Body Recomposition Calculator

Yes, but only in specific situations: beginners in their first year of training, returning lifters who previously had more muscle, anyone with high body fat (men 25%+, women 32%+), or after a long training break. For experienced lifters near 12 to 15% body fat, separate cutting and bulking phases work better.

Calories: TDEE minus 200 to 300 per day. Protein: 1 gram per lb bodyweight (so 180 g for a 180 lb person). Fat: 0.3 to 0.4 g per lb (54 to 72 g for the same person). Carbs fill the remainder, typically 200 to 300 g per day for most lifters.

Visible recomp takes 12 to 24 weeks for most people. Beginners can see 0.5 to 1 lb of fat loss and 0.25 to 0.5 lb of muscle gain per month, so a 6-month recomp realistically delivers 3 to 6 lbs less fat and 1.5 to 3 lbs more muscle.

Calorie cycling is optional but effective. Try training days at +100 to 200 over your recomp baseline and rest days at -100 to 200, keeping the weekly average at your target. This gives extra fuel for hard workouts while maintaining the small overall deficit needed for fat loss.

That is exactly the point: muscle gained replaces fat lost, so the scale moves slowly even as your body composition changes. Track waist circumference, monthly progress photos, and how clothes fit alongside the scale for a complete picture.

No, but creatine monohydrate (5 g/day) is one of the most well-studied supplements for muscle gain and works during a small deficit. A protein powder helps hit the 1 g/lb target if whole-food protein is hard to fit. Skip fat burners; they do not measurably accelerate recomp.

Switch to a 200 to 400 cal/day surplus once you have been training for 12+ months, are at 12 to 15% body fat (men) or 22 to 25% (women), and recomp progress has stalled for 4+ weeks. The surplus speeds muscle gain at the cost of slow fat regain.

Yes. Click the "Embed" button at the top of this page to customize the size, colors, and theme, then copy the iframe code. Paste it into any HTML page, WordPress site, or CMS. It is completely free, requires no signup, and works on all devices. You can also visit our embed guide at calculory.com/services/embed-calculators for more details.