Because weight loss inevitably involves the loss of both fat and muscle, you cannot expect to make any gains during your cutting phase, and you can expect your lean mass to decrease slightly as well. But the right planning can help you keep enough muscle so that you aren't likely to notice the loss in the weight room.
That sluggish feeling is totally normal—expected, even. Loads of guys struggle with low energy levels when they make the switch from bulking to cutting.
So, to summarize: if you are just starting out with training, then you can very likely increase your strength while cutting. The more advanced you are, the more difficult this becomes, and at a sufficiently advanced stage, just maintaining your strength while losing weight should be your goal.
A cutting diet lasts 2–4 months, depending on how lean you are before dieting, and is normally timed around bodybuilding competitions, athletic events, or occasions like holidays ( 4 ).
A cut is a period of eating at a calorie deficit as a means to lose body fat while maintaining as much muscle mass as possible. While resistance training continues to play a role during a cutting phase, you may not be able to lift weights with the same intensity as you can during a bulk.
Yes, strength training during a cutting phase is critical to maintaining as much lean muscle mass as you can during this lower-calorie phase. The more muscle mass you can maintain, the lower your body fat gets as you drop weight.
You still lift heavy, and you still use sufficient volume. When cutting it's important to note that you are in a catabolic state so your body is already in the mood to ditch muscle. So because of this the window for volume and intensity is smaller in both directions.
So, what are the best rep ranges for cutting? The best rep range for cutting is one that allows you to sometimes train with heavier loads to preserve basic strength (5-10 reps) and more moderate to light loads to allow you to retain as much muscle while training in higher volumes (10-20 reps).
If your main goal right now is to add more size, build muscle, gain strength, and set PR's in the gym, then a gaining phase is probably the best option as long as your current body fat % is around 10-15%. But if it's closer to 20% or above that, then start with a cut.
Conclusion. Yes, you can gain muscle while cutting. However, it may be more complicated than if you were maintaining your weight, trying to lose fat, or trying to gain muscle individually. Regardless, focus on eating a healthy diet and getting enough protein.
Adding cardio into a cutting phase is not necessary, however, it can help in that it burns additional calories. In some instances, burning 200 calories more a day may be easier than eating 200 calories less per day. That is ultimately up to the individual.
The magic number of calories bandied about for decades has been 3,500—subtract that number from your diet or burn off 3,500 calories more than what you consume, and you'll lose 1 lb.
For a slower cut, an decrease of 10-15% calories is advisable. I often advise starting with a decrease of 10% for a few weeks, take measurements (weight and photos) and see how things go. If fat is being lost, stay with the 10% deficit until things stall and then lower to 15%.
Furthermore, the longer the cut, the more muscle mass is lost overall since it is impossible to avoid muscle loss, so keep this in mind. Most bodybuilders do not exceed cuts of 4 months but usually do at least 2 months.
Talking of skinny fat, mini-cuts are a phenomenal tool to solve skinny fat. You can quickly strip away the fat and put yourself in a position to bulk up and get big while staying lean. Mini cuts are great because they're so efficient. Due to their short length, they can be very aggressive.
Skeletal muscle can regenerate completely and spontaneously in response to minor injuries, such as strain. In contrast, after severe injuries, muscle healing is incomplete, often resulting in the formation of fibrotic tissue that impairs muscle function.
Once you reach a body fat percent of 15% for men or 25% for women, that's when you'll want to start the cut. With a calorie deficit and ensuing weight loss, you'll start losing that fat gain you've put on over the winter months.
The best gains of an entire year often come in the first few weeks after a cutting phase, making that period of time ideal for growth. In fact, you can easily add substantial amounts of real muscle mass in just six short weeks.
Getting Lean and Building Muscle
Your veins start to show when your body is at around 10 percent body fat. But, to maximize vein expulsion, your body fat should be below 8 percent.