I’ve been searching for the ‘magic bullet’ lifestyle that allows me to simultaneously build muscle, burn fat, and get stronger without having to feel limited in my lifestyle or what I eat. Anyone else looking for that kind of lifestyle?

However, I’ve recently switched my focus and my goals to practical and effective. I realized the reason I pursued that for so long, spending countless hours reading and researching, because I thought it was possible. And if you look around the claims made in the fitness and supplement industry, you can see why. If I just combined enough of the things that worked, maybe that combination would lead to something that no one had thought of before? This led to infinite combinations of keto, carb cycling, paleo, intermittent fasting, powerlifting, bodybuilding, HIIT, and biohacking supplements/drinks/you name it. 

Every time I started something new, it was always promising and I thought I was onto something. Yet without fail, a few weeks in progress started to slow. And a few months in progress was barely moving, meaning I had to go back to the drawing board. What’s funny is in hindsight, all the research and reading to find ‘perfect’ was really just a great way to procrastinate from getting started AND sticking to the fundamentals that actually result in progress…AKA actually putting in the work.

If you’re looking for the perfect program, you sure won’t find it here. Or just about anywhere else. And if you’ve found success on the same program your favorite fitness influencer is following - it’s probably nothing special other than some combination of proper calorie and exercise management that fits your lifestyle and enjoyment. And that’s okay - keep doing it if it works! But if you’re on the search for the next great thing that will allow you to build muscle and burn fat effortlessly, you’ll continue to be disappointed.

In reality, it is very rare to simultaneously build muscle while burning fat. Definitely not impossible, but if you’ve been in the gym for any length of time it’s going to be very difficult. And as the old saying goes, if you try to catch two rabbits you’ll catch none. If you’ve tried a bunch of things to ‘hack’ this process, you might benefit from trying something different altogether: chase one goal (fat burning OR muscle building) all out and then go chase the other when you get to a place you’re happy at.

Because to burn fat sustainably over time, it requires you to be in a calorie deficit. Don’t let the diets out there that claim certain foods or macronutrients help you ‘burn more fat at rest’, or start taking supplements that claim to stoke your metabolism and access fat burning stores. Fat burning stores are accessed when you take in less calories than you burn, and while there’s a lot that goes into that equation, no hack is going to speed that up (well, except for point #1 listed below..)

On the other hand, to build muscle sustainably over time, it requires you to be at calorie maintenance or in a surplus AND performing resistance training. If you are eating in a calorie deficit to access fat burning, you will hit a point where you won’t be able to build muscle effectively, not to mention your energy will be too low to properly train at the right intensity.

Can you see how these goals are conflicting? But at the same time, they’re so complementary. Let me explain why. If you go all in on a muscle building goal, and add 5-10 lbs of muscle onto your frame, you’ll have access to all sorts of benefits that will help you to lose fat more effectively when you switch into a calorie deficit. Your ability to burn more calories at rest will greatly increase, muscles will help you better handle higher carb intakes, you’ll be able to train harder, and you’ll look bigger/more fit as you cut weight. And if you are slightly overweight but have been training fairly consistently, and you have a nice base of muscle under your fat, dropping weight and burning fat will actually make you look bigger and stronger as your muscles simply become more visible. So even though you can’t chase both goals simultaneously, prioritizing either one will help the other in the long run.

Now if you still really want to know how it’s possible to effectively build muscle and burn fat at the same time, here are 3 situations where you’ll be able to do it (hint: you probably don't fall into the first 2 categories):

1: Steroids

Steroids will definitely help you burn fat and build muscle at the same time, without needing to spend too much time optimizing your training program or nutrition. Eat big, spend time in the gym, and you’ll see the results you want. I’m definitely not a proponent of steroids, and won’t recommend them for several reasons, but it’s important for you to know several of the fitness ‘influencers’ you look up to might be getting some help beyond what they’re eating and how they’re training (sorry to break it to you).

2: Being Very Overweight

If you’re very overweight to begin with, it’s possible to burn fat and build muscle at the same time. The excess fat stores will more easily come off when you start a calorie deficit, and with the amount of fat you’re body will be burning through will create an environment where building muscle is also possible (note - most people with 'a little' extra fat to lose around the midsection don't fall into this category).

3: New To Training (Or Have Taken A Long Time Off)

The last group that can burn fat and build muscle at the same time would be those that are relatively new to training, or used to train but have taken a long time off. In these cases, strength gains will be much larger earlier on than someone who has been lifting weights for several years, making adaptations easier.

As you can see, it’s not impossible to burn fat and build muscle at the same time, but it is much rarer (and much more difficult) than you think. Unless you fall into one of these categories, you'll benefit from a shift in your energy from researching the perfect plan to simply trying a lot of plans and see what works best for you. AKA quit planning and take action.

It will require some discipline, some tracking, but there are several programs out there that can get you the results you’re after with the right amount of intention and patience. It’s more important to find a combination of exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle that feel easy and sustainable to stick to based on your goals. If you want to follow the workout program that the majority of my clients use to burn 10 lbs of fat an build 10 lbs of muscle - Download The Ultimate Guide To Packing On 10 Lbs Of Lean Muscle Mass and Burning 10 Lbs of Fat