Cutting Techniques Post Bulk
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I'm on a small cut too and my lifts are so bad right now. It's incredible what just a few missing calories can do. But I just want to maintain my muscle now, my main goal is staying lean and eating to keep at a certain weight and fuel great workouts.
So challenging in itself. Stupid food.2 -
Springfield1970 wrote: »I'm on a small cut too and my lifts are so bad right now. It's incredible what just a few missing calories can do. But I just want to maintain my muscle now, my main goal is staying lean and eating to keep at a certain weight and fuel great workouts.
So challenging in itself. Stupid food.
Sorry if I missed this, but do you generally prefer to transition to maintenance for a few weeks/month prior to going back on a cut?1 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »I am entertaining starting a bulk around July. I am currently recomping but my body fat is probably now low enough to bulk. And by July it defiantly will be low enough.
I have been doing a lot of reading and a little pre planning for it. For the last week and a half I tried eating at a small deficit (90ish calories) just to see what a cut would be like while lifting weights. HOW DO YOU GUYS DO IT!!?? Today the last few reps were brutal. Does it get better with time?
No, it actually gets worse TBH. Lifting in a deficit sucks and that's just something you have to get adjusted to.Yea, it sucks.
That is what I was afraid of...I may have to do 1-2 maintenance days a week during a cut - if I do a bulk and cut cycle.
Refeeds are common but your 90 cal deficit for 1 day shouldn't really have had an impact on your lifts. It was probably just a bad day. Most people find on a cut that it takes about 3 to 4 weeks before they really feel it due to glycogen depletion in the muscles. At that point many will do a high carb refeed day or two to try to replete the glycogen.
It was a 90 cal deficit a day for a week and a half. It was an experiment to get a little taste of what I am getting myself into. I know I can handle a bulk it is the cut I am worried about
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Springfield1970 wrote: »I'm on a small cut too and my lifts are so bad right now. It's incredible what just a few missing calories can do. But I just want to maintain my muscle now, my main goal is staying lean and eating to keep at a certain weight and fuel great workouts.
So challenging in itself. Stupid food.
Sorry if I missed this, but do you generally prefer to transition to maintenance for a few weeks/month prior to going back on a cut?
Well I gained weight over the holiday period and was on a total break from exercise, so I went from a fat bulk to a cut!
I'd forgotten how much I can eat for pleasure and how fast it packs on!1 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »I am entertaining starting a bulk around July. I am currently recomping but my body fat is probably now low enough to bulk. And by July it defiantly will be low enough.
I have been doing a lot of reading and a little pre planning for it. For the last week and a half I tried eating at a small deficit (90ish calories) just to see what a cut would be like while lifting weights. HOW DO YOU GUYS DO IT!!?? Today the last few reps were brutal. Does it get better with time?
No, it actually gets worse TBH. Lifting in a deficit sucks and that's just something you have to get adjusted to.Yea, it sucks.
That is what I was afraid of...I may have to do 1-2 maintenance days a week during a cut - if I do a bulk and cut cycle.
Refeeds are common but your 90 cal deficit for 1 day shouldn't really have had an impact on your lifts. It was probably just a bad day. Most people find on a cut that it takes about 3 to 4 weeks before they really feel it due to glycogen depletion in the muscles. At that point many will do a high carb refeed day or two to try to replete the glycogen.
It was a 90 cal deficit a day for a week and a half. It was an experiment to get a little taste of what I am getting myself into. I know I can handle a bulk it is the cut I am worried about.
A 90 cal deficit for a few weeks (or severval months, to be fair) is not sufficient to lose strength on a cut. Given sensible programming, stress management, good sleep, hydration, etc.
Believing it will make you lose strength however, will make you lose strength on any cut. Too many people think they'll get weaker instantly and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy...
A long term moderate cut, or a shorter-term drastic cut? You would probably lose some strength unless you managed it really well by getting all your (aforementioned) ducks in a row.2 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »I am entertaining starting a bulk around July. I am currently recomping but my body fat is probably now low enough to bulk. And by July it defiantly will be low enough.
I have been doing a lot of reading and a little pre planning for it. For the last week and a half I tried eating at a small deficit (90ish calories) just to see what a cut would be like while lifting weights. HOW DO YOU GUYS DO IT!!?? Today the last few reps were brutal. Does it get better with time?
No, it actually gets worse TBH. Lifting in a deficit sucks and that's just something you have to get adjusted to.Yea, it sucks.
That is what I was afraid of...I may have to do 1-2 maintenance days a week during a cut - if I do a bulk and cut cycle.
Refeeds are common but your 90 cal deficit for 1 day shouldn't really have had an impact on your lifts. It was probably just a bad day. Most people find on a cut that it takes about 3 to 4 weeks before they really feel it due to glycogen depletion in the muscles. At that point many will do a high carb refeed day or two to try to replete the glycogen.
It was a 90 cal deficit a day for a week and a half. It was an experiment to get a little taste of what I am getting myself into. I know I can handle a bulk it is the cut I am worried about.
A 90 cal deficit for a few weeks (or severval months, to be fair) is not sufficient to lose strength on a cut. Given sensible programming, stress management, good sleep, hydration, etc.
Believing it will make you lose strength however, will make you lose strength on any cut. Too many people think they'll get weaker instantly and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy...
A long term moderate cut, or a shorter-term drastic cut? You would probably lose some strength unless you managed it really well by getting all your (aforementioned) ducks in a row.
This. I don't notice any strength loss (in fact as far as pure strength goes I still gain) some way into my cut. I usually start to notice in about month three.1 -
All right. I am going to trust you guys and go for it! My projected bulk start is July - earlier if I feel like I am getting too lean.1
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Bump. Want to find this easily again.1
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Just want to point out that i love threads like this.
I agree. Im having a blast reading all of this. So much useful information and everyone's adding to it rather than trying to take away. Also must ask, why is everyone typing "following" it's the first time I've seen it in a thread.
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Just want to point out that i love threads like this.
I agree. Im having a blast reading all of this. So much useful information and everyone's adding to it rather than trying to take away. Also must ask, why is everyone typing "following" it's the first time I've seen it in a thread.
I don't know. Just a way for people to bump but also say "hi guys, I'm here...this is awesome"?
Anywho. I'm done. I knew I'd be coming back to this thread when it was time.
I'm going to enjoy the weekend while I get my plan going and start a cut next week. I will definitely be using/combining a lot of the advice and techniques listed.1 -
arditarose wrote: »Just want to point out that i love threads like this.
I agree. Im having a blast reading all of this. So much useful information and everyone's adding to it rather than trying to take away. Also must ask, why is everyone typing "following" it's the first time I've seen it in a thread.
I don't know. Just a way for people to bump but also say "hi guys, I'm here...this is awesome"?
Anywho. I'm done. I knew I'd be coming back to this thread when it was time.
I'm going to enjoy the weekend while I get my plan going and start a cut next week. I will definitely be using/combining a lot of the advice and techniques listed.
My condolences to the loss of calories. But best of luck.1 -
arditarose wrote: »Just want to point out that i love threads like this.
I agree. Im having a blast reading all of this. So much useful information and everyone's adding to it rather than trying to take away. Also must ask, why is everyone typing "following" it's the first time I've seen it in a thread.
I don't know. Just a way for people to bump but also say "hi guys, I'm here...this is awesome"?
Anywho. I'm done. I knew I'd be coming back to this thread when it was time.
I'm going to enjoy the weekend while I get my plan going and start a cut next week. I will definitely be using/combining a lot of the advice and techniques listed.
My condolences to the loss of calories. But best of luck.
Thank you! It's Friday so I'm not going to get all twisted up about it over the weekend. I might even enjoy a last supper.1 -
People type "following" because MFP allows you to check or search through posts you have posted on - so if you don't post alot, it can make it easy to find an older thread for which you are looking. Now when I am ready to re-visit this discussion in a few months, I'll be able to find it.
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I officially started cutting March 7th- I hit 181.5 for my bulk on the 4th- and I need to drop weight by the 13 of May- so I just decided not to hold out any more- I'm back down to 172.7 as of today- so I'm pleased with that- I dropped off anywhere from a high 2700 (ranging upwards of 3K) and back down to 2000- 2 is manageable and still will allow me to drop- I don't have a lot of time to reverse out of it with maintenance- so I just picked a reasonable number and I'll go with that- I think I'm going to drop another 200 calories next week and I've started trying to squeeze in more cardio/HIIT workouts wherever I could to help lose weight. about 250$ on the line for me to drop my weight.
Right now I'm 7% behind the leader of the weight loss group. GO GO GO- external motivation to cut!!1 -
Just to add I hit a PB on my hip thrusts on a 100-200 deficit, after a 5k set of sprints, I lifted 100kg(220lb) for my third set of 7.
I was surprised, as I've been cutting since mid January. But the last couple of weeks it's been very small, like a third of a pound a week.1 -
WifeMomDVM wrote: »People type "following" because MFP allows you to check or search through posts you have posted on - so if you don't post alot, it can make it easy to find an older thread for which you are looking. Now when I am ready to re-visit this discussion in a few months, I'll be able to find it.
How do you go about searching for threads you've posted on? Since I'll definitely be coming back to this one once I start my cut in the next month or two.
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Springfield1970 wrote: »Just to add I hit a PB on my hip thrusts on a 100-200 deficit, after a 5k set of sprints, I lifted 100kg(220lb) for my third set of 7.
I was surprised, as I've been cutting since mid January. But the last couple of weeks it's been very small, like a third of a pound a week.
Nice. I love to hear this stuff. The biggest reason I'm sad about cutting is feeling like I'm not going to have any fun in the gym.1 -
WifeMomDVM wrote: »People type "following" because MFP allows you to check or search through posts you have posted on - so if you don't post alot, it can make it easy to find an older thread for which you are looking. Now when I am ready to re-visit this discussion in a few months, I'll be able to find it.
How do you go about searching for threads you've posted on? Since I'll definitely be coming back to this one once I start my cut in the next month or two.
You can start it and it will be in your favorites or you can click on the bell. That has all the responses. Unfortunately, someone has to post after you to see what you posted in.1 -
Sorry if I missed this earlier on, but is anyone experimenting with IF for their cut? I finished bulking late February and unintentionally wound up eating at/around maintenance (i.e- I wasn't really logging). So I've gradually, over the past few weeks now, gotten myself down to 2,000 calories. Having been at 3,000 during my bulk (which was glorious), I was really struggling to keep it at 2,000. But I just started IF this week, and it seems to help? I might wake up feeling hungry in the middle of the night, but it typically subsides and then I'm good until 10am when I go into my feeding stage.
I work out first thing in the morning, too. I just bought BCAA powder the other day and as soon as I'm healed up from this hand injury, I'm going to try that and see if it gives me more energy. My lifts too, have sucked pretty hard since cutting-- during IF or not!![:\](https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
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NekoneMeowMixx wrote: »Sorry if I missed this earlier on, but is anyone experimenting with IF for their cut? I finished bulking late February and unintentionally wound up eating at/around maintenance (i.e- I wasn't really logging). So I've gradually, over the past few weeks now, gotten myself down to 2,000 calories. Having been at 3,000 during my bulk (which was glorious), I was really struggling to keep it at 2,000. But I just started IF this week, and it seems to help? I might wake up feeling hungry in the middle of the night, but it typically subsides and then I'm good until 10am when I go into my feeding stage.
I work out first thing in the morning, too. I just bought BCAA powder the other day and as soon as I'm healed up from this hand injury, I'm going to try that and see if it gives me more energy. My lifts too, have sucked pretty hard since cutting-- during IF or not!
If you can consider eating between 1 and 10 intermittent fasting, then I do. I never really cared to read up much on it, it's just how I eat.
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NekoneMeowMixx wrote: »Sorry if I missed this earlier on, but is anyone experimenting with IF for their cut? I finished bulking late February and unintentionally wound up eating at/around maintenance (i.e- I wasn't really logging). So I've gradually, over the past few weeks now, gotten myself down to 2,000 calories. Having been at 3,000 during my bulk (which was glorious), I was really struggling to keep it at 2,000. But I just started IF this week, and it seems to help? I might wake up feeling hungry in the middle of the night, but it typically subsides and then I'm good until 10am when I go into my feeding stage.
I work out first thing in the morning, too. I just bought BCAA powder the other day and as soon as I'm healed up from this hand injury, I'm going to try that and see if it gives me more energy. My lifts too, have sucked pretty hard since cutting-- during IF or not!
IF can be an effective technique as you can still have large meals and maintain volume, but its really all personal. I wasn't a fan of IF, but i know several who love it on their cuts.1 -
There's a 5/2 fasting protocol, eat normally for 5 days, with two non-consecutive days of fasting.1
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sprints.1
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following Thank you!!1
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I am ready to start cutting for the first time. I am dropping back to 1700 cals daily, which works for me, but I have never done it with the minset of cutting. Obviously don't want to lose anymore muscle than I have to. Is it appropriate for me to lift 5 days a week for about 45 minutes and leave out cardio, keeping macros on point with high protein etc?1
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I am ready to start cutting for the first time. I am dropping back to 1700 cals daily, which works for me, but I have never done it with the minset of cutting. Obviously don't want to lose anymore muscle than I have to. Is it appropriate for me to lift 5 days a week for about 45 minutes and leave out cardio, keeping macros on point with high protein etc?
I'm not sure how the mindset is different, I personally can't stand the "cutting" term - it's just being in a deficit to lose, like every other person trying to lose weight/fat.
You can do cardio - it'll keep you fit and increase your deficit/food. Continuing to lift and keeping protein up will help with muscle retention2 -
I guess I just meant I've never eaten in a deficit after purposely bulking to gain muscle. I've always just eaten at a deficit to lose fat and gone way down in calories to a ridiculous level. I wanted to make sure lifting 5 days a week while cutting is not too much. Thanks for the information and the advice!1
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