Three months of minimalist strength training plus low-intensity cardio reduced my body-fat by 1.9% and added 5.7 lb of muscle, and didn’t require crash-diets, 5a.m. runs, or any other heroic measures.

From Baseline to Check-In

Back in late February I booked a baseline DEXA scan so I could tell whether the fat-loss phase I was about to start was really going to work. After 90 days of consistent lifting, extra walking, and a very modest (sometime non-existent) calorie deficit, I stepped back into the scanner last week. Here’s what changed and exactly how I got there.

The DEXA Results

Metric 25 Feb 2025 4 June 2025 Change
Body-fat % 19.1% 17.2% -1.9%
Lean mass 122.7 lb 128.4 lb +5.7 lb
Fat mass 28.9 lb 26.5 lb -2.4 lb
Total mass 157.3 lb 160.7 lb +3.4 lb

The total mass increase doesn’t matter since it was all lean tissue.

What the Training Actually Looked Like

  • Time-optimized upper/lower strength training — ~4 sessions/week, usually <45 min each.
  • “Barely-broke-a-sweat” cardio — averaging ~8k steps/day. When I needed more, I added a 15–20 min treadmill incline walk (still Zone 2, nothing crazy).
  • No running, HIIT, or circuits. Only steady walking + lifting.
  • Recovery — 2 colds (6 lifting days lost) and one short vacation; on those weeks I dropped volume by half or more and got back on track after I felt better.

Nutrition in One Paragraph

Maintenance calories or very slight deficit on most days. Protein 1 g/lb. No foods were off-limits; but I did use a 5-day moving average to give me some feedback on my diet (while smoothing out daily fluctuations).

Takeaways

  1. Body weight is only a proxy. Only using a body weight scale would’ve told me a different story. One of failure — I gained weight when I wanted to lose weight. A DEXA gave me the real story.
  2. Consistency beats perfection. Missing a few workouts wasn’t fatal; quitting would have been.
  3. Low-intensity movement adds up. Steps + gentle incline walks handled cardio without wrecking joints or recovery.
  4. A minimal program still works. Two compound lifts per session was enough stimulus as long as you push hard.

Debugging Common Myths

Myth What I Realized
“You have to starve to lose fat.” A small deficit and adequate protein was enough to drop fat while gaining muscle. In fact, heavy dieting would have made me lose muscle too.
“You need to spend hours lifting to grow muscle.” Lift smarter, not harder. I made sure my time at the gym was efficient and optimized for muscle growth, not for my ego.
“Busy schedule means no gym time.” This has been the least time committment I’ve needed for a fitness routine. I was able to juggle my full-time job and toddler care without feeling overwhelmed. I was honestly surprised to see the numbers.

What’s Next?

I am a bit skeptical of my results and perhaps I’m still getting “beginner gains”. But because of how easy this program was to follow, I’m planning on continuing for a muscle-gain phase. The main difference will be switching to a gentle calorie surplus to keep recovery and muscle building high.

To keep fat gain under control and my cardio engine healthy, I’m experimenting with:

  • Rowing — short, easy sessions after lifting.
  • Rucking — starting light and gradually adding load/time.

I’ll run another DEXA mid-August and report back.

Next Reads

Next week I’ll share the exact cardio routine I followed to achieve these results. In the meantime, here are some related posts you might find useful: