2026-09-15 8 min

Recomp Calculator

Free recomp calculator for the short version — compartments, trade target, and block timeline for lifters who want the essentials fast.

Calculator

Units

Body weight

Morning scale weight

Body fat

Current body-fat percent

Target body fat

Goal body-fat percent

Results update live as you type

Status:15 lb fat to loseTarget 164.9 lbClean cut map — 100/100

Results

Fat to lose15 lb

Target weight164.9 lb

Current fat mass39.7 lb

Weeks at steady pace11.2 wks

Lean mass63.6 kg

Map score100/100

52360 kcal of fat energy

Composition Map

Compartment	Amount	Note
Body weight	81.6 kg	22% fat
Fat mass	39.7 lb	22%
Lean mass	63.6 kg	Defend this
Fat to lose	15 lb	52360 kcal
Target weight	164.9 lb	15% fat
Overall	11.2 weeks	100/100 Clean cut map

Recommendations

▸Carry 39.7 lb of fat with 140.2 lb lean — lose ~15 lb of fat toward 164.9 lb at 15%
▸Run a 15–25% deficit with 2.0–2.4 g/kg protein and 3–5 lifts weekly; expect ~11.2 weeks at a steady pace
▸Track waist, photos, and lifts — the scale alone cannot see recomposition

Results

Normal

Fat to lose

15 lb

52360 kcal of fat energy

Target weight

164.9 lb

Same lean mass at 15% body fat

Current fat mass

39.7 lb

22% of 81.6 kg

Weeks at steady pace

11.2 wks

At ~0.75%/week fat loss

Lean mass

63.6 kg

The tissue to defend with protein and lifts

Map score

100/100

Clean cut map — ambition priced

Two-compartment math on estimated body fat (±3–5%). Track waist, photos, and lifts — scales miss recomposition.

Visualizations

Composition now vs target

39.7Fat now

24.7Fat target

15To lose

Current composition

Fat38%

Lean62%

Map score

100/100

0100

Formula

Fat-mass accounting with lean-defended target weight and steady-pace window.

Fat = weight × %; Target weight = lean / (1 − target%)

Alternative Form

Fat to lose = current fat − target fat; Energy = fat kg × 7700

Variables

Symbol	Name	Unit	Description
Fat	Fat mass	unit	Weight times body-fat percent
Lean	Lean mass	kg	Everything else — the tissue to defend
Target	Target weight	unit	Same lean mass at goal body fat
ToLose	Fat to lose	unit	Current minus target fat mass
Energy	Fat energy	kcal	Fat kilos times 7,700
Window	Steady window	weeks	At ~0.75%/week fat loss

Explanation

Scale weight lies during recomposition — compartments tell the truth.

Derivation

Target = lean/(1−target%). Penalties: 15+ point gap −10, sub-5% target −15. Window at 0.75%/week.

Step-by-Step Calculation

Follow each step to understand how the result is calculated from your inputs.

Step 1

Weigh in and estimate body fat honestly.

Scale weight plus caliper, tape, or scan estimate

Weight:81.6 kg

Body fat:22%

Intermediate: Consistent method beats precise method

Result: Composition captured

Step 2

Split weight into fat and lean compartments.

Fat = weight x %; lean = weight − fat

Fat:39.7 lb

Lean:63.6 kg

Intermediate: Lean is the tissue to defend

Result: Compartments split

Step 3

Hold lean constant and solve target weight.

Target = lean / (1 − target%)

Target:164.9 lb at 15%

Intermediate: Assumes muscle defended with protein and lifts

Result: Target solved

Step 4

Isolate fat to lose and its energy cost.

Fat loss = current fat − target fat; kcal x 7700

Fat to lose:15 lb

Energy:52360 kcal

Intermediate: Fat-only math, water excluded

Result: Fat priced

Step 5

Sketch weeks at a steady fat-loss pace.

Weeks ≈ fat kg / (0.75% of body weight)

Window:11.2 weeks

Intermediate: Sustainable middle pace

Result: Timeline sketched

Step 6

Score the map and set tracking beyond scale.

Penalties: 15+ point gap −10, sub-5% target −15

Score:100/100

Status:Clean cut map

Intermediate: Carry 39.7 lb of fat with 140.2 lb lean — lose ~15 lb of fat toward 164.9 lb at 15%

Result: Carry 39.7 lb of fat with 140.2 lb lean — lose ~15 lb of fat toward 164.9 lb at 15%

Final Answer

15 lb

Worked Examples

See how the calculator works with different scenarios.

Scenario

180 lb, 22% now, 15% goal.

Inputs

Weight:180 lb

BF:22%

Calculation

Fat ~40 lb, lean ~140 — target ~165 lb, trade ~13 fat.

Result

Clean cut map

Interpretation

Two 12-week blocks with progression.

Understanding Your Result

Your Result: Fat to lose: 15 lb

Typical range: Recomp windows: 8–16 weeks typical; 5–7 point trades per block realistic.

What This Means

The essentials-only recomp check — expressed as fat to trade, target weight, and block window.

Why It Matters

Recomp essentials fit on one screen — compartments plus a block plan beat hundred-variable perfection.

Professional Interpretation

Counsel like a dietitian: give lifters the trade number and the block date — essentials drive adherence.

Essentials drive

Trade size plus block date beat hundred-variable plans that nobody follows.

Flat scales lie

Stable weight with shrinking waist is success wearing a disguise — measure, do not mourn.

Recommendations

•Learn the trade number, then train
•Measure waist weekly, photograph monthly
•Weigh 3–7x weekly and judge 2-week trends
•Re-run numbers monthly as the body changes
•Hold blocks 12 weeks before judging

Educational Content

Introduction

Free recomp calculator for the short version — compartments, trade target, and block timeline for lifters who want the essentials fast.

Concept Explanation

Same compartment math in fewer steps: fat now, fat target, trade size, block window.

Applications

▸Trading fat for muscle at stable weight

▸Sizing recomp calories near TDEE

▸Setting recomp protein at 2.2–2.6 g/kg

▸Timing 8–12 week recomp blocks

▸Tracking beyond-scale progress

▸Choosing recomp vs cut-or-bulk

Benefits

•Scale-stable transformation math
•High-protein recomp targets
•Beyond-scale tracking (waist, photos, lifts)
•Block-based patience plan
•Beginner-and-returner optimized

Limitations

•Best for beginners, returners, high-BF lifters
•Veterans recomp glacially — phases beat it
•Scale blindness frustrates the impatient
•Protein and progression non-negotiable

Best Practices

•Eat within ±5% of TDEE
•Hold protein 2.2–2.6 g/kg
•Progress lifts in 5–8 rep compounds
•Run 8–12 week blocks minimum
•Track waist, photos, and lifts weekly

Common Misconceptions

Myth: Recomp means eating whatever.

Truth: Recomp is the strictest phase — maintenance calories with high protein and progression, not freedom.

Myth: Scales prove recomp.

Truth: Scales hide recomp by design — tapes, photos, and PRs are the instruments.

Myth: One perfect day proves the pattern.

Truth: Averages across ordinary days decide outcomes — single best days mislead.

Practical Tips

•Photograph monthly, same light
•Tape waist weekly
•Chase rep PRs, not scale drops
•Protein at every meal, 30 g+
•Hold blocks 12 weeks minimum
•Sleep 8 hours for partitioning

Common Mistakes

Quitting at week 4

Recomp reveals at weeks 8–12 — patience is the program.

Protein under 2 g/kg

Recomp without high protein is maintenance with extra steps.

Program-hopping

One progression 12 weeks beats three programs 4 weeks.

Scale-watching daily

Weigh for data, judge by tape and photos.

Dirty maintenance

Junk at TDEE still partitions poorly — food quality steers the trade.

Assumptions

This calculator makes the following assumptions to provide estimates:

Near-maintenance intake: ±5% of TDEE assumed.

Progressive lifting: The muscle-half signal of the trade.

High protein: 2.2–2.6 g/kg enabling the exchange.

Responsive trainees: Beginners, returners, or higher-BF lifters gain most.

Limitations

Be aware of these limitations when using this calculator:

Slow by design: Visible change needs 8–12+ weeks.

Veteran limits: Advanced lean lifters gain little here.

Scale-blind: Needs tape, photos, and strength logs.

Not medical advice: Clinical body-composition cases need professionals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about this calculator.

What is recomp in one line?

Losing fat and gaining muscle simultaneously near stable weight — the beginner-and-returner superpower.

Who recomp fastest?

Beginners, detrained returners, and higher-BF lifters — veterans trade glacially.

How long per recomp block?

Eight to twelve weeks minimum — trades need seasons, not sprints.

Do I eat more or less?

Near maintenance (±5%) with 2.2–2.6 g/kg protein — precision beats direction here.

Why is my weight flat?

By design — fat down and muscle up offset on the scale while mirrors change.

When do I switch phases?

When 12-week trades stall — cut-or-bulk phases then outrun simultaneity.

How accurate are body-fat estimates?

Calipers and tapes run ±3–5%; scans vary by hydration. Consistent method beats precise method.

Can I hold weight and lose fat?

Yes — recomposition at maintenance with 2.2–2.6 g/kg protein and progressive lifts, best for beginners and returners.

How fast can body fat drop?

Roughly 0.5–1 point monthly at steady pace — faster early, slower when lean.

What body fat is sustainable?

Men roughly 12–20%, women 22–30% for year-round leanness with full hormones and performance.

Why does the scale stall while fat drops?

Muscle, glycogen, and water offset fat loss kilo for kilo — waist and photos confirm.

Should targets go below 10%?

Only peak-week competitors under supervision — hormones, sleep, and sanity bill below sustainable leanness.

How accurate are weight-change predictions?

Within about 10–15% over 4–12 weeks when intake is logged honestly. Water, glycogen, and gut content swing daily weight 1–3 lb around the fat trend.

Why 7,700 kcal per kilogram?

A kilo of body fat stores roughly 7,700 kcal (3,500 per pound). Mixed loss runs close enough for planning — the scale trend calibrates the rest.

Should I weigh daily or weekly?

Weigh 3–7x weekly under identical conditions and judge the 2-week average. Single weigh-ins mostly measure water.

Do I need to count calories exactly?

No — consistent portions plus weekly trend beats precise logging you abandon. Accuracy matters less than adherence.

What slows progress most often?

Weekend drift, liquid calories, portion creep, and impatience — physiology rarely, habits usually.

When should I take a diet break?

After 8–12 weeks of steady loss or when sleep, mood, and lifts sag — 1–2 weeks at maintenance restores momentum.

Related Calculators

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Related Guides

Deepen your understanding with these educational resources.

Protein and Strength While Dieting

Keep the engine while shrinking the chassis.

Setting Calories for Fat Loss

From maintenance to deficit without muscle loss.

Building a Balanced Plate

Produce, protein, and whole grains in the right shares.

Glossary

Technical terms used in mortgage calculations explained in plain language.

Recomp: Simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain near stable weight.
Partitioning: Directing energy from fat stores into muscle growth.
Newbie gains: Rapid beginner progress making recomp fastest early.
Maintenance: TDEE intake — recomp’s calorie home.
Progressive overload: Gradually heavier training driving the muscle half.
Tape test: Waist tracking revealing fat loss scales hide.
Photo log: Monthly same-light pictures proving slow trades.
Block: 8–12 week committed training-and-eating phase.

Authoritative References

Trusted sources and standards referenced by this calculator.

International Society of Sports Nutrition American College of Sports Medicine NIH — Weight management Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans Harvard Nutrition Source

Applicable Standards

ACSM position stand on weight managementISSN position stands on diet and body compositionU.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans

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Page Information

Last Updated:

2026-09-15

Version:

2.0.0

References:

License:

Free to use for educational and professional purposes.