Everybody who loves fitness wants to be lean, and this is where cutting begins. It’s time to burn the excess fat you gained after bulking during the winter and gaining an insane amount of muscle. But if it’s not done correctly, a cut might undo all of your hard work. Today, we will assist you in losing fat with a cutting workout plan.

If you’re looking to simply lose weight in a healthy way, check out this easy weight loss guide. It has simple tips to help you shed those extra pounds without getting into advanced fitness cutting techniques.

A cut isn’t just about doing more cardio in your workouts. It involves changing your nutrition and adjusting your training routine. Getting lean can seem complicated, so let’s simplify it for you.

What is Cutting?

The goal of cutting is to reduce body fat while attempting to keep muscle mass. This type of dieting focuses solely on fat loss, leaving muscle mass intact to give the appearance of being lean and muscular.

People cut in different ways. For instance, bodybuilders who intend to compete in a show usually take quite an extreme approach, while someone who only wants to drop a few pounds won’t need to follow the same tight guidelines.

A cut typically lasts 8-16 weeks, but clients often set it at 12 weeks. This duration allows for a slower, more realistic cut, minimizing strength loss.

Importance of Diet & Cutting, Exercise & Cutting

Diet & Cutting

Diet is the foundation for overall health and well-being. Consuming a balanced, nutrient-dense diet can provide the necessary fuel for the body to function optimally. It supports muscle growth and recovery and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. Cutting, a strategic approach to fat loss while preserving muscle mass, is often employed by bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts. It involves a carefully planned diet and training regimen to achieve a lean physique. This typically lasts several weeks or months before a competition or event.

Cutting aims to create a calorie deficit while maintaining muscle mass through resistance training and protein intake. Both diet and cutting are essential components of a comprehensive fitness plan and work together. This helps individuals achieve their desired body composition and performance goals.

Exercise & Cutting

Exercise is a key component of the cutting phase in fitness. It helps create a calorie deficit, aiding in fat loss while preserving muscle mass. Incorporating a mix of cardiovascular exercises like running or cycling and strength training can enhance metabolism. It improves overall fitness and supports the body’s lean muscle retention during a cut.

Consistent exercise during cutting not only burns calories but also contributes to a toned and defined physique. During cutting, exercise plays a crucial role in shaping the body composition by promoting fat loss and muscle definition. Strength training exercises target specific muscle groups, helping to maintain muscle mass while reducing body fat percentage.

Exercise causes your muscles to break down, and eating enough protein during your cutting phase gives your muscles the building blocks they need to rebuild and heal themselves. Insufficient protein during a cut may cause the body to break down muscle rather than fat.

Best Workout Tips and Advice for Cutting

These helpful tips make it easier for beginners to get better results during their cutting phase. Here are 10 tips to help you lose body fat and get lean!

Increase Your Water Intake

Water offers so many advantages that you really need to increase your intake if you want to achieve during a cutting.

During your workouts, the extra water will help you stay energized. This allows you to exert a little more pressure and burn more calories. Additionally, by choosing to drink water instead of soft drinks, you’ll be avoiding adding empty calories to your already low calorie intake.

Add Both Cardio & Strength Training

Cardio is an essential component of cutting because it burns a lot of calories. An additional 200 calories burnt every day, 4 sets a week, equals 800 calories that go toward creating a deficit. Just take care of one thing: don’t overdo your workouts. Then, sit about the rest of the day to negate the calories you burn.

Exercises, including strength training, are essential for maintaining and growing muscle mass. This gives you a more toned appearance and raises your metabolism.

Try to Reduce Calories Slowly

Most people often make the mistake of trying to reduce their calories immediately to lose weight quickly. But this is the wrong choice! Exercises that increase your metabolism and build and maintain muscle mass are essential for giving you a toned appearance.

Instead, you can start reducing calories initially by 200 – 300 per day. This helps you to maintain calories & not make you feel empty. Also, you can track your calories daily. This will help you to stick to your diet.

Get More Active

The simplest way to reduce your daily calories & get the biggest deficit in calories is to be more active in physical activities. For example you can walk 10k steps per day, you can take stairs instead of a lift.

Avoid Sugar Completely

The body uses extra sugar as fat once it is swiftly absorbed for energy. You should almost completely wipe out sugar from your diet when on a cut. Eat plenty of fiber- and protein-rich foods. Since vegetables and lean protein have fewer calories than sugary meals, eating clean allows you to eat more.

Eliminate your Cooking Oil

It is possible that you are unknowingly adding calories to your food as you cook. Many people use cooking oil, which has a high trans fat content, to sauté their meals and coat their pans without ever considering the extra calories they are adding. Reduce how much you use every time you go to the kitchen.

Avoid Catastrophizing Cheat Meals

It is possible that you are unknowingly adding calories to your food as you cook. Many people use cooking oil, which has a high trans fat content, to sauté their meals and coat their pans without ever considering the extra calories they are adding. Reduce how much you use every time you go to the kitchen.

If you mess up on your diet, don’t freak out. Don’t tell yourself you’ll get back on track later. This can lead to more mistakes. Just forgive yourself and get back to your diet ASAP.

Balance your Protein & Fiber Intake

Protein is super important When trying to cut down on calories. Even though you might crave carbs the most, protein helps you build muscle, which makes your body burn more calories.

As a result, you must continue consuming protein. Products like Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC) let you eat more protein without going overboard in terms of calories. They also come in delicious flavors that might satisfy your craving for sweets.

Another vital dietary category is fiber. Eating raw veggies & fruits is the best way to add variety to your diet and a low-calorie snack option.

Example for Cutting workout Plan

Here are three examples of full-body strength training routines perfect for cutting. These workouts help burn calories and build muscle. You can either do all three throughout the week or choose your favorite and stick to it.

Cutting Workout Plan – 1

• Barbell Squats – 3 sets of 15-20 reps
• Romanian Deadlift – 4 sets of 10-15 reps
• Pull Ups – 2 sets of 15-20 reps
• Incline Chest Press – 4 sets of 12-15 reps
• Lateral Raises – 3 sets of 15 reps
• Plank – 2 sets of 50-55 seconds
• Crunches – 2 sets of 60 seconds

Cutting Workout – 2

• Barbell Bench Press – 3 sets of 15-20 reps
• Chest Fly – 3 sets of 15-20 reps
• Barbell Lunges – 4 sets of 12 reps on each leg
• Barbell Overhead Press – 2 sets of 15-20 reps
• Tricep Push Downs – 3 sets of 15-20 reps
• Bicep Curls – 3 sets of 12-15 reps
• Bird Dog – 2 sets of 15-20 reps
• V-ups – 2 sets of 15-20 reps

Cutting Workout – 3

• Hip Thrusts – 3 sets of 15-20 reps
• Leg Press – 3 sets of 15-20 reps
• Single Arm Bent Over Row: 2 sets of 15-20 reps
• Flat Dumbbell Chest Press – 2 sets of 15-20 reps
• Front Raises – 2 sets of 15-20 reps
• Leg Extension: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
• Hamstring Curl: 2 sets of 15-20 reps
• Abductor: 3 sets of 15-20 reps

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a beginner or an expert at the gym, having a workout plan that fits your experience level is key to reaching your muscle and strength goals.

As you go along, you might find some exercises work better for you than others, and that’s alright – you can adjust your plan accordingly.

Also, you start joining FitX Pro Fitness to get a custom workout & diet plan that not only helps you to reach your goals but also helps you to choose the right path at every step towards Fitness. With the help of a personal trainer, you can boost your strength efficiently.  And if you have any health concerns, it’s always smart to talk to a healthcare professional before you start working out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Which workout routine is ideal for cutting?

• Barbell Squats – 3 sets of 15-20 reps
• Romanian Deadlift – 4 sets of 10-15 reps
• Pull Ups – 2 sets of 15-20 reps
• Incline Chest Press – 3 sets of 12-15 reps
• Lateral Raises – 3 sets of 15 reps
• Plank – 2 sets of 50-55 seconds
• Crunches – 2 sets of 60 seconds

Q. How should I exercise if I’m on the cut?

Ans: It can be beneficial to use supersets and reduce rest periods. While HIIT workouts are a terrific way to burn more calories quickly, cardio activity is a great place to start. Protein preserves muscle during tissue wasting, making it more crucial during a cut than a bulk.

Q. How to do a 4-week cut?

Ans: You can use an online calculator to determine your calorie deficit manually. Aim to maintain macronutrient ratios of approximately 30-50% of calories from carbs, 30-40% from protein, and 20% from healthy fats.

Q. Is cutting for a month sufficient?

Ans: A cutting diet typically lasts two to four months, depending on one’s initial body size. It’s often planned around events like bodybuilding contests, sports competitions, or special holidays.