Should I do cardio to burn the fat first?

No. Excessive cardio without resistance training sends a signal to your body to shed weight (muscle AND fat). This usually leaves you looking smaller but still soft. Lifting heavy is the priority.

How long does recomposition take?

It is slower than a dedicated cut or bulk. Expect 3-6 months of consistency to see a major visual transformation. The scale might not move much, but your waist will shrink and shoulders will grow.

The Skinny Fat Dilemma

You look in the mirror and see a belly. You decide to cut calories.

Result: You get smaller, lose what little muscle you had, and look skeletal.

So you decide to bulk up.

Result: You gain a little muscle, but mostly just make your belly bigger.

This purgatory is called being Skinny Fat. It happens because you have too little muscle relative to your body fat.

The Solution: Body Recomposition ("Main-Gaining")

For beginners and intermediates, you can build muscle and lose fat at the same time.

Strategy	What You Do	The Outcome
Cutting	Deficit (-500 cal)	You become a smaller version of your current self (still soft, just lighter).
Bulking	Surplus (+500 cal)	You become a larger version of your current self (more muscle, but more belly).
Recomping	Maintenance Calories + High Protein	Your weight stays the same. Fat is burned to fuel Muscle growth.

The Protocol

Find Maintenance Calories: Use a calculator or track your food for a week. Eat exactly what you burn.
Protein is Non-Negotiable: You must eat 1g per pound of bodyweight. This signals your body to hold onto muscle tissue.
Train for Strength: Stop doing circuit training or endless cardio. Lift heavy weights (Squat, Press, Row). The goal is to get stronger.

Why This Works

When you are skinny fat, your body is primed for change.

Your fat stores provide the energy needed to build muscle (calories).
Your protein intake provides the building blocks (bricks).
Your training provides the blueprint (stimulus).

You are essentially "trading" fat for muscle.

When to Switch Strategies

You should Recomp until:

You are clearly "Lean" (visible abs). -> Switch to a Lean Bulk.
Your strength gains stall completely for months. -> Switch to a Lean Bulk.
You feel too fluffy and just want to be thin. -> Switch to a Cut (but keep lifting!).

Don't settle for being skinny fat. It's just a temporary state of "undertrained."

SYSTEM_UPGRADE_AVAILABLE

Ready to Upgrade Your Training?

Join thousands of lifters using Bion to track, analyze, and optimize their strength journey with AI-powered insights.

10K+

Active Users

Powered

FREE

Forever

INSTANT_DOWNLOAD

FREQUENTLY_ASKED_QUESTIONS

It is a lack of muscle mass combined with moderate body fat. You look thin in clothes but soft or 'puffy' without them. The medical term is often 'Normal Weight Obesity' or 'Sarcopenic Obesity'.