Metamorph Personal Training

Compounding Habit

Those who understand compound interest can make it work for them and those that don’t understand it spend much of life trying to get out from its shackles. When we think of compounding we typically think of finance and positive returns, as in “good compounding.” But compounding just reinforces what’s already happening — good or bad. There is no judgment. And compounding works outside of finance. So while we can compound money positively and negatively, we can compound ourselves as well.

The neutrality of compounding is what makes it interesting — as we can get it work for us. If we can replace a negatively compounding habit or mental discipline with one that’s neutral or positive, we instantly get better. And if we can accelerate positive compounding, we can really see the results.

Tiny, nearly imperceptible changes can make a huge difference when you factor in time.

We live in sad times for bodybuilding. Although broscience is finally losing face, it’s being replaced by what I can only describe as bodybuilding nihilism (‘nothing-ism’). Nothing supposedly matters. Nutrient timing? Just eat when you feel like eating. Full-body or split training? Whichever you prefer. Eating clean? Bro, what has washing your food got to do with anything?


Gaining muscle on a fat loss diet is absolutely possible. In fact, it should be expected for most people on a serious program. The more advanced you get, the harder it gets, and it’s easier to gain muscle in energy surplus, but body recomposition remains possible even in well-trained individuals. As long as the stimulus for muscle growth is carefully designed and customized, your muscles have the means to get bigger without energy surplus. Your body is not the enemy. It is a miraculous survival machine that adapts to the stress you impose on it. When you understand it, you can control it.

Typically, when people use the term “body recomposition,” though, they’re referring to the last method—reducing fat mass and increasing lean body mass at the same time.

Body recomposition is the process of simultaneously decreasing the proportion of body weight that is body fat and increasing the proportion that is lean body mass.

This can be accomplished in three ways:
- Reducing fat mass and maintaining lean body mass (cutting, basically)
- Minimizing fat gain and increasing lean body mass (lean bulking, basically)
- Reducing fat mass and increasing lean body mass at the same time (what most people think of as “recomp”)

While recomposition is difficult, it can be made simple, especially when you have coach to guide you . There are a lot of ways to eat for recomposition, and mastering the nutrition basic is the perfect first step on your journey to simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain — your key to gaining that “lean” muscle you’ve been after.