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15 min read<\/p>\n15 min read<\/p>\n
YOU WANT IT all: more muscle and less body fat without spending all day, every day in the gym. Like most guys, you probably have a job, kids, friends, and family that demand your time, and maybe even a hobby that doesn\u2019t revolve around free weights and machines. (How dare you.)<\/p>\n
Changing your body requires discipline and consistency, but it doesn\u2019t have to be an all-consuming pursuit. Despite what you\u2019ve probably heard, you can build muscle and lose fat simultaneously. (At least, most people can. More on that below.) And you don\u2019t need more than five hours a week to reach your physique goal. You just need to understand the principles of body recomposition, which we break down for you in depth in our Body Recomposition Central hub, available to Men’s Health MVP Premium members exclusively.<\/p>\n
Men\u2019s Health\u2019s Fitness Director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S.<\/a>, created a workout backed by scientific principles to help you get leaner, look bigger, and feel stronger. You\u2019ll lift\u2014hard\u2014just four days per week, eat in a slight caloric deficit, and find ways to increase your physical activity outside of the gym. Keep reading and watch the video below for the full details, then be sure to head to your Body Recomposition homepage<\/a> for even more of the program.<\/p>\n BODY RECOMPOSITION IS when you simultaneously build muscle mass and lose body fat or build muscle while maintaining your body fat levels.<\/p>\n For example, a 190-pound man with 25 percent body fat carries 47.5 pounds of fat mass on his frame. If he builds five pounds of muscle and loses five pounds of fat over six months, he now weighs 195 pounds with 42.5 pounds of fat mass for a body fat percentage of 21 percent. Similarly, if our man can gain 10 pounds of muscle while maintaining his fat levels, his body fat percentage drops to 23 percent. Both forms of body recomposition result in more muscle and a lower body fat percentage for a physique that looks bigger and leaner.<\/p>\n Recomp flies in the face of traditional fitness advice, which tells you to bulk (gain weight) and then cut (lose weight)<\/a> to build lean muscle. The major caveats for a recomp period are that you won\u2019t build as much muscle as you could during a traditional bulk phase or get as lean as quickly as you may want as you could during a cut\u2014but you will skip out on the awkward in-between stages of the bulk and cut.<\/p>\n 2 Keys to Successful Body RecompositionBe In A Calorie Deficit<\/p>\n LOSING WEIGHT IS a numbers game. You can\u2019t outsmart the laws of thermodynamics, so plan on eating in a caloric deficit to shed body fat during your recomp. We suggest losing weight slower than on a traditional cut, so you have ample energy to push heavy weights and drive muscle growth. Plan to lose half a pound weekly, consuming 250 calories below your maintenance levels daily.<\/p>\n Your diet is the most crucial factor in getting into a caloric deficit. Here’s a plan you can follow<\/a>. But Samuel says you can make the process easier by increasing your non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), defined as any movement that isn\u2019t planned exercise.<\/p>\n \u201cThink of your training and your cardio and your calorie burn as everything you\u2019re doing in your life,\u201d says Samuel. Here are a few simple suggestions that will increase your NEAT throughout the day to help you consistently burn more calories:<\/p>\n Schedule a 30-minute walk during each day. Skip the elevator and escalator. Instead, take the stairs. Consider moving Zoom meetings to phone calls and pacing while you talk to increase your step count. Samuel likes what he calls \u201ccardio burst workouts.\u201d Add 5 to 7 minutes of intense cardio after your strength training workouts to do this. You can do this on a rower, assault bike, or even jump roping. Check out an example routine below the workout plan. Focus on Progressive Overload<\/p>\n YOUR DIET DRIVES fat loss during a recomp; training is what stimulates hypertrophy<\/a> (the development of new muscle tissue). There\u2019s no way around it: You must train hard, lift as heavy as you can with good form, and push yourself to do either more reps or move more weight every session. Otherwise, you quite simply won\u2019t be able to get the result you desire.<\/p>\n “It is possible to build muscle even while existing in a calorie deficit,\u201d says Samuel. “You\u2019re not going to wind up packing on 20 to 30 pounds of muscle on a body recomposition workout. However, we can get it done as long as we\u2019re training smart and on a progressive overload program.\u201d<\/p>\n Progressive overload<\/a> is a systematic increase in your training frequency, volume and intensity. Simply put: It\u2019s when you lift the same weight for more reps or perform more weight for the same reps week to week. Either way, you must do more each week on this program to ensure you\u2019re building new muscle, especially when you\u2019re eating a slight caloric deficit.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re training heavy enough and you\u2019re progressing your lifts week after week after week, that data tells us you\u2019re getting stronger,\u201d Samuel explains. \u201cSome of that is because you\u2019re improving your technique and getting better at your lifts, but some of that is because you\u2019re building muscle.\u201d<\/p>\n The Ultimate Recomp Workout Plan <\/p>\n HOW TO WARM UP: The sets and reps listed below for every exercise are for your working sets. Samuel says you shouldn\u2019t start there but instead perform two to three sets of five increasingly heavy reps that are all lighter than you\u2019ll use for your working sets. \u201cThis is going to set you up to make the sets we list for you more productive, and it’s going to have you push during those sets,\u201d Samuel says.<\/p>\n HOW TO PROGRESS: For your first exercise of each workout, you\u2019ll increase the weight of your final set and lift it for fewer reps. Refer to each exercise below for specific instructions. For your accessory movements, try either increasing the weight you\u2019re using for the same reps or, if you\u2019re consistently hitting the bottom end of the rep range, adding another rep with the same weight to each set.<\/p>\n REST SMART: To build new muscle mass, you must push all your reps close to failure. If you shorten your rest periods between lifts, you\u2019ll be too fatigued to lift a meaningful load for the necessary reps. Rest too long, and you\u2019ll find yourself feeling \u201ccold\u201d and stagnant. All this to say: pay attention to the prescribed rest times and adhere to them.<\/p>\n DAY 1: Lower Body Workout 1<\/p>\n WHY: You can load the barbell RDL heavy\u2014Samuel says to try for reps with your bodyweight\u2014to target primarily your hamstrings and glutes. Also, \u201cwe wind up covering an important function in our training called our hinge<\/a>,\u201d Samuel explains. \u201cOur hinge is what we do whenever we need to pick something up from the ground. Instead of using our lower back, we\u2019re starting to leverage those hamstring and glutes.\u201d<\/p>\n SETS AND REPS:<\/p>\n WEEK 1: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps, 2 to 2:30 minutes rest each setWEEK 2: Hit 4 to 5 reps on your last set, same rest as aboveWEEK 3: Hit 2 to 4 reps on your last set, same rest as aboveWEEK 4: Hit 1 to 3 reps on your last set, same rest as above<\/p>\n HOW TO DO IT:<\/p>\n Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and abs engaged, holding a barbell with both hands. Hinge forward, pushing your hips back and lowering your torso. Stop when your torso is parallel to the floor or your hamstrings are tense. Pause, and then return to the start. That’s 1 rep.<\/p>\n WHY: Next up is a knee-dominant movement<\/a>, which primarily works your quad muscles (located on the front of your thighs). Most people think of squats for this movement pattern, a legit choice, but Samuel likes lunges because they work your quads while moving, which he says has more functional carryover to real life. Do not skimp on the weight. Samuel says to throw on a pair of lifting straps<\/a> and use the heaviest dumbbells as you can manage for 10 reps on each leg. \u201cThink about going [with] 35-, 40-, 45-, even 50-pound dumbbells on each side,\u201d says Samuel. \u201cYou\u2019re going to pile up a lot of volume with heavy weights.\u201d<\/p>\n SETS AND REPS: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg, 90 seconds rest each set<\/p>\n HOW TO DO IT:<\/p>\n Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Wear lifting straps so your grip isn\u2019t a limiting factor of how much weight you can lunge, Take a step forward and simultaneously squat down, driving the knee of your lead leg over your toes. Both of your legs should form roughly 90-degree angles. Drive up, bringing your back leg forward so it\u2019s in front of your lead leg. Repeat this until you complete 20 total reps, 10 reps each leg. THIRD AND FOURTH EXERCISE: Leg Extensions and Seated Leg Curl<\/p>\n WHY: We love machines<\/a> because they let you home in on a single muscle group to get a nasty pump. To finish off your legs, Samuel wants you to superset<\/a> (perform sets of two different exercises back-to-back without rest) leg extensions and seated leg curls to finish off the muscle fibers in your quads and hamstrings. Lighten the load only as much as you need to get through the superset. Every set of 10 should still feel challenging like you can only do one more rep at the end of each set.<\/p>\n SETS AND REPS: 3 sets of 10 reps for both exercises, 30 seconds rest between each exercise<\/p>\n HOW TO DO IT:<\/p>\n Set both the seated leg curl and leg extension so the ankle and knee pads are properly aligned with your joints.Start with the seated leg curl. Lean forward so your legs are extended and you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings. Hold onto the handles and curl your legs as far as the machine will let you. Slowly raise your legs until they\u2019re extended, holding the stretched position for one second. Do 10 reps, and then rest briefly as you move to the other machine. seconds.Sit in the leg extension machine. Lean back to extend your range of motion and place more tension on your quads. Extend your legs until they\u2019re completely straight. Take two to three seconds to lower the weight. That\u2019s one rep. Do 10 reps and then rest 30 seconds before returning to the leg curl.DAY 2: Upper Body Workout 1<\/p>\n WHY: Samuel likes the dumbbell row because you can lift heavy weights and easily overload the movement over time. \u201cI want you to get a really good stretch at the bottom of every rep,\u201d Samuel instructs. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to focus this row, not on our rhomboids, not on our rear delts\u2026 we want to focus on our lats.\u201d If you’re really struggling to knock out the final reps of your last set, Samuel suggests setting the weight down on the floor briefly, then pull it from the dead stop.<\/p>\n SETS AND REPS:<\/p>\n WEEK 1: 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps, 2 to 2:30 minutes rest each setWEEK 2: Hit 4 to 5 reps on your last set, same rest as aboveWEEK 3: Hit 2 to 4 reps on your last set, same rest as aboveWEEK 4: Hit 1 to 3 reps on your last set, same rest as above <\/p>\n HOW TO DO IT:<\/p>\n Walk up to the dumbbell rack. Brace one hand against the rack and adjust your feet so they\u2019re square with your hips and set far enough back to lean your torso forward until it\u2019s nearly parallel to the floor. Pick up a heavy dumbbell with your free hand. Row the dumbbell toward the side of your torso, leading the row with your elbow. Lower the dumbbell to a two-count, extending your arm until you feel a stretch in your lat. Your weight should be heavy enough to get between 8 to 10 reps during the first two sets and 6 to 8 during the final two. <\/p>\n WHY: \u201cBy doing the alternating press, we\u2019re doing a couple of things: I\u2019m forcing you to work with slightly lighter weights because the overall time of every set is going to be ramped up; each set may last about 45 to 60 seconds,\u201d Samuel says. \u201cTwo, we\u2019ll eventually get to go heavy on this\u2026 we can get better on this lift and progressively overload it.\u201d<\/p>\n SETS AND REPS: 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps, 90 seconds rest each set<\/p>\n HOW TO DO IT:<\/p>\n Set an adjustable bench to the second lowest angle, typically around 15 to 20 degrees. Lie back on it with a slight lower back arch and dumbbells in each hand.Press the dumbbells up until your elbows are fully locked out. Slowly lower the dumbbells, keeping your elbows tucked in at about 45 degrees until they touch the outside of your chest. Drive the weights back up. That\u2019s one rep. <\/p>\n WHY: You\u2019ll perform the hammer curl, which targets your forearms and biceps, followed by the skull crusher, which provides a deep stretch to your triceps muscle (located on the back of your arm). You don\u2019t need to rest as long between exercises since these are single-joint movements that don\u2019t fatigue you to the same degree as compound exercises like heavy presses or deadlifts. Focus on getting a deep stretch at the bottom of each rep, lifting with a slow-and-controlled tempo, and using as much weight as you can handle for 8 to 10 quality reps.<\/p>\n SETS AND REPS: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps, 30 seconds rest between each exercise<\/p>\n HOW TO DO IT:<\/p>\n Stand in front of a bench, holding two dumbbells in each hand. curl them up to your shoulders with your palms facing each other. Slowly lower them until your arms are fully extended. Do 10 reps, and then rest for 30 seconds.Lay back on the bench and hold the dumbbells over your chest, palms facing. Lower the dumbbells toward the back of your head, keeping your upper arms in place. Let your elbows travel back a couple of inches until you feel a stretch in the triceps, and then explode up.DAY 3: Lower Body Workout 2<\/p>\n WHY: Similar to the walking lunge in your first lower body workout, you\u2019ll isolate one leg at a time with the split squat. This is a knee-dominant exercise, so you\u2019ll primarily target your quads (and glutes). You can use dumbbells if you want, but Samuel likes the barbell since you can load it up with more weight than you can reasonably hold. Pro tip: try elevating your front foot on a bumper plate to extend your range of motion for a deeper quad stretch.<\/p>\n SETS AND REPS:<\/p>\n WEEK 1: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps, 2 to 2:30 minutes rest each setWEEK 2: Hit 4 to 5 reps on your last set, same rest as aboveWEEK 3: Hit 2 to 4 reps on your last set, same rest as aboveWEEK 4: Hit 1 to 3 reps on your last set, same rest as above<\/p>\n HOW TO DO IT:<\/p>\n Get under a loaded barbell so that it rests across your traps. Then, walk it out of the squat rack. Assume a staggered stance with your feet 2 to 3 feet apart, left foot forward, hands secured around the barbell.Squat down until your back knee taps the floor, then explode up. Do all the prescribed reps on one leg, then switch sides.<\/p>\n WHY: \u201cWe want to work that lateral lunge so we ensure we\u2019re getting movement in multiple planes<\/a>,\u201d Samuel says. \u201cEverything you\u2019ve done for legs so far has been in the sagittal plane\u2026 but we also want to cover our hip adductors and move more like we do in real life.\u201d<\/p>\n SETS AND REPS: 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per leg, 60 to 90 seconds rest each set<\/p>\n HOW TO DO IT:<\/p>\n Stand, feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell at your chest. Take a large step to the left with your left foot. Shift most of your weight to your left leg, then push your butt back and bend your left knee. Lower until your knee begins to shift forward. Explode upward and to the right, returning to standing position. Repeat, stepping with your right leg. That’s one rep.<\/p>\n WHY: \u201cEven if we\u2019re here to build muscle, you want to make sure you can move fast and powerfully and explosively,\u201d says Samuel. Additionally, Samuel notes that the power you\u2019ll gain in your hip hinge motion from the kettlebell swing will transfer to the other lower body day in this plan, making your RDL that much stronger. \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to push the load and pick up a 70-, 80-, 90-pound kettlebell,\u201d Samuel adds.<\/p>\n SETS AND REPS: Try 3 minutes of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off OR a 10-minute EMOM (every minute on the minute)<\/a>, wherein you start with 10 kettlebell swings for the first minute, then add one at the top of every subsequent minute.<\/p>\n HOW TO DO IT:<\/p>\n Set a kettlebell on the floor, spread your feet just beyond shoulder width, and grab the handle with both hands. Swing it back between your legs. Your chest should be almost parallel to the floor and maintain a slight bend in your knees. Drive your hips forward, keeping your arms tucked into your sides, until the kettlebell is up to chest level, then back between your legs. That\u2019s one rep.DAY 4: Upper Body Workout 2<\/p>\n WHY: If you\u2019ve been wondering when you\u2019ll get to bench heavy weights, here you go. The incline dumbbell press is a fantastic overall chest-builder. Focus on lifting with a complete range of motion, getting a deep stretch at the bottom of each rep, and not spending too much time resting at the top of the exercise. \u201cWe\u2019re doing this on the incline because most people, in general, want to build that upper chest,\u201d says Samuel. \u201cThis chest press will also give you the largest range of motion\u2026 especially since we already got some low-incline work in our first upper body session.\u201d<\/p>\n SETS AND REPS:<\/p>\n WEEK 1: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps, 2 to 2:30 minutes rest each setWEEK 2: Hit 4 to 5 reps on your last set, same rest as aboveWEEK 3: Hit 2 to 4 reps on your last set, same rest as aboveWEEK 4: Hit 1 to 3 reps on your last set, same rest as above <\/p>\n HOW TO DO IT:<\/p>\n Lie on a bench with the backrest set at a 45-degree incline. With your arms fully extended, hold a pair of dumbbells above your chest. Lower the dumbbells to chest level, then press them above your chest to return to the starting position. That’s one rep.<\/p>\n WHY: Following an incline press with an incline row \u201censures that we\u2019re hitting our back and chest muscles from the same angle, which will help keep your body balanced,\u201d Samuel explains. Try to go heavier on the incline row than you did for the incline press (never at the expense of your safety or form), or at least match the weights you used for exercise one.<\/p>\n SETS AND REPS: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps<\/p>\n HOW TO DO IT:<\/p>\n Set an adjustable bench to about 60 degrees. Lay face-down on the bench with two dumbbells on the floor in front of you. Plant your toes into the ground with your knees slightly bent.Pick up the dumbbells and let them hang until you feel a stretch in your lats. Row both dumbbells to your sides, squeezing your shoulder blades at the apex of the movement.<\/p>\n WHY: Up to now, you haven\u2019t hit a vertical press or pull, so this superset covers your bases. \u201cYou\u2019re going to get a pretty gnarly arm pump from those chinups, too, so expect to feel that in your biceps and forearms,\u201d Samuel says, who emphasizes getting more rest between supersets since both of these exercises are compound (multi-joint) movements, which are generally more taxing.<\/p>\n SETS AND REPS: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per arm for the press and max reps for the chin-ups, rest 45 to 90 seconds between supersets<\/p>\n HOW TO DO IT:<\/p>\n Begin on one knee while maintaining a tall posture from the knees up. Hold a dumbbell in one hand and bring them to your shoulders. Press the weight until your arms are fully extended overhead. Slowly lower the dumbbell back to your deltoid. That’s 1 rep. Do 8 to 10 on each arm and rest for 45 to 90 seconds. Grab a chin-up bar using a shoulder-width underhand grip and hang at arm\u2019s length. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull your chest to the bar. Pause, then slowly lower to start. That\u2019s 1 rep. Cardio Burst Workout<\/p>\n Add this quick session to the end of your workout to add a cardio component. You’ll use a Tabata format<\/a>, which generally means you’ll be working for 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for seven minutes. You’ll do a different exercise for each minute (which, given the work-to-rest-ratio, equals two rounds per minute):<\/p>\n BurpeesKettlebell SwingsAlternating Goblet LungesThrustersAlternating LungesKettlebell SwingsBurpees<\/p>\n Check out all of our body recomposition videos in our Ultimate Guide to Body Recomp, available exclusively for MH MVP subscribers, here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Andrew Gutman, NASM-CPT is a journalist with a decade of experience covering fitness and nutrition. His work has been published in Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Muscle & Fitness, and Gear Patrol. Outside of writing, Andrew trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, helps coach his gym’s kickboxing team, and enjoys reading and cooking.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Video](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/thumb_1920x1080_00002_1735578750_64423.jpg\" "\\"Video")
What Is Body Recomposition?<\/p>\n![\"Lettermark\"](\"https:\/\/www.menshealth.com\/_assets\/design-tokens\/menshealth\/static\/images\/logos\/lettermark.70e252c.svg?primary=%2523000\")
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