How Long Should You Cut For? (To Get Shredded)

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Have you ever tried packing on muscle mass and losing body fat at the same time? If so, then you probably didn’t see much progress for either one of those goals.

You spend months or even years attempting the impossible with absolutely nothing to show for it.

To really get shredded, you need to cut and you need to do it right — so, stay tuned as we go over exactly how you can do that (and for how long).

What is Cutting?

Cutting and bulking go hand-in-hand. That means you need to bounce back and forth between these two phases with a bit of strategy.

It’s very rare that you’ll be successful if you’re trying to cut and bulk at the same time.

But let’s focus on cutting.

The goal of cutting is to chip away at the body fat that your hard-earned muscles are hiding behind. After all, there’s nothing more disappointing than being able to deadlift 500 pounds while looking like you’ve never stepped foot in the gym.

So, how exactly does “cutting” happen?

In most cases, you’ll be spending a lot more time on the cardio equipment than you’ll be spending on the squat rack. You should also expect to be cutting down on the number of calories you’re eating each day.

5 Quick Cutting Tips for Getting Shredded

1. Cut Down on Your Daily Calories

The biggest misconception about cutting is that you can starve yourself to lose weight quicker.

The issue with this concept is that the weight you’re losing isn’t going to be body fat. After a while, a body low on fuel will begin burning muscle mass instead.

So, you might actually be losing mass instead of making it more defined.

The goal of cutting is to lose about a pound or two per week. That means you should start out by cutting about 500 calories a day from your diet.

Theoretically, this should help you to burn a pound of body fat every week.

2. Add Some Cardio

You don’t really have to do cardio when you’re cutting. But if you started cutting late in the season, then you might want to add cardio to your current routine to speed up the results.

Here are some of the best cardio exercises for burning calories, and fast!

  • Biking
  • Elliptical
  • Rowing
  • Jumping Rope
  • Running
  • Swimming

The exact number of calories you burn with cardio will depend on your current weight, length of the workout, and a few other factors.

But some types of cardio can help you to burn over 400 calories in just 30 short minutes. So make sure you’re focusing on longer cardio sessions rather than speedwork to boost your metabolism and calorie burning.

3. Give Yourself Time to Cut

The most disappointing part of fitness is that nothing happens overnight. You know how long it takes to set new PRs on the major lifts, gain an inch on your biceps, and even lose 5 pounds.

Doing cardio and eating less for a week just isn’t going to do it.

Since cutting usually takes 2 to 4 months, you’re going to want to plan your cutting phase appropriately. Most serious athletes will start cutting around summer so that they have the perfect summer body.

You can then return to bulking once fall and winter hit.

4. Boost Your Metabolism

Cutting takes a lot of work and can be painstaking as you fight that unfulfilled appetite every single day.

In addition to eating less and burning calories through cardio, you might also want to work on naturally boosting your metabolism. This will help your body to burn more calories naturally without any extra work from you.

You can do this by….

  • Adding caffeine to your diet (coffee, tea, healthy energy drinks, etc.)
  • Doing HITT workouts to burn calories well after you leave the gym
  • Making sure you’re getting around 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night
  • Drinking enough water, and drinking more if you’re really active

These won’t help you to lose an extra 5 pounds a month, but they can help to speed up the whole cutting process.

5. Don’t Shift to High Reps

A lot of people assume that you want to do more reps when you’re cutting. After all, there’s a belief that high reps will help you to burn fat, which is exactly what you’re looking to do.

The problem is you’re not working your muscles enough with low weights.

So when you’re actively cutting and hitting the gym, be sure to focus on lower reps at high weights in order to keep your muscles moving. This will also help to keep your power and strength as you lose weight.

Switching to Bulking

You can only cut for so long. After a while, there’s not much body fat to burn and you’re not giving yourself the chance to continue putting on muscle mass.

That’s why you want to plan a transition to bulking.

Emphasis on the word “transition.”

You don’t want to suddenly go from eating 1,500 calories a day to close to 3,000. This is a surefire way to guarantee that you’ll pack on a ton of weight in the form of muscle and fat.

That’s more you have to cut later on.

So, give yourself several days or even a few weeks to work back up to the calorie range you usually eat when you’re bulking.

Editor Comment

This phase in which you transition from cutting to bulking is only necessary when coming off a lengthy cut that lasts 2-4 months.

For a mini-cut micro cycle lasting 4-6 weeks inside of a bulking macro cycle, it’s not necessary to transition back into the bulk since the goal of a mini-cut is to shave off only a few lbs while still keeping the bulk efficient.

Listening to Your Body

You desperately want to look shredded and you’re doing anything to make that happen. But there’s a point at which you might actually be doing more harm than good.

Here’s what might happen if you cut for too long or don’t cut right.

  • Excessive loss of bodyweight
  • Low energy levels
  • Overworked muscles due to consistent cardio
  • Dehydration

Each of these concerns can set your goals back even further and possibly even cause serious injury. That’s why you want to listen to your body and be sure to cut back at the gym or add more calories during the day to relieve these discomforts.

If you notice your gains are fading, switch back to bulking sooner. Don’t wait for the 2 to 4 months to be over.

How Long Should You Cut For?

Most cutting phases will last about 2 to 4 months. But you want to make sure that you’re cutting in a healthy way and not trying to cut corners when it comes to your health.

That means reducing your calories about 500 calories a day, adding cardio to your current weightlifting routine, and not trying to rush the process. Cutting for too long or too quickly can cause serious harm to your body and might actually reduce your muscle mass.

It’s okay to end your cutting phase early or to extend it as you please. Just keep a close eye on your body to see how it’s reacting to your routine.

Looking for a cutting program to finally see that elusive six-pack? Check out our review of the popular Kinobody Warrior Shredding Program and get on the fast track to a leaner, more defined body.

The post How Long Should You Cut For? (To Get Shredded) appeared first on NOOB GAINS.



from NOOB GAINS https://noobgains.com/how-long-should-you-cut-for/

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