How to cut and keep muscle.
The goal of a cut is to obviously get as lean as possible, but most bodybuilders would also like to retain as much muscle mass as they can during a cut. Therefore, cuts should NOT be aggressive, and bodybuilders should shoot for a 0.5 – 1.0% drop in bodyweight every week in order to maintain lean mass. Use the steps on the graphic with your own bodyweight to determine your cutting deficit. If you’re not used to using pounds, multiply your bodyweight in kg by 2.2 to get to pounds. I’ll go into macronutrient recommendations over the next few days to give more insight on how to create this deficit.
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▪️ Source: Helms, E. R., Aragon, A. A., & Fitschen, P. J. (2014). Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 11(1), 20.
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