Today I’m going to share with you how to ditch the “Skinny-Fat Syndrome” and build a lean athletic physique.
Skinny-Fat Syndrome, is when you lack muscle, have excess body-fat (usually around the midsection), and low energy from repeated bouts of low-calorie dieting.
Often the number on the scale has gone down, but guys with SFS aren’t more ripped, toned, or better looking than when they started their fitness journey.
Their physique doesn’t reflect their effort.
They just look like a smaller version of their former self.
If you’re dealing with SFS, or just starting your fitness journey and want to avoid it, this guide will ensure you build the lean athletic physique you want!
More importantly by following this process maintaining your physique results is relatively easy.
In an industry full of “hacks,” extreme workout programs, dogmatic diet insanity, and gimmicky supplements it’s easy to work hard in the gym, focus on your diet, yet fail to see great results.
Most guys try to fix the issue through effort alone.
But harder workouts, and slashing calories further won’t get you there.
Great physiques aren't built from effort alone, they're built from structured routines and tactical dieting.
There are no shortcuts or tricks in this issue.
And for some reading this, it might feel like I’m suggesting you take one step back to move two steps forward.
However if you follow these steps, you’ll solve your physique challenges at a foundational level!
To build a killer physique that’s easy to maintain you must…
- Extend Your Timeline
- Workout to Build NOT Burn
- Standardize Your Diet
- Build Caloric Leverage & Fuel to Grow
- Strategically Diet
- Repeat as Necessary
1. Extend Your Timeline
If you’re dealing with skinny-fat-syndrome there is NO fast fix.
This is hard to accept, particularly when so many charlatans promise fast results through pills and potions.
To help you avoid such nonsense, consider my “transformation photos” below.
Most guys guess that transformation took 6 months.
The truth is those photos are 3.5 hours apart!
There’s NO photo shop, or editing tricks.
I just manipulated my posture to create the “before” picture, and got a workout pump and changed the lighting for the “after” photo.
These photos are from an article I wrote showing how easy it is for supplement marketers to create fake before and after “transformation photos.”
You can read that article, HERE where I share some some client results and realistic time frames.
The point is there are NO quick fixes, but some con-artist will sell you one!
Don’t fall for that trap.
Accept there’s NO FAST FIX.
Building a great physique might take longer than you want, but who cares? You plan on maintaining a great physique right? Well that means staying in the game for the long haul anyway.
So get to work!
2. Workout to Build NOT Burn
Guys who suffer skinny fat syndrome make the crucial error of exercising to burn calories and lose fat.
They constantly add things like H.I.I.T training, random bootcamp classes or workouts in the name of fat-loss.
I get it, you want abs, and your stomach is a constant reminder to lose weight.
But exercise is only responsible for about 10% of total daily caloric burn.
Using exercise to burn body-fat is inefficient and approaching it in that manor neglects its greatest value…it’s muscle building potential.
Because skinny fat syndrome is highlighted by a lack muscular development, training to build muscle is top of line priority.
The old adage of “you can’t chisel a pebble” applies here.
So shift your thinking.
You are NOT exercising to burn calories or lose body-fat. You are exercising to BUILD muscle!
Focus on the basics:
- Stick to a specific set of exercises for a minimum of 6 weeks.
- Use a mix of exercises from vertical & horizontal pushing & pulling patterns, and bilateral/unilateral hinging & squatting patterns
- Use progressive overload to make consistent strength and/or volume improvements each week
- Double down on exercises that deliver most muscular stimulation
- Add ancillary exercises to target arms, shoulders, and core as needed,.
- Train 3-5 times per week.
3. Standardize Your Diet
Standardizing your diet sets the stage for step 4 (caloric leverage building).
Structuring your diet can be as simple as using a basic hand-measuring framework to create balanced meals
- 1 Palm = 1 portion of Protein
- 1 Fist = 1 portion of Vegetables
- 1 Open Palm = 1 portion of Carbohydrates
- 1 Thumb = 1 portion of Fat
Creating meals with 1-2 portions of each macronutrients in conjunction with a structured meal frequency of 2-4 meals per day will establish caloric stability.
This caloric stability provides reference points for future adjustments.
4. Build Caloric Leverage & Fuel To Grow
In addition to building muscle with the training described above we must simultaneously and systematically increase your calories to improve your energy and raise your metabolism.
This allows you to more “diet” easier in the future.
Many guys think “won’t raising my calories make me fat?”
During this process some men actually lose body fat!
Others maintain their weight.
And yes some do gain a few pounds of body-fat.
However it’s minimal.
Remember I said you might have to take one step back to move two steps forward? This is that step.
Don’t let the idea of putting on a few pounds of body-fat stop you from achieving your long term goal of being lean and ripped.
Once you understand that Metabolic Adaptation occurs during fat loss phases and caloric leverage building phases, the fear of gaining fat should be put to rest.
Here’s how Metabolic Adaptation works.
As you increase calories much of that energy is used to build new muscle.
With more energy coming in the system, the intensity of those workouts increases, requiring more energy (calories).
The thermogenic effect of digestion increases as you burn more calories through increased digestion.
And the big one… Your NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis) increases.
This is a highly adaptable portion of your metabolism, and is the calories burned during normal daily activities.
As more energy comes in the system you will naturally be more active.
This includes an increase in subconscious movement like fidgeting and bobbing along to music.
This up-regulation will mitigate or minimize fat-gain as you increase calories and create an environment conducive to building muscle.
The end result is an increased metabolism, new muscle built, and a higher caloric threshold established.
You have effectively built leverage.
Now stepping into a tactical dieting phase (a calorie deficit) is FAR easier.
As you lose body-fat the lean muscle you built will reveal itself and you will break away from the skinny fat syndrome for good.
A simple mantra to follow during this time is Fueling To Grow!
Work towards eating 1 gram of protein per pound of desired body-weight.
Slowly add calories into your diet while simultaneously scaling your general activity and strength training program.
You can use a calorie calculator like https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html to calculate an estimated maintenance calories and start there, or simply refer back to the hand measured framework above and add in hand portions over time.
Monitoring scale weight ensures any weight gain stays within acceptable levels and allows you to adjust intake along the way.
5. Strategically Diet
Once thriving on a higher caloric intake you can step into a tactical dieting phase (calorie deficit).
So the question is how do you known if you’re in a good position to diet?
There’s no hard rule, but consider these factors.
- Hunger Cues
Are you chronically hungry? If yes, you’re NOT ready.
Does eating as much as you’re currently eating feel like a chore, or even a nuisance? If yes, you’re probably ready.
- Do the Math:
Does removing 500-800 calories from your dieting seem daunting? If yes, you’re not ready.
If it seems reasonable you’re likely ready.
- General Energy:
Do you drag ass throughout the day? You’re not ready.
Or, do you feel “twitched up” and have that extra spring in your step. If yes, you’re probably ready.
Your dieting experience will require real time adjustments, but here’s a few guidelines to consider.
Dieting Guidelines
- Diet (a consistent calorie deficit) for no more than 12 weeks at a time.
- Aim to lose no more than 10% of total body weight during this period/ -.5 to 1% of body weight lost per week tend to be most sustainable.
This may feel like the LONG way out of your SFS predicament, and I understand the desire to try “just one more diet” to lose a few pounds, but you’ve likely been down that path before.
Time to end that cycle for good!
6. Repeat As Needed
It may take multiple rounds of “dieting” and “leverage building” to reach your physique goal.
That’s okay…
Taking this phasic approach will improve your body at a foundational level.
You arrive at a place where you feel like you have always been that ripped fit guy.
Your energy and hunger levels will adapt to that your new physique so you won’t have to kill yourself to maintain it. You will be able to indulge in the occasional junk food, beer, or vacation without having to worry about “losing it all.”
Being fit, lean, and ripped will feel like what your body WANTS you to be.
Maintaining your physique will feel relatively easy.
It’s a great place to be!
If you want to see this process done in real time, HERE is a case study of a client who went through a similar process.
And if you want to see a tactical approach towards transforming your physique, consider signing up of FREE to watch the FitMenProject Lean Body Masterclass HERE where I break down exactly how to improve your body-composition, fitness, confidence, energy, and performance.