Cutting

Definition

A cutting phase (or "cut") is a period where you intentionally eat in a caloric deficit to lose body fat, while training hard to preserve muscle mass built during a previous bulk or maintenance phase.

💡 The goal of a cut is NOT to lose weight — it's to lose fat while keeping muscle. Two very different things.

The 3 types of cutting

⚠️ A deficit greater than -700 kcal/day causes significant muscle loss, hormonal disruption, and a strong rebound risk.

The 4 nutritional pillars of cutting

• ✅ Caloric deficit: -300 to -500 kcal below your TDEE
• ✅ High protein intake: 2-2.5 g/kg of bodyweight (vs 1.6-2 g/kg in maintenance)
• ✅ Sufficient fats: 0.8-1 g/kg minimum (hormone health)
• ✅ Carbs adapted to training: more on training days, less on rest days

How to preserve muscle during a cut

Losing fat without losing muscle is the real challenge. Strategies that work:

• ✅ Keep training heavy: maintain your usual loads, the signal to keep muscle
• ✅ Reduce volume slightly: -10 to -20% if recovery suffers
• ✅ Don't kill yourself with cardio: 2-3 sessions/week max if needed
• ✅ Quality sleep: 7-9h, non-negotiable
• ✅ Manage stress: chronic cortisol = muscle catabolism
• ✅ Refeed days: 1-2 days/week at maintenance to restore glycogen

How long should a cut last?

A cut longer than 16 weeks without diet breaks risks strong metabolic adaptation. Plan strategic 1-2 week breaks at maintenance.

Common mistakes

• ❌ Excessive deficit ("the harder I cut, the faster I lose")
• ❌ Cutting protein along with calories
• ❌ Doing cardio every day instead of fixing the diet
• ❌ Cutting fats below 0.5 g/kg (hormonal collapse)
• ❌ Stopping training when energy drops (muscle loss accelerates)
• ❌ Weighing yourself daily and stressing on water fluctuations

Key takeaways

A successful cut is moderate, structured, patient. -400 kcal/day, 2 g of protein/kg, heavy training maintained. 0.5-1% bodyweight lost per week is the sweet spot. Below that = too slow. Above = muscle loss. Slow and steady wins the race.