CuttingFat-loss phase

Cutting is the gym term for a deliberate phase of fat loss, run in an energy deficit with the specific intention of keeping as much muscle as possible. It is the counterpart to a bulking phase, and the pairing is the traditional way physique training is organised across a year.

What separates a cut from simply losing weight is the effort spent protecting lean tissue. Adequate protein, at the upper end of the range, and continued resistance training are the two interventions with real evidence, and without them a deficit removes muscle alongside fat.

Size of deficit is the main decision. Roughly 15 to 25% below maintenance suits most people, with leaner people needing the gentler end because they have less fat available to supply the difference and more to lose from muscle.

Duration is the second. Long aggressive cuts produce falling leptin, rising hunger, declining spontaneous movement and worsening training performance, which is why planned periods at maintenance during a longer cut are a practical tool rather than an admission of weakness.

Expect the rate to slow. As you get lighter, maintenance falls, so the deficit you set at the start shrinks unless you recalculate, and metabolic adaptation makes the decline slightly steeper than bodyweight alone predicts.

Training changes less than people assume. Keeping the intensity, meaning the loads, is what preserves strength and muscle; volume is what usually has to come down when recovery is limited.

In practice, set the deficit with our calorie deficit calculator, set protein with the protein intake calculator, keep lifting heavy, and judge progress on weekly averages plus a tape measure rather than daily weight.