>diet and exercised >>instead of body comp What? The former leads to the latter. I'm confused by the question. >Cal in / Cal out AKA CICO - Is a rule, it is nothing more. It's like the force of gravity [F=G((m1*m2)/r^2)]. >% muscle Is just a result. Nothing more. You use diet - by way of managing calories through CICO - and exercise to obtain a goal muscle %. That process is called body recomposition. Body recomp is easy and hard. It's confusing as fuck but once you get it: you get it. It's extremely different per individual so any two people are likely not going to obtain the same (or close to) results from similar actions. Body recomposition is to the goal of <10% BF, >50% MM% as strength training is to the goal of 2plate bench, 3 plate squat, 4 plate deadlift. They're means to an ends. e: Also don't fall for the intermittent fasting meme. CICO is king and all that matters. When you eat it is irrelevant. With the exception of if you are actually in the literal top of the world's athletes, only then does macro timing to specific meals and workouts matter. Otherwise just eat.