Skinny fat. An oxymoron that gained popularity in the last 10 years. How can someone be both “skinny” and “fat” at the same time? This frightening combination of words is actually applicable to more people that you expect. Those who are skinny fat face a huge dilemma. The weighing scale says “skinny” but the mirror screams “fat”. They are too skinny with their shirt on, yet look too fat with their shirt off, not forgetting a myriad of health problems that come with it.

Even if they’re motivated to do something about it, they’ll probably still be very confused on what to do exactly - whether to focus on eating more to build muscle (bulking) or eating less to lose fat (cutting). There are also experts who recommend body recomposition, which is gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time. But which is the best method to curb skinny fat? How should a skinny fat person approach diet and exercise?

In this article, I’ll be explaining what exactly is skinny fat and the best method(s) to fix it. Let’s dive right in.

What is Skinny Fat?

Technically, there is no clinical definition for skinny fat. It is a slang which entered the Urban Dictionary more than a decade ago and its usage increased ever since. It is used to describe someone who has a normal Body-Mass Index (BMI) but high body fat percentage. This would result in a below-average amount of muscle. But how would you really know if you’re skinny fat? In general, skinny fat men have a body fat percentage of more than 20%, with an arm circumference of under 13 inches (or 33 cm), while skinny fat women have a body fat percentage of more than 29%, with a thigh circumference of under 20 inches (or 51 cm). Visually, it is a body that has much room at the sleeves of a shirt, but no room at the waist of the shirt. For the guys, taking off your shirt will show your flabby belly, lack of chest muscles, and thin arms. For the ladies, it is pretty similar. You’re thin but with love handles. You lack muscle and do not have toned, shapely curves.

More than aesthetics

Besides the aesthetics, skinny fat can be unhealthy. Though you might not be overweight, many studies have shown that having a high body fat percentage with a normal BMI can lead to chronic illnesses and diseases such as high blood pressure, hyperglycemia and cardiovascular problems.

Reasons for skinny fat

There are 2 main reasons why people end up being skinny fat, despite putting in effort. First, they restrict calories with lots of cardio. Cardio is definitely not bad for you. In fact, it is necessary for heart health. However, when you do it in excess, it impairs your resistance training. If you want to put on muscle, excess cardio may not be the way to go. Studies have shown that excessive cardio can attenuate gains in muscle mass. Second, they do too little resistance training or are not training properly. Progressive overload, adding compound movement, lifting with good form and lifting close to failure are some examples on how to train effectively. Check out my previous post for more!

*Not training right is one of the biggest reasons of skinny fat.*

Genetics?

You might be tempted to believe you are destined to be skinny fat forever because of your genetics. However, Casey Butt, Ph. D. and natural bodybuilder, found that even people with poor genetics build only 5% less muscle than an average individual. Thus, even if you correctly pointed out that you have bad genetics (which is usually not the case for most), you probably aren’t even close to your genetic potential. The main problem isn’t your genetics, but the way you eat and the way you train.

Best Methods to fix Skinny Fat

The main problem for skinny fat individuals is that they simply need to build more muscle mass. There are a few ways to fix skinny fat. All these methods can possibly achieve the same outcome if done right, but one may be more effective than the other depending on your current body type, timeline, and lifestyle, to name a few.

Method 1: Cut first, then Bulk

This method entails cutting your body fat by about 6-8% by eating in a caloric deficit. The cutting process will take about 3-6 months. After which, the bulking process can begin. Bulk by eating at a caloric surplus to gain about 1-1.5% of bodyweight per month. This will take another 3-6 months. After this, you should go on a cut again, and then keep it status quo after.

But how do you cut?

1) Eat in a deficit to lose about 0.5-1.0% of your bodyweight per week to minimize muscle loss. This should be done by taking your weight every morning and compare your weekly average. This is because daily weight fluctuations can go up to 3 kg a day.

2) Lift weights at least 3 times a week and follow a proper hypertrophy program. It is important to train right. There are many different types of ways to exercise, like High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), CrossFit, StrongLifts 5x5 or Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1, to name a few. These ways of training can increase your muscle size, but are not doing so in the most effective manner. This is because the goal of these ways of training is not hypertrophy. For example, HIIT and CrossFit focus more on cardiovascular and endurance training, while StrongLifts 5x5 focuses on strength training. In fact, a study in 2016 found that the group which specifically trained for hypertrophy gained 10% in muscle size while the group which specifically trained for strength gained 4% in muscle size. Therefore, it is important to follow a proper program that focuses on muscle gain.

3) Based on a few studies, I would recommend a protein intake of about 2.0 g/kg of body weight per day for optimum fat loss. For example, if you weigh 70 kg, you should aim to consume about 140 g of protein.

This method is recommended for individuals who are on the chubbier side of skinny fat (about 15-20% body fat for men, and 25-30% of body fat for women). During this cutting process, be prepared to lose some muscle mass. This is not recommended for people on the skinnier side of skinny fat, as doing a cut first can cause you to look underweight and frail.

*Lifting weights is key to fixing skinny fat.*

Method 2: Bulk first, then Cut

This method entails bulking up to gain about 6-10 kg of muscle mass by eating in a caloric surplus, for 6-12 months. After which, the cutting process can begin. Cut by eating at a caloric deficit to lose about 0.5-1.0% of bodyweight per week, as outlined above. You should cut until you are satisfied with your body fat. At this point you can either choose to go on a bulk again to gain muscle mass, or keeping it status quo.

But how do you bulk?

1) Eat in a surplus to gain about 1-1.5% of your bodyweight per month. Avoiding gaining more bodyweight than 1.5% of your bodyweight per month, as this will cause you to gain additional body fat, which will eventually lead to a low strength-to-bodyweight ratio. It will be harder and longer for you to cut those body fat eventually. In fact, studies have shown that you can gain the same amount of muscle eating both at a small or a huge calorie surplus, but the latter will result in a much higher fat gain.

2) Whether it is bulk or cut, lift weights at least 3 times a week and follow a proper hypertrophy program.

3) Again, whether it is bulk or cut. I recommend a protein intake of about 2.0 g/kg of body weight per day for optimum muscle gain

This method is recommended for individuals who are on the skinnier side of skinny fat. Even though bulking first can cause you to increase in body fat, the significant increase in muscle size can actually allow you to look leaner than how you were when you were skinny fat. And when you cut, you’ll look even better! This is not recommended for those who are on the chubbier side of skinny fat, as doing a bulk first can cause you to have an even higher body fat percentage.

Method 3: Body Recomposition

Finally, there’s a middle ground between Method 1 and Method 2, which is losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time. But is it possible?

See what renowned muscle-building researcher Dr Brad Schoenfeld says.

”You can build muscle while losing body fat. You can’t maximize muscle growth while losing body fat. This is an important distinction.”

Indeed, you can do both at the same time, simply because fat and muscle are two different types of tissue, and the process of building muscle and burning fat are totally different systems altogether. But how do you do that?

Apart from lifting weights at least 3 times a week and eating adequate protein as outlined in the 2 methods above, the distinction between this method is to eat in a slight calorie deficit of about 200-300 calories per day.

This approach is a straight-line path to fight skinny fat. Your body will slowly look better and better without dealing with the frustration of gaining too much body fat or losing muscle mass. However, it will be slower to build muscle compared to bulking, and slower to lose fat compared to cutting. You would really have to trust the process and stick to the plan consistently.

*There are actually many solutions to skinny fat!*

Conclusion

Being skinny fat means you have too much fat and too little muscle. The solution? Obviously to lose fat and gain muscle. Losing fat is most effective when cutting, and gaining muscle is most effective when bulking. Unfortunately, you can’t cut and bulk at the same time. However, you can lose fat and gain muscle over a period of time. This can be done with various methods.

Whichever method you use really depends on personal preference. If you’re uncomfortable with excess fat, doing a cut and then a bulk will perhaps work best for you. If you want to put on muscle fast, bulking first then cutting should likely be your preferred option. If you just want something consistent and that you have the patience, body recomposition is probably the best choice for you. Most importantly, do not neglect resistance training, and aim to get stronger every week!

P.S. - still have questions? Do drop me a message!