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At 40% body fat, you have significant fat stores to fuel muscle growth. Body recomposition is highly effective here. Your body can readily partition nutrients toward muscle while mobilizing stored fat for energy. This is one of the best starting points for recomp.
40%
starting BF
1g/lb
protein target
3-4
days/week
3-6
months to results
Eat at maintenance or a slight deficit (5-10% below TDEE)
At 40% body fat, your body has plenty of stored energy. A small deficit of 200-300 calories below TDEE allows fat loss while providing enough fuel for muscle protein synthesis. Some people can even recomp at a 15% deficit at this body fat level.
Aim for 1g of protein per pound of body weight daily. This is the single most important nutritional factor for recomposition. High protein supports muscle protein synthesis while promoting satiety during fat loss. Spread intake across 3-5 meals.
Frequency
3-4 days per week
Volume
Moderate: 10-15 sets per muscle group per week
Focus on compound movements (squats, deadlifts, bench, rows, overhead press). Progressive overload is critical. Add weight or reps every session. At this body fat level, you will likely see strength gains quickly. Do not add excessive cardio, as it competes with recovery.
After 3 months of consistent recomp: expect to lose 4-8 lbs of fat while gaining 3-5 lbs of muscle. Scale weight may barely change, but body measurements, photos, and how clothes fit will show clear improvement. Body fat could drop 2-4%.
After 6 months: expect 8-15 lbs of fat lost and 5-8 lbs of muscle gained. This represents a dramatic body composition shift. At 40% starting body fat, men often see a 5-8% drop in body fat percentage while maintaining or slightly increasing body weight.
Body recomposition (recomp) means losing fat and gaining muscle simultaneously. Unlike traditional bulk/cut cycles, recomp aims to change your body composition without significant weight change. You eat around maintenance calories with high protein while following a progressive resistance training program.
Yes. Research confirms that simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain is possible, especially for beginners, people returning from a training break, those with higher body fat, and people new to proper nutrition. The key factors are adequate protein (1-1.2g per pound), resistance training with progressive overload, and sufficient sleep (7-9 hours).
3-6 months for visible changes Recomp is slower than a dedicated cut or bulk because you are optimizing for two goals simultaneously. The trade-off is that you avoid the bulk/cut cycle of gaining and losing weight. Progress photos every 2 weeks are more useful than the scale.
Eat at maintenance or a slight deficit (5-10% below TDEE). The most important factor is not the exact calorie number but the macronutrient composition. Protein should be 1g per pound of body weight. Use a TDEE calculator to find your maintenance calories, then adjust based on your results over 2-3 weeks.
FitCommit tracks body fat percentage over time with AI body scans and calculates your exact macros for recomp. Watch lean mass go up while fat goes down. Free 7-day trial.
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