Home › Fitness & Health Calculators › Body Recomp Calculator
Body Recomp Calculator
Build muscle and lose fat at the same time with this free body recomp calculator. It estimates your maintenance calories with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation and sets a protein target that supports muscle growth while you lean out. Recomp works best for beginners, people returning to training, and anyone carrying extra body fat, paired with regular strength training.
How to use
- Enter your sex, age, weight, and height.
- Select your activity level honestly, including workouts.
- Click Calculate Recomp Targets.
- Eat near the maintenance target, hit the protein range daily, and lift 3 to 4 times per week.
A worked example: 180 lb beginner at maintenance
Take a 30 year old man, 180 lb and 5 foot 10, moderately active. His BMR via Mifflin-St Jeor is about 1,782 calories, and times the 1.55 activity multiplier gives maintenance near 2,762 calories.
Protein at 0.9 grams per pound is 162 grams (648 calories). Fat at 25 percent of calories is 77 grams (690 calories). Carbs fill the rest: 1,424 calories, or 356 grams. That is the daily template: roughly 2,760 calories, 162 g protein, 77 g fat, 356 g carbs, adjusted after 2 to 3 weeks based on waist and strength trends.
How to track a recomp without obsessing over the scale
Weigh daily if you like, but judge by the weekly average trend, not single readings. The real scoreboard is your waist measurement, monthly photos, and training log. A shrinking waist with rising lifts is a successful recomp even if bodyweight never moves.
Reassess every 2 to 3 weeks. If the waist stalls and lifts stall, trim about 150 calories, preferably from carbs or fats while keeping protein fixed. If strength climbs and the waist holds, change nothing. Patience plus small adjustments beats overhauling the plan every Monday.
Frequently asked questions
What is body recomposition?
Body recomposition, or recomp, means losing fat and gaining muscle simultaneously, often with little change on the scale. It requires resistance training, enough protein, and calories near maintenance or in a small deficit. It is slower than a dedicated cut or bulk, but you improve how you look at a stable weight.
Who can actually build muscle and lose fat at the same time?
Beginners, people returning after a layoff, and those with higher body fat respond best, because their bodies are primed for both adaptations. Lean, advanced lifters usually need dedicated gaining and cutting phases instead. If you are new to serious training, recomp is a realistic goal.
Should I eat at maintenance or in a deficit for recomp?
Most people do best at maintenance or a small deficit of 10 to 15 percent below maintenance. A large deficit of 500 calories or more speeds fat loss but impairs muscle gain, which defeats the purpose. Start at maintenance, assess after 2 to 3 weeks, then adjust slightly.
How much protein do I need for recomposition?
Aim for 0.8 to 1.0 grams per pound of bodyweight daily, or 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram. If you carry a lot of body fat, use your goal weight instead of current weight. Spread it across 3 to 5 meals with 25 to 40 grams each to support muscle protein synthesis through the day.
Do I have to lift weights for recomp to work?
Yes. Without progressive resistance training, a small deficit just makes you a smaller version of the same shape. Lift 3 to 4 times per week, focus on compound movements, and add weight or reps over time. The training signal tells your body to keep muscle while it burns fat.
How do I know it is working if the scale doesn't move?
The scale is the worst recomp metric, since fat loss and muscle gain cancel out. Track waist measurements, progress photos in the same lighting, and strength on your main lifts. If your waist shrinks while your lifts go up over 4 to 6 weeks, the recomp is working.
How long does body recomposition take?
Think in months, not weeks. Visible changes typically take 3 to 6 months of consistent training and nutrition. It is deliberately slower than aggressive cutting or bulking, because you are asking your body to do two opposite jobs at once.
Should I eat more on training days and less on rest days?
Calorie cycling is optional. A small surplus on training days and a small deficit on rest days can help, but the evidence for a real advantage is modest. Keep it simple first: hit the same targets daily. Add cycling later only if adherence is solid.