Body cutting guide: how to lose fat without losing muscle

What is body drying and why is it needed?

Cutting is a period during which a person reduces the percentage of fat in the body, while trying to preserve muscle mass and strength to the maximum.
In bodybuilding, cutting traditionally follows after gaining weight. A bodybuilder first builds muscle through strength training, a calorie surplus, and plenty of protein. Then, when there is already enough muscle, the calorie intake is reduced. As a result, the percentage of fat decreases, and the relief becomes more distinct.

Weightlifters, powerlifters, boxers and other athletes also go through this period and are forced to adapt to their weight categories. In this case, the goal is not a beautiful muscle definition, but the desired number on the scale while maintaining strength indicators.

Regardless of the purpose, drying methods and the body’s reaction to this stressful period are approximately the same. Therefore, the rules for effective weight loss will not differ.

The role of diet in burning fat

To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn. However, certain foods do influence weight loss. For example, protein helps a person feel full. Eating more protein reduces cravings for foods high in fat and sugar.

Carbohydrates and sugar are linked to diabetes, visceral fat and metabolic problems. Replacing some carbohydrates with foods high in protein can boost metabolism, reduce fat storage, and prevent metabolic problems.

What happens to the body during drying

The universal rule for losing weight is: to reduce your fat percentage, you need to create a calorie deficit. In other words, consume less than you spend. It doesn’t matter how it is achieved: reduced calorie content, increased activity, or all together. If the body lacks energy, it begins to burn fat reserves.

It is considered Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation that to lose a kilogram of fat you need to spend 7,716 kcal. It turns out that this can be achieved in a month if you cut your daily diet by 250 calories. And if you limit yourself even more, for example by 500 kcal, you will burn 2 kilograms.

It sounds logical, but when it comes to the body, mathematical models don't work. The problem is that our body is perfectly adapted to survive in starvation conditions and has a number of Metabolic adaptation to weight loss: implications for the athlete metabolic adaptations:

• Energy waste is reduced . In response to a lack of calories, the body reduces the production of thyroid hormones, including triiodothyronine, which regulates metabolic rate. As a result, you spend less energy both on maintaining life and on physical activity.
• Hunger is increasing . Cutting calories and losing weight reduces levels of leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells that regulates satiety. And the concentration of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, increases. As a result, you feel hungry all the time.
• Muscles are burned . A lack of calories reduces levels of the anabolic hormones insulin and testosterone Moderate energy restriction with high protein diet results in healthier outcome in women and increases the concentration of cortisol, a glucocorticoid that promotes the breakdown of muscle tissue. As a result, you lose muscle mass along with fat.

The more scarcity you create, the more pronounced these adaptations become. Moreover, they persist even after you increase your caloric intake back. That is why, when coming off strict diets, people, as a rule, quickly return to the previous weight or gain even more, and frequent drying of athletes increases the risk of excess weight.

Thus, the main task during drying is to avoid metabolic adaptations of the body to hunger. And the main way to do this is to take it gradually.

Pro Tips

When following all the recommendations for weight loss and reducing the subcutaneous fat layer, you should listen to the advice of professionals in this field.

Elena Kalen, nutritionist, expert in the psychology of weight loss, author of the marathon program “Beautiful Habits - Beautiful Body”

Elena believes that completely giving up bad eating habits is a big stress for the body. However, it is necessary to reduce these foods to a minimum and then gradually replace them from the diet. To make it easier to stick to your diet, you need to diversify it. Aerobic exercise or the body-flex system will help increase the effectiveness of the weight loss process.

Elena Isinbaeva, two-time Olympic and three-time world champion in pole vaulting

The athlete adheres to the principles of “separate” nutrition. Her breakfast consists of complex carbohydrates and fruits. For lunch, Elena prefers meat or lean fish with a vegetable side dish. A light dinner consists of fermented milk products: low-fat cottage cheese or kefir. In this case, the athlete resorts to additional meals, in accordance with the principles of healthy eating listed above. Small snacks include fruit or yogurt. Even after leaving the sport, such a diet allows her to maintain excellent physical shape.

Paige Hathaway, famous American fitness model and Instagram star with 2 million followers

Paige says that the basis of her diet is protein, namely fish. The girl also says that it is necessary to maintain a balance between training and rest. However, in case of violation of the regime or overeating, the athlete adds 30 minutes of cardio exercise to her list of exercises.

How long should body drying last?

Both the Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation scientists and the trainers of The Complete Guide to Bulking and Cutting, How To Plan Your Strength Training While Cutting (Ultimate Guide) agree that it is most effective to lose 0.5– 1% of body weight per week. This speed allows you to avoid a strong decrease in metabolism, lose fat and at the same time maintain and even increase Effect of two different weight-loss rates on body composition and strength and power-related performance in elite athletes muscles. At the same time, it is worth taking into account your own characteristics.

The higher the percentage of body fat, the less Body fat content influences the body composition response to nutrition and exercise muscle you will lose on a diet.

So, if you have a high percentage of body fat, you can use more aggressive diets in the first weeks of cutting to lose 1.5% of your body weight per week. Provided proper nutrition and training, such a speed will not lead to loss of muscle mass.

Over time, when the percentage of body fat decreases, it is worth Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation to switch to a softer diet so that Changes in psychological state and self-reported diet do not go away during various phases of training in competitive bodybuilders muscles. In the second month, aim for a loss of 1% of weight per week, in the third - 0.5% per week.

If you want to dry yourself and are not tied to any deadline, there will be no problems. Just watch your weight and adjust your caloric intake so that you lose no more than a kilogram per week.

If you need results by a certain date, start drying 8-12 weeks before it. It is not recommended How To Plan Your Strength Training While Cutting (Ultimate Guide) to continue cutting beyond this period: even with a small calorie deficit, a long diet will negatively affect your metabolic rate, the percentage of muscle mass and your performance.

Main conclusions

Subcutaneous fat causes many problems, but it is much easier to get rid of than its visceral counterpart (located in the abdominal cavity and necessary for the normal functioning of the body):

1. A balanced diet that includes 30% protein, 40% carbohydrates and 30% monosaturated fat will help you lose weight.
2. Correction of nutrition in combination with physical activity will significantly improve the result.
3. For greater effectiveness, training should include cardio and strength training.
4. Massage and cosmetic procedures can be used as additional means of accelerating metabolism.
5. The use of fat burners should be under the supervision of a specialist.
6. You can get rid of subcutaneous fat at home.

In the fight against excess deposits of subcutaneous fat, you need to remember a simple but effective rule: you need to spend more calories than you receive.

How to regulate nutrition when drying the body

To lose the desired percentage of weight per week, you need to reduce your caloric intake. In order to preserve muscles, you need to choose the right percentage of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Below we will explain how to do this.

How much to reduce calories

To get started, cut your daily calorie intake by 250–300 kcal and watch the results. If you start losing 0.5-1% of weight per week, maintain this regimen until the weight stops. If there is no progress, you can add more physical activity, such as 2-3 cardio sessions per week, and see if the pounds come off.

If there are no results, try reducing your intake by 500 kcal per day. With the correct ratio of macronutrients and strength training, such a diet will not lead to loss of muscle mass.

If your weight still doesn't change, try adding more physical activity or looking for another problem. For example, lack of good sleep, high stress levels or hormonal imbalances.

If you start losing more than 1.5% of your body weight per week, it's worth reducing your deficit to slow down your weight loss and maintain muscle.

How much protein, fat and carbohydrates to consume

The most important macronutrient for drying the body is protein. It enhances A randomized crossover, pilot study examining the effects of a normal protein vs. high protein breakfast on food cravings and reward signals in overweight/obese “breakfast skipping”, late‑adolescent girls feeling full and accelerates Presence or absence of carbohydrates and the proportion of fat in a high‑protein diet affect appetite suppression but not energy expenditure in normal‑weight human fed subjects in energy balance metabolism, and also helps maintain positive Whole-body protein utilization in humans protein balance. This is a condition in which muscle protein synthesis exceeds protein breakdown.

Most bodybuilders and athletes during cutting consume A systematic review of dietary protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean athletes: a case for higher intakes, Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation 2.3–3.1 g protein per kg of body weight without fat. This indicator can be calculated using “smart” scales with bioimpedance analysis. If you don't have access to these, use a calculator with average values ​​for men and women.

You can also find out the right amount of protein by your overall body weight. Research data show that 2.4–2.5 Pronounced energy restriction with elevated protein intake results in no change in proteolysis and reductions in skeletal muscle protein synthesis that are mitigated by resistance exercise, Anabolic and catabolic hormones and energy balance of the male bodybuilders during the preparation for the competition, grams of protein per kg of body weight is enough to protect the body from muscle loss under hypocaloric conditions.

It is important to monitor the amount of fat. They are necessary in the diet to avoid hormonal imbalances during drying. In particular, to maintain normal testosterone levels, consume Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation of at least 15–20% of calories from fat.

Carbohydrates are needed to maintain high performance during training. Calculate the required amount of proteins and fats, and finish off the remaining calories with carbohydrates.

If you notice that your performance has dropped dramatically, increase your carbohydrate intake at the expense of fat and see how it affects your performance and weight.

How to exercise while drying your body

To preserve muscle, it is important to continue strength training and make it no less intense than before cutting. You can also add cardio exercises to burn extra calories, but on the condition that they will not reduce your performance in strength exercises.

How to do strength training

You should not change your work mode for many repetitions with light weights. You'll use cardio to burn calories, but the goal of strength training remains the same - to provide your muscles with the stimulus to grow.

Use the following Recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: Resistance and cardiovascular training regimen:

• Train each muscle group twice a week. You can use four-day or five-day splits.
• Perform 6–12 reps per set at 70–80% of your one-repetition maximum (1RM). On average, do about 40-70 repetitions per muscle group per workout.
• Rest 1-3 minutes between sets.
• Do not use sets to muscle failure on complex multi-joint movements such as squats, deadlifts, standing and bench presses, and bent-over rows. You can only use them in simple single-joint movements on small muscle groups.

Exercise your body hard, but remember that your body is under stress due to lack of nutrition. If you feel like you can't finish a set with good technique, quit. It's better not to finish it than to get injured.

How to do cardio

Cardio is a great way to increase your calorie deficit, but you shouldn't get carried away with aerobic work.

Long cardio sessions tire out the central nervous system (CNS) just as much as strength training. As a result, you will spend more calories, but at the same time reduce Concurrent training: a meta‑analysis examining interference of aerobic and resistance exercises, High volume of endurance training impairs adaptations to 12 weeks of strength training in well‑trained endurance athletes the volume of strength training and lose muscle mass.

Do no more than 4-5 cardio workouts per week. If your strength levels drop, reduce the amount or time of aerobic exercise.

You can also replace long-term cardio with high-intensity interval training - they will burn a lot of calories and spend less time on exercise. With regard to the effect on the central nervous system, short intense loads are less Effects of fatigue duration and muscle type on voluntary and evoked contractile properties, Mechanisms of fatigue differ after low- and high‑force fatiguing contractions in men and women, Central and peripheral fatigue in male cyclists after 4-, 20-, and 40‑km time trials are more expensive than long work at an average pace. But you still shouldn’t do HIIT every day: due to the high intensity, the risk of injury increases, especially if you also do strength exercises.

You can alternate between different types of aerobic exercise, such as two long sessions at a moderate pace and two HIIT sessions per week. In any case, perform cardio after strength training - this way you will go into the weights with fresh central nervous system and will be able to perform the necessary volume to maintain the muscles.

Ways to burn fat

To get a slim body, you need to understand the reasons for the body's excessive accumulation of fat reserves. Most often this is due to poor diet and poor physical activity. In some cases, excessive fat deposition is caused by diseases of the endocrine system, which lead to hormonal or metabolic disorders.

If nothing threatens a person’s health, then you can burn subcutaneous fat using the following methods:

• adjust your diet;
• increase physical activity;
• use the achievements of cosmetology.

However, the best result will come from an integrated approach to this issue. A well-chosen diet, combined with a training regimen and visits to a cosmetologist, will achieve the desired effect in the shortest possible time.

Diet correction

Changing your eating habits will help you remove subcutaneous fat. To reduce volumes, you need to adhere to a number of rules.

1. Reduce the total caloric content of food consumed.

To do this, you need to remove everything fried, smoked, alcohol, soda, sugar, flour, and cereals with a high glycemic index from the menu. You also need to be careful with fruits. Grapes, bananas, figs, persimmons, pomegranates and dates are completely prohibited.

1. Eat in small portions, but often (every 2-3 hours).

Such fractional nutrition speeds up metabolism, i.e. metabolism.

1. Drink a lot.

When losing weight, the daily norm for the average woman is 2-2.5 liters, for the average man - 3-3.5 liters. It is preferable to drink clean water. If desired, you can drink green tea without sugar or flavorings. It is better to avoid juices. It is also necessary to limit your coffee consumption - no more than 2 cups of a weak drink without sugar or other additives.

1. Simple carbohydrates are consumed before 12:00, complex carbohydrates - before 18:00.

By simple we mean natural honey, fruits and dark chocolate. Complex pasta made from durum wheat, cereals, and bran bread are acceptable.

1. The last meal is 4 hours before bedtime.

For dinner after 18:00 you can cook only dietary protein products and vegetables. If you do not follow this rule and eat high-carbohydrate foods, the calories consumed will be converted into fat tissue.

Proper nutrition

The main key to success in burning subcutaneous fat lies in proper nutrition. You can get a flat stomach and an elegant waist without physical activity by simply reviewing your daily diet. True, it will take much more time to achieve results.

Basic recommendations:

1. Increase your fiber intake. These dietary fibers play a huge role in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, they lower blood sugar. In addition, fiber contains virtually no calories, so it can be present in any diet.
2. Eat the right fats. We are talking about monosaturated species. These include nuts, seafood, olive oil. This type of fat helps control appetite and reduce snacking.
3. Increase the proportion of protein in your diet. Eating a significant amount of protein prevents the development of insulin resistance. In this pathological condition, the sensitivity of cellular receptors to insulin decreases. Because of this, it does not enter the cell, and the cellular processes of glucose absorption are disrupted. As a result, type 2 diabetes develops. It is in this pathological condition that severe obesity is observed.

Expert opinion

Evgeniy Kislitsa

Practicing surgeon. Certified massage master. Two-time vice-champion and heavyweight champion of regional kettlebell lifting competitions.

Fiber has a beneficial effect on intestinal function. It normalizes peristalsis (rhythmic contractions of the intestinal wall, thereby improving digestion). Also, regular consumption of foods rich in fiber will help you get rid of a whole list of intestinal diseases. Athletes and those wishing to lose weight are advised to consume more fiber than ordinary people, as it prevents the absorption of toxins from food and speeds up their elimination. In addition, fiber improves the absorption of nutrients and allows you to quickly overcome hunger. The latter property is associated with the filling of the stomach, which has special receptors that respond to the stretching of its wall. Fiber leads to stretching of the stomach wall, in response to which receptors transmit information to the brain about the need to stop eating.

According to research, you can lose excess weight most effectively if you adhere to the following proportion of the “golden three”:

• 40% proteins (meat, fish, legumes);
• 30% carbohydrates (pasta, cereals);
• 30% fats (nuts, vegetable oils).

Don't forget about the water regime. To dull your appetite and quickly feel full during meals, you can drink a glass of warm still water 20-25 minutes before meals.

Diets and fasting

To burn subcutaneous fat, you must adhere to a low-calorie diet. Depending on physical indicators, to lose weight, the total caloric content of the diet can be reduced by 20-25% of the usual. It is in this case that the body begins to use up its reserves.

Important! Dietary restrictions do not imply starvation. Fasting to lose weight is not only dangerous, but also harmful. During fasting, not only do metabolic processes slow down, but the body's own tissues begin to break down. Of these, adipose tissue is the last to be destroyed, and muscle tissue is the first to be broken down to replenish energy reserves. An organism that has experienced such stress will begin to replenish its fat reserves at the first opportunity.

The basis of the diet is low-fat protein foods. This can be 1-3% cottage cheese or lean beef. The menu also includes fresh vegetables and fruits. These are natural fat burners that should not be neglected. Cereals are best consumed for breakfast, combining them with nuts and honey. Don't completely give up sweets. A small slice of dark chocolate will do more good than harm. But the consumption of coffee, black tea and alcohol should be minimized or removed from the diet altogether. These drinks stimulate appetite and negatively affect metabolism.

Fasting days are a great way to speed up your metabolism and reduce the number on the scale.

Effectively spend fasting days on:

• kefir;
• cucumbers;
• apples

Such express diets are carried out once every 7-10 days, subject to drinking regime and monitoring the general condition of the body.

Exercises to quickly remove excess

You can burn subcutaneous fat in a month or two only by combining a strict diet and physical training. In the absence of dietary restrictions, the opposite effect will appear: the muscles will pump up, but the fat will not disappear, therefore, the volume will increase.

The following exercises will help you reduce your waistline:

• twisting;
• elbow bar;
• body rotations;
• lateral bends.

Effective training elements for strengthening the hips and buttocks are:

• plie;
• lunges to the side and forward;
• scissors;
• wrong bridge.

To remove belly fat at home, you must regularly do the following:

• side bar;
• leg lift;
• side plank twist;
• straight crunches (classic abdominal exercises), both without bending and bending over.

How to choose a program

The most effective option for combating excess fat is considered to be a complex consisting of 2 blocks: cardio and strength training.

The first type helps burn “reserves”, the second – tightens the contours of the body, while preserving the muscles. Suitable cardio workouts for weight loss include:

• run;
• bike;
• swimming;
• jumping;
• race walking.

If we talk about strength training, then it is worth paying attention to squats, various types of abdominal exercises, and bending. Most elements can be performed at home. The main thing is to exercise regularly 3-4 times a week for at least one hour.

A set of exercises for a month

A monthly workout plan to get rid of subcutaneous fat looks like this:

• warm-up;
• cardio (running or jumping rope);
• power block

The latter consists of the following elements:

1. Half squat (shallow squats with straight arms extended forward).
2. Alternate lunges forward with each leg.
3. Plie (half squats with legs spread and toes turned outward).
4. Push-ups, both classic and inclined.
5. Plank, including side plank.
6. Abdominal exercise (classic + bicycle).
7. Raising the buttocks or improper bridge (regular bridge, but the shoulders and head remain on the floor).

Important! Each element must be done 8-10 times, while completing 3 approaches with a break between them of 30-60 seconds. Such exercises will help quickly restore contours even for beginners in sports. They provide sufficient load, which allows you to increase muscle mass and effectively burn excess fat.

Warm-up and stretching are necessary in order to prepare the body for the load, first of all, to warm up the muscles and work out the joints. Otherwise, you can quickly get seriously injured. Warming up the muscles after a workout (the so-called “cool-down”) allows you to relax the muscles at the end of the workout and remove toxic metabolic products from the muscle tissue.

Expert opinion

Evgeniy Kislitsa

Practicing surgeon. Certified massage master. Two-time vice-champion and heavyweight champion of regional kettlebell lifting competitions.

The benefits of warming up do not only come down to preparing muscles and joints for training. It allows you to tune your nervous system to an intense training regime. Also, when performing warm-up exercises, the production of testosterone, the main hormone responsible for muscle growth, increases. In addition, it accelerates fat burning processes. During the warm-up, the synthesis of dopamine, also known as the “happiness hormone,” increases. This will allow you to better tolerate physical activity and quickly develop the habit of exercising at the same time.

The most effective exercises to remove excess fat from the sides at home

Fat deposits around the waist are one of the most problematic. There are a number of useful exercises to solve this problem, such as:

1. Side plank twist. Lie on your side, prop yourself up on your elbow, and extend your free arm up. As you exhale, turn your chest down and “hug” yourself with your free hand.
2. Spider. Take a lying position, as if doing push-ups, bend your arms and place your right knee to the corresponding elbow. Repeat the exercise for the left side.
3. Russian twist. Lie on the floor on your back, with your knees slightly bent. Stretch your arms forward and rise at an acute angle to the hip line. Turn to the right, hold for 2 seconds, then turn to the left. To enhance the effect, you can pick up a weight (dumbbells or a metal plate).

A hula hoop equipped with massage balls will also help in the fight against Venus’s ears. We must not forget about breathing exercises.

Be sure to check out:

View from the back: how to remove fat on the back under the shoulder blade How to remove fat from the arms and armpits: effective exercises and nutrition rules Effective ways to remove fat from the chest

How to recover

In addition to nutrition and training, it is very important to provide the body with all the conditions for high-quality recovery. Here are some important points.

Sleep at least 7–8 hours

Lack of sleep increases ghrelin levels Interactions between sleep, stress, and metabolism: From physiological to pathological conditions, which increases hunger and cravings for sweet foods, negatively Insufficient Sleep Undermines Dietary Efforts to Reduce Adiposity affects protein balance, slows recovery and reduces your ability to lose fat.

Learn to deal with stress

Chronic stress increases cortisol levels and reduces A Link Between Sleep Loss, Glucose Metabolism and Adipokines levels of adiponectin, a hormone that is involved in the breakdown of fat. You cannot influence external factors, but you can change your reaction to them. To do this, for example, master relaxation techniques - meditation and breathing practices Effect of short‑term practice of breathing exercises on autonomic functions in normal human volunteers, Abbreviated Resonant Frequency Training to Augment Heart Rate Variability and Enhance On‑Demand Emotional Regulation in Elite Sport Support Staff

Follow your diet

Irregular meals are another stress for the body. Eat Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation 3–6 times a day at approximately the same time.

Try recovery techniques

Get a massage An Evidence-Based Approach for Choosing Post-exercise Recovery Techniques to Reduce Markers of Muscle Damage, Soreness, Fatigue, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis , use a massage roller THE EFFECTS OF SELF‐MYOFASCIAL RELEASE USING A FOAM ROLL OR ROLLER MASSAGER ON JOINT RANGE OF MOTION, MUSCLE RECOVERY, AND PERFORMANCE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW, start taking BCAA Amino acids and central fatigue - all of these methods help reduce delayed muscle pain, avoid stiffness and loss of strength 24-72 hours after power loads.

How to get out of dry body

Once you reach your desired body fat percentage or the competition you've been training for, don't suddenly increase your caloric intake. No matter how hard you try to speed up your metabolism, it will still decrease during drying.

A sudden transition to your previous diet can lead to rapid weight gain.

To prevent such changes, eliminate the Metabolic adaptation to weight loss: implications for the athlete caloric deficit gradually over several weeks. The Reverse Diet will help restore your circulating hormone levels, increase your metabolism, and keep the pounds of fat you just lost from coming back.