

My go-to splits are either a 4-day (upper, lower, upper, lower) split or a 5-day split that has a lifter training most muscle groups at least twice per week.Īdding some low-intensity cardio can also be incorporated in the split if you need to burn a few more calories, however, cardio IS not necessary for some people (although burning even 200-300 calories from 20-30 minutes of walking after a workout can make a huge difference in being able to eat 200-300 calories more per day and still lose fat).Ĭheck out our article on Can You Get Stronger Lifting Once Per Week? I suggest most lifters choose a 4-5 day workout split when cutting.

These two variables act inversely, which in turn will allow you to often continue to train at higher intensities, still remaining 80-90% of the total volume you were doing, yet still be able to recover muscle tissue even though you are in a slight caloric deficit. It’s important to understand that training more frequently (days per week) does not mean you are to be increasing training volume (total sets per week).
#Does bulking and cutting work download
If you download Fitbod, you can select the “strength training ” goal and the app will program your ideal workout split based on the preferences you set. Often, increased frequency (number of training sessions a week) can help lifters burn more calories, keep metabolism high, and enhance recovery from said training sessions. When cutting weight, it’s important that you use strength training sessions to preserve muscle mass.

Read our article using the If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) Approach To Losing Weight. Remember, the more time you have to cut weight, the more muscle you can typically preserve. Any more and you may actually be losing too much weight, too fast, which can result in losing both muscle and fat. So, start with a moderately aggressive cutting phase lasting 8-12 weeks assuming you were bulking for that long as well.Ī good aiming point for the cutting phase is to lose 0.75% of body weight per week. Going more than this time period (assuming you bulked for just as long) can actually make your body more resilient to losing body fat (not good for cutting) which will leave you feeling run down, not losing fat, hungry, and probably losing muscle. If you are 8-12 weeks into a cutting phase, and still feel like you want to cut more, it may be a smart idea to take 2-3 weeks and increase calories slightly so that your body is forced to kick up the metabolism. Mike Israetel of RP Periodization says, “Ultra-Rapid Diets are Usually Bad Ideas”. If you are thinking you can bulk for 12 weeks and cut body fat in 4, you will most likely run yourself into the ground and lose more muscle in the process than if you took 6-8 weeks. In an ideal world, you can allow for a long, slow cutting phase, one that can be done without drastic measures so that the highest amounts of muscle mass can be preserved. You cannot cut weight forever, nor should you.
#Does bulking and cutting work how to
Related Article: How To Build Muscle After Weight Loss (7 Things To Know) Midway through April, you can start your cutting cycle, which will run for 8-12 weeks with you finish the final weeks of the cut just as you enter into the summer season! In this example, you could plan to enter a bulking phase in which you gain 0.50% of bodyweight per week for 8-12 weeks (January, February, and March), followed by a 2-3 week maintenance phase in which you need to body to stabilize at that new weight to preserve muscle growth. For example, if you want to look great for summer, be sure to give yourself March, April, and May to cut weight slowly so you can preserve as much muscle mass as possible. That said, I suggest starting your cut phase 8-12 weeks out from an event/season/date you are looking to feel your best.

Often, this baseline is preceded by a bulking phase, in which the individual systematically increases caloric intake that allows for increased body weight at a slow, steady rate of 0.50% of bodyweight per week for 8-12 weeks OR until body fat levels increase above 15% or so.īulking during a phase in which you have high amounts of body fat (often 15% or more) can actually be counterproductive, as your body is “too good” at gaining weight, and often means it gains higher proportions of fat than muscle during this phase than normal. SEND ME MESSAGE ON INSTAGRAM IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR PAID PERSONAL ONLINE TRAINING AND FOR MORE FITNESS RELATED CONTENT.Prior to any cutting phase, it’s recommended that you are in a state of calorie equilibrium to best set the baseline for progress. ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE YOU START ANY KIND OF DIET IF YOU ARE PREDISPOSED TO ANY MEDICAL CONDITION. NOTE: THIS VIDEO IS MADE FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSE. These are the supplements I use during my bulking and cutting cycles. This video is all about the supplements I use.
