athiktos
7 wks off (broken elbow!)
Cut cycles can be for anyone trying to lose some extra weight, but for the bodybuilder there is more time invested into the cut process. As for food and training heres what I go by...
Objective: Cutting cycles are designed to provide a steady, controlled fat loss and muscle preserving program over a period generally from 8 weeks to 18 weeks. As opposed to general weight loss, a cutting program places just as much importance on maintaining current lean body mass as losing fatty tissue.
5 Tips I go by...
1. Eat Clean - You will have to eat clean or else you won’t be able to fulfill all of your nutritional requirements while staying in a calorie deficit. Your body needs to be in a calorie-deficit state in order to lose weight, and that certainly won’t happen if you’re eating junk foods.
2. Eat Several Small Meals Throughout the Day - Even if you aren’t cutting, your meals should be broken up into several small meals. Smaller meals prevent you from getting hungry and help with better nutrient absorption. In addition, you are less likely to store some of the food as fat if you break it up.
3. Eat AT LEAST you body weight in protein - In order to spare your hard-earned muscle, you will need to keep the protein up to at least 1g per pound of bodyweight. This will make sure that your body won’t be breaking down muscle to meet its energy requirements. This protein should be divided evenly throughout the day in each small meal.
4. Allow plenty of time for fat lose to occur - Wanting to get ripped to prepare for an event is fine; wanting to get ripped days before an event is not fine. Know your time table and plan accordingly. Proper fat loss cannot be rushed. Consider the amount of time your body spent accumulating the fat and consider the amount of time you want to lose the fat -- are the two amounts about the same? Most likely not – it’s illogical to spend 5 years gaining weight and then expect to lose it in one month. It takes time.
5. Dont "over do" it. - This means make sure you’re getting adequate rest, proper nutrition, and not overdoing it with cardio or weight training. Once your body is overworked, your fat loss will come to a screeching halt. Similar to #4, you need to make sure that you take time and keep your fat loss program slow and controlled.
My weight loss program is centered around variety. You could have the best fat loss program going for you, but if it doesn’t change things up on a regular basis, your body will adapt very quickly and suddenly you won’t be losing weight. So, every week of my cutting cycle I either add or enhance some aspect in order to keep the fat loss going.
As far as weightlifting goes, I continue to lift three times per week, lifting as heavy as possible in the 6-8 rep range. Lowering the weight and increasing the reps in attempt to tone is a fictitious and useless way to help fat loss.
As far as cardio goes, I begin with 45-60 min of walking (low intensity cardio) 3-4 days per week and towards the end of my cutting cycle I’m up to walking 2-3 times per week and doing intense cardio 1-2 times per week. Keep in mind that this is a gradual change and only one aspect of fat loss.
--LOW INTENSE CARDIO.
The low-intensity cardio that I perform (usually walking) is performed in the morning to help a great number of calories burned come from fat. Because I don’t have a meal ahead of time, I usually have some sort of protein before doing the cardio to prevent my body from breaking down muscle during the cardio.
--HIGH INTENSE CARDIO.
The high-intensity cardio that I perform in the later weeks of my fat loss program is never performed in the morning or on an empty stomach, because it requires a lot of energy and
also would easily burn a lot of muscle instead of fat.
**Personal Week-by-Week Plan for Fat Loss**
Week 1:
3 days low-intensity cardio
Week 2:
3 days low-intensity cardio
1 cup of coffee pre-cardio
Week 3:
4 days low-intensity cardio
1 cup of coffee pre-cardio
1-2 servings Sesamin daily
Week 4:
4 days low-intensity cardio
1 thermogenic pre-cardio
1-2 servings Sesamin daily
Week 5:
4 days low-intensity cardio
1 thermogenic pre-cardio
1-2 servings Sesamin daily
1 serving Creatine daily
Week 6:
4 days low-intensity cardio
1 thermogenic pre-cardio
1-2 servings Sesamin daily
1 serving Creatine daily
1 day medium-intensity cardio
Week 7:
4 days low-intensity cardio
1 thermogenic pre-cardio
2-3 servings Sesamin daily
1 serving Creatine daily
1 day medium-intensity cardio
Week 8:
3 days low-intensity cardio
1 thermogenic pre-cardio
2-3 servings Sesamin daily
1 serving Creatine daily
2 days medium-intensity cardio
Week 9:
3 days low-intensity cardio
1 thermogenic pre-cardio
2-3 servings Sesamin daily
1 serving Creatine daily
2 days medium-intensity cardio
Week 10:
3 days low-intensity cardio
1 thermogenic pre-cardio
2-3 servings Sesamin daily
1 serving Creatine daily
1 day medium-intensity cardio
1 day high-intensity cardio
*Although many of the above weeks have the same thing listed over and over, this is to show how each week compounds on the previous. By continually adding changes to your routine you gradually lose more and more fat – your body is in a constant state of change and must keep guessing as to how to react.*
For a good DIET guide...check out BLOWN's sticky in the diet forum.
Hope this helps some people with cutting...thanks j. niemi for youre help! PEACE!
Objective: Cutting cycles are designed to provide a steady, controlled fat loss and muscle preserving program over a period generally from 8 weeks to 18 weeks. As opposed to general weight loss, a cutting program places just as much importance on maintaining current lean body mass as losing fatty tissue.
5 Tips I go by...
1. Eat Clean - You will have to eat clean or else you won’t be able to fulfill all of your nutritional requirements while staying in a calorie deficit. Your body needs to be in a calorie-deficit state in order to lose weight, and that certainly won’t happen if you’re eating junk foods.
2. Eat Several Small Meals Throughout the Day - Even if you aren’t cutting, your meals should be broken up into several small meals. Smaller meals prevent you from getting hungry and help with better nutrient absorption. In addition, you are less likely to store some of the food as fat if you break it up.
3. Eat AT LEAST you body weight in protein - In order to spare your hard-earned muscle, you will need to keep the protein up to at least 1g per pound of bodyweight. This will make sure that your body won’t be breaking down muscle to meet its energy requirements. This protein should be divided evenly throughout the day in each small meal.
4. Allow plenty of time for fat lose to occur - Wanting to get ripped to prepare for an event is fine; wanting to get ripped days before an event is not fine. Know your time table and plan accordingly. Proper fat loss cannot be rushed. Consider the amount of time your body spent accumulating the fat and consider the amount of time you want to lose the fat -- are the two amounts about the same? Most likely not – it’s illogical to spend 5 years gaining weight and then expect to lose it in one month. It takes time.
5. Dont "over do" it. - This means make sure you’re getting adequate rest, proper nutrition, and not overdoing it with cardio or weight training. Once your body is overworked, your fat loss will come to a screeching halt. Similar to #4, you need to make sure that you take time and keep your fat loss program slow and controlled.
My weight loss program is centered around variety. You could have the best fat loss program going for you, but if it doesn’t change things up on a regular basis, your body will adapt very quickly and suddenly you won’t be losing weight. So, every week of my cutting cycle I either add or enhance some aspect in order to keep the fat loss going.
As far as weightlifting goes, I continue to lift three times per week, lifting as heavy as possible in the 6-8 rep range. Lowering the weight and increasing the reps in attempt to tone is a fictitious and useless way to help fat loss.
As far as cardio goes, I begin with 45-60 min of walking (low intensity cardio) 3-4 days per week and towards the end of my cutting cycle I’m up to walking 2-3 times per week and doing intense cardio 1-2 times per week. Keep in mind that this is a gradual change and only one aspect of fat loss.
--LOW INTENSE CARDIO.
The low-intensity cardio that I perform (usually walking) is performed in the morning to help a great number of calories burned come from fat. Because I don’t have a meal ahead of time, I usually have some sort of protein before doing the cardio to prevent my body from breaking down muscle during the cardio.
--HIGH INTENSE CARDIO.
The high-intensity cardio that I perform in the later weeks of my fat loss program is never performed in the morning or on an empty stomach, because it requires a lot of energy and
also would easily burn a lot of muscle instead of fat.
**Personal Week-by-Week Plan for Fat Loss**
Week 1:
3 days low-intensity cardio
Week 2:
3 days low-intensity cardio
1 cup of coffee pre-cardio
Week 3:
4 days low-intensity cardio
1 cup of coffee pre-cardio
1-2 servings Sesamin daily
Week 4:
4 days low-intensity cardio
1 thermogenic pre-cardio
1-2 servings Sesamin daily
Week 5:
4 days low-intensity cardio
1 thermogenic pre-cardio
1-2 servings Sesamin daily
1 serving Creatine daily
Week 6:
4 days low-intensity cardio
1 thermogenic pre-cardio
1-2 servings Sesamin daily
1 serving Creatine daily
1 day medium-intensity cardio
Week 7:
4 days low-intensity cardio
1 thermogenic pre-cardio
2-3 servings Sesamin daily
1 serving Creatine daily
1 day medium-intensity cardio
Week 8:
3 days low-intensity cardio
1 thermogenic pre-cardio
2-3 servings Sesamin daily
1 serving Creatine daily
2 days medium-intensity cardio
Week 9:
3 days low-intensity cardio
1 thermogenic pre-cardio
2-3 servings Sesamin daily
1 serving Creatine daily
2 days medium-intensity cardio
Week 10:
3 days low-intensity cardio
1 thermogenic pre-cardio
2-3 servings Sesamin daily
1 serving Creatine daily
1 day medium-intensity cardio
1 day high-intensity cardio
*Although many of the above weeks have the same thing listed over and over, this is to show how each week compounds on the previous. By continually adding changes to your routine you gradually lose more and more fat – your body is in a constant state of change and must keep guessing as to how to react.*
For a good DIET guide...check out BLOWN's sticky in the diet forum.
Hope this helps some people with cutting...thanks j. niemi for youre help! PEACE!
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