Some people are going to read this article because they truly want to know how to turn fat into muscle as fast as possible. They want to know if it can really be done, and if so, what the best way is to make it happen.
If this describes you, you’ll definitely get your answer in a second.
On the other hand, other people are probably already laughing to themselves as they read this. Why? Because they think it’s hilarious that there are actually people out there who are dumb enough to think it’s possible to turn fat into muscle. They think it’s not only obviously impossible… but just plain stupid to even consider the possibility.
So… who’s right and who’s wrong? Let’s find out.
I Used To Think It Could Be Done
For about 1 week in 1998, I was a part of that first group of people. I truly believed that turning fat into muscle was something that could be done, and I seriously tried to set up my diet and workout in a way to make it happen. Why? Because a personal trainer told me it was true.
See, I originally joined a gym with a friend of mine in 1998. I was the ectomorph (naturally skinny guy) and he was the endomorph (naturally fat person). Realizing the difference in our body types, my friend came to the conclusion that he would be able to gain more muscle faster than me because he could just turn his fat into muscle.
At the time, I doubted it, but his argument started to make some sense the more he talked about it. I mean, as long as turning fat into muscle was possible, he would definitely be able to build muscle twice as fast as me because I didn’t have an ounce of fat on my body. He on the other hand had plenty.
We Asked A Personal Trainer If It Was Possible
So, to settle our little debate, we asked one of the super buff personal trainers who worked at our gym if turning one into the other was truly possible. Guess what they said? They said YES, it is possible to turn fat into muscle.
There was no question about it. This was a certified personal trainer (which meant he obviously knew what he was talking about) and his answer was very clear and direct. He said something about how the cells were similar enough for some kind of conversion process to take place as long as you worked out like this, and took this supplement, and used this diet and blah blah blah. Or something like that.
My friend then spent the next week bragging about how he was right and I was wrong, and I spent the next week being so pissed off that I wasn’t naturally fat. Why? Because if I was, I’d have a clear advantage in building muscle just like my friend now apparently did.
So, for that whole week, I believed it. As it turns out though, what I believed was complete bullshit.
Unfortunately, It’s Just A Big Stupid Myth
At the end of that week of believing you can turn fat into muscle, I was somehow lucky enough to come across someone who actually knew what the hell they were talking about. I just happened to randomly mention this supposed “fact” in the middle of our conversation, and this person immediately shot it down as nothing but a silly workout myth.
Now, years later, I can confirm without a doubt that this person was indeed correct, and my friend and the dumbass personal trainer who said it was possible were totally wrong. Which means 2 things:
- No matter how dumb a diet or workout myth might sound, there are always people out there dumb enough to believe it. Don’t feel bad if you’re one of them, because for a week in 1998, I was too.
- Most personal trainers are dumber than a rock.
So, if you truly want to know how to turn fat into muscle, the simple answer is that you can’t. It’s a myth. Don’t waste your time, effort or money trying. It is just not possible.
Here’s Why…
There is fat. There is muscle. They are two completely different things that can NOT magically become the other. The only thing you can do with fat is gain it or lose it. The only thing you can do with muscle is gain it or lose it. And that’s the end of that list. There is nothing else. There is no physiological way to turn fat into muscle.
I know what you might be thinking now. You (or someone you know) were able to do it. Really? Are you sure about it? I mean, are you 100% sure that’s what happened? Because here’s what I think happened instead…
I think you lost some fat, and I think you built some muscle. You didn’t turn one into the other. See, as long as your diet and workout are set up properly, it’s possible for some people to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. It’s also possible for everyone to do it over a certain period of time.
In either case, it can appear as though you were magically converting your fat into muscle, but you weren’t. You just added one and lost the other in a similar time frame through two completely separate physiological processes. One had nothing to do with the other even though it might look like it did.
Muscle Does NOT Turn Into Fat, Either
And while we’re on the subject, there’s another related fitness myth that needs to be destroyed. How many times have you heard someone claim that they built a bunch of muscle at some point, stopped working out for a significant period of time, and saw all of their precious muscle turn to fat?
Sorry… but that’s bullshit too. Once again, it’s just not possible for one to become the other under any circumstance. What is actually happening in the scenario where a person stops working out for an extended amount of time is that they gradually begin to lose muscle, and gradually begin to gain fat.
Once again, they tend to happen in a way that might look like one is turning into the other, but it’s not. It’s a myth. You can not turn fat into muscle or vice-versa.
And if you happen to have a friend who still thinks this is really possible, please send them here so this myth can die once and for all.
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