Cutting and preserving muscle is not an enjoyable or easy process, but it is something extremely important if you want to get lean, shredded, and ripped. That’s why you wouldn’t find too many bodybuilders who enjoy cutting. And this is also why there are not too many lean people. This is a hard process that not everyone can do. Either because they are unaware of how to do it right, or because it is just hard to do so. Or both.
But if you really want to look great shirtless, you must go for the process of cutting while you preserve muscle. In fact, the cutting cycle in itself means that you aim to preserve muscle. It is the act of eating less food than you previously did to burn excess fat but maintain your muscle mass. This way, you achieve a lean (fatless) muscular physique.
This is a hard challenge that involves increasing cardio, reducing the amounts of food you eat, and paying very close attention to what exactly you’re eating. It may sound easy, but it is not. Moreover, there are a lot of things that you should know before you actually get into a cutting cycle.
Cutting: How To?
Well, cutting involves a few main principles, otherwise, it is not a cut in the first place. While you need to lower your calories, it is not only that simple. That’s because you still need to get the right macronutrient balance. That includes the right amount of protein, fats, and carbohydrates that make up your total calorie intake (which should be below maintenance calories).
In short, you shouldn’t just limit your food intake, because the source of nutrients count too. Otherwise, while you may be losing weight, you may be losing muscle along with fat, which will still not bring you that defined physique. You need to eat right to stay on the top of your game, with enough protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs, in the right balance.
Anyway, here are various tips that can help your cutting cycle. This way, you will know what it takes to have an effective cutting diet and workout plan, and how to correctly lose weight without losing muscle, strength, endurance, and energy levels.
Check the cutting tips below.
Increase your water intake
Water is an extremely important tool during cutting cycles. We all know that water is the quintessence of life, we need it to live. But we also need it to support our cutting goals. So, if you’re really looking into a cutting cycle, start drinking more. Studies prove that people tend to eat less when they drink water before meals. This will help you consume fewer calories per meal aiding your cutting goals. Generally, staying hydrated helps you increase energy levels, which allows you to work out better – also leading to better fat loss results. Water has no calories and it is extremely important for your health and for supporting your cutting goals.
Prep your own food
There’s no need to be a culinary genius in the kitchen to prepare your own meals. It is never too late to start learning if you’ve never prepared your own food as it is a skill that will always be welcome. Preparing your food is great because it allows you to be in full control of what goes into your meals. This can be money-saving, healthier, and helps you stay on your cutting track. Ordering takeaways or buying microwave meals is going to make it almost impossible for you to keep track of what you’re eating.
Don’t overthink if you’ve had a cheat meal
Maintaining a calorie deficit diet is what defines a cutting cycle. But not eating in a calorie deficit, you will simply not lose weight. However, lots of people will occasionally have an enormous cheat meal when they are cutting. They do so in order to kick those hunger pangs and boost their mental well-being. Make sure you don’t turn it into a binge fest (keep it a cutting cycle) but still do not freak out if you cheat every once in a while. Have one large cheat meal of whatever you want to eat once a week or every other week.
Use cardio to maximize your caloric expenditure
Diet alone can put you in a caloric deficit. However, cardio will help you maximize your results and will boost the calorie deficit. When doing cardio, you’re burning calories. This means that you can either compensate for the days you’re cheating or maximize fat loss.
Lift heavy
Lots of people mistakenly assume that they do not need to lift heavy because their goal isn’t to grow muscle. Therefore, cardio alone should do. Well, it doesn’t. You do need strength training and lifting heavy. It does help build muscle and is highly effective at burning fat. Don’t worry, you won’t get “too big” accidentally as many beginners tend to think. If it were like that, you’d only see jacked guys everywhere around. Heavy weight, low repetition exercises build or at least preserve lean muscle during a cutting cycle, and they do still help burn fat. In short, for an effective cutting cycle where you want to look lean, you still need to lift heavy.
Avoid all sugar at all costs
We’re talking about refined processed carbohydrates and added sugar. Sugar from fruits is fine. Unless you have extremely huge amounts of fruits. Added sugar is bad for you, for the way you look, feel, and perform. While sugar is a quick-release energy, it is most likely to be stored as fat. It is a huge problem during a cutting cycle. Avoid all sugar, regardless if we’re talking about foods or liquids. Opt for foods packed with protein and fiber!
Consume sugarless caffeine and tea
Caffeine is in almost all weight loss diets because it helps you boost energy, and increase alertness and concentration, and it even has appetite suppressant effects. It may boost your mood too. Caffeine can greatly help your cutting cycle. But you need to have black sugarless coffee. Milk or other additions will add calories. Sugar in it will provide the opposite effect (appetite boosting). Also, have it in moderation. Teas, such as green tea, can help reduce insulin resistance. This helps aid your fat burning goals too. But then again, only when you drink it without any added sugar.
Use less cooking oil
Cutting is where every single detail matters. So while it may seem like a minor thing, using less cooking oil in your cutting cycle can actually bring big results. Cooking oils are full of fats. Whereas you still need healthy fats even in your cutting cycles, most of us are consuming way too much fat. By liberally pouring cooking oils over your meals or in your pan when cooking something, you are actually adding lots of calories without even knowing it. Possibly consuming too much fat. Invest in spraying cooking oil and/or in non-stick frying pans. Avoid adding (or limiting) them in salads too.
Keep your protein and fiber levels high
If you want to preserve lean muscle mass and burn fat – protein is your best friend. Protein is essential to stay healthy and to bulk up. But it is your best friend when cutting because protein rich foods will help you stay fuller for longer (you’ll want to eat less) and will help keep your lean muscle. You should try to consume less carbs (especially simple carbs) and add protein and fiber. Fiber from vegetables will slow down the stomach emptying process (make you want to eat less), and boost your gastrointestinal tract health among numerous other benefits.
Prepare for hunger
Cutting the cycle when aiming to lose weight and burn fat is not an easy journey. The only way to do it is to eat less than what you previously did. This means that at one point or another, you’re going to find yourself feeling hungry! There are moments when you may feel crazy-hungry! Well, you need to prepare for it. There’s no way you can burn fat without hunger! You need to be prepared for it and face it head-on. Remember that it is very likely for you to get up and down. You may find it hard to keep pushing or find it hard to keep the motivation. But hard work will build both your mental fortitude and your muscle. Build your discipline and remember that it takes a lot of practice and patience.
Cutting and Preserving Muscle with HGH
As said, cutting cycles is not an easy task. Bodybuilders don’t really love it, but those who understand its true importance are those few people that most people are admiring. If you want to be among those few ones with great physiques, you must keep on pushing. However, as it is not very easy, you may get a helping hand. HGH.to is here for you. We provide the best quality cutting anabolic steroids among other weight loss products. They will not be substitutes for your hard work in the gym and in the kitchen. However, they will significantly boost your working out and dieting efforts. These compounds boost your energy, keep your appetite in check, enhance fat burning, and improve muscle strength and preservation among numerous other benefits. Follow these cutting steps and add these compounds and you’ll be ripped in no time!
- There’s no need to wait any longer for the best shape of your life!
