TheTruthHurts
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When transitioning from bulking to cutting, the principles of your training will change to align with your goal of reducing body fat while maintaining as much lean muscle mass as possible. Below are some key concepts to help guide your cutting routine.
While I won't go into specifics like exercises, sets, or reps, these are the basic elements you should consider when designing your cutting program:
1. Cardio
During a cut, cardio is essential to help burn fat, but not all forms of cardio are equally effective. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is the most efficient option. It rapidly burns glycogen and helps improve insulin sensitivity. Aim for 2-3 HIIT sessions per week, around 30 minutes per session. You can structure your HIIT with 60-second work intervals followed by 60-second rest periods. If you prefer steady-state cardio, you can add 15 minutes after training, but HIIT should be your primary focus.
2. Tempo
Similar to bulking, controlling the tempo during cutting is crucial, especially during the eccentric (lowering) phase. Slow down your eccentric movements to around 3-4 seconds. This increases Time Under Tension (TUT), which should be between 50-90 seconds per set. Slow, controlled movements help stimulate muscle fibers without needing to lift excessively heavy weights. Focus on the mind-muscle connection, and if you can't maintain tempo with a given weight, drop the load and focus on quality.
3. Volume
During a cut, we reduce training volume compared to bulking to accommodate the lower calorie intake and slower recovery. Aim for 45-minute workouts with a maximum of 12 sets per muscle group. Many of these sets should include finishers, such as drop sets or giant sets, to increase intensity and maximize fat burning. The goal is not volume for volume's sake, but to make each set as intense and efficient as possible.
4. Workout Frequency
Recovery will be slower during a cut due to reduced calories, so you should train each muscle group only once per week. Avoid two-a-day workouts. Your split should allow enough time for recovery between sessions, so focus on consistency and quality. If you're incorporating HIIT, make sure it's balanced with your weight training schedule.
5. Workout Split
When designing your workout split, prioritize hitting each muscle group once a week while also including your HIIT sessions. Here’s an example split:
- Monday : Chest/Triceps
- Tuesday : Legs
- Wednesday : Shoulders/Calves/Abs
- Thursday : HIIT
- Friday : Back/Biceps
- Saturday/Sunday : HIIT
Feel free to modify the split to suit your preferences, but ensure each muscle group gets adequate rest between sessions.
6. Exercise Selection and Order
For legs, you may want to keep exercises to a minimum and focus on adding finishers like drop sets. For upper body, using a variety of exercises will help target the muscle from different angles. Start with compound, multi-joint movements (such as squats, bench presses, or deadlifts), then move on to isolation exercises. Supersets and tri-sets can be useful for increasing intensity.
7. Reps
To stimulate fat burning and muscle preservation, higher rep ranges are necessary—typically 12 reps or more. You should be aiming for lactic acid buildup, which signals your body to prioritize fat as fuel. If you're not incorporating finishers, keep your sets in the 12-20 rep range to deplete glycogen and promote fat loss.
8. Rest Intervals
The key difference between bulking and cutting workouts is the rest period. During a cut, you want to keep rest periods shorter to increase workout density and promote fat loss. Large muscle groups (like chest and back) should have rest periods of 45-60 seconds, while smaller muscles (biceps, triceps) can have rest periods of 30-45 seconds. If you're doing supersets, extend the rest by 10-15 seconds, but don’t let it become a prolonged rest period. The idea is to keep the intensity high and the rest intervals short.
These principles should help you design an effective and efficient cutting routine. Remember, the goal during your cut isn’t to lift maximum weights or hit personal bests—it's to maintain muscle mass while shedding fat and increasing insulin sensitivity in preparation for your next bulking phase.
What has worked for you during your own cutting phase?
While I won't go into specifics like exercises, sets, or reps, these are the basic elements you should consider when designing your cutting program:
1. Cardio
During a cut, cardio is essential to help burn fat, but not all forms of cardio are equally effective. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is the most efficient option. It rapidly burns glycogen and helps improve insulin sensitivity. Aim for 2-3 HIIT sessions per week, around 30 minutes per session. You can structure your HIIT with 60-second work intervals followed by 60-second rest periods. If you prefer steady-state cardio, you can add 15 minutes after training, but HIIT should be your primary focus.
2. Tempo
Similar to bulking, controlling the tempo during cutting is crucial, especially during the eccentric (lowering) phase. Slow down your eccentric movements to around 3-4 seconds. This increases Time Under Tension (TUT), which should be between 50-90 seconds per set. Slow, controlled movements help stimulate muscle fibers without needing to lift excessively heavy weights. Focus on the mind-muscle connection, and if you can't maintain tempo with a given weight, drop the load and focus on quality.
3. Volume
During a cut, we reduce training volume compared to bulking to accommodate the lower calorie intake and slower recovery. Aim for 45-minute workouts with a maximum of 12 sets per muscle group. Many of these sets should include finishers, such as drop sets or giant sets, to increase intensity and maximize fat burning. The goal is not volume for volume's sake, but to make each set as intense and efficient as possible.
4. Workout Frequency
Recovery will be slower during a cut due to reduced calories, so you should train each muscle group only once per week. Avoid two-a-day workouts. Your split should allow enough time for recovery between sessions, so focus on consistency and quality. If you're incorporating HIIT, make sure it's balanced with your weight training schedule.
5. Workout Split
When designing your workout split, prioritize hitting each muscle group once a week while also including your HIIT sessions. Here’s an example split:
- Monday : Chest/Triceps
- Tuesday : Legs
- Wednesday : Shoulders/Calves/Abs
- Thursday : HIIT
- Friday : Back/Biceps
- Saturday/Sunday : HIIT
Feel free to modify the split to suit your preferences, but ensure each muscle group gets adequate rest between sessions.
6. Exercise Selection and Order
For legs, you may want to keep exercises to a minimum and focus on adding finishers like drop sets. For upper body, using a variety of exercises will help target the muscle from different angles. Start with compound, multi-joint movements (such as squats, bench presses, or deadlifts), then move on to isolation exercises. Supersets and tri-sets can be useful for increasing intensity.
7. Reps
To stimulate fat burning and muscle preservation, higher rep ranges are necessary—typically 12 reps or more. You should be aiming for lactic acid buildup, which signals your body to prioritize fat as fuel. If you're not incorporating finishers, keep your sets in the 12-20 rep range to deplete glycogen and promote fat loss.
8. Rest Intervals
The key difference between bulking and cutting workouts is the rest period. During a cut, you want to keep rest periods shorter to increase workout density and promote fat loss. Large muscle groups (like chest and back) should have rest periods of 45-60 seconds, while smaller muscles (biceps, triceps) can have rest periods of 30-45 seconds. If you're doing supersets, extend the rest by 10-15 seconds, but don’t let it become a prolonged rest period. The idea is to keep the intensity high and the rest intervals short.
These principles should help you design an effective and efficient cutting routine. Remember, the goal during your cut isn’t to lift maximum weights or hit personal bests—it's to maintain muscle mass while shedding fat and increasing insulin sensitivity in preparation for your next bulking phase.
What has worked for you during your own cutting phase?
for cuts! Love that 60-sec work/rest idea, thanks!