Great question Jim! There\u2019s a lot of so-called experts who claim you can\u2019t burn fat and build muscle at the same time.<\/p>\n
Physiologically speaking, it\u2019s near impossible because one process is catabolic (losing fat) and the other is anabolic (building muscle)\u2026 right?<\/p>\n
Well\u2026<\/p>\n
Before I tackle this\u2026 Let\u2019s get the facts straight:<\/p>\n
FACT 1:<\/strong> Building muscle requires you to store energy.<\/strong><\/h3>\nFACT 2<\/strong>:<\/strong> Losing fat requires you to burn energy.<\/strong><\/h3>\nSimple, right?<\/p>\n
This is based on the First Law of Thermodynamics, about the law of energy conversion. It states the total energy of an isolated system is constant. Which means energy can be transformed from one form to another, but it can\u2019t be destroyed. So the energy can\u2019t just disappear\u2026 it has to go somewhere.<\/p>\n
Now here\u2019s the thing\u2026<\/p>\n
Most people then assume, based on these facts above, that to build muscle, you must eat MORE calories than your body needs and create a calorie surplus. And to lose fat, you consume LESS calories that your body needs so it uses stored body fat for energy instead.<\/p>\n
And that it\u2019s near impossible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time because one process is catabolic (losing fat) and the other is anabolic (building muscle).<\/p>\n
This is not true.<\/strong><\/p>\nYou can lose fat and build muscle at the same time<\/strong><\/h2>\nHere\u2019s why\u2026<\/p>\n
Protein and fat have different functions in your body. There are controlled by different energy mechanisms, and your body will send calories to muscle mass and fat mass independently. This is often expressed as a P-ratio by researchers, which is known as calorie partitioning.<\/p>\n
The P-ratio represents the amount of protein that is either gained (or lost) during overfeeding or underfeeding.<\/p>\n
For example, if you were dieting, a high P-ratio would mean you used a lot of protein and very little fat. Whereas a low P-ratio would mean you used very little protein and a lot of fat.<\/p>\n
What does this mean for you?<\/p>\n
Fact of the matter is: your body needs energy and protein to build muscle.<\/strong><\/p>\nThat\u2019s why if you get enough protein from your diet, your body just needs energy to build muscle and you can pinch it from your fat stores.<\/p>\n
The result?<\/p>\n
You lose fat and build muscle at the same time.<\/p>\n
Now, Let\u2019s Talk Hormones.<\/strong><\/h2>\nIf you\u2019ve read this article,<\/span><\/a><\/span> and been following me for any length of time, you know by now that hormones play a huge role in fat loss and building muscle.<\/p>\nThe old \u201ccalories in vs. calories out\u201d approach does work \u2013 initially\u2026<\/p>\n
But it will NEVER remove your body\u2019s most stubborn fat.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how your hormones play a role here:<\/p>\n
High testosterone levels tend to have positive calorie partitioning effects (more muscle, less fat). And on the flip side, chronically high levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) have the opposite effect (less muscle, more fat).<\/p>\n
Your thyroid and nervous system are also super important here. It will not only impact your metabolic rate\u2026 but also your fat burning rate.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n
Optimizing your thyroid and nervous system levels will mean faster fat burning, and less muscle loss when you\u2019re on a low calorie diet. And even less fat gain when you overeat.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why balancing your hormones is such a HUGE deal.<\/p>\n
Theory is Good and All, But Does This Work in Real Life?<\/strong><\/h3>\nSure, the theory sounds grand and all\u2026. But does this actually work in real life? Does anyone lose fat and build muscle at the same time?<\/p>\n
I see it routinely happen with my new clients.<\/p>\n
![\"how](\"http:\/\/fatlossaccelerators.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/BANNER__2_01-300x249.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nYou don\u2019t have to take my word for it\u2026 Take a look at this research:<\/p>\n
Research shows overweight police officers (over 26% body fat) who started a strength training program lost 9.3lbs of fat and gained 8.8lbs of lean muscle in 12 weeks. Click Here to See the Study\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nIf you\u2019re overweight, and you\u2019ve never exercised a day in your life, you\u2019re going to make fast progress.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because your body is primed for rapid improvements in nearly every area, especially strength.<\/p>\n
Now, how overweight do you need to get similar results? We can agree these police officers were pretty overweight. And one thing I do know from experience is the more body fat you have, the more likely you\u2019ll be able to lose a huge number of pounds very quickly. (That\u2019s why it\u2019s possible for contestants on the Biggest Loser to lose ridiculous amounts of weight every week. Look at them\u2026 they have a LOT to lose!)<\/p>\n
Hang On, So These People In the Study are Really Overweight. What If I\u2019m Not Really Fat? Can I Lose Fat and Build Muscle at the Same time?<\/h3>\n
Great question.<\/p>\n
Numerous studies show it\u2019s possible to lose fat and build muscle at the same time when you start training. Even sometimes only doing endurance training. You can check out the research Here<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong>, Here<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong> and Here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nThe best part?<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t matter how old, young, health, unhealthy, male or female. These studies show losing fat and building muscle at the same time IS possible.<\/p>\n
Wait up…\u00a0These people had barely trained before. What if I’m an athlete?<\/h3>\n
Studies that were conducted on numerous athletes show losing fat and building muscle at the same time is possible.<\/p>\n
From elite gymnasts to rugby players and Division I football players, there\u2019s plenty of research showing similar finding in advanced folks.<\/p>\n
This study on gymnasts was particularly interesting….<\/p>\n
They were training 30 hours a week, and they were on a ketogenic, eating 1,971 calories a day. (By the way, that\u2019s extremely low calorie for such a high volume of exercise). Their body fat dropped from 7.6% to 5% in 30 days. And they gained 0.9 pounds of muscle, without losing any strength. That’s an awesome result!\u00a0 Click Here to See the Study.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nHere\u2019s What You Should Do Next\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\nInstead of doing body transformation the old school way of \u201cbulking up then cutting\u201d \u2013 it should be your goal to lose the excess body fat and sculpt muscle at the same time.<\/strong><\/p>\nAny smart, well designed program like this one here <\/span><\/a><\/span>will help you do this.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Simple, right?<\/p>\n
This is based on the First Law of Thermodynamics, about the law of energy conversion. It states the total energy of an isolated system is constant. Which means energy can be transformed from one form to another, but it can\u2019t be destroyed. So the energy can\u2019t just disappear\u2026 it has to go somewhere.<\/p>\n
Now here\u2019s the thing\u2026<\/p>\n
Most people then assume, based on these facts above, that to build muscle, you must eat MORE calories than your body needs and create a calorie surplus. And to lose fat, you consume LESS calories that your body needs so it uses stored body fat for energy instead.<\/p>\n
And that it\u2019s near impossible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time because one process is catabolic (losing fat) and the other is anabolic (building muscle).<\/p>\n
This is not true.<\/strong><\/p>\n Here\u2019s why\u2026<\/p>\n Protein and fat have different functions in your body. There are controlled by different energy mechanisms, and your body will send calories to muscle mass and fat mass independently. This is often expressed as a P-ratio by researchers, which is known as calorie partitioning.<\/p>\n The P-ratio represents the amount of protein that is either gained (or lost) during overfeeding or underfeeding.<\/p>\n For example, if you were dieting, a high P-ratio would mean you used a lot of protein and very little fat. Whereas a low P-ratio would mean you used very little protein and a lot of fat.<\/p>\n What does this mean for you?<\/p>\n Fact of the matter is: your body needs energy and protein to build muscle.<\/strong><\/p>\n That\u2019s why if you get enough protein from your diet, your body just needs energy to build muscle and you can pinch it from your fat stores.<\/p>\n The result?<\/p>\n You lose fat and build muscle at the same time.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve read this article,<\/span><\/a><\/span> and been following me for any length of time, you know by now that hormones play a huge role in fat loss and building muscle.<\/p>\n The old \u201ccalories in vs. calories out\u201d approach does work \u2013 initially\u2026<\/p>\n But it will NEVER remove your body\u2019s most stubborn fat.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how your hormones play a role here:<\/p>\n High testosterone levels tend to have positive calorie partitioning effects (more muscle, less fat). And on the flip side, chronically high levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) have the opposite effect (less muscle, more fat).<\/p>\n Your thyroid and nervous system are also super important here. It will not only impact your metabolic rate\u2026 but also your fat burning rate.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n Optimizing your thyroid and nervous system levels will mean faster fat burning, and less muscle loss when you\u2019re on a low calorie diet. And even less fat gain when you overeat.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why balancing your hormones is such a HUGE deal.<\/p>\n Sure, the theory sounds grand and all\u2026. But does this actually work in real life? Does anyone lose fat and build muscle at the same time?<\/p>\n I see it routinely happen with my new clients.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to take my word for it\u2026 Take a look at this research:<\/p>\n Research shows overweight police officers (over 26% body fat) who started a strength training program lost 9.3lbs of fat and gained 8.8lbs of lean muscle in 12 weeks. Click Here to See the Study\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re overweight, and you\u2019ve never exercised a day in your life, you\u2019re going to make fast progress.<\/p>\n That\u2019s because your body is primed for rapid improvements in nearly every area, especially strength.<\/p>\n Now, how overweight do you need to get similar results? We can agree these police officers were pretty overweight. And one thing I do know from experience is the more body fat you have, the more likely you\u2019ll be able to lose a huge number of pounds very quickly. (That\u2019s why it\u2019s possible for contestants on the Biggest Loser to lose ridiculous amounts of weight every week. Look at them\u2026 they have a LOT to lose!)<\/p>\n Great question.<\/p>\n Numerous studies show it\u2019s possible to lose fat and build muscle at the same time when you start training. Even sometimes only doing endurance training. You can check out the research Here<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong>, Here<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong> and Here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The best part?<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t matter how old, young, health, unhealthy, male or female. These studies show losing fat and building muscle at the same time IS possible.<\/p>\n Studies that were conducted on numerous athletes show losing fat and building muscle at the same time is possible.<\/p>\n From elite gymnasts to rugby players and Division I football players, there\u2019s plenty of research showing similar finding in advanced folks.<\/p>\n This study on gymnasts was particularly interesting….<\/p>\n They were training 30 hours a week, and they were on a ketogenic, eating 1,971 calories a day. (By the way, that\u2019s extremely low calorie for such a high volume of exercise). Their body fat dropped from 7.6% to 5% in 30 days. And they gained 0.9 pounds of muscle, without losing any strength. That’s an awesome result!\u00a0 Click Here to See the Study.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Instead of doing body transformation the old school way of \u201cbulking up then cutting\u201d \u2013 it should be your goal to lose the excess body fat and sculpt muscle at the same time.<\/strong><\/p>\n Any smart, well designed program like this one here <\/span><\/a><\/span>will help you do this.<\/strong><\/p>\nYou can lose fat and build muscle at the same time<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Now, Let\u2019s Talk Hormones.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Theory is Good and All, But Does This Work in Real Life?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nHang On, So These People In the Study are Really Overweight. What If I\u2019m Not Really Fat? Can I Lose Fat and Build Muscle at the Same time?<\/h3>\n
Wait up…\u00a0These people had barely trained before. What if I’m an athlete?<\/h3>\n
Here\u2019s What You Should Do Next\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n