Answering Your Questions: Can I Lose Fat and Build Muscle at the Same Time?
In this series, I’m answering some of the most common fitness and nutrition questions that we hear from clients, see online, or have been asked by real people.
Q: Can I Lose Fat and Build Muscle at the Same Time?
A: When starting out in the fitness industry, the most common goal or phrase I would hear was, “I want to lose weight and tone up.” So the question then comes: can both be achieved at the same time?
Yes, it is possible to do both at the same time, especially under the right conditions.
The typical bodybuilding routines often revolve around bulking or cutting. In other words, you're either doing one or the other. But many people aren’t looking to become a bodybuilder. They just want to build a strong, lean, and healthy physique to support their day-to-day lifestyle and long-term health.
It’s important to understand a few key factors if you want this to actually work.
What Does It Mean to “Recomp”?
The technical term for losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time is body recomposition (or “recomp” for short). Instead of just trying to drop weight on the scale, you’re focusing on improving your body composition: lowering fat mass and increasing lean muscle.
If you’ve ever used a body composition scale, it likely tells you your fat mass and lean mass. The goal here is to reduce fat mass while increasing lean mass. I’ve found that when most of the ‘lose weight and tone up’ people usually just mean reduce body fat and build some lean muscle.
This is why someone can look noticeably leaner and stronger even if the number on the scale doesn’t change much.
Who Is It Best Suited For?
Recomp works especially well for:
Beginners or people returning after a long break
Those with higher levels of body fat
Anyone who’s been training inconsistently or hasn’t dialed in their nutrition
Why? Because your body is more responsive to stimulus in the early stages. When you start lifting consistently and eating better, you’ll likely see changes in both fat loss and muscle gain.
If you’re already quite lean or have been training seriously for years, your results might be slower or more subtle. In those cases, it’s often better to focus on one goal at a time (a dedicated fat loss or muscle-building phase).
What Does It Take to Make It Happen?
Body recomposition comes primarily from two things:
Strength training
Eating enough protein
Calories typically need to be close to your maintenance level, or just slightly under. Trial and error is the best approach here to find what works for you. The goal is to strike the right balance: eating enough to fuel workouts and recovery, but not so much that fat loss stalls.
Higher protein intake, combined with consistent resistance training, helps build and preserve lean tissue, while encouraging the body to burn fat for fuel.
To recap, you'll want to:
Strength train regularly (at least 2–4 times per week)
Prioritize protein in your meals
Eat close to your maintenance calories
Get enough sleep and recovery
This isn’t a time for extremes. It’s more of a “slow and steady” approach, aiming for small fat loss while building strength and lean tissue.
Keep the Big Picture in Mind
Body recomposition takes time. You won’t see big weekly shifts on the scale, but over a few months, you’ll likely notice:
Your clothes fit differently
You feel stronger and more capable
Your energy and confidence improve
This is why it’s extremely useful to track progress using multiple methods, such as body weight, measurements, and photos. The scale alone rarely tells the full story.
And that’s what we’re really after, not just weight loss, but lasting change.
If you’re unsure where to start or want a training plan tailored to your goals, book a free assessment and we’ll help you build a smart strategy that works from day one.
