The “Cutting Phase” In Body Building

Trying to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time is impossible. It just can’t be done. This is why most women who are trying to do both at the same time see no results and give up. You have to do gaining muscle and losing fat in phases.

In order to get chiseled cut muscles, you will have some fat to get rid of, so now is the time to cut down. You need to burn off the fat so as to allow the deeper muscle cuts to show through. You don’t want to lose your hard earned muscle, but you do want to lose your fat.

Remember, cutting and dieting is extremely hard and takes a lot of work. Dieting is very important while trying to cut and cannot be ignored. It must be done properly and it must be always followed. There are six points you need to follow in order to achieve a chiseled body:

• Eat every three or four hours. You need to make sure that you are eating at least 5-6 times daily. Eating this much during the day keeps your metabolism running excellent, which allows you to burn many more calories during the day. You must split these meals 3-4 hours apart. This will also help prevent the intense hunger pangs that bring willpower to its knees. Eat slowly as it takes a while for your brain to register that you’ve eaten.

• Eighty-six the bread and dairy products. These items are great when you’re putting on size, but for that very reason they’re to be avoided for the next three months when you are trying to shed fat. Every bodybuilder knows you have to cut out bread and dairy.
• Get your protein. Each day, consume at least one gram of protein for every 2.2 pounds of body weight. Protein intake is necessary because otherwise your body might start turning to it’s protein sources for energy which could lead to a loss of muscle tissue. Good sources include fish, chicken, turkey, eggs, tofu (particularly if you’re a vegetarian), and lean cuts of red meat. Eat or drink at least some protein with every meal. Take care so that your daily fat intake doesn’t rise above 20 percent of total calories.
• Emphasize complex carbs. Good sources include potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, butternut squash, peas, and whole grains such as millet, quinoa and wild rice. Because they have low glycemic index, these carbs cause smaller fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin than do more rapidly digested sugars. That’s important because insulin spikes will promote fat storage when you’re trying to lean out. Carbs should account for roughly 40 percent of total calories in the cutting phase.
• Consume lots of low-calorie vegetables. During the cutting phase, try to munch on tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, broccoli, peppers, baby marrows, mushrooms, spinach, lettuce and other “wet” carb sources and go easier on starchier carbs such as pasta and rice. It’s a great way of filling up without consuming loads of calories.

• Train on an empty stomach. Refrain from eating much, during the two-hour window before each workout. The goal here is to avoid having too many carbs in your system when you train, which has an undesirable fat-sparing effect. If you train first thing in the morning, a pre-workout beverage of four ounces of orange juice mixed with four ounces of water would be excellent. While you want to train on an empty stomach, you also want to avoid running out of fuel mid-workout. To ensure that you don’t, fill up your tank with carbs and protein during the two-hour window after your workout, when your body is most receptive to synthesizing protein for muscle growth and storing energy for fuel.

Below you can check a sample of Cutting Phase workout and a day menu.

Sample Cutting Phase Workout

Related Links

• Strategy for building muscle mass and muscle density
• Top 10 “Super-foods” to increase muscle mass
• Body Fat and Women
• Tofu: A nutritional powerhouse
• Diet and Weight Loss