Cutting is a process that aims to lose fat without having a large loss of muscle mass so that it is possible to have more muscle definition. Thus, with cutting it is possible to lose excess weight gain through transformation to muscle mass.
Despite being used mainly by bodybuilding athletes, cutting can also be done by people who want to dry and, thus, acquire greater muscle definition. For this, it is important that the diet plan is recommended by a sports nutritionist according to the person's nutritional needs and goals and that the training is carried out under the guidance of a physical education professional.
Bulking and cutting are strategies used mainly by bodybuilders with the aim of guaranteeing a greater amount of muscle mass, less body fat and greater muscle definition. While bulking is performed in the off-season, that is, in times when there are no competitions, cutting is done in the preparation phase of the competition. Learn more about bulking and understand how it is done.
Cutting is normally associated with bulking, which corresponds to the previous stage of the body definition process, which aims to increase weight.
How to make
The cutting must be done under the guidance of a physical education professional, who indicates the best training strategy, volume and intensity, and the food should be followed according to the recommendations of the sports nutritionist, who must indicate an eating plan according to the nutritional needs of the person, objective and type of training performed.
Cutting starts after the bulking period and has as main objective the loss of fat and muscle definition and it is necessary for this to carry out a more restricted diet, with less amount of carbohydrates consumed and increase in the amount of proteins. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body, however in cutting it is important that the energy comes from the accumulated fat, therefore it is important to have a nutritional orientation so that there is enough energy to perform the training and favor the burning of fat, besides to prevent the loss of muscle mass.
In addition, the training routine must be in line with the diet. It is important that in the training plan there are days when aerobic training is carried out from moderate to high intensity, and it is important that on that day there is an increase in the consumption of carbohydrates, because it is thus possible to have energy to perform the training correctly and intensely, favoring cutting results.
To stimulate the burning of fat, it is recommended that there be 2 to 3 days of aerobic training of moderate to high intensity and weight training exercises in which the muscle groups are worked in isolation, in order to avoid the loss of muscle mass.
The cutting time can vary according to the fat percentage, how much the person wants or needs to lose and the intensity of the training performed.
How is the cutting diet
Feeding during the cutting phase should be done under the guidance of a nutritionist, as it is possible to determine the best diet plan according to the person's objective and training intensity.
In this process, the recommendation is to decrease the consumption of carbohydrates and increase the intake of proteins, since the goal is to decrease the percentage of fat and maintain muscle mass. Thus, it is recommended not to consume sugar, refined flour, sweets, bread, oats, rice or pasta and give preference to lean meats, such as chicken and turkey, fish, eggs, seeds and cheese, for example. Check out what a low-carb diet should look like.
In addition, it is important to drink plenty of water and avoid going too long without eating. Usually the indication is that 3 main meals and 2 snacks are made. In some cases the nutritionist may also recommend the use of supplements with amino acids, to prevent the loss of muscle mass, and the use of thermogenic, however the use of thermogenic should be well oriented so that the rebound effect does not happen, which corresponds to the weight gain when you stop using it.
Here are some more tips on a low-carb diet:
