The Ultimate Guide To CUTTING - Want To Get Leaner & Ripped? READ THIS!

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Intro

Hello HF. While most people are in the bulking phase during the colder months, I still feel like it's important to also post a cutting guide so you can properly prepare this phase after you are done bulking. Warmer months will come before you blink and it will be the time to cut, get leaner, ripped and tone your muscles!
Cutting is the opposite of bulking, it's where you are in a caloric deficit with the goal of shedding fat while also maintaining that hard earned muscle. Everyone wants to look ripped for those summer days and tone their muscles, so this will be the perfect guide for you.
But make no mistake, transitioning from bulking to cutting isn't as simple as just cutting down your calories. A very important, however often overlooked phase of bodybuilding is the maintenance phase. Your body needs to adjust to the caloric intake change, and this phase is called the maintenance phase. I'll cover everything below.


Understanding Cutting & The Maintenance Phase

In order to shred fat, your need to be in a caloric deficit. That paired with a good workout routine is crucial for toning your muscles. Do not overlook the importance of protein intake in this phase. Many people make this mistake while cutting down their calories, they drastically cut their protein intake as well, which results in losing your gains, and noone wants that to happen and months of hard work and bulking!
Like I said before, there will be a short period of maintenance, where you won't be removing enough calories to go into the cutting phase, but rather a small part of it in order for your body to adjust to the change. Below I will attach a calculator where you will find out what your maintenance calories intake should be.

Maintenance Calorie Calculator

On the same site you will find a cutting calorie calculator along with some other helpful sources!



Time To Put In The Work!

Bulking is physically harder. Cutting is mentally harder. Especially after a good 6 months of bulking.
During this phase you will put more importance into your meal and eating habits than your workouts. You've already gained those muscles, now it's crucial to maintain and tone them.
Once your body stabilizes at your maintenance calories, it's time to gradually removing the number of calories you take. Remember, your goal is to lose fat slowly which is about 0.5% to 1% body fat per week. Why slowly? So you can minimize muscle loss! Always track your progress! Take note, you will notice a significant reduction in body weight the first few weeks, after that the progress will decline and become slower. Why? Because during the first few weeks you will lose a lot of water weight, that always comes first. Don't get discouraged, this is perfectly normal. If you notice a longer period of stalling and no progress, you may need to slightly reduce your calorie intake again and/or increase activity, strength and resistance training. Remember, the goal is to burn more calories than you consume in order for this to be successful!
To maintain your muscles, strength training cannot be avoided! While you may notice a decrease in strength and get discouraged because you can't lift as much as you do before, you need to always keep in mind that this is normal. Keep working and keep progressive overloading! Stick to heavy lifting and and incorporate cardio gradually! Many people add too much cardio way too fast and end up burning out or ruining their progress. Despite the common belief that cardio is a god-send when it comes to shredding fat, this is not true. Cardio is good, but too much cardio will just mess things up. Strength training and your diet is still more important.
If you get frustrated with your slow progress, avoid drastic calorie cutting as this could lead to stress, metabolic slowdown, muscle loss and other mental problems. Also, HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE. Drink lots of water throughout the day as it will make your metabolism faster and help you shred fat faster.
The key to success is keeping discipline, maintaining a healthy diet and workout routine!


Best Foods For Cutting

While there aren't necessarily 'best foods for cutting' since it's all about the quality and quantity of what you eat, I will list some examples of healthy foods.

Protein Sources

Chicken, fish, egg whites, cottage cheese, protein powders, low to non-fat milk, turkey, lean beef, tofu...
Never forget that you need to keep your protein intake high during this phase in order to prevent muscle loss

Complex Carbohydrates

Rice, pasta, oats, quinoa, potatoes, bananas, whole grains...
Remember to cut your carbo intake, but not drastically, or your workouts will suck

Fat Sources

Peanuts, avocados, olive oil, nuts, salmon...
Don't eliminate fats entirely, just because they are 'fats' doesn't mean you should remove them from your diet while cutting

Low-Calorie Vegetables:

Spinach, broccoli, kale, zucchini...
These provide steady energy and contain fiber, which will help you feel fuller for a longer period of time.

WATER, WATER, WATER!!!


Outro

There you go. Cutting is an essential phase of bodybuilding if you want to get that perfect summer body you've always trained for. Transitioning from bulking to cutting is gonna be harder than when you just started your gym journey, since your body got used to more food, but keep a positive and disciplined mindset and progress in non-negotiable! Listen to your body, stay patient and consistent! Below is a helpful guide I wrote on supplementation and boosting testosterone that acts like a bonus in your bodybuilding journey!

Supplementation Guide
Boost Testosterone

As always, shoot me a message if you need help! <3