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Fitness

How To Turn Fat Into Muscle For That Desired Physique

by Austin Letorney Published on Jan 12, 2023 Fact checked by Dr. Jacob Wilson

enter the cutting phase
This post may contain affiliate links (disclosure policy).

Get rid of that unwanted fat and work on that muscular physique you can be proud of.

How often do you look at yourself in the mirror and wonder how you can turn that unwanted fat into muscle? It may seem pretty daunting. You’ve tried different diets, be them keto, intermittent fasting, paleo, or a host of others that claim to be the secret weapon to fat loss. You’ve done your research into supplements like fat burners or CLA supplements that can boost fat loss and keep on lean muscle. And you most certainly have looked online for a great strength training program. But still nothing has worked.

That’s because this is a combination of all three. A strict regimen to ensure nothing goes to waste and all those gains are met as efficiently as possible. A good diet in tandem with a solid strength training routine and proper supplementation can and will work wonders for all your fat loss goals. A muscular physique may seem out of reach, but knowing just how to get there can be easy with a winning mindset.

Let’s jump right this and take a look at how to turn fat into muscle. You want a desired physique but you just need to know how to get one. With the right diet, great exercises, and solid supplements, those goals are easily attainable and will happen.

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Nutrition, Training & Supplementation

Let’s break this up into our three sections so we cover all the bases. It’s important to know that each of these is unique to you as the individual so you want it to fit your lifestyle. While some sacrifices have to be made, you don’t have to totally abandon all that you love in order to have a great body.

Nutrition

As mentioned before, many diets do exist that can potentially work for you. Everything from keto, to intermittent fasting, the paleo diet, the carnivore diet, and a host of others can all work for your benefit. But they only work for your benefit if you respond well. When looking to potentially hop on one of these diets, it is important to first look at if it will fit in with your lifestyle. Of course, affordability is also important because these diets can sometimes add up.

Eating clean foods is the best way to drop fat and start to keep on that muscle (1). Getting adequate amounts of protein in your body is also vital for protein is the building block of all muscle, but can also keep you full to limit snacking and aid in weight loss. Lean meat is always a great bet and plenty of greens can work wonders.

Training

For training, it is always best to consider what will work well for you body. As long as you perform some kind of strength training routine, you will start to put on muscle and that conversion from fat to muscle can start to take effect. Heavy lifting can be great if that is a route you want to go but more likely than not, keeping it at a moderate level of strength training while consistently increasing weight will start to work wonders for your desired transformation (2).

Cardio is also key but looking to something like high intensity interval training (HIIT) can tackle your strength training and conditioning goals in one go by performing high intensity exercises that work your whole body (3). Longer cardio sessions can be great, but prioritizing strength training will optimize muscle growth and ensure you retain lean muscle for that increase in strength and size.

side delt exercises

Supplementation

Having a solid supplement routine on the shelf is vital for boosting your gains and can greatly influence your overall health and performance. Some key supplements to consider when looking to turn fat into muscle are a protein powder, which can affect growth and recovery while also keeping you full (4), a pre-workout, to offer energy and muscle pumps so your workouts go as efficiently as possible, and a fat burner, which can shed that unwanted fat and work to retain lean muscle. When paired together, these supplements are awesome for achieving your goals.

Other supplements to consider are a BCAA supplement to tackle fatigue and provide for continued energy, a CLA supplement, to offer a more natural approach to weight loss, and a multivitamin, to make sure you get all those vital nutrients into your body so you never suffer from a deficiency. Whatever you choose to have on your shelf, the right supplements from transparent and honest companies can greatly affect your transformation of turning fat into muscle.

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Featured Fat Burner For Fat Loss & Muscle Retention

Finding high-quality products can be challenging but it is absolutely possible. A great fat burner can work wonders for your gains by shedding that unwanted fat and working on retaining lean muscle (5).

Burn Lab Pro

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Burn Lab Pro is an all-around great fat burner with an innovative design and research-backed benefits to really enhance your results as you seek to burn belly fat. Instead of an unhealthy, stim-driven formula, Burn Lab Pro is 100% natural, safe, and caffeine free to give you an effective supplement without any fear of jitters or crashing. With 5 powerful and research-backed ingredients, this is the ultimate fat burner for whatever your needs may be.


Check out our list of the Best Fat Burners for more great fat burning supplements!


Wrap Up

Turning fat into muscle can seem daunting, but with the right approach, it is absolutely possible. Putting a solid diet plan, good training routine, and supplementation plan together can greatly influence the change you want most. While you do have to sacrifice some, it can still be an engaging journey with a shredded physique waiting at the end.

Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

*Images courtesy of Envato

References

  1. Skerrett, P.; Willett, W. (2010). “Essentials of Healthy Eating: A Guide”. (source)
  2. Willis, L.; Slentz, C.; Bateman, L.; Shields, A.; et al. (2012). “Effects of aerobic and/or resistance training on body mass and fat mass in overweight or obese adults”. (source)
  3. Laursen, P.; Jenkins, D. (2002). “The scientific basis for high-intensity interval training: optimizing training programmes and maximizing performance in highly trained endurance athletes”. (source)
  4. Pasiakos, S.; Lieberman, H.; McLellan, T. (2014). “Effects of protein supplements on muscle damage, soreness and recovery of muscle function and physical performance: a systematic review”. (source)
  5. Jeukendrup, A.; Randell, R. (2011). “Fat burners: nutrition supplements that increase fat metabolism”. (source)

About Austin Letorney

Austin Letorney is a writer, actor, and fitness enthusiast. As a former rower, he has shifted his focus to sharing his knowledge of the fitness world and strength sports with others.

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