In the sport of bodybuilding “cutting” is a highly common practice. Cutting is usually done after a bulk, to bring the definition and aesthetic look back to your body. However many people are confused or misinformed when it comes to getting lean & shredded. Let me start by saying your success in bodybuilding starts right in your kitchen. Bodybuilding without proper dieting is a very big restraint on your success, and will make it very difficult to meet your goals. One of the most common myths about cutting is that simply doing light weight for numerous sets with high repetitions will get you cut. Although high reps can aid in definition, they are not the key to cutting. Cutting is directly related to your diet. Many people new to bodybuilding shy away from cutting in fear of losing size. Although you will lose some size when cutting, the method you use to cut will decipher how much size you lose. Many people wait until its swimsuit season to cut and then want to get shredded in 2 weeks. This typically means they will cut their macros way down to lose weight quick, but will also result in a loss of muscle. For those looking to keep your size while getting cut, a slow cut is the method that will allow you to maintain your solid muscle while shedding that small amount of fat hiding the definition.
A slow cut means you don’t wait till 2 weeks before you want to go to the beach and pickup girls with your “beach body”. You start to lower your macros in small increments 2 or 3 months before you want your ideal beach body aesthetics. This means if your intake is 400g carbs on your bulk, don’t drop down to 200 instantly, but in small amounts slowly lower your intake by 25 every 2 weeks until you reach your goal of definition. This goes the same for your fat and overall calorie intake. By slowly decreasing your intake you allow your body to slowly burn off the extra fat. This prevents you from shocking your body by drastically reducing your macro intake, and allows your body to slowly adjust. Because you are going to be reducing your intake of carbs and fat, that you typically relied on for fueling your workouts, you may want to intake your macros when you’ll need them. For myself I’ve found that my workouts are the most productive when I intake the majority of my carbs before my workout. This gives me the energy to push through an intense workout, and allows me to not be hindered by my diet. I then intake my remaining carb allowance after my workout to aid in the re-growth and recovery of my muscles.
Every individual’s body will react differently to a change in diet, which is why slowly cutting is great. It allows you to assess your body and tweak your diet to suit your needs, and meet your goals. So for anyone hesitant to cut in fear of losing size, like Nike says JUST DO IT! You may lose some size, but if you allow yourself enough time to get in shape you can have an end result that you (and women) will love!