Written by Garett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S
Fact checked by Tyler DiGiovanni, BSBM
FACT CHECKED
If you've ever wondered how to go on a cut and do it properly, this article is for you! A cut body is basically the pinnacle of goals for lifters and is what a large percentage of those in the gym look for.
The problem is learning how to cut can be confusing as there's a lot going on. In this article, we're going to try to help make this process easier and explain how you can build a cut body!
Prepare to lose some pounds with our exclusive 12-week fat loss training program. Choose between a 4 or 5 day training split and torch that stubborn fat, all while retaining, or even gaining muscle...
What Is A Cut?
Let's start this article by explaining what a cut is. The terms "cut" and "weight loss" are related but often incorrectly conflated with the same thing.
The term "cut" can simply mean a "cut body". This means a body with low body fat and generally increased muscle mass. On the other hand, "cutting" refers to the process of building the aforementioned "cut body."
Actually, cutting is just one part of a cyclical process used by bodybuilders to increase muscle mass while keeping body fat percentage low. This process is known as "cutting and bulking."
Cutting and bulking are a systematic process in which a person will build muscle (bulking) for a short period of time and then shed any fat gained, the cutting process. As mentioned, the main goal of cutting and bulking is to improve body composition with a cut body being the end goal.
In contrast, a fat loss or diet plan primarily aims to simply lose weight. These plans are generally 6-12 months long, as the person usually starts with higher body fat percentages. Further, there is less emphasis on building muscle when in a weight loss plan.
How Long Should A Cut Last?
The length of time you cut will vary depending on your training level and body fat percentage.
More experienced lifters with low body fat percentages should stick to shorter durations of 6-8 weeks. This is because these individuals already have lower weights with less fat to burn. therefore;
- They don't need to lose a ton of weight
- Having less body fat can increase the possibility of burning muscle
On the other hand, other individuals can go longer, with 3-4 months. As these people have more fat to drop, they can handle the longer duration without fear of losing muscle mass.
We also want to say that many people believe that smaller bulks and cuts are easier to adhere to as you are never adding a lot of fat to burn. Being able to adhere to a plan long-term is arguably the most important part of any diet plan – if you stick to it long enough, you will succeed.
Should You Cut Or Bulk First?
When deciding how to go on a cut, one of the big questions is whether to cut or bulk first.
The answer to this will really depend on two factors including;
- Your body fat percent
- Your primary goal
- Your comfortability with body fat percentage
Body Fat Percent
The maximum body fat percentage you should ever be at is 20%; this is a hardline, so anyone over 20% should cut until they get below this.
Now, let's say someone is sitting at around 14-15% body fat. This person could really go either way, so it will depend on what they're most concerned with.
- If the primary goal is building muscle, you should bulk first.
- If the primary goal is to be as lean as possible, cut first, with 15% being the maximum body fat percent.
Still, there are some guys who may have higher body fat percent but little muscle; the "skinny fat" body. These people should probably build muscle first before cutting.
Muscle Mass
As we discussed above, having a cut body implies that you have a certain amount of muscle mass on you. In fact, the "cut" is generally thought to refer to the skin cutting between the muscles which provides definition.
Therefore, if you don't have a significant amount of muscle mass on you, that should be your first goal. Now, assume you're not carrying around a lot of extra fat, in which case you'd want to lose fat first.
Training Level
Another nuanced variable is your training level.
Assuming you're at a reasonable body fat percent, we think that new lifters should focus on building mass. The reason being is that you are prone to put on mass when you first start lifting so you should take advantage of this.
In a cut, you're in a caloric deficit and might miss out.
Preference
Another factor that can play a role is how comfortable the person feels with being heavier. Some people follow the rule of being able to see their six-pack. They will cut as soon as the lines get faint, as they never want to lose it.
As you see, the right answer largely depends on the person's specific situation.
Cutting Workout
We'll now go over what a cutting exercise routine looks like.
Before we start, we want to address a misconception about cutting. Many people mistakenly think a cutting workout looks drastically different from a bulking routine. In reality, the two are more similar than you might expect.
One of the issues is people look at "cutting'" as building muscle. However, you've already built the muscle during the bulk and are now using your diet to reduce calories and burn fat.
Therefore, during a cutting phase, the primary goal is to maintain muscle mass while reducing body fat. This is why we say a cutting routine doesn't look too much different; it's your diet that changes.
The good thing is that maintaining muscle is typically easier than building it, so long as you follow some simple rules. Here's how to structure your cutting workout:
Training Frequency
Training frequency refers to how many times you go to the gym weekly. The answer is nuanced, but if you want to build a cut body, we think the average person should hit the weights 4-5 times.
As we mentioned above, building a cut body indicates you're wanting to build a body with advanced muscle mass and low body fat percent – you are concerned about body composition.
The added frequency is likely advantageous as it allows you to put in a lot of quality volume.
Hit Each Muscle 2x A Week
One of the most effective ways to preserve muscle during a cutting phase is to train each muscle group twice weekly.¹ This provides stimulus evenly throughout the week and optimizes the training and recovery cycle.
Again, this is similar to when you want to build muscle. This makes sense, as the best training method for building muscle would also be the best for maintaining muscle.
Focus On Compound Movements
When cutting, you should prioritize compound movements like;
These exercises recruit multiple muscle groups and allow you to lift heavier weights, which is crucial for muscle preservation.
While burning calories is not your main goal, compound movements will burn more calories and contribute to fat loss while maintaining strength and size.
By following these principles, you'll be able to maintain your muscle mass and keep your body strong as you work towards becoming leaner.
Be Sure To Include Heavier Loads
Many people who lift to cut will incorrectly do a lot of high reps and circuit style for the calorie burn – burning calories is not the goal of lifting weights.
You will already be using your diet and cardio (discussed below) for calorie control, so there's no need to use lifting to burn calories.
Rather, you want to train with heavier loads with a traditional rep scheme, i.e.
- 3X5
- 4X6
- 3X8
Using these loads will trigger muscle protein synthesis and promote muscle retention. While theoretical, it's suggested that using loads of >85%1RM is superior when maintaining muscle mass. Therefore, you should use at least one exercise for each muscle group with loads of >85% or at least 6RM.
Use (Or Try) To Implement Progressive Overload
Another fault of many lifters when they train while cutting is not using proper intensity. However, you should still be trying to implement progressive overload; this is simply the principle that says to continually place greater demand on the muscles i.e. lift more.
Now, as you're cutting, this will likely be harder. It doesn't matter; this should be your goal.
Cardio For Cutting
Cardio also plays a role in cutting and lifting weights.
The main concern is doing too much cardio as this could raise cortisol, the stress hormone. Prolonged, elevated levels of cortisol can lead to the breakdown of muscle.
For this reason, you'd probably want to keep steady-state to a minimum. Now, this depends on several factors but mainly your preferences.
HIIT
HIIT training can be a great option for a cut. Of course it burns calories but it seems as though it may be more effective in maintaining muscle mass during a cut when compared to long, steady-state.²
This is likely due to several mechanisms, including;
- Shorter duration
- Anaerobic in nature
- Use of resistance exercises (if chosen)
As your main goal is improving your body composition, HIIT may be a better choice, at least as your primary tool.
To be clear, we are not saying HIIT is better than steady-state as we see benefits and like them both. However, in this circumstance, they are likely a better option.
Walking & Low-Intensity Exercise
Another very effective tool is using low-intensity and low-impact exercises such as walking, rucking, or using an incline treadmill.
These activities are not too stressful or demanding on the body, so you don't need to worry about excessive cortisol levels or muscle breakdown.
Increasing your walking is inversely related to your body fat percentage; the lower your body fat percentage, the more important walking is. Again, this is because, at lower body fat levels, a person is more susceptible to muscle loss when in a deficit.
Further, a dose-response has also been found between the number of steps and weight loss.³
Cutting Diet
Once you have your workout in check, you need to follow a proper-cutting diet. While both work together for a successful cut, the diet is where things have a bigger chance of going wrong.
As mentioned above, a cutting workout's main focus is simply applying sufficient stimulus to the muscle to maintain muscle mass.
When it comes to your diet, you need to find the proper balance of calories. This can result in;
- Eating too many calories and not losing fat or even gaining fat
- Eating too few calories and possibly losing muscle mass
- Eating the proper amount of calories allows you to maintain muscle mass and burn fat
Therefore, while your training is important, it's your diet that will make or break your cut. You need to optimize your nutrition for your body composition.
Minimal Calorie Deficit
Remember that when cutting and bulking, you shouldn't try to create extreme caloric deficits, as you don't want to lose any muscle mass.
Therefore, we recommend staying at a 300-500 calorie deficit. Going higher than this is possible but should be reserved for more advanced trainees who are familiar with their bodies and the process.
Regardless, your current situation will dictate which is better for you. Basically, less body fat suggests you should probably stick to the 300 caloric deficit while larger guys could get away with 500.
In either situation, you need to be mindful of the delicate balance of calorie control when losing weight. You'll need to track your progress and make any adjustments necessary based on what's going on; are you losing too much weight or too little?
Follow A Whole-Food Diet
As nutrition is so important to a successful cut, you need a nutritious and filling diet. This is done with a whole-food diet. Examples of whole foods include
- Protein: Focus on protein sources such as steak, chicken, fish, and eggs. Protein supports muscle growth and helps you stay fuller longer.
- Healthy Fats: Include moderate amounts of healthy fats from sources like avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil. These fats are vital for hormone balance and overall well-being.
- Fruits & Vegetables: These are nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Include a variety of colorful options like leafy greens, berries, and cruciferous vegetables for maximum health benefits.
- Healthy Carbs: Focus on whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, oats and starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes. These carbs provide sustained energy, fiber, and important nutrients without causing blood sugar spikes.
- Fiber: Be sure your diet includes plenty of fiber from foods such as; leafy greens, berries, apples, cauliflower, brown rice, oats, almonds, and cashews.
High Protein
Your primary goal is to eat a lot of protein. Of your three macronutrients, protein is the most important in running a successful cut. In fact, you could even call it "the secret" to fat loss.
You should eat at least 2.0g per kilogram of body weight. However, there's reason to believe that going higher would yield greater results. Multiple studies have shown that doses of 2.5g-3.5g per kilogram of body weight effectively run a successful body recomposition.⁴
While a cut doesn't necessarily mean you want to gain muscle mass, it definitely shows that higher protein results in the mitigation of muscle mass while still cutting fat.
Now, your number one priority is your total protein intake daily. Once you have this under control, you want to spread it throughout the day. Aim for 4-5 servings spread evenly throughout the day.
Hydration & Sleep
Perhaps because it's so simple, water and sleep are some of the most overlooked tools for losing weight during a cut. This is a mistake, as both provide powerful benefits for optimizing your cut.
Here's how.
Water Helps With Appetite
Even though water has no calories, it still has volume and fills your stomach. This creates the feeling of being full and reduces cravings, ultimately making your cut easier.
It's difficult to say how much water you should drink, but 8 glasses a day is a good standard. However, several variables will require more or less water.
- Larger people will need more water
- Heavy sweaters need more water
- People who exercise a lot will need more water
Therefore, you'll need to adjust accordingly. The easiest way is to monitor your urine color and maintain a pale yellow.
In fact, studies have shown that increasing the amount of water you drink can help you shed more fat!⁵
Are You Hungry Or Thirsty?
Something interesting happens when you get thirsty; your stomach sends signals to your brain to tell it you're thirsty. However, this is the same part of your brain that signals hunger!
This means that your brain has trouble deciding whether to drink or eat—most of the time, we choose food!
The next time you crave, drink a big glass of water and see what happens.
Prioritize Sleep for Better Body Composition
Most people understand that sleep is crucial for health and general recovery. However, many don't understand how important it is for improved body composition.
A really interesting study was performed in 2018 that examined this exact thing⁶: how does sleep restriction affect a person's body composition? The study took a pool of participants and placed them on a 30% caloric deficit. They then put them into two different groups with different sleep schedules:
- Group A slept 7.5 hours per night.
- Group B slept just 6.5 hours during the week.
Other than that little difference in sleep, everything else was similar.
At the end of 8 weeks, there were some major differences in fat and muscle loss. Both groups lost the same amount of weight, but the difference was in where the weight came from.
The group that got adequate sleep (7.5 hours) saw 83% of their weight loss come from fat, with only 17% coming from muscle. In contrast, the group with less sleep (6.5 hours) experienced only 58% of their weight loss from fat, while 42% came from muscle.
The difference can be attributed to several factors, including:
- Hormonal balance: Sleep influences hormones that control hunger and fat storage.
- Increased appetite: Sleep deprivation can trigger cravings for high-calorie foods.
- Loss of energy: Less sleep affects workout performance and overall activity levels.
All that to say, building a cut body is going to be a lot harder when you have poor sleep habits!
Final Say On Building A Cut Body
Think about this – Walking around with a 6-pack and cut muscles is something only a small portion of the population will ever experience. That's because it's hard! It takes a lot to achieve this goal such as optimizing your diet, training and recovery. However, it also takes consistency and dedication. The good thing is that if you are consistent with your plan, you will build a chiseled, cut body!
Prepare to lose some pounds with our exclusive 12-week fat loss training program. Choose between a 4 or 5 day training split and torch that stubborn fat, all while retaining, or even gaining muscle...
References
- Schoenfeld, Brad J., et al. “Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Sports Medicine, vol. 46, no. 11, 21 Apr. 2016, pp. 1689–1697, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27102172/, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8.
- Callahan, Marcus J., et al. “Can High-Intensity Interval Training Promote Skeletal Muscle Anabolism?” Sports Medicine, 29 Jan. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-020-01397-3.
- Creasy, Seth A., et al. “Pattern of Daily Steps Is Associated with Weight Loss: Secondary Analysis from the Step-up Randomized Trial.” Obesity, vol. 26, no. 6, 6 Apr. 2018, pp. 977–984, https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22171.
- Barakat, Christopher, et al. “Body Recomposition.” Strength & Conditioning Journal, vol. Publish Ahead of Print, no. 5, 4 Aug. 2020, journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/Fulltext/2020/10000/Body_Recomposition__Can_Trained_Individuals_Build.3.aspx, https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000584.
- Vij, Vinu A. “Effect of “Water Induced Thermogenesis” on Body Weight, Body Mass Index and Body Composition of Overweight Subjects.” JOURNAL of CLINICAL and DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH, vol. 7, no. 9, 2013, https://doi.org/10.7860/jcdr/2013/5862.3344.
- Leproult, Rachel. “Effect of 1 Week of Sleep Restriction on Testosterone Levels in Young Healthy Men.” JAMA, vol. 305, no. 21, 1 June 2011, p. 2173, https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2011.710.
Garett Reid
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