It seems that the eternal conundrum is that there is no way to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. Most of us who want to achieve this end up having to spend a considerable amount of time in the gym – first to lose weight and then even more time to build the muscle. All we want to do is get to the maintenance time, where we only have to go to the gym in order to keep up what we have achieved, but this seems to take forever. So is there no way to shorten this period? Is there really no way to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time? Fortunately, it seems that there is!

Understanding Your Physiology

The first thing you have to do is understand your physiology. Technically speaking, it is not possible to build muscle and lose fat at the exact same moment in time. However, you can use a single session in the gym, for instance, to first build muscle and then lose fat (or vice versa), thereby achieving both.

Nutrient Timing

The best way to work out and eat in order to both lose fat and gain muscle weight is through a process known as nutrient timing.

“Nutrient timing is determined by (1) when you eat, (2) how much you eat, and (3) what you eat that together affect how your body responds.” – Built Lean

Before you start this, however, you have to learn about the various forms of nutrient timing, which are based mainly on your percentage of body fat and how much you want to lose and gain in muscle. Depending on where your focus lies, you will time your nutrition regime, accordingly. Hence, this is a plan that will forever be changing as well, as your goals change following achieved results.

Necessary Nutrients

It will come as no surprise that building a diet and nutrition plan is therefore the most important part of your fat loss and muscle gaining efforts. There are three main elements that you will need in your diet, which come back in fitness diets every time. These are fats, carbohydrates and protein.

“As the main source for building muscle, protein is absolutely necessary for your muscle-building strategy. […] This will guarantee that your muscles will be getting the correct dose of amino acids for maintaining and building muscle tissue.” – Bodybuilding.com

There are various protein calculators that you can use online for free to determine just how much you need. Make sure that you check these again and again as your body composition changes with time. In terms of carbohydrates, you have to ensure that you are consuming complex carbohydrates, which will feed your muscles when needed, keeping them strong as you engage in fat burning activities. Lastly, the fats are also very important. Good fats help in burning bad fats, and they also help to maintain hormone levels, which is essential for the upkeep of muscle tissue, including testosterone.

Weight Training

Your diet is what will help you burn fat and keep your muscles intact, as well as feed them. However, none of these will work if you don’t also engage in strenuous fat burning activities. It is generally recommended to spend some time doing different activities, some for burning fat and others for burning muscle. However, if you only have the time to do one, then it would be better to focus on weight training. After all, weight training also burns calories, and combined with your improved diet, you should also notice some weight loss. If you do have sufficient time, however, you might want to also take part in a few good cardio sessions. In terms of your weight training, you will have to create a proper plan that will best support your efforts.

“The ultimate cardio combination to lose weight. I like to do 10-15 minutes of HIIT followed by 15-20 minutes of steady state cardio. Depending on your weight loss goals, you can do as much as 30 minutes of HIIT followed by as much as 30 minutes of steady state cardio, but you should work up to this over time.” – Fitness Black and White

This should help you build muscle and lose fat at the same time. Remember that your programs and protocols should change as your body changes. Losing weight and gaining muscle at the same time, clearly, is completely possible.