Mission Impossible: Build Muscle And Burn Fat At The Same Time

Building muscle and losing fat at the same time is a goal for most gym-goers seeking a better physique.

Whether you want to gain a sizeable amount of muscle or shred up, you never plan to pack on the fat or lose muscle. The cards sometimes seem to be stacked against you.

An impossible mission?

Not entirely. It can be done with some planning, self-discipline and persistence. It’s not a walk in the park, however. Just like in the movies when Ethan Hunt takes on challenge after challenge, the impossible always ends up being possible.

How To Gain Muscle and Lose Fat Simultaneously

The “how” is important. Again, you will need an ample supply of patience and a little faith in the program in order to be successful. Carbohydrate cycling will be your secret weapon. You will go from several low carb days to higher days throughout the week while keeping your intake of proteins and fats in check.

The low days will initially burn fat while preserving muscle. Once you get to the point where your metabolism, mood, and fat-burning start to take a nosedive, you will reintroduce replete amounts of carbs back in. This higher intake only lasts for a day or two – just enough to crank start you back into fat-furnace mode and filling up your muscle energy stores.

Cycling this way will prevent muscle loss and keep your adipose-destroying engine going.

Carb Cycling Macros

1. Start With Protein

Make sure you are taking in at least 1 gram of protein for every pound of desired bodyweight. This can be increased to 1.25 or even 1.5 grams per pound, but start in the lower range for now. Great protein choices can include lean chicken, turkey and red meat, low-fat dairy such as Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, whole eggs, whey protein powder, and fish.

2. Choose Healthy Fats

No longer the falsely-accused villain, fats are essential while dieting. Not only can they replace a low-carb intake for energy, they also serve many hormonal functions while on a low-calorie eating plan. Start with about .60 grams of fats per pound of desired bodyweight. Opt for oil-based dressings, avocado, all kinds of nuts, natural nut butters, and the yolk in whole eggs.

3. Cycle Those Carbs

Here’s your secret weapon in action. On low days you will go with about .75 to 1 gram of carbs per pound of desired bodyweight, for moderate to high days go with 1.5 to 2 grams per pound and on highly intense training days go with 2.5 grams. Now, this isn’t a green light to have a high carb day several days per week. Use the high days only for those times when you are feeling especially weak, rundown, and exhausted from training.

Sample Training Week with Carb Cycling

Notice Monday is low to moderate for the simple fact that you will have had 2 low days over the weekend and may be in need of a little energy boost. Also, the high carb day may be an intense lower body training day.

The Mission Impossible Diet Plan

The following diet plan is for a 200 pound lifter looking to lose fat and build muscle with a goal weight of 180 pounds. Low carb days are set at 135 grams, for moderate carb days go with 270 grams, and for high days shoot for 450 grams.

Low Carb Days

Meal 1

• 3 eggs and 4 egg whites or 1.5 scoops of whey protein powder
• ½ cup oatmeal (dry measure)
• Cinnamon, to taste
• 1 tbsp natural peanut butter

Meal 2

• 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1.5 oz almonds

Meal 3

• 6-8 oz meat, fish, or chicken
• Green salad with 2 tbsp olive oil dressing, veggies, and 1 oz sunflower kernels

Meal 4 (pre-workout)

• ½ of an apple
• 1 scoop of whey protein powder mixed with water

Meal 5 (post-workout)

• 2 scoops of whey protein powder mixed with water

Meal 6

• 6-8 oz meat, fish, or chicken
• Broccoli, green beans, peas, or green salad with ½ avocado

Moderate Carb Days

Meal 1

• 3 eggs and 4 egg whites or 1.5 scoops of whey protein powder
• 1 cup oatmeal (dry measure)
• Cinnamon, to taste
• 1 tbsp natural peanut butter

Meal 2

• 1 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1 oz almonds
• 1 piece of fruit

Meal 3

• 6-8 oz of turkey with two slices Ezekiel bread, 1 slice of low-fat cheese, mustard, tomato
• Green salad with 2 tbsp of olive oil dressing, 1 oz sunflower kernels

Meal 4 (pre-workout)

• 1 apple
• 1 scoop whey protein powder mixed with water

Meal 5 (post-workout)

• 2 scoops whey protein powder mixed with water
• 8 oz Gatorade

Meal 6

• 6-8 oz meat, fish, or chicken
• Broccoli, green beans, or peas, or salad with ¼ avocado
• 1 cup of wild rice cooked

High Carb Days

Meal 1

• 3 eggs and 4 egg whites or 1.5 scoops whey protein powder
• 1.5 cup oatmeal (dry measure)
• Cinnamon, to taste
• ½ tablespoon of natural peanut butter

Meal 2

• 1 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1 oz almonds
• 1 piece of fruit

Meal 3

• 6-8 oz fish
• Green salad with 2 tbsp olive oil dressing
• 1 ½ cup of wild rice cooked or medium sweet potato

Meal 4 (pre-workout)

• 1 banana or apple
• 1 scoop of whey protein powder mixed with water

Meal 5 (post-workout)

• 2 scoops whey protein powder mixed with water
• 12 oz Gatorade

Meal 6

• 6-8 oz meat, fish, or chicken
• Broccoli, green beans, or peas, or green salad with ¼ avocado
• 1 medium sweet potato or 1 ½ cups of wild rice cooked

The Mission Impossible Training Plan

Try the following fat-fighting, muscle-building training plan to go with the diet plan above. It’s fast, intense, and designed to work every aspect of your physique: speed, strength, power, muscle, and endurance. Perform each workout once per week such as Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Exercises notated with both numbers and letters (e.g., 1a. Chin-Ups and 1b. Dumbbell Press) are to be performed as a superset. For these, complete the reps for exercise "a" immediately followed by the reps for exercise "b" before resting and completing the prescribed number of sets.

Begin with some foam rolling and/or mobility work: Roll major areas for a few minutes. Also, be sure to stretch out major joints such as hips, glutes, hamstrings, and lumbar. Just go with light stretches to get some mobility.

Get dynamic: Do a quick dynamic warm-up. 1 or 2 rounds of the following exercises should do it:

Post-workout: be sure to perform a comprehensive stretch routine focusing mostly on the areas you worked that day.

Day 1: Speed and Strength

Day 2: Strength and Power

Day 3: Strength and Muscle Gain

Day 4: Muscle Gain and Muscular Endurance