How To Fix “Skinny Fat”
I started CrossFit thinking it would lead to an athletic, muscular physique.
I was all in—showing up to class religiously, pushing myself through brutal WODs, and following the prescribed nutrition dogma.
I ate “clean.” I weighed my food on a scale, and I cut out “bad” foods (except for my froyo addiction at the time).
For a time I even went full Paleo because that’s what all the fittest people seemed to be doing.
And after three years of doing everything “right,” I looked in the mirror and realized something frustrating:
I was still… skinny.
But not the good kind of lean and muscular. I was skinny fat.
I had built endurance, sure. I could do kipping pull-ups for days.
But I still didn’t have the muscle definition I thought would come naturally from working out so hard.
My arms weren’t filling out my sleeves. My midsection was soft, even though I wasn’t carrying much extra weight.
And that’s when I had to face the hard truth:
CrossFit alone wasn’t going to give me the body I wanted. And neither was simply “eating clean.”
What I Was Missing
Turns out, building muscle isn’t just a side effect of working out—it’s a process that requires a specific approach.
And I wasn’t doing what actually mattered.
❌ I wasn’t prioritizing progressive overload.
CrossFit workouts are great for conditioning, but without intentional, structured strength training, I wasn’t actually challenging my muscles enough to make them grow.
❌ I wasn’t eating enough protein.
I was “eating clean,” but I wasn’t consistently hitting the protein intakeneeded to actually build muscle.
❌ I was undereating.
My goal was to be lean, but in reality, I was just stuck in a cycle of under-fueling and over-training.
I didn’t give my body the resources it needed to actually build muscle.
Truth be told, most workout programs and group classes fall short.
As Blakley and I developed the Digital Barbell Training Method, everything changed.
My focus shifted from just working out hard to training smart.
✅ I dialed in my protein intake and made sure every meal had at least 30–40g of it.
✅ I stopped trying to burn calories and started focusing on progressive overload.
✅ I stopped cutting calories and actually ate enough to support muscle growth.
And for the first time, I actually started looking like I worked out.
How to Fix Skinny Fat
If you feel like you’re working out and “eating clean” but still don’t have the muscle definition you want, here’s where to start:
And yes, this goes for both men and women.
✅ Strength train at least 3x per week with a focus on progressive overload (increasing weights, reps, or intensity over time).
✅ Eat enough protein—at least 0.7 to 1g per pound of body weight.(If you weigh 150 lbs, aim for 105-150g daily.)
✅ Don’t be afraid to eat enough calories. If you’re constantly under-eating, your body won’t have the fuel to build muscle.
✅ Cut back on excessive cardio if it’s interfering with strength and recovery.
This isn’t about chasing a number on the scale—it’s about building a body that’s strong, lean, capable, and actually looks fit.
Trust me, we spent years figuring this out, so you don’t have to.
Lift heavy, and be nice.
Jonathan