The term “recomp” is a pseudonym use to describe the changing of an individuals body composition. For example, if an individual goes from 30% body fat to 20% body fat this would be considered a successful body recomp. 

Changing your body composition is normally looked upon as a mysterious and arduous process. People don’t know whether they should gain muscle first or attempt to lose weight first. What makes matters worse is that they normally attempt to do both at the same time. If nobody has told you yet, then let me be the first to tell you that gaining and losing simultaneously is an impossible endeavor. 

Caloric Balance

The dietary requirements necessary to gain weight are the antithesis of that to losing weight. In order to gain weight the human body must be in a state known as a caloric surplus. This means an individual is eating more calories than his body is burning throughout the day. On the other hand, in order to lose weight, a person must be in a caloric deficit. In this state an individual must burn more calories than they are consuming

Your First Step Should Always Be…

When wanting to recomp your body, I always recommend gaining muscle first before attempting any type of weight loss. This holds true regardless of where you’re currently at within your fitness journey. Muscle is an active tissue, meaning it burns more calories than other tissues within the human body. A human body that has 120lbs of muscle will burn more calories than the one with 90lbs of muscle. 

As I mentioned earlier, burning more calories than you consume is a key part of weight loss. Burning calories is made significantly easier for the individual who has more muscle on their body. That is why it is important to build muscle first before attempting any weight loss strategies.