Body Recomposition

Body recomposition is a term that’s gained a lot of traction in the fitness world right now. Once embraced only by bodybuilders and fitness competitors, it is now going mainstream. Maybe you’ve heard of “recomping” on social media or seen fitness and nutrition professionals (us included!) opt to use it instead of talking about weight loss. Or maybe you first heard the term as we’ve been talking about our body recomposition program, Back to Human, happening right now in the BodyFit Athletic Club. 

While it may seem new, body recomposition has been around for years and is (in our expert opinion) a much better goal than chasing a number on the scale. During January, when many of us desire body changes and weight loss resolutions are common, why not shift our mindset (and goals) to body recomposition instead?  

But what exactly is Body Recomposition, and how can we achieve it? 

Simply put, body recomposition refers to the process of simultaneously losing fat and gaining muscle. It’s not about losing weight or bulking up; rather, it’s about improving your body composition—shifting the ratio of fat to muscle. While fat loss or muscle gain might happen at different rates, body recomposition focuses on transforming your body’s overall shape and health rather than focusing on a specific number on the scale.

Why is this important? Beyond the obvious aesthetic reasons many people seek body recomposition; the truth is, the more muscle we have, the healthier we are overall. Skeletal muscle is now referred to as “the organ of longevity,” as countless studies have shown that the more muscle, the longer we live and the lower our risks for illness, injuries, and even neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia. While obesity dominates the headlines, the reality is, analyzing an individual’s body composition is, in fact, a much better indicator of a person’s health status than weight, size, or BMI (body mass index). 

The Science Behind Body Recomposition

Body recomposition is about changing your body’s makeup, which may not result in a massive shift in your overall weight. This is one of the many reasons I will tell you to ditch the scale! You might weigh the same or even more, but your body fat percentage could be lower, and your muscle mass could be higher. Not to mention, you will likely feel and look stronger.

You’ve probably heard that muscle weighs more than fat, right? Muscle is denser, meaning that muscle is leaner and tighter and takes up less space than the same amount of fat. To understand how this happens, knowing a little about how the body works regarding fat and muscle is important. 

Fat Loss: When you lose fat, your body burns stored fat as energy, typically through a caloric deficit—meaning you consume fewer calories than you burn. Fat loss occurs gradually over time and often requires consistent exercise, a balanced diet, and, most of all, patience.

Muscle Gain: Building muscle, on the other hand, requires a combination of resistance training and sufficient protein intake to repair and grow muscle fibers. Strength training with progressive overload (i.e., making it more challenging over time) is required to build muscle, and adequate protein (spoiler: most of us don’t get enough!) is key. 

Body recomposition works when these two processes occur in tandem and when you engage in other healthy behaviors such as getting enough sleep, managing stress, and hydrating well. It’s about balancing the right amount of resistance training, cardiovascular exercise, and nutrition to facilitate both fat loss and muscle growth.

How Do You Make Body Recomposition Work For You?

1. Strength training: Resistance training is essential for building muscle. While bodyweight exercises can be used for resistance training, lifting weights will give you the most bang for your buck. Focusing on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, presses, and rows targets multiple muscle groups at once. 
2. Nutrition: For far too long, diet culture has convinced us that restricting calories was the way to achieve our goals.  And while a slight calorie deficit can help you burn fat, you don’t want to go too low because you still need fuel to build muscle. Eating a varied diet of nutrient-dense foods while ensuring you’re consuming enough for your workouts and muscle growth is important. Plans like The Method by BodyFit by Amy (available in the BodyFit Athletic Club) focus on precisely this; rather than counting calories or feeling hungry, we aim to build balanced meals and snacks with adequate protein, fiber, and carbohydrates to support not only our workouts but our activities of daily living.
3. Speaking of protein… Protein is critical to body recomposition because it helps build and repair muscle. A higher protein intake (typically 1.6–2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight) can help prevent muscle loss while in a caloric deficit, supporting muscle growth and fat loss.
4. Cardio, but don’t overdo it. I get it: for years, we’ve been told cardio is the key to fat loss. So much so that women avoided the weight room and spent endless hours on the treadmill or elliptical or in cardio classes. In reality, excessive cardio might hinder muscle-building efforts, as it can increase the risk of muscle loss. Finding a balance of low and high heart rate zone cardio compliments the muscle-building benefits of weight training while also strengthening your heart and lungs.
5. Recovery and Sleep: Muscles grow and repair during rest, not during the workout itself. So, getting enough sleep (at least 7–8 hours per night) and managing stress is critical for body recomposition. I know, I know– easier said than done. Some of us pride ourselves on functioning on low amounts of sleep (it’s me), but it can slow down or hurt your body’s recomposition journey. In addition to sleep, make sure you get rest and active recovery days alongside your training days.

Why Body Recomposition?

While you may initially be interested in body recomposition for improved aesthetics, such as a change in definition and body shape, this training approach has numerous other benefits. 

1. Increased Strength and Performance: Focusing on strength training to build muscle will also improve your overall strength and performance, which can make everyday tasks easier and improve athletic ability.
2. Enhanced Metabolism: Muscle mass is crucial in boosting your metabolic rate, including your resting metabolic rate (RMR). The more muscle you have, your metabolism is more effective, even at rest.
3. Health Benefits: Body recomposition improves heart health, reduces inflammation, and can lower the risk of chronic diseases. Building muscle also improves bone density and helps with mobility as you age.
4. Improved Aesthetics: And, of course, one of the most noticeable outcomes of body recomposition is the change in body shape. You might not see the number on the scale shift dramatically, but you’ll likely notice a leaner, more toned appearance as you lose fat and gain muscle.

Body recomposition is a holistic approach to fitness that focuses on improving the ratio of muscle to fat rather than just aiming for weight loss. It takes patience, consistency, and a combination of strength training, balanced nutrition, and rest. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to break through a plateau, body recomposition can be an incredibly effective way to reshape your body, increase your strength, and improve your overall health.

Looking to start (or improve) your body recomposition journey? There’s still time to join us in the BodyFit Athletic Club for our Back to Human focus group. Join us HERE.