How to Lose Fat and Gain Muscle
So, you want to lose fat and gain muscle mass?
That's great because I'm super excited to break this down to you, too, as it's a topic that I'm very familiar with.
So let's get stuck in because I'm on the edge of my seat as I type this.
First, let's start with a brief story because everyone loves stories.
In 2019, I decided to get the heaviest I'd ever been.
Why? In a nutshell, two reasons.
Firstly, so I could relate more closely to Kairos Online members going through a fat loss journey.
I knew it wouldn't be precisely the same, as everyone has their own challenges, but it was something at the least.
Secondly, I wanted to get the biggest and strongest I'd ever been, and at the time, I used to incorrectly think that the more weight I put on, the better. Meaning that back then, this seemed like the perfect combination.
It was a cross between an experiment and a poor version of a bulk.
I started at around 76kg (167.5 lbs) in late August 2018 and reached a high of almost 92kg (202.8 lbs) at the beginning of March 2019 - the heaviest I'd ever weighed. However, it is essential to note that I was consistently resistance training throughout this period.
Before exercising, I had already weighed a high of 88kg (194 lbs) in 2012, but my weight in 2019 was undoubtedly the heaviest.
My fat loss phase finished in the last week of November 2019 (8 months later), weighing about 72.5kg (159.8 lbs).
I certainly don't regret getting that heavy because, again - it was intentional, and it came with many lessons learnt. Still, my only regret was that I didn't document it. *sigh*.
Lesson learnt.
This is also why I've created a Weight Loss Vlog Series, documenting my fat loss journey, the ins and outs, and all the curveballs that come with it within the last few months of 2022.
Anyway, the following article will be a combination of advice. Including what I've done, know works, and a heads up on things you should be aware of if you have yet to resistance train for that long.
Calorie Deficit
First, as you may know by now - the only way to lose fat is by being in a chronic calorie deficit.
If you follow me on Instagram @leoalvespt, you'll know I speak about this often.
A calorie deficit is when you eat fewer calories relative to the number of calories required for maintaining your current body weight. A deficit can be created by reducing the number of calories eaten and/or increasing expenditure.
Meaning, that even if you're in a calorie deficit on Monday to Thursday but then overeat big time from Friday to Sunday, you may no longer average out a calorie deficit.
However, please note that this isn't to say you always have to be 'perfect' because that's unrealistic. You will overeat on some days because you're only human - but it does mean you need to be consistent with it over the long run.
This brings me to my next point, a little tactic I was sure to implement back in 2019.
The tactic is to eat as many calories as possible whilst being in a calorie deficit.
You may have already mistakenly cut your calories too low, but this is an issue.
Why? Two reasons:
Aggressively cutting your calories isn't sustainable. You will undoubtedly see fast results in the short term, but eventually, you will be back at square one. Maybe even a bit before square one.
You're reading this because you want to know 'How to lose fat and grow muscle mass', correct?
So understand that if you're not giving your body enough calories to grow muscle, you will make the process super tough for yourself.
Although since your goal is also fat loss, you'll still have to ensure that you're in a calorie deficit - which isn't the most 'optimal' condition to build muscle in. But note how I say 'optimal' - because in your earlier days of working out, I guarantee you'll gain muscle at an amazing rate anyway. Hence the term “newbie gains”.
To continue from my earlier story, I started my calorie deficit at around 3,300 calories daily due to my maintenance being about 3,500.
Sound like a lot? Depends.
Because your body's demand for calories increases due to various factors, one is that the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll need to maintain body weight.
Activity levels are also another factor, and due to my personal training job on the gym floor in Fulham leading me to average around 25,000 steps daily easily, you can bet calorie demands were sky-high.
To summarise this section, know that slightly eating under maintenance will be the best thing you can do for long-term sustainability.
Want to ensure you do just that and need help working out your calorie deficit? Then use my online calorie calculator by clicking here.
Keep Protein High
One common mistake I encounter? You'll slash your calories right down and have no regard for protein.
Here's the thing, over the long term, if both your protein is low and you're simultaneously in a calorie deficit - then that is the perfect recipe for muscle loss. I know you're here because you want to lose fat and grow muscle mass - meaning you need to make a more conscious effort towards getting protein in.
So, how much protein should you aim for? You'll need to eat a certain amount of protein to ensure optimal progression. A target of 0.7-1g per lb of body weight (BW) is excellent. However, if you're more overweight, you can aim for much less, e.g. 0.4/0.6g per lb of BW. Because otherwise, your protein goal will likely be unrealistically high.
Although there's no science to back the 0.4/0.6g figure up, I can say from experience working with busy people like yourself who have yet to think much about protein intake, starting at 0.7-1g per lb of BW can be tricky.
For example, for someone 100kg in body weight, or 220.5lbs;
Situation A:
0.7-1g x 220.5 = a daily protein goal of anywhere between 154g to 221g
Situation B:
0.4-0.6 x 220.5 = a daily protein goal of anywhere between 88g and 132g
Situation B being a lot easier to achieve within your earlier days = a lot more motivating.
Plus, it's important to note that if your protein goal is 88g, then it should be a 'minimum 88g', meaning if you go over, that's fine too!
Over time, you can simply increase it as you get better at hitting your protein goals.
Workout Your Whole Body
"I don't train legs because I play X sport"
"I don't train my upper body because I only want big legs."
These are just two examples of thought processes currently holding you back regarding your training.
Because here's the thing, your body is only as strong as its weakest link. If you're skipping leg day, you'll have severe imbalances down the line - the same goes for if you don't train your upper body.
My gold standard advice? Stop missing out on muscle groups, and start training your body as a whole.
Legs. Shoulders. Back. Chest. Glutes. The whole lot.
Of course, that doesn't mean you can't prioritise some places more than others because if you want a bigger butt, feel free to do more exercises for a bigger butt.
But if you're completely skipping your upper body because you want a big butt, that's where the issue comes in.
You can do a variety of splits that'll help stimulate your entire body over the week, with the following workout splits being some of my favourites:
Two weekly workouts = 2 Full Body Sessions
Three weekly workouts = Upper, Lower, Full Body
Four weekly workouts = Upper A, Lower A, Upper B, Lower B
Five weekly workouts = Push, Pull, Legs, Upper, Lower
Check out the example of Kairos Online member Hakeem. A bartender and an avid Arsenal FC fan - he's crushed his journey.
Jumping from training split to training split before starting (most notably bro splits) to being put on upper/lower sessions. On top of the fact that he was averaging about three gym sessions weekly - he'd easily end up working out his full body twice by the end of some weeks.
Amazing what a solid routine can do, right? Pair this with the fact that he went from being unable to believe he could track his calories to consistently doing it - all whilst emphasising protein intake. Voila. The results below speak for themselves—big props to Hakeem.
Want to get started but need to know how to put a session together? Then you can grab my free Full Body Workout Plan by clicking here.
Progressive Overload.
Progressive overload. It's so damn important. If you aren't doing it, you'll struggle to grow muscle regardless of how many calories you eat.
Examples of how to progressively overload are in the images below.
Because think of it this way: if you aren't increasing the number of reps you can do, the amount of weight you can lift, or even controlling the exercises better, how will you grow muscle?
Your body doesn't just magically create muscle. You must force the muscle to grow by applying gradual stress over time.
"But Leo, I've been growing muscle and getting stronger without worrying about progressive overload."
And there are three reasons for that.
You're new to resistance training, meaning you don't have to do much for something to work.
In your earlier days, you could look at a barbell and grow. Although I can guarantee that progress will eventually slow, you'll have to start thinking more about how you will progress your workouts.
You've been progressively overloading without realising. An easy analogy would be saying, "I've been losing fat without being in a calorie deficit". Fat loss is a calorie deficit.
Getting stronger and growing more muscle is progressive overload. It's not one or the other.
You're in the 0.1% population for elite muscle-building genetics, although it's likely one of the first two.
Pro tip:
Start logging your workouts.This way, your sessions will no longer be a guessing game about how much weight you can or can't lift, and you'll catapult your progress. It's impossible to remember how much weight you lifted for how many reps for each set for every single exercise you do during the week.
Memory will play up. If you're not logging, you're guessing - and if you're guessing, you're cheating yourself out of progress.
"You'll Lose Muscle Whilst in a Fat Loss Phase"
This brings me nicely to the next section.
You may have heard someone telling you that you'll inevitably lose muscle as you lose fat.
There's not much to say about this, but if you haven't heard that statement, great - you've saved yourself from hearing another myth.
If you have heard that statement before, you best believe it's precisely that… a myth.
So many variables come into play that, to summarise it so simplistically, is criminal. The only way you'll lose muscle whilst losing fat is by eating little protein or letting yourself lose muscle, e.g., not pushing yourself in your workouts. If you tell yourself you're going to get weaker, then you probably will - because you're subconsciously going to act it out.
Furthermore, if we reference my initial story again, I got the strongest I'd ever been when I started losing fat and getting leaner.
How so? Because my intensity did not drop in my sessions, I kept progressively overloading, and I kept protein high throughout.
You can also take Kairos Online member Anca as a prime example of someone who grew muscle whilst losing fat. She's a lady who owns a beautiful cat, loves going for walks whilst listening to her favourite audiobooks, and has a full-time job working from home.
She struggled with her weight for many years before starting with Kairos Online but has crushed the process. Took on all advice given and invested in equipment to use at home. This included adjustable dumbbells, a mini barbell and some resistance bands - she's now continuing her quest to continue getting stronger than ever.
Anca, you're terrific.
Cardio
If you ask me if cardio is overrated or underrated, it depends.
For improvements in overall well-being and cardiovascular health, it's underrated, and for fat loss, it's wildly overrated.
Now, I will speak purely from a fat loss perspective here.
It's important to note that cardio may assist with fat loss. I've italicised 'may' because if you're focusing on cardio for fat loss before resistance training, a calorie deficit, adequate protein, sleeping well, and steps - you're making a big mistake.
Because these are all things that'll ultimately have a much bigger say on whether you achieve your fat loss goals.
Much more than your weekly cardio would.
On the other hand, if all the previously listed variables have been nailed and your fat loss has been plateauing for about a month, it could be a good idea to start doing more cardio.
Why? Because it's another way that'll keep you moving.
Pro tip 1:
Ensure you do your resistance training before you do your cardio.Why? Two reasons.
Firstly because your resistance training needs to be the priority if your aim is to grow muscle. If you do your cardio beforehand, you may tire yourself out before the session - and good luck trying to do heavy squats or deadlifts after a gruelling 30-minute cardio session.
Secondly, dealing with weights also has more of a risk element. To minimise the risk of injury, go into your resistance training sessions feeling as fresh as possible.
Pro tip 2:
Suppose you do your cardio on a treadmill and put the treadmill on an incline whilst holding onto the treadmill simultaneously. In that case, you're not actually at an incline. Let go of the treadmill ;)
Pro tip 3:
If you're a Kairos Online member with a fat loss goal, you'll realise I only implement a little cardio in your earlier days. Now you know why.Any cardio I implement is for improvements in cardiovascular health - not fat loss.
Steps
Walking. Easily one of the most underrated forms of exercise out there.
How so? Because if you're like most people, you're likely always looking for the next shiny object and deem walking to be 'too simplistic'.
Walking is movement. Movement is exercise.
Meaning it also helps with;
Mental health
Emotional health
Physical health
Body composition
Mood
It can also be done almost anywhere at almost any moment. Convenience is a game changer on your journey to losing fat and growing muscle mass – especially for someone as busy as you.
It's much less intense than cardio, meaning it's easier for you to do more consistently over the long term. Also allowing you to recover from your resistance training sessions more efficiently and has a lot less impact on your joints.
If you're feeling overwhelmed and don't know where to start when it comes to transforming your physique - begin with going for walks, even if it's just 15 minutes a day. Consistently, and it'll change your life.
Pro tip:
Want to implement a step goal and need help figuring out where you should start? Look at your current steps average for the past month and add another 2,500 on top of it. That's your new step goal.
By the end of the week, you'll have accumulated another 17,500 steps (minimum) on top of what you usually do.
Otherwise, that's me done here.
I hope this article has cleared things up for you.
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Speak soon,
Leo
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