Gain Muscle and Burn Fat at the Same Time

January 08, 2014

Gain Muscle and Burn Fat at the Same Time

Sculpt the physique you've always wanted with this timeless strategy.

We can't overstate the awesomeness of German engineering. The land that brought us jet planes, the Mercedes, and Heidi Klum also introduced perhaps the best method of body recomposition known to the fitness industry—that is, a timeless strategy to gain muscle and lose body fat simultaneously. Achtung! Hala Rambie, a scientist who defected to West Germany during the Cold War, found that fat loss could be accelerated by raising levels of blood lactate—an energy substrate. More lactate corresponds to greater release of growth hormone, which tells your body to grow muscle and burn flab. The best way to raise lactate quickly is to pair upper and lower-body exercises, or opposing movements, for reps in the 8–15 range. The sweet spot for sets is three, and rest periods are restricted to 30–60 seconds. This approach has since become known as German Body Comp. More >