Body recomposition timeline: Here's what you can expect

When embarking on a health and lifestyle journey, many of us want to lose fat mass but also increase muscle, to achieve a lean and toned look.

But losing weight and gaining muscle are both challenging, and the prospect of doing the two things at once might seem difficult, or even impossible.

If you're looking to improve your health, build lean body mass and reduce body fat percentage, you might have heard the phrase 'body recomposition', or its nicknames 'recomp' and 'recomping'.

So is it actually possible, or just another trend? How long does it take? And is it healthy, or an extreme fad? Here's what you need to know.

What is body recomposition?

Before we dive into body recomposition, it's important to understand body composition.

In the context of health and fitness, composition describes the amount of fat, bone, and muscle mass in our bodies, which all impact our body weight [1].

So with that in mind, body recomposition refers to the changing composition and the process of losing fat and building muscle at the same time, or changing the ratio of fat to muscle [2].

Body recomposition can have visual benefits, like helping your body look more lean and toned, as well as health benefits such as improved bone density, better metabolism (since muscle growth increases metabolism [3]), better athletic performance, and increased strength as you're building muscle.

Understanding your composition is important as it helps paint a picture of your overall health, and it is a better measure than simply relying on weight or the body mass index (BMI).

BMI only considers weight-to-height ratio, so a person with lots of lean muscle mass might have the same BMI as a person with a lot of body fat.

BMI cannot accurately detect whether you have a healthy body fat percentage, or whether you are likely to have weight-related health issues.

Traditionally, the process of body recomposition has mostly been used by bodybuilders or weightlifters who need to reduce their body fat percentage while maintaining or building muscle mass before competitions.

But recently, it is becoming more mainstream — and it could be more achievable than you think.

How long does body recomposition take?

The good news is, body recomposition is definitely possible, and can be achieved in a healthy way.

But like any type of body transformation, the amount of time it takes to see results and reach your goals can vary from person to person.

It typically involves monitoring your calorie intake, following a high-protein diet, following a regular exercise routine (including strength training and cardio), simultaneously losing fat and gaining muscle — so there is a lot going on, and each factor takes time, particularly building muscle.

The rate at which you see results can vary depending on things like whether you have a high body fat percentage, how experienced you are with weight training, the intensity of your workout regimen, your body shape, genetics, and age.

In the early stages of a body recomposition journey, novice lifters often experience faster muscle gain than those who are more advanced (this is often referred to as 'newbie gains'), but most people can expect to see body recomposition progress within about 10 weeks [2][4].

Depending on your goals, it can take months or even years to achieve major body recomposition.

Does body recomposition take longer than fat loss?

Body recomposition does take longer than fat loss because it is a more complex process and involves two different goals at the same time.

Fat loss can often be achieved by eating at a calorie deficit, following a healthy balanced diet, and doing cardio exercise, and is typically a quicker process than gaining lean body mass.

In fact, fat loss can sometimes result in losing muscle.

Building muscle, which is the other key element of body recomposition, does take more time. It can take 6-8 weeks to notice real improvements in strength, and 12 or more weeks to see visible muscle gain [5].

How do you know if body recomposition is working?

In the past, improving health and fitness has traditionally been about reducing your weight — but body recomposition is not necessarily about weight loss.

In fact, muscle mass is more dense than fat mass, so you might not necessarily notice changes on the scale.

However, the way your body looks, how your clothes fit, your strength, and how you feel will all change.

With that in mind, stepping on the scale and focusing on weight loss is not the best way to track or measure body recomposition, or determine whether it is working.

Instead, we recommend things keeping track of your measurements, taking regular progress photos, and skinfold or calliper tests.

If you have access to a DEXA scan or 3D body scanning technology, these can also be a useful way to get a full picture of your lean body bass and body composition.

Performance in strength training can also be an indicator of whether or not your program is working.

If you can lift heavier weights, perform more reps, and feel better during and after exercise, these are all good signs for your health and fitness progress.

Are there ways to speed up body recomposition?

Like any type of health journey, achieving body recomposition does take time, particularly if you want the results to be sustainable.

While following an extreme diet or ultra-intense exercise routine might yield quick visible results, these are neither healthy nor maintainable, and real lean muscle growth does take time, so it is important to be patient.

However, there are several things you can do to support your goals and give you the best chance of successful body recomposition.

For one thing, make sure you are eating a balanced diet with plenty of healthy fats, complex carbohydrates and enough protein, as this is essential for supporting muscle repair and growth.

Protein is particularly important as it supports muscle protein synthesis, which is the process of building muscle mass [6]. It is also more satiating than other macronutrients, which means it will keep you fuller for longer [7].

If you aren't sure how much protein you need, you can speak to a personal trainer or dietitian to work out your nutritional needs.

Additionally, it is important to make sure you aren't eating too little — your body needs fuel for muscle repair, to give you energy for your workouts, and even lose body fat.

For example, one study examined a calorie deficit in elite athletes and found those who had a moderate calorie deficit performed better than those who drastically cut calories [8].

In the past, getting healthy and reducing excess body fat has typically been associated with cardio exercise, but for body recomposition, you need to prioritise weight training sessions.

These sessions should target all major muscle groups and include compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts and bench presses using weights, and body weight exercises like push-ups and chin-ups.

Compound exercises target multiple muscle groups at a time, so they are a great way to make your workouts more efficient.

Getting enough sleep is also essential for both losing fat and gaining muscle, along with adequate hydration [9].

It's also important to be aware that progress is not always linear, and you may experience plateaus throughout your body recomposition journey.

A plateau often occurs a few months into a programme, and typically indicates your body has adapted to your exercise regime and stopped improving [10].

This means you might stop seeing improvements in your fat loss, strength training or muscle growth even if you are doing all the right things. If this happens, you might need to switch up your workout routine.

Body recomposition can feel a little complicated, especially if you're new to this kind of regime.

When you are starting out on this journey, it can be helpful to work with a coach who can look at your specific goals and circumstances to create a body recomposition program for you to follow.

If you are interested in body recomposition, a programme like Compound could also be a suitable option for you.

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• Up to 15% weight loss with clinically-backed treatments
• Lose fat and gain muscle with customised diet and movement plans
• Track metrics and progress within the Compound app

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