A “cut” is a strategic, short-term phase in fitness focused on reducing body fat while preserving existing muscle mass. This process requires a precise approach to nutrition and training, as the goal is targeted body composition change, not simple weight loss. Successfully completing a cut means revealing muscle gained during previous training without sacrificing strength or metabolic health.
Establishing the Calorie Deficit and Macronutrient Strategy
Fat loss hinges on establishing a consistent calorie deficit, where energy expenditure exceeds energy intake. Start by estimating your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which represents the total calories burned from basal metabolism, activity, and digestion throughout the day. You can estimate this number by calculating your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and multiplying it by an activity factor.
To ensure weight loss is primarily fat, the deficit should be moderate. A reduction of roughly 15 to 25 percent below your TDEE is recommended, translating to a daily deficit of 300 to 500 calories. This rate typically leads to a sustainable fat loss of 0.5 to 1.0 pounds per week, minimizing the risk of excessive muscle loss.
Macronutrient partitioning is equally important, with protein taking the highest priority to safeguard muscle tissue. Protein provides the necessary amino acids to repair and maintain muscle, acting as an anti-catabolic agent during the energy deficit. Aiming for a high intake, specifically between 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight, is highly effective for muscle preservation.
Protein also has a higher thermic effect of food (TEF) than fats or carbohydrates, meaning the body burns more calories simply digesting it, which further supports the deficit. The remaining calories should be balanced between fats and carbohydrates. Fats are necessary for hormonal health and vitamin absorption, and should account for approximately 25 to 30 percent of total caloric intake. Carbohydrates are crucial for fueling high-intensity weight training sessions and maintaining performance.
Optimizing Weight Training and Cardio
The primary objective of weight training during a cut shifts from building new muscle to actively maintaining existing muscle mass. The body requires a powerful stimulus to signal that muscle tissue is still needed, despite lower energy availability. Keep the intensity of your lifting high by maintaining heavy loads on the bar for your main compound movements.
While the weight lifted should remain challenging, you may need to reduce the overall training volume, such as the total number of working sets, to manage recovery. Recovery is significantly impaired in a calorie deficit, and overtraining can accelerate muscle breakdown. Prioritize quality, heavy sets over excessive volume to ensure the muscle receives the necessary tension signal without causing undue systemic fatigue.
Cardiovascular training serves as a tool to increase total daily energy expenditure, widening the calorie deficit without further cutting food intake. There are two main types to consider: Low-Intensity Steady State (LISS) and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). LISS cardio, like brisk walking on an incline, is easy to recover from and can be performed frequently to burn calories without impacting the recovery required for muscle maintenance.
HIIT involves short bursts of all-out effort followed by recovery periods, making it highly time-efficient and creating a greater post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). However, its high-intensity nature places significant stress on the nervous system. Use HIIT sparingly, perhaps two to three times per week, and ideally on separate days from heavy lifting to avoid interfering with strength training recovery.
Managing Plateaus and Monitoring Success
Monitoring progress requires looking beyond daily scale weight, which can fluctuate significantly due to water retention and glycogen levels. The most reliable metrics include tracking the weekly average of your body weight and monitoring strength performance in the gym. Consistently losing weight at the target rate while maintaining strength numbers indicates successful muscle preservation.
Other useful measures include taking progress photos every two to four weeks and tracking body circumference measurements, particularly the waist, for visual confirmation of fat loss. A true fat loss plateau is defined as two to three consecutive weeks with no measurable weight loss, often resulting from metabolic adaptation. As weight is lost, the body requires fewer calories to function, effectively lowering the TDEE.
When a plateau occurs, tighten the calorie deficit by a small amount (100 to 200 calories), often by slightly reducing carbohydrate or fat intake. Alternatively, increase energy expenditure by boosting Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT), such as increasing your daily step count. This approach avoids drastic calorie drops that risk muscle loss and adherence.
For longer cutting phases, implementing a planned diet break or refeed is highly beneficial for both physical and psychological well-being. A refeed involves temporarily raising calories to maintenance levels for a single day, primarily by increasing carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores and provide a mental break. A diet break is a longer period (one to two weeks) spent eating at maintenance calories, which helps regulate hormones and prepares you for renewed dieting.