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Losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time, known as body restructuring, can be difficult.
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Eating a high-protein diet with few calories, strength training, and adequate sleep are important.
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If you’re new to resistance training, achieving body restructuring will be easier, experts told Insider.
Personal trainers have broken down what it takes to lose fat and build muscle at the same time in order to achieve what is known as body restructuring.
As a general rule, to lose fat, you need to take in fewer calories than you burn, which is known as a calorie deficit, while you need a surplus to build muscle.
But according to Nick Shaw, personal trainer and founder of RP Strength, the official nutrition coaching platform of the CrossFit Games, there are certain situations that make restructuring your body easier.
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Those new to strength training
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Returning to strength training after vacation
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If you change your diet to achieve adequate calories and protein for the first time
“It’s not the norm,” Shaw told an insider because body reconstruction is difficult to achieve.
It can be more difficult for some people because of potential barriers such as genetics, socioeconomic status, or mental health, says Mike Molloy, M.D., founder of M2 Performance Nutrition. , In theory, anyone can lose fat and gain muscle.
Here’s what a personal trainer said you need to nail down to give yourself the best chance of achieving body restructuring.
eat a high protein diet
Studies suggest that eating a high-protein diet when you’re slightly deficient in calories is most likely to preserve or even build muscle while losing fat. Don’t go too low on calories. If you don’t, you’re more likely to lose muscle, Emily Servante, a certified personal trainer at Ultimate Performance Personal Training, previously told Insider.
A small 2016 study found that men who consumed more protein while doing resistance training and high-intensity interval training lost more fat and gained more lean body mass. ) were constructed.
Another small 2018 study of women found that those who ate a high-protein diet during resistance training lost more fat and gained more muscle than those who ate less protein.
Protein helps your muscles recover from training and keeps you feeling full. Also, because food has a higher thermal effect than carbohydrates and fats, the body uses more energy to digest it.
Gabby Landsverk of Insider previously reported that eating at least 0.7 grams per pound of body weight each day is enough to maximize strength gains, according to a meta-analysis published Sept. 4 at the Sports Medicine Open. is.
strength training
Resistance training is key to body restructuring.
“Most people focus entirely on the weight loss aspect when trying to recover,” Molloy said. increase.”
Aerobic exercise has many benefits for overall health, and while any type of exercise burns calories, it’s not essential for fat loss, says Molloy.
A 2015 meta-analysis found that overweight people who did strength training lost more fat than those who did cardio.
Another study published in 2021 found that people who did mostly strength training were less likely to be overweight than those who did mostly cardio.
This is because strength training causes your body to burn more calories outside of your workout, says Molloy.
Shaw recommends training “like a bodybuilder.”
“Make sure you’re training with more volume in the gym,” he said.Shaw suggests doing each exercise for eight to 12 repetitions.
By applying progressive overloads, you keep yourself challenged and stimulate muscle growth. This means gradually increasing reps or weights.
Adequate sleep and stress management
In addition to eating well and strength training, recovery is also important, Molloy said.
Molloy recommends getting eight hours of sleep each night to lower your stress levels.
A 2004 study suggested that two consecutive nights of less than six hours of sleep could increase hunger by 25% and cravings for super-high-calorie foods by 33%. Researchers have found that this is because ghrelin (known as the “hunger hormone”) increases when a person is sleep deprived.
Be patient
Experts say that restructuring the body is not a quick process, so patience is required.
“Unlike very rapid weight loss (shown in the prevalence of hardcore crash diets), muscle building is a notoriously slow process, so restructuring is no exception.
Experienced gym-goers can get better results in the long run by having stages that are dedicated to fat loss and muscle gain, says Shaw.
“The best way to lose fat is to eat less, and the best way to gain muscle is to eat more, so trying to do both can be counterproductive.
Nor can you choose which part of your body you want to lose fat from. This is mainly due to genetics.
“People tend to have stubborn parts, and even if you train those parts with weights, they’re the last place you’ll lose fat,” Shaw said. To lose weight and eventually lose that stubborn fat.”
Read the original article on Insider
