio 2 times.

Tracking for Recomp

Because recomp requires more nutritional precision than standard dieting, consistent tracking is essential. You need to know whether you’re hitting that high protein target and staying near maintenance calories.

Chowdown makes this straightforward. Scan your meals with the AI, review your daily macro totals, and make sure protein is on target. The dashboard shows your running totals for protein, carbs, fats, and calories, exactly what you need for recomp tracking.

It’s completely free, which matters when recomp is already an investment in gym time, food quality, and patience.

The Bottom Line

Body recomposition is real, but it’s not magic. It works best for beginners, returning lifters, and those with higher body fat. It requires:

1. Eating at or near maintenance calories
2. Getting 2.0 to 2.4g protein per kg of body weight
3. Lifting weights consistently with progressive overload
4. Sleeping 7 to 9 hours nightly
5. Measuring progress through photos, measurements, and strength, not the scale

Calculate your targets with our free macro calculator, track your intake with Chowdown, train hard, sleep well, and give it time.

The mirror will show you what the scale can’t.