Is it possible to lose fat and gain muscle mass at the same time? This article addresses this old bodybuilding question and provides a method for accomplishing both over a period of time.

When The Body Gains Muscle & Loses Fat Simultaneously

First and foremost, the body is inefficient at performing both activities at the same time. The only times when both happen at peak efficiency are:

1. When the person is just a beginner who is starting bodybuilding, in which case, weight training is such a new stimulus to the body that muscle gain and fat loss happen extremely efficiently.
2. When coming back after a period of no weight training in which case the body is just regaining muscle tissue that has been previously built. If, God forbid, you get the flu and couldn't train for three weeks, once you come back you will experience simultaneous accelerated muscle gain and fat loss.

Above 10% BF For Men / 12% For Women?

Concentrate On Losing Fat First

Having said that, my recommendation is that if you are above 10% body fat for men and 12% for women, try to concentrate first on getting below that level while retaining or even gaining, a moderate amount of muscle tissue.

This is best accomplished, in my opinion, by following a diet that is composed of 40% carbs, 40% proteins and 20% fats. This ratio works very well for most people except for hardgainers who have such a fast metabolism that they need more carbs and fats.

Carbs should come mainly from complex slow releasing sources such as oatmeal, grits, brown rice and sweet potatoes, in combination with fibrous sources such as green beans and broccoli. Proteins should come mainly from chicken, turkey, tuna, turkey, salmon and lean red meats.

Since the focus is on reducing body fat, dairy products and fruits need to be eliminated at this time, not because they are not healthy but due to the fact that the type of simple carbs contained in these foods may slow down fat loss. Finally, you need some fats and these should come on the form of fish oils, flaxseed oil or extra virgin canned olive oil.

Note: Please refer to the sample diets below.

As far as the amounts of nutrients required to lose fat, a good starting point is 1-1.2 gram of protein per pound of lean (fat free) bodyweight, 1-1.2 gram of carbs per pound of lean bodyweight, and 2-3 tablespoons of good fats per day for men and 1-1.5 for women.

Baseline Sample Fat Loss Diet For Men

Note: If you want to turn this diet into a gaining diet, then add food to the diet below as prescribed in the instructions of the following section.

Modifications For Hardgainers: For Hardgainers, the servings of carbohydrates should be doubled (so for instance, Meal 1 would contain 2 cups of oatmeal).

Meal 1 (7 AM):

• 1 cup of dry oats mixed with water
• 1 cup of egg beaters or 2 scoops of whey protein

Meal 2 (9 AM):

• Meal replacement (I personally like Prolab's Lean Mass Complex, which already has a 40/40/20 nutrient ratio) mixed with water or a whey protein powder (with around 40 grams of protein) mixed with 40 grams of carbs from cream of rice, grits, or oatmeal.
• 1 Tablespoon of Flaxseed Oil (I like Spectrum brand) or Fish Oils (I like Carlsons)

Meal 3 (12 Noon):

• 1 cup of brown rice, or medium sized baked potato, or 1 cup of oatmeal
• 2 cups of green beans, broccoli or any other desired vegetable
• 6-8 ounces of chicken, turkey, or lean fish

Meal 4 (3 PM):

• Same as Meal 2

Meal 5 (6 PM):

• 1 cup of brown rice, or medium sized baked potato, or 1 cup of oatmeal
• 2 cups of green beans, broccoli or any other desired vegetable
• 6-8 ounces of chicken, turkey or lean fish

Meal 6 (8 PM):

• Same as Meal 2 or 3.

Baseline Sample Fat Loss Diet For Women

Meal 1 (7 AM):

• 1/2 cup of dry oats mixed with water
• 1/2 cup of egg beaters

Meal 2 (9 AM):

• Meal replacement (I personally like Prolab's Lean Mass Complex, which already has a 40/40/20 nutrient ratio) mixed with water or a whey protein powder (with around 20 grams of protein) mixed with 20 grams of carbs from cream of rice, grits, or oatmeal.
• 1/2 Tablespoon of Flaxseed Oil (I like Spectrum brand) or Fish Oils (I like Carlsons)

Meal 3 (12 Noon):

• 1/2 cup of brown rice, or medium sized baked potato or 1 cup of oatmeal
• 2 cups of green beans, broccoli or any other desired vegetable
• 6 ounces of chicken, turkey or lean fish

Meal 4 (3 PM):

• Same as Meal 2

Meal 5 (6 PM):

• 1/2 cup of brown rice, or medium sized baked potato or 1 cup of oatmeal
• 2 cups of green beans, broccoli or any other desired vegetable
• 6 ounces of chicken, turkey or lean fish

Meal 6 (8 PM):

• Same as Meal 2

Once Lean Enough It Is Time To Gain Muscle

Once below 10% body fat (12% for women), the bodybuilding or figure athlete can go ahead and start on a bulk up cycle. All that needs to be done then is just increase your nutrient intake to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean bodyweight, 1.5-2 grams of carbs per pound of lean weight and keep the essential fats at 3 tablespoons per day for guys and 1.5 for women.

Hardgainers may need to increase carbs even further and make use of calorie rich weight gainers, such as Prolab's N-Large 2, and digestive enzymes to facilitate digestion.

The athlete should continue to bulk up until a level of 10 percent body fat is exceeded. At that point, calories need to be reduced again. Understand, that when eating more calories than what the body burns on any given day, some of those calories will be deposited as body fat.

However, if your training is right on the money, most of the calories will be used for energy and muscle production.

Weight Training & Cardio

Weight training wise, 4-6 sessions of 45 minutes to 1 hour, at the most, in the gym should get the job done regardless of the phase you are in. A good strategy to avoid stagnation is to periodize, which in other words is to change your workout parameters like sets, reps and rest in between sets in a logical and orderly fashion that elicits the most response for the body.

So for instance you can do 3-4 weeks of training using higher reps, such as 12-15, and short periods of rest in between sets, like 60 seconds, and then follow that with 3-4 weeks of lower rep work (in the range of 6-10) with longer rest in between sets 90 seconds to 2 minutes (Please check out my Advanced Bodybuilding Periodized Routine listed below).

As far as cardiovascular exercise, around 5-6 sessions of 30-45 minutes when trying to cut down to below 10 percent body fat and around 2-4 sessions of 20-30 minutes when trying to add. These sessions can be performed first thing in the morning on an empty stomach or right after the workout.

Now, if you are a hardgainer, which in other words is a naturally skinny person that has problems gaining weight, then a maximum of 15-20 minutes of a light walk for health purposes is recommended regardless of whether you are trying to gain or cut. These sessions are to be performed only on days off from weights.

Conclusion

So in a nutshell, alternating between higher calorie periods and lower calorie periods along with a properly periodized routine, and a cardiovascular program that is in line with what you are trying to accomplish are the keys for consistent progress in terms of muscle gain and fat loss. In this manner, you can accomplish both goals over time and thus stay in good shape throughout the year.

Advanced Bodybuilding Periodized Routine

Week 1 - Active Rest:

Monday/Thursday:

Modified Compound Superset: (Rest 1 minute after the 1st set of exercise 1 and then do the first set of exercise 2. Then rest a minute and go back to exercise 1. Continue this pattern until both exercises are done for the prescribed amount of sets).

• Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
• One Arm Dumbbell Rows 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
• Modified Compound Superset: Dumbbell Bench Press 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest) Pulldown to Front 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
• Modified Compound Superset: Bent Over Lateral Raises 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest) Dumbbell Shoulder Press 2 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
• Modified Compound Superset: Incline Dumbbell Curls 3 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest) Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 3 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
• Modified Compound Superset: Dumbbell Lunges 3 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest) Leg Curls 3 sets x 10 reps (1 minute rest)
• Modified Compound Superset: Squats 2 sets x 10 reps (2 minute rest) Calf Raise 3 sets x 10 reps (2 minute rest)

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Week 1 Monday-Thursday.

Weeks 2, 3, & 4 - Loading Phase:

Training Frequency Notes: If unable to train six days a week, you can train five days a week and then move on to the following Week instructions but starting with the next day of the cycle. So for instance, if Friday was your last workout and you trained Chest and Back, then your next training day you will be working your Shoulders and Arms.

Modifications For Hardgainers (These modifications only apply to Weeks 2-7): Train on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Just move from one day to the next in your training cycle. So for instance on Week 2, you will start with shoulders and arms on Monday, follow with legs on tuesday, chest and back on Thursday and back to shoulders and arms on Friday.

Next week, you will start with legs on Monday, and so on. I would also like hardgainers to repeat the instructions provided for each week twice, meaning that whatever the instructions are for Week 2 workouts, they need to be repeated over the following week, before moving to Week 3 workout instructions.

So the way the workouts will be performed by Hardgainers is the following:

Follow Week 2 Instructions: Monday - Shoulders and Arms Tuesday - Legs Thursday - Chest and Back Friday - Shoulders and Arms

Still Follow Week 2 Instructions: Monday - Legs Tuesday - Chest and Back Thursday - Shoulders and Arms Friday - Legs

Change to Week 3 Instructions: Monday - Chest and Back Tuesday - Shoulders and Arms Thursday - Legs Friday - Chest and Back

Repeat Week 3 Instructions over the following week and so on.

Day 1 - Shoulders and Arms (Monday/Thursday):

• Superset: Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 sets x 10-12 reps (30 second rest) Bent Over Laterals 4 sets x 10-12 reps (30 second rest)
• Superset: Dumbbell Curls 4 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest) Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 4 sets x 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)
• Superset: Incline Curls 4 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest) Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 4 sets x 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)
• Superset: Wrist Curls 3 sets x 15-30 reps (No rest) Reverse Wrist Curls 3 sets x 15-30 reps (No rest)

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Week 2 Day 1.

On Week 3, Add:

• Superset: Bent Over Laterals 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest) Concentration Curls 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest) Triceps Pushdowns 3 sets x 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Week 3 Day 1.

On Week 4, Add:

• Superset: Lateral Raises 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest) Hammer Curls 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest) Triceps Dips 3 sets x 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Week 4 Day 1.

Day 2 - Legs (Tuesday/Friday)

• Superset: Squats 4 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest) Lying Leg Curls 4 sets x 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)
• Superset: Wide Stance Squats 4 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest) Standing Leg Curls 4 sets x 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)
• Superset: Adductor Machine 3 sets x 12-15 reps (No rest) Abductor Machine 3 sets x 12-15 reps (No rest)
• Superset: Standing Calf Raises 4 sets x 10-12 reps (30 second rest) Seated Calf Raises 4 sets x 15-20 reps (30 second rest)

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Week 2 Day 2.

On Week 3, Add:

• Superset: Leg Extensions 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest) Seated Leg Curls 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest) One Legged Calf Raises with Dumbbells 3 sets x 15-20 reps (1 minute rest)

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Week 3 Day 2.

On Week 4, Add:

• Superset: Leg Press 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest) Dumbbell Stiff Legged Dead lifts 3 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest) Calf Press (on Leg Press Machine) 3 sets x 15-20 reps (1 minute rest)

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Week 4 Day 2.

Day 3 - Chest & Back (Wednesday/Saturday)

• Superset: Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest) Wide Grip Pull-up to Front (Palms facing away from you) 4 sets x 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)
• Superset: Chest Dips 4 sets x 10-12 reps (No rest) Close Grip Pull-up (Palms facing you) 4 sets x 10-12 reps (1 minute rest)
• Superset: Dumbbell Shrugs 3 sets x 10-12 reps External Rotations (for strengthening of the rotator cuff) 3 sets x 15-20 reps
• Superset: Leg Raises 4 sets x 25 reps (30 second rest) Crunches 4 sets x 25 reps (30 second rest)

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Week 2 Day 3.

On Week 3, Add:

Superset: One Arm Rows Dumbbell Bench Press Knee-Ins

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Week 3 Day 3.

On Week 4, Add:

Superset: Stiff Arm Pulldowns Incline Flyes Side Crunches

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Week 4 Day 3.

Weeks 5, 6, and 7 - Growth Phase:

Day 1 - Shoulders & Arms (Monday/Thursday)

• Modified Compound Superset: Military Press 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest) Rear Delt Rows (Performed on T-Bar Row Machine, elbows and upper arms away from torso in order to primarily stimulate the Rear Delts and not the Lats) 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)
• Modified Compound Superset: E-Z Curls 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest) Lying E-Z Triceps Extensions 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)
• Modified Compound Superset: E-Z Preacher Curls 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest) Triceps Dips 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)
• Superset: Wrist Curls 2 sets x 15-30 reps (No rest) Reverse Wrist Curls 2 sets x 15-30 reps (No rest)

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Weeks 5, 6, & 7 Day 1.

Day 2 - Legs (Tuesday/Friday)

• Modified Compound Superset: Squats 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest) Lying Leg Curls 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)
• Modified Compound Superset: Wide Stance Squats 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest) Standing Leg Curls 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)
• Superset: Adductor Machine 2 sets x 12-15 reps (No rest) Abductor Machine 2 sets x 12-15 reps (No rest)
• Superset: Calf Press 4 sets x 8-10 reps (No rest) Seated Calf Raises 4 sets x 15-20 reps (30 second rest)

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Weeks 5, 6, & 7 Day 2.

Day 3 - Chest & Back (Wednesday/Saturday)

• Modified Compound Superset: Incline Barbell Bench Press 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest) Wide Grip Pull-up to Front (Palms facing away from you) 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)
• Modified Compound Superset: Chest Dips 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest) Close Grip Pull-up (Palms facing you) 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 6 reps (90 second rest)
• Superset: Dumbbell Shrugs 2 sets x 10-12 reps (No Rest) External Rotations (for strengthening of the rotator cuff) 2 sets x 15-20 reps (No Rest)
• Superset: Hanging Leg Raises 4 sets x 25 reps (No Rest) Crunches (performed on Decline Bench) 4 sets x 25 reps (30 second rest)

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Weeks 5, 6, & 7 Day 3.

Notes:

• This training program will work regardless of whether you are trying to gain or cut as one should always train with the purpose of stimulating muscle. In this manner, you get the best muscle gains if your diet and training program are designed to help you gain, and you get to keep the most muscle (or even gain a modest amount) as you cut down.
• Regarding the issue of reaching muscle failure or not in all sets, the best advice that I can give you is to perform each set to the point where it would be impossible for you to perform an additional repetition on your own with good form. This philosophy has always kept me injury free and allowed me to train by myself for years without any accidents.
• After finishing up the last week of the growth phase, go back to an active recovery phase for a week and re-start the loading phase with different exercises. Training in this manner will keep the body off guard and will continue to stimulate gains in muscle size.

About The Author:

Hugo Rivera, About.com's Bodybuilding Guide, ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer and Computer Engineering graduate from the University of South Florida, is a internationally-known best-selling fitness author of over 8 books on bodybuilding, weight loss and fitness, including "The Body Sculpting Bible for Men," "The Body Sculpting Bible for Women," "The Hardgainer's Bodybuilding Handbook," and his successful, self published e-book, "Body Re-Engineering." You can visit Hugo Rivera at www.bodybuilding.about.com, at www.HRFit.net, and his new site www.losefatandgainmuscle.com.