Cutting is nothing more than lowering your fat percentage by adhering to a strict diet plan. This makes your muscle mass more visible. The difference between cutting and a regular diet is that with a regular diet you often lose muscle mass. Cutting is adjusting your diet so that the loss of muscle mass is minimal.
Protein is the most important macronutrient during a cutting diet. Your body uses protein to build muscle and organ tissue. The combination of weight training and protein is powerful enough to build muscle even when cutting. Protein also provides you with energy, although that is not the main reason for eating it.
In fact, you can expect a whopping 20–30% of the weight you lose by cutting calories will come from muscle, according to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Unfortuantely, whether you go on a lean bulk or do a dirty bulk, fat gain is unavoidable. So, after ending one it's ideal to enter a cutting phase to lose the excess fat gained and to get leaner so the muscles you've developed really pop out!
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 ).
Generally, it's better to bulk first and then cut if your goal is to build muscle. But, again, it all depends on your goals. Bulking first and then cutting allows you to increase muscle mass and then cut down excess fat or weight you gained during the bulk.
Your cutting goal will need to be somewhere below your maintenance number, but not low enough that you run the risk of losing substantial muscle. A good rule is to strive to lose no more than 0.5-1% of your body weight per week.
If the number on the scale is changing but your body fat percentage isn't budging, it's a sign that you are losing muscle mass. Also, when you lose muscle mass, your body doesn't shape the way you want. You will notice shrinking circumferences but fat (you can pinch and check) still remains the same.
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.
No matter how much weight you need to lose, cutting out excess calories and increasing physical activity is key. A 1,500-calorie diet fits the needs of many people who want to lose fat and improve health. Like any healthy diet it should include mostly whole, unprocessed foods.
While in a growth phase, we typically recommend consuming about 2.2g of protein per kg of bodyweight (1g per pound). However, during a cut, you should actually up your intake slightly, somewhere in the range of 2.3g/kg-3.1g/kg (1.1g/lb-1.5g/lb) (Helms et al. 2014; Ribeiro et al. 2019).
10 to 14 percent
This range of body fat is still lean, which means your abs will be visible. But it's also considered healthier and easier to obtain than the 5 to 9 percent range.
So, should you cut or bulk first if you are skinny fat? You should bulk first if you are skinny fat. A 10% caloric surplus is optimal to build muscle while ensuring you don't put on a lot of excess body fat. Stay in a surplus for a minimum of 4 months and then begin a slow, gradual cut.
A bulking phase can last anywhere from 1 month to over 6 months or longer, depending on your goals. To start bulking, add a given number of calories to your typical daily calorie intake.
That means eating at a deficit of approximately 500 calories per day. Set your calendar accordingly. If you have 10 pounds or fewer to lose, you should start at least 2-3 months out. If you have more than 20 pounds to torch, begin your cutting phase 4-5 months prior.
However, most people who start dieting by cutting out a certain amount of calories each day will see results within one to two weeks, even if it's just one pound lost.
Whether it's a surgical wound or one that seemed minor at first but is getting worse instead of better, any wound that's infected should be evaluated by a medical provider. Signs a wound may be infected include: Increasing pain or redness. Drainage or bleeding that won't stop.
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.