Cutting and bulking are both crucial parts of a bodybuilder’s cycle. A cut is referred to as a phase in a training cycle where you lose fat, whilst maintaining muscle. Bodybuilders do this so that their muscles are the most defined when taking the stage, however, it is also a popular option for those involved in recreational weight training. In this blog post, we’re taking a deep dive into cutting. This blog will give you 'The Complete Guide To Cutting - How To Loose Fat And Gain Muscle'.

The Basics Of Cutting

As mentioned above, there are two key parts of a bodybuilder’s cycle: the bulking phase and the cutting phase. Cutting is a structural phase where you 'cut' down your calorie intake to place you in a calorie deficit. The goal here is to reduce overall body fat while still maintaining muscle mass, which is why it's important to stay on top of consistent weight training. This phase usually lasts 2–4 months, depending on how lean an individual is following their bulk. A bulk precedes the cut and is a phase where you are in a calorie surplus to enhance muscle growth.The timing of a cut is usually based on the dates of competitions, athletic events, or occasions such as holidays. If the option is there, equipment that can measure body fat percentage will help you determine how aggressive/quick you need to cut.

Nutrition During Your Cut

From the above definitions you may think you just need to cut the calories to be in a calorie deficit. However, in order to cut safely, be healthier, and maintain muscle mass, your type of nutrition is crucial. 

Current research suggests that experienced body builders should intake the following macronutrients:

• Protein - ~3.5 g/per Kg
• Fats - ~0.6 g/per Kg
• Carbohydrates - ~2.3 g/per Kg

Although there are other nutrients essential to overall well-being, we are only discussing due to there above-mentioned nutrients being associated with muscle retention, hormonal health, and energy availability.

Protein

Protein is arguably the most important macronutrient during the cutting phase. It is responsible for the repair and growth of muscle fibres following resistance training and cardiovascular activity, therefore is a crucial component for recovery (1). Additionally, it aids fat loss by increasing your metabolism and reducing your appetite (Source).

Fat

It is a common misconception that fats should be eliminated during a cutting diet. However, they play an important role in hormone production, such as testosterone and IGF-1, which help to preserve muscle mass.

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are key sources of energy that help fuel your performance, especially during periods of exercise. This increase in performance will increase calorie expenditure and may enhance overall fat loss (Source).

Calculating Your Calorie Deficit When Weight Cutting

As said, the main goal is to be in a calorie deficit. So, whilst ensuring you maintain the macronutrients above, you need to know how to implement this into a diet that has you in a calorie deficit. Historically, calculating how many calories you consume has been a very challenging and time-consuming process. Due to advancements in technology, this is no longer an issue, as calorie-counting apps such as ‘My Fitness Pal’ have made it much easier to calculate your overall calorie and macronutrient intake.

Meal Timing

If you are a competitive athlete, meal timing is very important, but on a cutting diet, not so much. During this diet, you should focus on sticking to your calorie and macronutrient intake.

If you find that you are regularly becoming hungry during this diet, a good trick is to have a high-calorie breakfast as this may help keep you fuller throughout the day.

Importance Of Refeed Days

Reefed days (AKA "cheat Days") are a chance to treat yourself to a higher calorie intake following a strict calorie deficit. This carbohydrate intake has many physiological benefits. It has been found to balance several hormones such as leptin, restore your body's glucose stores, and improve exercise performance.

Psychological advantages (boosted morale and mood) also come from having reefed days.

The key to a successful cheat day is to be on a calorie surplus of only 300-800 calories.

Training During Weight Cutting

Along with diet, cardiovascular exercise, and resistance training are important when considering how to cut.

Increasing Cardiovascular Training

When used alongside weight lifting, cardiovascular exercise could help increase your fat loss. This is especially true for high-intensity cardio. It is important to keep in mind that you should not push your body too far when increasing training.

Increasing Resistance Training

Resistance training helps to preserve muscle mass when on a cutting diet. It can be done in various different ways. Resistance bands are a great choice with various options available for different levels, ie beginners, and advanced. Weightlifting is another way to increase resistance training and can be done by using barbells and other home gym equipment.

Sleep & Recovery

One thing that people often overlook is the importance of sleep on performance, especially during a cut. Sleep has significant effects on your hormonal profile, with 95% of growth hormone being released during rapid eye movement sleep. Additionally, sleep extension significantly improves muscular properties such as force and speed production whilst improving cognitive function (Source).

Common Mistakes When Weight Cutting

The most common mistake when cutting is becoming in an extreme calorie deficit. This would cause a large reduction in muscle loss, which is not the goal of a cut. Additionally, this can impact your metabolic system, causing you to experience a "metabolic slowdown'. This refers to a reduction in the ability to burn calories as your body tries to preserve energy. This will mean that weight gain becomes easier, however weight loss becomes more difficult.

Often people over do cardio and neglect weight training. As cardiovascular exercise is known to burn more calories than resistance training, people often opt to focus primarily on endurance exercise. This can lead to energy burnout, limiting your ability to perform daily tasks and causing strength and muscle mass loss.

Finally, with the decreased calorie intake, people can neglect their protein intake. Maintaining protein levels is crucial for protein synthesis and muscle maintenance.

Summary

Now that you’ve read our guide to cutting, you should have a better insight into what it is and how to cut. To recap, a cutting diet is widely used to maximise fat loss while preserving lean muscle mass. A necessary component of cutting is calculating your calorie and macronutrient intake (protein, carbs and fats) based on your body weight and lifestyle.

Please keep in mind that if you are intending to do this cutting diet, you should consult your trainer or a medical professional to see if the diet is right for you.

If you need help finding the correct gym equipment for your requirements, get in touch with Exersci today. Our friendly team will be happy to help you choose the best equipment for your requirements, whatever stage of the cutting journey you are on.