For professionals in bodybuilding and sports, strict discipline in nutrition is characteristic, where the choice of products is guided not by desire, but by necessity. Previously, the technique of alternating phases of mass gain and “cutting” was particularly popular, when off-season bodybuilders would eat everything that came their way, including fast food, and a few months before competitions would go on a strict diet.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was one of the first to speak out against this vicious practice, and today many modern bodybuilders strive to stay in shape constantly, in order to regularly produce content for Instagram and always be ready for promotional photo shoots to earn some extra money on protein. This is also mentioned by Phil Heath.
Below we will introduce you to the main rules of cutting in bodybuilding, focusing on the legal aspects, without the use of sports chemistry. Professionals cut differently. Curious how? Read the confession of an anonymous pro about sports chemistry for cutting.
Main thoughts:
The fitness and bodybuilding industry is regularly shaken by the latest discoveries of the “most effective” nutrition strategies for body cutting and weight loss. Many diets are based on mutually contradictory postulates: in different parts of the Internet, you may be advised to either eat all your food in one sitting in the morning or skip breakfast; to avoid fats like the plague or to replace them with carbohydrates; to eat 6 times a day or only once..
I’ll let you in on a secret: the overwhelming majority of diets do work.. they just have different degrees of harm to health.
From a biochemical perspective, some diets are better than others. But if being on the best and harmless diet provokes you to constantly raid the fridge for your favorite treats and you can’t do anything about it – then it’s not for you. If skipping breakfast dulls your mental activity, and you are a programmer – then breakfast is a must, but you can reconsider the quality and quantity of your dinner. If you are an endomorph with 30% body fat, then feel free to experiment with yourself.. your skin is thick; however, ectomorphs with a fast metabolism need to be very careful when skipping or excluding anything from their diet.
Which of the numerous diets is the most correct for body cutting in bodybuilding?
The one that works for you and that you can stick to for a long time. It’s that simple.
There are many correct diets for body cutting, just like for weight loss. You need to find one that you can adhere to for a long time.
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Rules for Body Cutting in Bodybuilding
1 Body Cutting Rule #1: Caloric Deficit
The main and fundamental rule of body cutting is to create a caloric deficit, where the body expends more energy than it receives from food. In a state of deficit, to ensure energy for vital processes, the body starts to use the fat stored in it.
The simplest way to create a caloric deficit is to limit the caloric content of food. You can also increase your level of physical activity instead of doing this.
The second method is much more difficult to implement, but it allows for a full diet without struggling with exhausting hunger. A good practical illustration of this is the body cutting of natural bodybuilder Mishael Ashley, whose diet caloric intake reached a record 5000 kcal during competition preparation!
All food that enters our mouth carries a certain level of energy, expressed in calories. Part of it is used to support basic life functions, such as the work of the heart, lungs, chemical processes within each cell, etc. This is the basal metabolic rate.
The other part of all calories goes towards supporting physical movements. The sum of the two components (basal metabolic rate and physical activity) is the level of energy expenditure throughout the day. The corresponding amount of calories needs to be consumed to maintain current weight.
This does not mean that it is important to consume exactly that amount of calories every day: it is sufficient that, on average, the caloric content of the diet over several days is equivalent to this figure.
We recommend: How many calories do you need per day to lose weight?
During the cutting phase in bodybuilding, the caloric content of the diet is reduced by about 10% from the usual. This is balancing on the lower boundary of basic daily needs.
Today, there are a huge number of fitness apps for mobile devices to calculate the caloric content of food and the basal metabolic rate. For a rough estimate, you can use the example of the formula for calculating the number of calories needed per day for weight loss.
All the most effective diets for weight loss will also be effective for cutting, as they all use the principle of calorie restriction. However, this is often not explicitly stated, and participants are not encouraged to count calories.
For example, a diet for cutting can be based on the principle of intermittent fasting, where food is consumed only during an 8-hour window during the day (by the way, one of the most effective diets for weight loss), or limiting the amount of carbohydrates that carry energy, or excluding foods that contain empty calories from the diet, or consuming a large amount of plant-based foods that are high in volume (satiating) and low in calories.
All these diets are effective for calorie restriction during cutting.
Let me reveal the truth: you can even get shredded exclusively on fries, ice cream, and chocolate… as long as you count the calories.
The rule of nutrition during body cutting is to create a caloric deficit. Typically, caloric intake is reduced by about 10% from what is needed to maintain weight.
2 Foods for Body Cutting
During body drying, certain types of products are beneficial, which a) satisfy but contain a small amount of calories, b) have a thermogenic effect (the effect of generating heat).
The first group includes plant products, fruits, and vegetables that have a high relative water content: they fill the stomach, provide a feeling of fullness, are rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, but have low calorie content. A detailed list of such products can be found in the article The Best Natural Fat Burners and Products for Drying/Weight Loss.
The second group includes products that, when consumed, increase the production and release of heat by the body, which, according to the law of conservation of energy, means burning more calories.
Among them are protein and capsaicin, for example. Scientists have proven that protein is beneficial for weight loss (and thus for drying), as more energy is expended in its digestion.
Capsaicin is found in hot peppers, gives them a spicy taste, and is also known for its ability to stimulate internal metabolism; it is a component of many fat burners for weight loss.
Consuming the mentioned products during drying, as well as any other thermogenics, which are also produced in the form of sports nutrition, will enhance calorie burning at rest, thus further increasing the calorie deficit.
Products for body drying include natural thermogenics (which increase the generation and release of heat by the body), as well as plant products that provide satiety but contain a small amount of calories.
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3 Risk of vitamin and mineral deficiency
A natural consequence of a calorie deficit during body drying is insufficient intake of essential nutrients for health, which increases the risk of developing vitamin or mineral deficiencies: a smaller amount of products means not only fewer calories but also fewer fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.
The risk of deficiency is especially high if the diet during cutting is monotonous. And although, as we noted above, it is possible to cut even exclusively with fast food, chocolate, and ice cream (if you adhere to a calorie restriction regime), the risk of deficiency on such a diet increases manifold. This is also true when your table features only oatmeal and eggs seven days a week.
According to doctors, dropping below 1600 kcal per day, as well as completely excluding any nutrients from the diet (either proteins, fats, or carbohydrates) is a direct path to the risk group for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, when multivitamin complexes are recommended to avoid health problems.
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Let us remind you that scientists and doctors always recommend trying to meet the daily requirement for vitamins and minerals primarily from whole natural foods. This also applies to athletes, including bodybuilders, who do not need to take special sports vitamins in a normal lifestyle. See Vitamins for athletes: pros and cons.
However, during body cutting in bodybuilding, due to the reasons mentioned above, the intake of multivitamins can be recommended. Is there any sense in special sports ones? Unlikely. Regular pharmacy ones are sufficient, as the dosage of trace elements in them is equivalent to the daily requirement (in sports ones, it is several times higher).
Also, consider the following.
- If a diet that restricts fat intake is used during cutting, it makes sense to additionally take dietary supplements that contain Omega-3 and Omega-6. Unlike other fatty acids, omega-3 and 6 cannot be synthesized by the body on their own, and their importance for health is enormous.
- If a low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet is chosen for cutting, it makes sense to additionally take B vitamins, as well as fiber, which are good sources found in grains, vegetables, and fruits.
During body cutting in bodybuilding, the risk of developing vitamin and mineral deficiencies increases, so it is recommended to consume more natural plant products, and in some cases – individual synthetic vitamins or complexes.
4 Protein, BCAA amino acids, and carbohydrates for preserving muscle mass
During body cutting in bodybuilding, the number one task is to get rid of excess fat, and the number two task is to preserve the gained muscle mass.
In a state of calorie deficit, there may come a moment when the body starts using its own tissues to provide energy for vital processes. Most often, this unpleasant procedure begins with muscle tissue: muscle proteins are broken down to the level of amino acids, which are sent to the energy furnace. This is what is known as muscle catabolism – the biggest nightmare that all fearless bodybuilders fear.
It doesn’t stop with muscle cells. Cells from organs, skin, and blood that provide immunity can also be used up. A weakened immune system leads to frequent infectious diseases – another well-known and unpleasant consequence of cutting in bodybuilding.
This is how the body dies during prolonged starvation: gradually, one after another, various organs and systems begin to fail. The body literally eats itself.
Scary? Don’t be afraid.
You have to really try hard to bring yourself to such a state while cutting… but muscle mass can easily be lost along with fat.
What to do?
As a rule, the protein intake increases during cutting to 2-3 g/kg, which helps prevent muscle catabolism. Many professional athletes also take BCAA amino acids additionally – this is perhaps the only justified use of them according to doctors and scientists.
We recommend: How to properly take BCAA amino acids and is it worth it? Maybe protein is better?
But along with this, it is important to remember one more important rule of body cutting: never completely exclude carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the component of food that carries energy, protecting against muscle catabolism and ensuring a training regimen. This is why the ketogenic diet is not suitable for body cutting, as it implies almost complete exclusion of carbohydrates. Read about the colossal importance of carbohydrates in Layne Norton’s cutting diet for natural bodybuilders. (There you will also find an example of a cutting program with calculations of caloric intake, protein, fat, and carbohydrate amounts for different body types)
One of the mandatory rules of body cutting is to increase the daily protein intake to preserve the gained muscle mass; for this same purpose, many bodybuilders take BCAA amino acids during cutting. Never completely exclude carbohydrates while cutting!
We recommend: How to properly take protein for muscle gain?
5 To maintain the gained muscle mass during body “cutting,” it is important to keep up the training regimen
Although bodybuilding primarily focuses on appearance, a proper diet during cutting should not significantly affect training effectiveness.
Training ensures the maintenance of achieved results. A reduction in training weight and disruption of the recovery process will inevitably affect muscle mass. This is another criterion for proper nutrition during body cutting.
During body cutting, it is normal to experience some decrease in muscle strength and, accordingly, training weight, but a rapid and significant disruption of functionality is a sign of dietary mistakes.
Generally, a low-carb/ketogenic diet significantly impacts the deterioration of functionality. It leads to a rapid depletion of glycogen stores in the muscles and the inability to train for long periods at the usual intensity.
This does not mean that such diets should be avoided. It is just necessary to adjust the training regimen: focus on the intensity of exercises (heavy weight + low number of repetitions), rather than on a large volume of movements.
The general rule during cutting: reduce the volume of cardio training. Overindulgence in cardio will hinder muscle growth and recovery.
Establish clear priorities in your mind: you train to gain muscle mass, not to burn fat.
Cardio exercises are undoubtedly beneficial for cardiovascular health… but not during cutting.
Of course, you can also follow a different scenario. The same natural bodybuilder Michael Ashley demonstrated an example of cutting on a super high-calorie diet with an insane volume of cardio exercises every day…
One of the signs of improper nutrition during cutting is a sharp and significant decrease in training effectiveness. To maintain muscle mass, it is important to keep a moderate training regimen
Conclusion
There are many diets for body cutting. Any diet that involves calorie restriction is suitable. The right diet for you is one that you can follow for a long time.
Whatever cutting nutrition strategy you choose, remember that it is important to:
- ensure a calorie deficit;
- consume a sufficient amount of whole, natural foods rich in vitamins and minerals; if necessary, take additional multivitamin complexes;
- increase the amount of protein in your diet to protect muscle mass from breakdown; the minimum protein intake during cutting is 2 g/kg; you can experiment with BCAA amino acids;
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