Why Building Muscle & Losing Fat is So Hard
Often people talk about gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time. They want to drop twenty pounds of fat and build twenty pounds of muscle, while staying at the same weight.
It sounds great, but it’s often unrealistic. Why is it so hard then, to build muscle and drop fat? Well one major reason is because, to gain muscle, you need to be anabolic.
Anabolic means growth. To burn fat, you need to be catabolic. Catabolic means breakdown.
It seems physiologically impossible to be both anabolic and catabolic at the same time. Therefore, the idea that you’re building muscle while losing fat, seems to be a losing proposition.
Can it be done
Interestingly enough, every week, I get some transformation from someone following my program that managed to lose a considerable amount of fat while gaining muscle.
So how is that possible? How could it be that people have been able to drop down to a low body fat while increasing strength and muscle mass?
First, let’s look at a couple transformations!
Transformation #1 – Nick Raptis (@nrmswole on IG)
In four months, Nick dropped from 195 lbs to 165 lbs following my Aggressive Fat Loss Program (averaging 1.8 lbs of fat loss per week all the way down to abs definition).
I asked him how the journey went and this is what he said:
“Hunger was not a problem for me since it was so easy to lose fat and enjoy satisfying meals. As far as strength my bench went from 225 x 2 to 225 x 10 (that’s a 69 lbs increase based on predicted 1rm). Also all other lifts went up as well. Thanks for creating a great program @gregogallagher ”
Transformation #2 – Sam Stone
This was accomplished in one year! Sam Stone went from 210 lbs to a lean and defined 150 lbs.
“Hey Greg I know you’re a very busy guy and gets tons of emails like this but I just thought id share my transformation over the past year as kinobody.com has completely changed my life.
Thank you so much for putting out such great content that actually fucking works.
I fell for so many random fitness marketing ploys over the years and was really depressed for a long time going up and down trying everything out there until I decided to give intermittent fasting a try.
After seeing it starting to work the first few weeks I came upon your website and youtube channel and have not looked back since.
My transformation has taken just over 1 Year with me falling off for a month too, I started out at 210lbs and now comfortably sitting at 150lbs and my strength levels have shot up.
Feel free to use my transformation pictures if you wish and one last time thank you so much.”
Transformation #3 – Adam S (@superleanfitness IG)
In just two months following Phase Two of my Superhero Bulking Program (shoulder specialization) Adam S. dropped fat and added a considerable amount of muscle to his shoulders, arms and chest.
He was eating at a calorie deficit while doing the superhero bulking program to see if he could lean down and gain muscle at the same time. He did.
Intermittent Fasting for Fat Loss & Muscle Gain
I believe that intermittent fasting can support fat loss and muscle gain. The reason is simple, intermittent fasting optimizes catabolic activity and anabolic activity.
During the fasting window, you are in a heightened state of fat burning. Growth hormone is elevated, insulin levels are low and fat mobilization is optimized. This allows you to experience some net fat loss each day (provided you are in a overall calorie deficit).
What’s more, the increase in growth hormone actually helps preserve muscle protein. Then when you shift into the feasting portion of the day, you enter a state of temporary overfeeding.
You’re eating big meals and taking in a lot of calories in a condensed period. This places your body into a state of anabolism. This allows you to experience some net muscle gain (provided strength is going up in the gym.)
Interestingly enough, intermittent fasting improves nutrition partitioning and insulin sensitivity, allowing you to better handle and direct nutrients to muscle tissue and away from fat stores, when you eat.
Theoretically, with intermittent fasting, proper nutrition and proper training (getting stronger on key lifts in the gym), you can experience some net fat loss and net muscle gain on a daily basis.
Now you’re not going to gain 10 lbs of muscle and lose 10 lbs of fat in two months. The change in muscle will be much more subtle.
That said, you may be able to drop 15-20 lbs of fat in 3-4 months, while gaining 5 lbs of muscle. These are results I typically see when someone follows my Warrior Shredding Program.
Optimize Catabolic Activity & Anabolic Activity
You don’t want to be in catabolic state for too long, otherwise you will run the risk of muscle breakdown.
This is why I only recommend fasting for 14-18 hours per day. Fasting for 20-30+ hours is not only not enjoyable, but the risk of muscle protein breakdown is higher.
Remember, you want to balance anabolic and catabolic activity. Push your first 4-8 hours after rising and you will achieve the perfect balance of catabolic and anabolic activity.
If you’re catabolic for too long, you will start to breakdown muscle tissue. If you’re anabolic for too long, you will increase fat stores.
The Benefits of Fasting During the Day & Feasting at Night
I believe that intermittent fasting is an amazing lifestyle and nutrition protocol that can make building an amazing physique, easier and more enjoyable than ever before.
By placing your calorie and macronutrient intake later into the day, you can experience greater results, than if you were to simply spread your calories across the entire day.
Besides, this is likely, how humans have evolved to eat. Fast and hunt during the day, stimulating the sympathetic system that keeps us alert, focused and energetic.
Then feast in the afternoon and evening and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system that promotes rest, relaxation and recovery.
By eating this way, you truly feel incredible.
How to Build Muscle & Lose Fat with Intermittent Fasting
Combine an intermittent fasting set up, with a three day workout routine geared around getting stronger on key lifts, and you can experience amazing results.
If your goal is primary fat loss and you’re eating at a deficit, you will likely gain a considerable amount of strength and some muscle, while getting lean.
If your primary goal is muscle gain and you’re eating at maintenance or above, you will likely gain solid muscle while staying lean, pretty easily.
This is why people have likely achieved such amazing results with my programs and routines. The interplay with intermittent fasting, proper calorie and macronutrient set ups, optimizing training and recovery.. create amazing results.
Take the Next Step
As a little bonus, I have put together the Kinobody Fasting Handbook. It is my approach to intermittent fasting to make it as effective and enjoyable as possible.
You can download it for free below.
And of course, if you’re not sure which program of mine is best for you, take the survey or learn about the different courses here.