Get toned, build muscle and lose fat with a body recomp
Jane
With summer fast approaching, losing weight and shaping up is at the forefront of our minds! Especially when we start talking about achieving our ideal summer body! A body recomposition is the perfect regime if you’re looking to tone up, build a little muscle and lose fat.
For beginners, it can be a fantastic way to lose fat and gain muscle relatively easily!
But don’t worry, the aim of the game isn’t to get hench here, ladies! A body recomp - when done in the right way for your goals - will help you gain some definition in your physique.
Less Popeye and more Summer body ready!
That being said, it’s time to go a little more in depth around what a body recomposition is, how to do a body recomp and how long it takes.
Ready to get sweaty? Let’s get into it.
So, what is a body recomp? And how do you do it?
Firstly, you need to…
The ideal body recomposition has a balance of weight training and cardio. High intensity cardio is ideal for shedding weight, usually, but in a body recomp… Too much cardio can eat into your deficit.
Try to balance out your weight training and cardio, instead. Don’t go cutting it out entirely, though! To get the right balance of cardio and weights, keep to the following (if you can!):
Lifting relatively heavy at least three times a week will help you lose weight and gain muscle. The weight you lift is totally up to you and can be tailored to your physique and fitness level accordingly.
Sleep is crucial for a body recomp! Losing weight and gaining muscle requires plenty of time for your muscles to repair. Try hitting the hay early each night, with time away from your phone and other distracting devices.
This downtime allows your body to repair and grow, helping you achieve your body goals during a body recomposition.
How to body recomp
So, what is a body recomp? And how do you do it?
Firstly, you need to…
Gain muscle
Again, it’s worth noting that when we talk about muscle gain, we’re not aiming for the bodybuilder look. So don’t worry, you’re not going to get hench, ladies! No butch arms and legs here.Also Read: How To Get Back On Track With Weight Loss in 2021As a rule of thumb, here’s how your weight gain should roughly go weekly during a body recomposition program. Beginner: 0.5% body weight each week Intermediate: 0.3% - 0.2% body weight each week Advanced: 0.1% of body weight each week If you’re already a seasoned gym-goer, you’ll quickly spot that potential muscle gain can quickly drop off! But don’t worry, there’s plenty of time to achieve your goals before this does occur.
Lose fat
This can depend a little on your starting weight, but you can follow this as a guide accordingly. Clinically obese: (over 40% body fat for women) 2% body fat lost each week Overweight: (2-40% body fat for women) 1.25% body fat lost each week Average: (body fat 24-32% for women) 0.75% body fat lost each week Fit: (body fat 14-24% for women) 0.5% body fat lost each week Contest-level: (below 14% body fat for women) 0.2 body fat lost each week As we said, we’re not aiming for a bodybuilding championship here!Getting your weekly calorie balance right
In order to lose weight and gain muscle during a body recomp, you need to get your calories spot on. To allow your body to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, you need to be in a calorie surplus (for muscle gain) and create a deficit of calories to lose fat. So, how do you achieve that? That’s the real question here!Also Read: 8 Healthy Cooking Techniques You Should Try at Home This WeekWell, it’s all in your weekly calorie balance. To start, take your current weight, your body fat percentage and your training level - use this to calculate how many lbs of fat you can lose weekly. As well as the level of muscle you can gain! As a little FYI, ladies, 3800 calories sheds 1 pound of fat. While consuming 1600 calories helps to build 1 pound of muscle. Crazy, right? When you combine these two together, you’ll find your calorie balance! This number will help you lose weight and gain muscle during your body recomp.
How to lose weight and gain muscle
A body recomposition needs to be approached carefully in order to achieve your body goals! It’s common to wonder, ‘how long does a body recomp take?’ and we’re going to tell you everything you need to know to achieve your weight loss goals. It’s time to tone up, and feel amazing, ladies!Go careful with cardio
The ideal body recomposition has a balance of weight training and cardio. High intensity cardio is ideal for shedding weight, usually, but in a body recomp… Too much cardio can eat into your deficit.
Try to balance out your weight training and cardio, instead. Don’t go cutting it out entirely, though! To get the right balance of cardio and weights, keep to the following (if you can!):
- Prioritize weights over cardio
- Keep your cardio intense, rather than long slogs
- Do the two (cardio and weights) at different times
Get lifting! Three times a week
Lifting relatively heavy at least three times a week will help you lose weight and gain muscle. The weight you lift is totally up to you and can be tailored to your physique and fitness level accordingly.
Also Read: 7 Easy Food Swaps To Make This WeekHowever, it’s important to allow your body to rest and repair itself in between your workouts and weights. As you’ll be in a caloric deficit, your muscles will need a little extra time to recover. When you lift weights, try to work out as many muscles as possible. If you’re new to intense-style exercise, keep lifting three times a week. But if you’re feeling a little more advanced, go for four times a week.
Get plenty of rest
Sleep is crucial for a body recomp! Losing weight and gaining muscle requires plenty of time for your muscles to repair. Try hitting the hay early each night, with time away from your phone and other distracting devices.
This downtime allows your body to repair and grow, helping you achieve your body goals during a body recomposition.
