So, you’ve done a bulk, you’ve built as much muscle as you can over the last few months and now it’s time to strip back and lose body fat. But how?

It sounds like you’re ready to enter the cut phase of your training journey. In this guide, we recruited the help of physique training specialist Gareth Sapstead to explore effective training strategies that focus on calorie expenditure, cardiovascular fitness, and maintaining strength to help you reach your desired level of leanness and muscle definition.

What Do People Mean When They Say They're On A Cut?

When you’re on a cut, you have two primary goals: to lose body fat and retain as much muscle mass as possible. It’s as simple as that. In order to achieve this, you need to be in a calorie deficit throughout the phase, i.e expending more calories than you consume. This requires you to consume fewer calories and exercise more.

What is the Difference Between a General Gym Cut and a Bodybuilder Cut?

The fundamentals of a cut phase are the same for everyone, regardless of their experience level. That being said, if you’re training for a bodybuilding competition or photoshoot, you will probably have a peak phase the week before competition. The aim of a peak phase is to get competition ready.

To do this, you will need to manipulate your macronutrients, water intake and supplementation in order to increase muscle glycogen and decrease water retention. As a result, this should reduce bloating and give your muscles a pop when you step up on stage or behind the camera. A peak phase can be dangerous, and should only be done with the help of a qualified coach.

What Happens to Gym Performance When Cutting?

Whether you’re training during a cut or a bulk, your resistance training should stay the same because you want to maintain and build as much muscle as possible. Because your aim is to lose body fat, you need to be in a calorie deficit. One way to do so is by increasing your output, you can do so by incorporating more cardiovascular exercise into your training such as using Battle Ropes or Exercise Step.

The lower energy availability might mean that you have less energy, however your calories shouldn’t be so low that they impede your performance. If this is the case then you may need to reconsider how many calories you’re consuming and whether or not they’re too low.

How Long Should a Gym Cut Be?

A lot of people say they’re going to do a cut and then spend a week cutting. This isn’t going to make any difference to your physique. If you want to make any progress then you will need to cut anywhere from 2-5 months. This will give you ample time to get into a calorie deficit and lose enough body fat.

It’s important not to cut for too long either. For one, if you are in a deficit for too long you will lose muscle mass. More importantly, being in a calorie deficit for prolonged periods can lead to extreme weight loss and several physical and mental complications.

How Many Calories Should I Eat During a Cut?

Before you enter a cut phase, it’s important to lay the foundations of your nutrition. To begin with, you need to determine what your maintenance calories are. You can get a general baseline by using an online TDEE calculator, and a more individual number by eating a set amount of calories and weighing yourself every day at the same time for two-four weeks.

Your body fluctuates in weight because of water retention, your menstrual cycle, and even how salty your meal was last night. This means that weighing daily and taking a weekly average is more accurate than weighing once a week. After two weeks of your weight stabilising you can then adjust your calories. A 10-20% drop in daily calories should be enough to be in a calorie deficit but not too extreme.

What Are The Dangers During a Cut Phase?

Signs that your calorie deficit has become too extreme include -

• Fatigue

• Low energy

• Increased appetite

• Headaches

• Menstrual irregularities

• Hair loss

Why Are All Three Macronutrients Important For A Cut?

One of the hardest parts of a cut is being able to maintain muscle mass. This is why it is essential that you consume enough protein to build and retain muscle. As a rule of thumb, aim to eat 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight, or 2.2g per kg of bodyweight each day.

When it comes to fats and carbohydrates you can be more lenient. There is no set number of each you need to eat as some people are better suited to higher carb or fat diets. That being said, you still need to remain within your calorie target if you want to get results.

What Are The Benefits of Cutting At The Gym?

The biggest benefit to doing a cut is seeing the end result once you’ve reached your target physique. When you’re stepping on stage or entering that photoshoot you can be proud of the work you’ve put into producing the outcome, especially because of the hard work it’s taken to get there.

What Are the Downsides of Going on a Cut?

Doing a cut is hard work. You’re placing your body under stress by reducing your calorie intake and increasing your output. As a result, there are times when you will be feeling more fatigued than usual and have less motivation to train. However, it’s important to remember your underlying goals and use them as motivation to keep going when it gets tough. 

Should You Cut Straight After You Bulk?

When you’re switching between a bulk and a cut you should take a break in between the two, which is known as a maintenance phase. This will give you time to recover between dieting. Not only is it important for your physical health but your mental health too. Going through maintenance gives you time to rest and take a mental break from prep which can be difficult. 

The most important thing is that you stay safe when it comes to any form of dieting. Bulking and cutting can have an impact on both your mental and physical health, and so if you do believe that it is having a negative impact on your wellbeing and causing disordered eating, you should seek professional help.

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