How To Gain Muscle While Losing Fat

Here at The Blueprint LA we have members working towards all types of goals; weight gain, weight loss, muscle mass gain, developing healthy eating habits, as well as developing a sustainable fitness routine. We hear time and time again that members want to gain muscle while losing fat but they’re just not sure if that’s possible considering a calorie deficit helps with weight loss, while you need a calorie surplus to build muscle. 

We are here to tell you it is possible! With the right balance of nutrients and taking full advantage of The Blueprint LA training program muscle gain and fat loss is right around the corner!

Gaining muscle while losing fat requires the ideal balance of eating enough calories to build muscle but not too many calories to promote body fat. Recommendations from professional organizations are to increase your daily energy intake by roughly 200 calories daily to help build muscle.

Protein plays a critical role in building muscle because the amino acids (the building blocks of protein) found in this macronutrient help to repair and maintain muscle tissue. Training hard at the gym can only go so far if you aren’t providing your body with the correct building blocks to help support muscle gains.

Allowing yourself to eat adequate carbohydrates throughout the day will enable protein to do its job by helping to rebuild and repair your muscle tissue. By restricting carb intake, protein will be used as an energy source rather than to restore and rebuild lean muscle mass. The key to recovery is to eat some protein and some carbohydrates after working out. 

But before loading up on just any carbohydrate source, keep in mind that high-quality carbs that reach your bloodstream slowly will provide the sustained energy that you’re looking for. For example, some of the best carbohydrates for athletes will include whole grain bread, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and fresh fruit. Many of these sources also provide fiber, which can benefit both our digestive health and cardiovascular health.

While nutrition is important, exercise is also key when it comes to gaining muscle while losing fat. Resistance training or weight training will help to stress your muscle fibers so they can then grow back stronger. Let us take the guesswork out of this part for you! If you take advantage of five BPLA classes per week (3 Strength and 2 metabolic conditioning) you’ll be putting yourself in the best position possible to make these changes.

Studies suggest that adequate sleep and improved sleep quality can help enhance performance, reduce the risk of injury, and lead to improved endurance performance.

Just like training, getting enough sleep takes commitment and time management skills. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night to allow your body to help repair itself.

Need more info? Reach out to any BPLA coach today to set up a 1:1 goal setting session! Still looking to try a BPLA class? Click here to get setup today!