Your first year of lifting is magic

Body recomposition — building muscle while losing fat — is famously "impossible." Except for beginners, for whom it happens almost automatically. Your first 6–12 months of serious training are magic: the stimulus is so new that your body builds muscle even in a slight calorie deficit.

This window closes. Intermediate lifters have to pick a lane: eat to grow or eat to lean. Which is exactly why beginners shouldn't waste it — train hard, eat sensibly, and let the recomp happen.

How to use it

Lift 3–4 times per week with progressive overload, eat at roughly maintenance with high protein, sleep. That's the whole program. Don't bulk aggressively "to maximize newbie gains" — you'll just gain fat faster.