Workout
Recomposition Upper / Lower
A four-day upper/lower plan for gaining muscle and losing fat at maintenance calories — realistic for beginners, returners and higher body fat.
The session 33 working sets
Upper
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench press | 4 | 6–10 | 2–3 min |
| Barbell row | 4 | 8–10 | 2 min |
| Overhead press | 3 | 8–10 | 2 min |
| Lat pulldown | 3 | 10–12 | 90 sec |
| Bicep curl | 2 | 12–15 | 60 sec |
Lower
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 4 | 8–10 | 2–3 min |
| Romanian deadlift | 4 | 8–12 | 2 min |
| Lunge | 3 | 10 each side | 90 sec |
| Leg curl | 3 | 12–15 | 90 sec |
| Dead bug | 3 | 8 each side | 45 sec |
Recomposition means gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time. It is real, it is slower than doing either separately, and it only works in specific situations.
Who it works for
Three groups: beginners, people returning after a layoff, and anyone carrying higher body fat.
All three share a large available growth signal and, in the third case, a substantial internal energy supply. Your body can fund muscle building from fat stores rather than from the plate, which is exactly what recomposition requires.
A lean, well-trained lifter has neither advantage. For them, separate bulking and cutting phases work considerably better.
Eat at maintenance, keep protein high
Calories at or very near maintenance, protein around 2 grams per kilogram.
The high protein matters more here than anywhere. You are asking your body to build tissue without an energy surplus, and adequate protein is what makes that possible.
The scale will not help you
By design, your weight should barely move. Fat coming off and muscle going on at similar rates produces a flat line for months.
That makes the scale actively misleading. Track waist measurement, photographs in the same light every four weeks, and — most usefully — the numbers in your training log. Strength climbing while your waist shrinks is recomposition happening, whatever the scale says.
Be patient with it. Three to six months is the timescale on which this becomes visible.
Common questions
Is body recomposition actually possible?
Yes, in specific situations: beginners, people returning after a layoff, and those carrying higher body fat. All three have enough of a growth signal available that muscle can be built while fat is lost. For a lean, well-trained lifter the window largely closes and separate phases work better.
What calories should I eat for recomposition?
At or very near maintenance, with protein high — around 2 grams per kilogram of body weight. The energy for building muscle comes partly from your existing fat stores, which is why it works best when there is more of it to draw on.
How long does body recomposition take?
Slower than either a dedicated bulk or cut, because you are not pushing hard in either direction. Expect to judge it over three to six months using photos, waist measurements and strength numbers rather than the scale, which by design will barely move.