If you’ve ever aimed to trim down body fat, bulk up muscle, or tackle both simultaneously, you’ve been on a body recomposition journey, whether you realized it or not. This isn’t just about hitting a certain number on the scale; it’s about tweaking your body’s fat-to-muscle ratio for enhanced health, better performance, and a more appealing physique. It’s about altering your body composition rather than just focusing on weight loss.
So, what are the key changes a doctor would recommend to help you achieve this? Here are three crucial adjustments to incorporate into your lifestyle:
1. Prioritize Protein Power
Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair, making it a non-negotiable component of any body recomposition plan. When you’re aiming to lose fat while preserving muscle, adequate protein intake becomes even more critical.
Why Protein Matters:
- Muscle Preservation: When you’re in a calorie deficit to lose fat, your body can start breaking down muscle tissue for energy. Adequate protein intake provides the necessary building blocks (amino acids) to prevent muscle loss and promote muscle protein synthesis, the process of building new muscle.
- Muscle Growth: To build muscle, you need to stimulate muscle protein synthesis through resistance training and provide your body with enough protein to support the growth process.
- Satiety and Metabolism: Protein can help optimize fat loss by promoting feelings of fullness, boosting your metabolism, and enhancing muscle recovery. It takes longer to digest than carbs, so it can keep you feeling fuller for longer, which helps when you’re trying to eat fewer calories.
How Much Protein Do You Need?
Aim for at least one gram of high-quality protein per pound of body weight. Some experts recommend spreading your protein intake throughout the day and aiming for 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
Excellent Protein Sources:
- Lean meats: Chicken breast, turkey breast, lean beef, pork tenderloin
- Fish: Salmon, tuna, cod
- Eggs
- Dairy: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk
- Plant-based options: Tofu, lentils, beans, edamame
- Protein supplements: Whey protein, casein protein, plant-based protein powders
2. Embrace Resistance Training
Lifting weights is essential. Resistance training, also known as strength training, is a game-changer when it comes to body recomposition. It not only helps you build muscle mass but also improves metabolic health and promotes fat loss.
Why Resistance Training is Key:
- Muscle Building: Resistance training stimulates muscle growth by creating microscopic tears in muscle fibers, which the body then repairs and rebuilds, making the muscles larger and stronger.
- Metabolic Boost: Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue, meaning it burns more calories at rest. By increasing your muscle mass, you’ll increase your resting metabolic rate, making it easier to lose fat.
- Fat Loss: Resistance training helps you lose fat while maintaining or building your physique.
- Preserves Muscle Mass: Resistance training is crucial, especially when losing fat. It helps preserve muscle mass, which is vital for maintaining metabolic rate. If you lose weight without resistance training, you risk losing muscle along with fat.
How to Incorporate Resistance Training:
- Frequency: Aim to weight train at least three times a week. The CDC recommends doing it at least 2 days per week, targeting your major muscle groups.
- Exercises: Focus on compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously, such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, push-ups, and rows.
- Progressive Overload: Gradually increase the weight, reps, or sets you lift over time to continue challenging your muscles and promoting growth. Experts recommend that you focus on slowly increasing your weights to no more than 10% each week so the body can adapt.
- Proper Form: Prioritize proper form to prevent injuries and maximize muscle activation.
3. Do Zone 2 Cardio
While high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has its place, Zone 2 cardio is where it’s at for effective fat burning while sparing muscle.
What is Zone 2 Cardio?
Zone 2 cardio is exercising at a level where you can comfortably hold a “breathy” conversation for 45-60 minutes. It’s a low-intensity, steady-state form of cardio that primarily uses fat as fuel.
Why Zone 2 Cardio Works:
- Fat Burning: Zone 2 cardio is highly effective at burning fat because it allows your body to tap into its fat stores for energy.
- Muscle Sparing: Unlike high-intensity exercise, Zone 2 cardio is less likely to break down muscle tissue for energy.
- Recovery: Zone 2 cardio can also aid in recovery by increasing blood flow to muscles, which helps to remove waste products and deliver nutrients.
Examples of Zone 2 Workouts:
- Walking on an incline
- Cycling
- Rucking (walking with a weighted backpack)
- Swimming
- Elliptical training
Tips for Incorporating Zone 2 Cardio:
- Monitor Your Heart Rate: Use a heart rate monitor to ensure you’re staying within your Zone 2 heart rate range. Generally, this is around 60-70% of your maximum heart rate.
- Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to how you feel and adjust the intensity as needed. You should be able to breathe comfortably and hold a conversation.
- Consistency is Key: Aim for at least 30-60 minutes of Zone 2 cardio several times a week.
Additional Tips for Success
While protein, resistance training, and Zone 2 cardio are the cornerstones of a successful body recomposition plan, here are a few additional tips to keep in mind:
- Calorie Deficit: To lose fat, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Work with a nutritionist or doctor to determine the right calorie deficit for you. It is recommended that you start off by taking off anywhere between 200-300 calories from what you’re estimated for maintenance daily and gradually adjust according to how fast you’re losing weight.
- Nutrient Timing: Consider eating a meal 60 to 90 minutes before exercising. This meal should prioritize carbs and protein with a small portion of healthy fats. Carbohydrates play a key role in keeping your energy levels high during high intensity workouts and those that last longer than 60 minutes.
- Stay Consistent: Consistency is key to achieving your body recomposition goals. Stick to your diet and exercise plan as much as possible, even when you don’t feel like it.
- Be Patient: Body recomposition takes time and effort. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately. Focus on making sustainable lifestyle changes, and the results will come.
- Prioritize Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. Sleep is essential for muscle recovery and hormone regulation.
- Manage Stress: Chronic stress can hinder your progress by increasing cortisol levels, which can lead to muscle breakdown and fat storage. Find healthy ways to manage stress, such as meditation, yoga, or spending time in nature.
- Limit Processed Foods: Limiting processed foods, refined carbs, sugary foods, and sugary drinks is essential to achieving your weight loss goals.
- Fiber Intake: Include at least one of these high-fiber foods with every meal: Fruits and veggies, Beans, lentils, edamame, Whole grains: oats, quinoa, bulgur, brown rice, Seeds: chia, flax, hemp.
Body Recomposition: A Lifestyle, Not a Diet
Body recomposition is more than just a diet; it’s a lifestyle. It’s about making sustainable changes to your eating habits, exercise routine, and overall lifestyle to achieve a healthier and more muscular physique. By focusing on these three doctor-approved changes – prioritizing protein, embracing resistance training, and incorporating Zone 2 cardio – you’ll be well on your way to transforming your body and achieving your fitness goals.
