Does fat turn into muscle? We’ve all heard it. Individuals new to lifting tend to make this claim. They think they can hit the gym and somehow turn excess body fat into rock hard muscle. Is this really how it works? In this article, I’ll answer this question and break down the differences between muscle and fat. Let’s jump right in!
Muscle And Fat—The Differences
There’s no doubt that the idea of turning fat into muscle is a popular one. However, the truth is, it’s not possible. Why is that? The answer is not complicated. Muscle and fat are different types of tissue. One type of tissue does not turn into another type. For example, you can’t turn an orange into an apple, they are not the same thing. Let’s clarify this by defining each.
Fat Defined
It used to be that fat, or adipose tissue, was believed to be inactive tissue. It is now understood that fat is involved in Endocrine System function. Plus, it helps control your metabolism. Also, fat is a source of insulation for the internal organs. It is also a source of energy. Fat is involved in hormone function, such as testosterone for example. Finally, it helps keep hunger in check. (1)
Muscle Defined
The types of muscle tissue in the human body are smooth muscle, skeletal muscle, and cardiac muscle. The muscle we train when working out is called skeletal muscle. When we train, we are contracting muscle fibers (also known as muscle cells). Skeletal muscles require energy from calories because they are responsible for movement. Of course, this includes all types of exercise.
Here’s a quick look at some of the components of a muscle fiber:
Mitochondria
Mitochondria are packed throughout muscle fibers because they provide a continual source of ATP to power muscular contractions.
Sarcoplasm
Sarcoplasm is also known as the cytoplasm, or inter-cellular fluid. This fluid saturates muscle fibers in ATP and other compounds. It’s clear how important this function is for ATP energy.
Actin and Myosin
Actin and myosin are contractile proteins that are involved in muscle contractions. They are also responsible for giving skeletal muscle its striated appearance.
Myofibril
Myofibrils are long cylindrical structures. They lay parallel to and run the length of muscle fibers. One muscle fiber might contain thousands of myofibrils. The muscle fiber is covered in sarcolemma, a cell membrane. The myofibrils attach to the sarcolemma at each end. As the myofibrils shorten, the entire muscle fiber contracts. (2, 3)
So it should be clear that muscle and fat are different types of tissue. One cannot turn into the other. However, by losing fat and gaining muscle, at the same time you create the illusion of fat converting into muscle. It’s up to you to attempt a body recomp program to do that, or do one and then another.
You’re Really Gaining Muscle and Losing Fat!
What’s really happening is you are gaining muscle and losing fat. This is true if you’re ingesting enough protein and training hard enough. Here are some tips that can help.
Eat Enough Protein
Despite the fact you’re cutting back on calories, you have to be sure you’re eating enough protein to support muscle growth. That means high-quality protein, and it means approximately 1 gram per pound of body weight. It makes more sense (and it’s easier) to divide your protein intake over the course of the day. Try to eat at least 3 meals, and if need be, have a couple of high protein snacks/shakes to reach your daily total. (4)
Restrict Your Calories
Losing fat requires eating fewer calories. There’s no way around it. The best place to start is by reducing your intake of sugary carbohydrates. Once you’ve taken this step, you should then reduce total carb intake and fat. On workout days, you should eat 50% of your daily carb total in the hours around your workout. You can include some simple carbs at this time.
Increase Your Activity Level
If you want to lose fat, be more active. This can include brisk walks, or more steady state cardio, or more HIIT cardio. It can also include adding more steps to your daily activities. For example, are you going to work or the store? Park farther out. Putting away laundry? Make more trips. Waiting for the mailman? Walk out to the box several times (if you have a box at the end of your driveway).
Hit The Weights!
Build muscle by following an intense lifting routine. You should focus on compound exercises (bench press, squat, bent rows, overhead press). Then add isolation exercises (leg curls, triceps push-downs, dumbbell flyes). Focus on good exercise form. Train hard, you should fail at your prescribed number of reps. Perform your reps under control, no rushing.
Supplements Can Help!
Here’s a Gain Muscle—Lose Fat Gain Stack.
Whey Protein Powder
Every Stack regardless of goal should include a whey protein powder (or whatever powder works best for you). Shop our protein section for all your protein needs.
My suggestion: Hi-Tech Precision Protein
Pre-Workout
Get the most out of your workouts with the pre-workout of your choice.
My suggestion: Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode
Also, add a glycerol powder or liquid!
Creatine
This is the most researched supplement you can buy. Yes, you can use it even though you’re chasing fat loss. Shop for yours here.
My suggestion: MTS Nutrition Creapure Creatine
Thermogenic Fat Burner
This is a must-have if your focus is fat loss. Get yours here.
My suggestion: Hi-Tech Lipodrene
Pro-hormones
For a hardcore mass builder/cutting agent, pro-hormones are the way to go.
My suggestion: Hi-tech Haladrol
In Conclusion
As we have seen, you cannot turn fat into muscle. Even so, what you can do is lose fat and build muscle. It comes down to how you eat, how you train, and the right supplements. There’s no reason to wait, get started today!
References:
- Adipose Tissue (Body Fat): Anatomy & Function (clevelandclinic.org)
- Types of Muscle Tissue and Fibers | Biology for Majors II (lumenlearning.com)
- Muscle Cell (Myocyte): Definition, Function & Structure | Biology (biologydictionary.net)
- Tarnopolsky, M. A., MacDougall, J. D., & Atkinson, S. A. (1988, January). Influence of protein intake and training status on nitrogen balance and lean body mass. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3356636