Body Re-composition CHALLENGES and how to OVERCOME them.
By Michelle Gabata-Thibault and Ryan McTeigue
Recomposition. Incase you are new to the term Re-comp or body re-composition – this is one of the hardest feats to create in the human body – building muscle while simultaneously loosing body fat. The below article aims to point out the intense challenges that one will face when attempting this coveted goal and the potential solutions you can practically apply in order to overcome these challenges to WIN the body of your dreams.
Let’s dive in….
Challenge 1 – Mental Fatigue
So, you have a goal in mind and you’ve motivated yourself to hit the gym and push hard at every workout, but once mental fatigue sets in, it makes you feel that you need to work harder physically in order to achieve your Recomposition target, you feel a bit discouraged which decreases your performance in the gym and punches holes in your training consistency.
The mind and body are so interconnected that thinking or more precisely over-thinking can greatly impact the body’s physical performance including power, muscular endurance, speed and reaction time. The motivation to train is definitely governed by mental energy.
For instance, when the perception of fatigue sets in – muscles burning and the feeling like they’re about to cramp—is amplified, your brain tells you “STOP,” and exhaustion sets in. You‘re probably physiologically good and your body may be capable of performing much more, the problem is you are mentally incapable of going any further – which has a very physical effect on the body.
The Solution
It’s a no brainer to some, but many are still unaware that training intensity is king – not duration. Shorter, higher-intensity workouts do not require as much mental energy as longer workouts. Just like anything you want to get better at, start small and increase over time. In the gym this will translate to shorter, more intense workouts and with each training session you gradually increase your workout duration over time while keeping the intensity high.
You can prevent mental fatigue from setting in too early in your workouts by the type of training you do also. Integrating High-intensity interval training sessions (HIIT), which are high-intensity, low-duration workouts into your Body Recomp protocol is a highly effective way of cutting fat and building muscle.
Supplements like coffee and nootropics can also improve physical performance by giving you the extra push to fight mental fatigue and support your willpower. Another powerful supplement is CBD or Cannabidiol, which regulates the Endocannabinoid System to relieve mental exhaustion, provide focus, and enhance your concentration for longer periods of time. Elite Sarms Tight® (RAD 140) is another nootropic proven to not only boost your focus, but also help you gain lean muscle mass while shredding fat simultaneously.
For a mindset reprogramming towards peak performance, check out our article: OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE: 7 Ways To Build A Mindset Geared For Results.
Intel Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29985969/
https://www.blissformula.com/collections/home-page/products/focus-cbd-oil?variant=16592054419522
https://www.elitesarms.com/products/tight-rad-140?_pos=1&_sid=d389ec49c&_ss=r
Challenge 2 – Underestimating the Importance of Sleep
Do you realize that lack of sleep will make you gain fat and even leads to muscle loss?
Yesssss sir and the culprit is – Cortisol.
Our body increases the secretion of cortisol when we lack sleep. If cortisol is chronically elevated it means this hormone will constantly increase blood sugar levels, which in turn will lead to more frequent releases of insulin. This will lead to body fat gain and can also lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can impede your fat shredding goals because constantly elevated insulin levels make it harder to mobilize stored fat.
When it comes to cortisol’s effects on muscle mass, this bad boy directly increases muscle breakdown – the opposite of what we are going for. It does this by; firstly, decreasing nutrient uptake by the muscles, thereby making it more problematic to transport amino acids to the muscles to build new tissue and restore muscle glycogen stores. Secondly, cortisol stimulates myostatin – a protein that inhibits muscle cell growth and differentiation. By increasing myostatin through chronic cortisol elevation your potential for muscle development becomes limited.
The Solution
Take your sleep as serious as you take your training. Help the mind and body to relax at night by establishing a proper sleep routine and making sure your bedroom is quiet, dark and relaxing at bedtime. Also, make a habit of removing electronic devices, such as mobile phones, tablets and computers from the bedroom and switch off the TV. These electronic devices interfere with the bodies natural energy patterns and most definitely effects sleep. Also when it’s dark, your body releases more melatonin which switches your circadian rhythm into sleep mode.
Studies show that supplements like ZMA and Melatonin facilitate relaxation at night and help improve the quality of sleep. CBD Oil works wonders to reset the Central Nervous System (CNS) into a deeper level of relaxation to allow maximum muscle recovery. CBD Oil’s multiple effects through the ECS (endocannabinoid system) also regulate pain and inflammation in the body while releasing stress to help you fall into deeper sleep and stay there.
Intel sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21226679/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31202198/
Challenge 3 – Tracking what you Eat
It’s easy to over or underestimate your calorie needs if you don’t take your Re-comp nutrition serious. One of the biggest hitches with dieters is they underestimate the significance of having portions and macros correctly dialled-in. How can you tell if you’re reaching the necessary amount of calories and nutrients ideal for cutting fat and gaining muscle if you are not measuring?
It’s useless to start a diet program if you’re not going to put the effort of weighing and measuring your food. Especially when your goal is to lose fat. Ie if you make the mistake of under-eating for days only to end up caving in and pigging out on fast absorbing sugars when you cave – then perhaps its best to re-group on your nutrition strategy.
The Solution
Teach yourself to track calories and macros and make it a habit. At the beginning of your Re-comp protocol, spend extra time weighing and measuring your food to see the proper portion size that will give you the right number of calories and macros. You’ll be amazed at the difference in how fast your body transforms once you start tracking your calorie and macro intake rather than – just winging it.
If you are feeling particularly challenged when it comes to suppressing your appetite, CBD oil can also help in controlling hunger pangs due to its ability to block CB1 receptors. Research demonstrates that by blocking CB1 receptors, appetite suppression is affected. One lab study even showed that rats given CBD ate much less food than the control, through increasing leptin sensitivity – a hormone that creates communication between the brain and stomach and signals to your brain when you are actually full.
Intel sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14770190/
https://www.blissformula.com/collections/home-page/products/ritual-cbd-oil?variant=16600982159426
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22543671/
Conclusion
So, there you have it. Body re-composition is not challenge free, but if it were easy everyone would have an amazing body. But the truth is, it has to be earn’t, over time and with discipline. By relating to these challenges you face on a daily basis and by taking our grounded approach in the solution to these challenges, you have a plan in place to create a body re-comp protocol that works for you.
With determination, willpower and time you can can achieve your most athletic and fulfilled physique. Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or a Pro – be sure to take advantage of high quality supplementation – as exactly that – to supplement the strong foundations you are setting in your body re-composition journey, never forgetting the true foundations to your best physique are and always will be, through highly-focused nutrition, training and rest.
Peace and gains team,
– Elite Sarms