Beginner's Body Recomp Blueprint: A 12 Month Plan for a Total Fitness Transformation
Beginner's Body Recomp Blueprint: A 12 Month Plan for a Total Fitness Transformation
Body recomposition, aka building muscle while losing body fat - is just as much about how you feel as it is about how your body looks and moves. The goal isn't just to get lean and strong. It's to feel:
more comfortable and confident in your clothes
more balanced and purposeful in day-to-day life
on track without being constricted
It sounds complicated: "ooooo, boddddddy recomposition".
But actually, the principles are simple, and they form the pillars of every coaching program I provide to busy, high-achieving women just like you.
What does it take? How does someone who's just getting into fitness see fat loss, strength gains and a total body shift in 12 months?
Quick answer for Busy Women: The Forever Fit Club.
The Forever Fit Club is my IRL training portal where I've done all of this work for you. All you have to do is log in, hit start, and get your sweat on. Every month is a new set of workouts with the nutrition and wellness targets that build on each other to support you for an entire year's worth of transformation.
Body Recomposition: What's Realistically Possible
Some trainers will tell you: it's not possible: you can't lose body fat and build muscle at the same time. They'll tell you that you can either cut (lose) or bulk (gain). Not both.
Well, the science tells us that actually, you can. I see it happen with my own body and clients. And it's not only doable, it's a healthier route to fit.
Bulk, Cut, Body Recomp
Bulking is a decades-old bodybuilding term used to label a period of training and eating designed to put on weight. Ideally the weight put on is lean muscle mass, but often this phase does increase body fat percentage at the same time.
Cutting, another well-used (and misused) bodybuilding term, labels a period of training specifically designed to cut fat, often to the detriment of lean muscle mass.
You've probably heard of bodybuilding competitors cycling between bulking phases and cutting phases. Why? Because it is easier to build muscle mass and muscle shape when in a bulk phase: your body has plenty of fuel to perform with and recover with. And it is faster to lose body fat when you slash calories and only focus on losing.
BUT you sacrifice some of that hard-earned muscle mass, not to mention - potentially - your health, stress and relationship with food.
Body recomposition is when the body loses fat and builds, or at least maintains, muscle at the same time. Change doesn't happen as quickly as in a bulk-cut cycle, but the advantages far outweigh the time it takes:
sustainable routine and physique
easier adherence and flexibility with real life
supports health markers
less psychological whiplash
Which is why body recomposition forms the backbone of my coaching philosophy.
Realistic Body Recomp Expectations
Before we talk “how,” we need to talk reality—because body recomp is the land where the scale tells half-truths and your mirror does the reporting.
Body recomposition = more lean mass and/or less fat mass over time. Sometimes both. Sometimes one. Sometimes the scale does absolutely nothing and you still change.
The Three Most Common Outcomes of Body Recomposition:
1) Lose fat + gain muscle
This could look like losing 2-3 pounds of body fat while gaining 2-3 pounds of muscle mass. The net scale change: basically zero.
The bathroom scale might not change, but the progress is undeniable. Which is why we never use scale weight as a sole defining metric. Better metrics include:
Progress photos every 1-2 weeks
Waist/hip measurements every 2–4 weeks
Training performance (are you getting stronger over time?)
2) Gain muscle while fat mass stays the same (you look leaner anyway)
Maybe you didn’t lose quantifiable body fat, but you added muscle, so your body-fat percentage drops. Still a recomp, still a win—often a faster win.
P.S. a lot of people don’t look “soft” because they have tons of fat. They look soft because they don’t have much muscle yet. Build the muscle, and everything fits better.
3) Lose fat while maintaining muscle (underrated, elite mode)
You’re not gaining muscle, but keeping what you have while dieting is the difference between looking “smaller” and looking toned/sculpted/jacked. Most people crash-diet, lose weight fast, and donate a chunk of muscle to the process. #Hardpass
If you keep your muscle and drop even 2–6 lb of actual fat, you will look dramatically different.
Side Note on Bulking-Cutting Phases
The reason that bodybuilding athletes rely on bulking and cutting rather than the slower, steadier, in my opinion healthier style of body recomposition...is because they are an athlete. They are training for a sport, on a specific timeline, and specific physical requirements for success - just like any other professional sport.
Most competitive bodybuilders surround themselves with a team of coaches and a strong support system because a) that sh*t is hard and b) they know that there will be points on the journey at which they are not physically or mentally their healthiest.
Your 12-Month Beginner's Body Recomp Blueprint
Real talk before we dive in: I recognize the difficulty in letting go of scale weight. I realize how scary it can be to put in work and see the scale go up. But here's my perspective: if sacrificing your perspective on scale weight for a relatively short-period of time allows you to:
build a stronger, fitter, leaner body in the long run
maintain this stronger, fitter, leaner body more easily
changes your entire mindset around weight and your body
That's 10000000% worth it.
Body Recomp: Year-Round Non-Negotiables
This is where most people go wrong: they skip over the basic, foundational, non-negotiable behaviors and routines and go right to the nit-picky stuff.
The truth is, simply devoting a few months to the following principles will be far more beneficial. In the short-term: these are doable on your best days and your worst so you won't fall into an on-off-on-off cycle. In the long term: your body responds to consistency. Level up your foundation and everything becomes easier.
Non-negotiables (lock this in 1st):
Lift weights: progressive overload focus, 3–5x/week
Protein: 0.8–1.0 g/lb goal/healthy body weight
Steps: 7,000–10,000/day
Sleep: 7–9 hours/night
Stress: implement daily preventive management strategies, and lock in a reactionary plan for the wildest moments of life
Track something: daily weigh-ins → weekly average, photos weekly, girth measurement every 2–4 weeks, gym log every session, habit consistency
You'll notice that cardio is not on this list. Cardio is not a priority for body recomposition, especially not at first. Body recomposition leans into strength training for it's metabolic, hormonal, nervous system and musculoskeletal system advantages. Think of cardio as a supplement - something to boost results down the line once you've build your foundation. More on the later.
Phase 1: Build Your Base
Phase length: 3 months
Phase goal: learn to train properly, focus purely on strength, recover well, and eat like an adult human who lifts and likes his/herself
As a beginner, the opportunity for muscle growth and fat loss is higher than it is for a seasoned gym-goer. In the first 8–12 weeks, many beginners see large strength jumps (often 20–40%+ on key lifts) mostly from neural adaptations (your nervous system learning the movement), not just muscle growth.
Phase 1 Training
Well designed, full-body training sessions done 3 times a week is plenty for you to see results. Why?
Studies show that training 2-3 times per week is optimal for muscle growth. Full body training let's us hit that optimal window for each muscle group, each week, sending a steady signal for adaptation. It also allows enough time for full recovery between workouts which allows for better workout performance and more volume overall.
On top of that, training every muscle group every time is more taxing. Training large muscle groups (eg. glutes or lats) requires more energy, aka calories, than training smaller muscle groups (eg. biceps or triceps). Since the overall goal is to build muscle while burning fat, training large muscle groups more frequently is advantageous.
The deets:
Squat pattern + hinge + push + pull + lunge + core each day
2–4 sets per exercise, 6–12 reps, stop with 1–3 reps in reserve (RIR)
Add weight when you hit the top of the rep range with clean form
Phase 1 Nutrition
Phase 1 is the perfect time to make some foundational shifts in the why and how of eating, rather than the what or how much.
What does it mean to eat like an adult who likes themself? It means:
Eat real food. If it has a 10+ ingredients, if it has ingredients you don't recognize, if it has ingredients you recognize as things that are not food...it goes.
Eat enough of it to provide the nutrients your body needs to live and build. Listen to your body. Before you eat ask yourself: Am I actually hungry? Or am I thirsty/bored/sad/stressed? Am I only eating because everyone else is? Do I know the difference between hunger and craving?
Your body will tell you when it's hungry. You just have to learn to listen, and trust it.Don't eat so much of it that it makes you feel ill. Slow down and enjoy your meals - preferably plated, undistracted and with butt in chair. Give yourself the time to appreciate the ritual and experience of a meal, and stop before you're overly stuffed.
Phase 1 Habits
If you read 7,000-10,000 steps/day and thought "your bonkers", use Phase 1 to slowly, consciously build gentle, steady movement into your daily life. Add 500-1,000 steps every 1-2 weeks until you reach 7-10k. Yes, this might require some scheduled walks. Think of these as wellness opportunities rather than cardio sessions.
Make protein the anchor of every meal and snack. 1 serving of protein is roughly 20-25 grams. That's about the size of the palm of your hand. Yes, it's a good amount of protein. Yes, you will feel full - that's part of the point.
And yes, I do recommend tracking your protein intake. I can tell you from experience that it's very difficult to actually hit that 0.8-1g/lb goal/healthy body weight without holding yourself accountable.
Phase 1 Milestones
Consistent gym habit. You are now someone who identifies as a "fitness person".
Major strength jumps. A true beginner could realistically see a 20–40% increase in strength on key lifts. That's massive (and a phenomenon generally restricted to beginners and folks coming back from an injury/hiatus).
Better energy, better sleep, clothes fit differently.
Shifting mindset. Whether or not scale weight has changed at this point is unknown. However, how you feel, live and look WILL change, and you'll start to recognize the truth in what I'm telling you about the scale's importance.
Phase 2: The Sweet Spot
Phase length: 3 months
Phase goal: lose some fat, gain some muscle, keep performance moving up. In this phase you'll really start to feel and see shape change.
Phase 1 taught you how to show up. Phase 2 is where you cash in on being a beginner: you’re strong enough to train hard, you're confident enough in your movement to push intensity, still new enough to change fast, and (hopefully) consistent enough to stop guessing.
Phase 2 Training
You have two options: continue with full-body training sessions done 3 times a week OR switch to an upper/lower program done 4 times a week.
If you're still seeing progress training 3 days a week, I recommend continuing with this schedule. You can add a 4th "accessory" day if there is a body part or muscle group that you'd like to improve upon faster, or that feels like it's lagging.
I recommend switching to an upper/lower split if:
you're loving your gym sessions and recovering well
you want to really focus on muscle growth
you don't have as much body fat to lose and want to focus on shape
The deets if you switch to an upper/lower plan:
10–16 hard sets per muscle per week (gradually build up)
Main lifts: 5–8 reps, accessories: 8–15 reps
Deload every 6–8 weeks (reduce sets/loads ~30–50% for 1 week)
At this point, if you are recovering well and you have the time, you can add in some conditioning. I recommend short, intense HIIT sessions or metabolic conditioning as opposed to longer sessions of steady state cardio. I do NOT recommend conditioning if you are not recovering well or it means sacrificing lift time.
Phase 2 Nutrition
Phase 2 nutrition is about getting enough fuel to train while having enough structured and discipline to lean out.
What does that mean? It mean:
If fat loss is your priority: create a small deficit (200-400 calories per day) by adjusting down either carbs or fats. I recommend adjusting fats, as gram for gram they have the highest caloric density with leaves you with plenty of food volume to stay full, and leaves carbs to fuel optimal performance.
If muscle mass is your priority: continue at maintenance OR a) bump protein up towards 1.2 g/lb goal/healthy body weight.
Focus on fiber and whole foods to ensure high-nutrient quality.
Fuel your workouts with carbs. Carbs are your body's ideal source of energy so eating them before and after your workout is great for performance and recovery.
Phase 2 Habits
Maintain the step, sleep, and stress management habits you've already built. Yes, that's right, you don't have to make massive changes every phase to create massive progress.
Therein lies the beauty of sustainable fitness.
Phase 2 Milestones
Noticeable shape change. (glutes/shoulders/back start showing up)
Noticeable strength gains.
Waist measurements trending down or stable while strength increases.
Phase 3: Choose Your Own Adventure
Phase length: 3 months
Phase goal: pick one clear priority now that you've established a healthy physiological, mindset and routine baseline. Do you want to build more muscle, or push fat loss a bit more? Lean in.
Phase 1 taught you how to show up. Phase 2 is where you put the official stamp on being a fitness person. Phase 3 is where you can push yourself a little bit.
Why wait until phase 3 for this push? Because it requires getting comfortable with discomfort. And to do that well you need to:
have a solid understanding of what training well means
have a solid understanding of what it feels like to train fully nourished
have a solid set of routines in place so that the hard choice isn't quite so hard
In other words: you've learned to write your ABCs. Now it's time to try cursive.
How to know which way to lean:
Use these simple decision guidance.
Choose a mini-cut if…
You want more visible leanness in the next 2–3 months
You feel sluggish, or recovery is getting worse with higher calories
You’d rather be leaner before doing a lean gain
Choose a lean gain if…
You’re already relatively lean/comfortable at your current body fat percentage
Strength is climbing and you want more muscle/shape
You’re recovering well and can handle more training volume
You’re tired of dieting and want a high energy, productive building phase
Phase 3 Training
You have three options: continue with full-body training sessions done 3 times a week + 1-2 accessory days OR switch to an upper/lower program done 4 times a week OR switch to an upper/lower/push/pull/legs program done 5 times a week.
Sames guidance in phase 2 applies in phase 3: let preference, schedule, progress and recovery influence your decision here.
If you stick with a 3 or 4 day a week plan, you can change up your secondary exercises and continue to use progressive overload to get stronger.
If you have the time, energy and recovery allows for it, you can switch to a 5 day a week:
Day 1: all upper body
Day 2: all lower body
Day 3: push muscles (chest, triceps, shoulders)
Day 4: pull muscles (back, biceps)
Day 5: legs/lower body again
Caveat: if you are choosing to push for fat loss and plan on cutting calories this phase, I do not recommend a 5 day split as the frequency and volume tends to be taxing.
At this point, you can choose to add more steps, or a LIIS cardio session to increase daily calorie burn.
Phase 3 Nutrition
If doing a mini-cut:
create a slightly larger deficit (200-400 calories per day) by adjusting down either carbs or fats. Again, I recommend adjusting fats, as gram for gram they have the highest caloric density with leaves you with plenty of food volume to stay full, and leaves carbs to fuel optimal performance.
maintain protein at 1-1.2 g/lb goal/healthy body weight.
consume most carbs around training for optimal performance and recovery
If at any point recovery, mood, energy, motivation drops, or you are dropping weight too quickly, take a 1-2 week diet break.
If doing a lean gain:
increase calories by 150-250 per day. 1st, check your protein to ensure you're hitting your targets. As long as protein is being hit, you can choose to add calories with carbs or fats by preference.
consume most carbs around training for optimal performance and recovery.
Phase 3 Milestones
Obvious shifts in shape.
Obvious shifts in strength.
Confidence in the sustainability of this plan
If you've been in a lean gain phase: good recovery and improved workout performance
You've gained working knowledge in how your body responds to a variety of consistent stimuli
Dare I say...fun?!
Phase 4: Consolidate + Lock In
Phase length: 3 months
Phase goal: recognize the joys of being "lifestyle fit".
At this point, you've reached a place on your fitness journey that for most people, is unrecognizable. You're happy with where you're at. You're confident you can do it. You've shaken the attachment to the scale and instead find joy in getting strong, challenging yourself to new personal bests and setting new goals that have nothing to do with weight or pant size.
This is the part of the journey where the world is your oyster.
You can:
maintain phase 2 or 3 and continue to reap results
switch the direction you chose in phase 2 or 3 and see what else you can build
return to phase 1 and sink into some solid training at a high energy level
push into the next goal, whatever that may be for you!
This is what I adore about a true body recomposition focus. It can be both a life changing experience and a settling in feel at the same time. It can be a push for a year and than a new foundation to coast on, or it can be the start of a new era of fitness for you.
The possibilities are endless.
