Safe calorie deficit for cutting cycle and keeping the muscl

If you're serious-

http://www.wannabebig.com/training/complexes-for-fat-loss/

Hello guys,

I've gone through a bulking cycle putting on about 20 lbs. A lot of that is fat so now it's time for me to go though a cutting cycle. I want to bring my body fat % down to within 7-12%. I'm now at 18-19%. As much as I want to lose the fat I do not want to be losing muscle that I've gained. Do you guys know what the same calorie deficit is for maintaining the lean mass? Is a 500 calorie a day safe deficit or should I go with something less like 200 cal deficit?

Thank you guys for the input.

It's a try and test method. Some lose weight too fast, some too slow so you need to find what may work for you. But I will tell you to keep your protein high, still train heavy, and do moderate cardio to retain as much muscle as you can. Staying in positive nitrogen balance is a must.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Hello guys,

I've gone through a bulking cycle putting on about 20 lbs. A lot of that is fat so now it's time for me to go though a cutting cycle. I want to bring my body fat % down to within 7-12%. I'm now at 18-19%. As much as I want to lose the fat I do not want to be losing muscle that I've gained. Do you guys know what the same calorie deficit is for maintaining the lean mass? Is a 500 calorie a day safe deficit or should I go with something less like 200 cal deficit?

Thank you guys for the input.

It's a try and test method. Some lose weight too fast, some too slow so you need to find what may work for you. But I will tell you to keep your protein high, still train heavy, and do moderate cardio to retain as much muscle as you can. Staying in positive nitrogen balance is a must.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

This is the key!! I've been doing a calorie cycling approach for a few months now and from my experience I've found that both the amount of deficit and the length of time you're on deficit affect how much muscle you lose. I try to keep my deficit to no more than a 1/2 pound a week. I keep my proteins high (1-1.4g per lbs of body weight) and my carbs at about 45%. So far the results have been pretty good, but I do have to keep close tabs on what my body is doing and adjust appropriately. Don't get yourself locked into one plan, be flexible and listen to what your body is telling you. If you don't already have one, get a set of body fat calipers and use that to watch your progress. I got the AccuMeasure caliper which only requires one measurement and that has been extremely helpful (far more helpful than just the scale alone).

If you're serious-

http://www.wannabebig.com/training/complexes-for-fat-loss/

Boy, it's sure good to know that all the bike riding I did to lose the 34 pounds I've lost wasn't burning any fat at all. The 1,000-1,500 calories I burned per ride each day was just a myth too apparently.

(Sorry but I hate articles like this that insist on claiming that other methods are wrong and only theirs are right. Why can't they just say here's an alternative that engages more muscle groups and provides a level of strength training along with cardio exertion?)

I think you read into it a bit much. Relax.

Hello guys,

I've gone through a bulking cycle putting on about 20 lbs. A lot of that is fat so now it's time for me to go though a cutting cycle. I want to bring my body fat % down to within 7-12%. I'm now at 18-19%. As much as I want to lose the fat I do not want to be losing muscle that I've gained. Do you guys know what the same calorie deficit is for maintaining the lean mass? Is a 500 calorie a day safe deficit or should I go with something less like 200 cal deficit?

Thank you guys for the input.

It's a try and test method. Some lose weight too fast, some too slow so you need to find what may work for you. But I will tell you to keep your protein high, still train heavy, and do moderate cardio to retain as much muscle as you can. Staying in positive nitrogen balance is a must.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

This is the key!! I've been doing a calorie cycling approach for a few months now and from my experience I've found that both the amount of deficit and the length of time you're on deficit affect how much muscle you lose. I try to keep my deficit to no more than a 1/2 pound a week. I keep my proteins high (1-1.4g per lbs of body weight) and my carbs at about 45%. So far the results have been pretty good, but I do have to keep close tabs on what my body is doing and adjust appropriately. Don't get yourself locked into one plan, be flexible and listen to what your body is telling you. If you don't already have one, get a set of body fat calipers and use that to watch your progress. I got the AccuMeasure caliper which only requires one measurement and that has been extremely helpful (far more helpful than just the scale alone).

is there a particular body fat caliper that you'd recommend besides AccuMeasure?

Once again. Thanks for the input

Aside from the AccuMeasure (which obviously is my preference since that's why I bought it), Warrior makes a cool digital caliper that works pretty nicely too and is relatively inexpensive.