Weight-Loss: The reduction of one’s body-weight as a whole
Body Recomposition: The Positive Manipulation of Muscle-Mass while Reducing Body-Fat
Many people (maybe even yourself) have embarked on a weight-loss journey before. It’s pretty simple to lose body-weight - You move more and eat less.
But the outcome is always the same. No matter how much our weight drops, we are never happy with the physical outcome and it becomes an endless pursuit for hapiness.
“I’ve dropped 10 kg’s on the scale, I just can’t seem to lose this stubborn body-fat around the belly”
Sounds familiar right?
“I cut carbs and performed fasted cardio 2 x per day and stripped off a tonne of weight over a 6-week challenge. However I put it all back on with 14-days..”
A more unfortunate, yet common example of weight-loss.
At Physique Performance Specialists, I am one of only two Coaches certified in Perth as a Body Recomposition Coach (The other is also part of our team). Body Recomposition is the blueprint for building a leaner, stronger and more muscular physique.
So we don’t do the whole weight-loss thing at PPS, people come to us to build a better body.
The Problem with Weight-Loss
There is NOTHING wrong with weight-loss. IF that’s all you want.
The issue is, that’s not what most people truly want. They want ‘toned’ - (A taboo word amongst most Coaching circles) which is essentially leaner and muscular.
But the real issue is the process of losing weight and the long term effects of this process.
We typically start a weight-loss phase by cutting everything we love out of our daily diet; Sugar, Bread, Processed Foods, Juice & Alcohol.
We then proceed to incorporate some form of torture into our daily exercise regime; Treadmills, Steep Hills, Crazy Circuits - Essentially anything that makes you feel like you are punishing yourself for being overweight.
Deprivation, Starvation, Punishment - This is the problem with most peoples version of ‘Weight-Loss’
What happens when this doesn’t work?
MORE Punishment, LESS Food
Your body soon adapts to surviving on low calories and your metabolic rate declines to suit.
Then the cycle continues over and over until eventually we have zero energy and our metabolism is so slow, that even thinking of a burger causes you to gain weight.
While the endless cycle of deprivation means that most weekends you binge eat and blow out; one ‘small treat’ turns into another and another, next thing you wake up in a sea of doughnut & chocolate wrappers and a sea of shame.
Enter Body Recomposition
Why do we focus on Body Recomposition?
Not only because; this is about building the body we want to help us feel more confident, but because the actions required to do so, are SUSTAINABLE
If Weight-Loss is related to punishing the body we have, Recomp can be related to building a body we love.
To build muscle and burn body-fat we must;
Train to get Strong & Eat to Perform
Our body adapts to the increased demand in the Gym by building new muscle tissue.
If we focus on fueling our body (rather than depriving it), we’ll have the energy to sustain this growth and mantain our body-weight.
The outcome = Sustainable Fat-Loss (Without getting Smaller)
As our muscle-mass continues to increase, so does our metabolic capacity.
This means you can essentially continue to eat MORE food, while getting leaner & stronger.
Stronger, Leaner, More Energy & Eating More - Recomp for the Win
How do I Start a Recomp?
To start your own Recomp phase:
Eat at Mantainence Calories (Not a Deficit)
Train for Strength using Progressive Overload
Measure your Body Composition Each Week
Adjust your Nutrition as your Muscle-Mass changes
Rinse & Repeat
Need help building the body you want?
Click the link below to apply for a free body composition asessment & goal-setting session: