Want to build muscle and eliminate stubborn body fat? It may seem impossible, since a calorie deficit helps you lose weight, while you need a calorie surplus to build muscle.
However, this is it is possible to gain muscle and lose fat with the right balance of nutrients and the ideal exercise regimen.
There are some strategies for gaining muscle and losing fat that we will look at to help you determine the ideal approach to eating and training to achieve your goals.
Find the right calorie balance
Gaining muscle while losing fat requires the ideal balance of consuming enough calories to build muscle but not too many calories to promote body fat. Gaining lean muscle mass is difficult if you are in a calorie deficit, on the other hand, consuming too many calories will increase your fat stores.
Body bulking is a popular training and diet method in which people increase their caloric intake far beyond their needs while engaging in intense weight training. However, this method often results in muscle gain but not necessarily fat loss.
While you’ll want to be in a slight calorie surplus to build muscle effectively, you don’t need to eat an extra 600 calories or more per day to reach your goals.
Yes, one study found that athletes who maintained a slight calorie surplus gained the same amount of muscle as athletes who maintained a large surplus (nearly 600 calories) after 8 to 12 weeks. Additionally, the large calorie surplus group did not gain significant amounts of extra muscle, but gained significantly more fat than the mild calorie surplus group.
Recommendations from professional organizations such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is to increase your daily energy intake by about 200 calories per day to help build muscle.
Eat plenty of protein
Protein plays a critical role in building muscle because the amino acids (the building blocks of protein) found in this macronutrient help repair and maintain muscle tissue. Hard training in the gym can only go so far if you don’t provide your body with the right building blocks to support muscle gains.
So how much protein do you need to lose weight and gain muscle? While there is some conflicting information about how much protein is needed, according to the International Society of Sports Nutritiona goal of 1.4 to 2.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight is sufficient for most people who exercise to help promote muscle growth.
Adequate protein intake can help transform your physique in a number of ways. Protein can help you feel fuller for longer study found that a high-protein diet was associated with lower body fat percentage and higher muscle mass among athletes.
It’s always best to discuss your ideal protein needs with a nutritionist who specializes in sports nutrition to help determine the right amount for you.
When choosing protein sources, try whole foods like fish, chicken, beef, eggs, nuts, soy and beans first. Unlike protein supplements, these foods will provide essential vitamins and minerals that can support your health goals.
Unlike carbohydrates, which can be stored, excess protein is not stored for energy, so you’ll want to spread your protein intake throughout the day, ideally every 3-4 hours, so you can optimize muscle growth.
Don’t neglect carbohydrates
With carbs on the chopping block for so many, it can be tempting to try to go low carb when trying to lose weight and gain muscle. However, this will only hinder your progress and lead to burnout. While protein may seem like the obvious choice to help build muscle mass, carbohydrates they also play an important role.
Allowing yourself to eat adequate carbohydrates throughout the day will allow the protein to do its job in helping to rebuild and repair your muscle tissue. By limiting carbohydrate intake, protein will be used as a source of energy instead of repairing and rebuilding lean muscle mass. The key to recovery is to eat some protein and some carbs after your workout.
But before you load up on any carb source, keep in mind that high-quality carbs that reach your bloodstream slowly will provide the sustained energy you’re looking for. For example, some of the best carbohydrates for athletes include whole wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and fresh fruit. Many of these sources also provide fiber, which can benefit both our digestive and cardiovascular health.
You may be wondering how many carbs you should eat per day to help gain muscle while losing fat. According current guidelines, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), Dietitians of Canada (DC), and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommend that moderate exercise requires about 5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per day. Carbohydrate needs will increase as the intensity and duration of exercise increases.
If you participate in moderate to high intensity exercise (1 to 3 hours per day) you may need 6 grams and in some cases (endurance athletes) up to 10 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per day.
Focus on weight training, but don’t forget cardio
While diet is important, exercise is also important when it comes to gaining muscle and losing fat. Resistance training or weight training will help you stress your muscle fibers so they can then get stronger again.
As a general rule of thumb, or if you’re new to strength training, you’ll want to choose three to four exercises per muscle group and perform three to four sets of 8 to 12 repetitions for each exercise. Start by training three to five times a week, and as you gain strength, increase the weight or intensity to steadily progress. If you’re new to strength training, meet with a personal trainer to help you with proper form and programming.
Cardiovascular exercise, such as jogging or cycling, is a great way to help reduce body fat. Aim for one or two days of cardio a week to help maintain a healthy weight and improve your heart health.
Get quality rest
Believe it or not, rest is a vital part of losing weight, gaining muscle, and supporting your overall health and wellness. While you sleep your body releases human growth hormonean important chemical that helps with tissue repair, muscle growth, metabolism and stress management.
Research suggests that adequate sleep and improved sleep quality can help improve performance, reduce injury risk, and improve endurance performance.
Just like working out, getting enough sleep requires commitment and time management skills. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night to allow your body to help repair itself.
Also, don’t discount rest days, as they may be necessary to reach your goals. Rest days are important for athletes and active people at all levels because they allow your muscles to repair, rebuild and build strength.
The number of rest days you need will vary depending on the type of activity you do and the intensity of your training. Generally speaking, The American Council on Exercise (ACE) advises that you should have a rest day every 7 to 10 days if you participate in high-intensity physical activity.
The bottom line
As you can see, you don’t have to choose between fat loss or muscle gain, as they can be done together. By finding the right balance of calories and including plenty of protein and adequate carbohydrates in your meals, you will allow your body to lose some fat and gain some muscle.
Additionally, you’ll want to incorporate weight training exercises along with some cardio while scheduling in some rest days.
While gaining muscle and losing fat can seem daunting, with a proper training program and adequate consumption of certain nutrients, building muscle while staying lean is an achievable goal.
