Body Recomposition Calculator: Lose Fat, Gain Muscle

What body recomposition actually is

Recomp is the slow art of losing fat and gaining muscle simultaneously. The same fat-on-the-scale number can hide a very different body underneath. Done right, you finish leaner and more muscular at roughly the same weight.

It works because muscle gain and fat loss can both happen in a small calorie deficit if protein is high enough and training is hard enough. The trade-off is speed: dedicated cutting loses fat faster, dedicated bulking builds muscle faster. Recomp does both at half pace.

Who recomp works for

• Beginners. Anyone with less than ~2 years of consistent lifting.
• Returning lifters. Muscle memory makes the first year back easy.
• Higher body fat. Plenty of energy stored to fuel both processes.
• Detrained athletes. Coming back from injury or a long break.
• Anyone with all the time in the world. Lean intermediates can recomp, just slowly.

How the numbers are set

This calculator starts with your maintenance from Mifflin-St Jeor and applies a 10% deficit as the baseline. Protein lands at 2.1 g/kg, on the high end of the muscle-protein literature, because recomp depends on protein.

If calorie cycling is on, training days are bumped to +10% over maintenance and rest days to −20%. The weekly average lands in a small deficit, but each individual day matches the demand: training days fuel performance, rest days drive the cut.

Worked examples

Example 1, beginner 75 kg male, moderate activity, 4 training days. Maintenance ≈ 2,564 kcal. Baseline (flat) 2,308 kcal. Cycled: training day 2,820, rest day 2,051, weekly average 2,400. Protein 158 g.

Example 2, 65 kg female, light activity, 3 training days. Maintenance ≈ 1,920 kcal. Baseline (flat) 1,728 kcal. Cycled: training day 2,112, rest day 1,536, weekly average 1,783. Protein 137 g.

Example 3, intermediate 82 kg male, moderate activity, 5 training days.Maintenance ≈ 2,805 kcal. Baseline (flat) 2,524 kcal. Cycled: training day 3,086, rest day 2,244, weekly average 2,685. Protein 172 g.

How to track recomp

Scale weight is a poor recomp signal. Use a combination:

• Waist measurement at the navel, every 2 weeks. Down = fat loss.
• Key lifts (squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press), every block. Up = muscle gain.
• Photos every 4-6 weeks under the same lighting.
• Body fat measurement every 8-12 weeks, same method each time.

Common mistakes

• Cutting too aggressively. Big deficits stop being recomp and start being a cut.
• Protein too low. Below 1.8 g/kg you'll lose muscle, not maintain it.
• Skipping cycling. Cycling matches energy to demand and protects performance.
• Hating the slow scale. The scale won't move much. The mirror will. Use both.
• Junk volume. Recomp depends on hard, progressive training. Going through the motions doesn't build muscle.

FAQ