Cutting Phase

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I gained 25lbs in 3 months. I'm guessing about 5-8 of that is muscle... Yes... I really let myself go. Luckily, with my extra bulk, it doesn't look terrible, but it's time for the cutting phase.

Anyone have any great routines for a 10-week cutting phase? I have a torn meniscus on one knee, so high impact aerobics (running) for prolonged period is out of the question. And obviously I'd like to keep as much of my bulk as I can.

Thanks in advance!
 

JonasKay

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Diet...Diet...Diet

I swear a "cutting phase" is 75% diet and 25% workout regime. Granted, I don't know your specifics, but if there's one thing I've learned about "getting cut" it's how and when you choose to cycle your carb intake. But regarding workout, I would avoid long intense periods of cardio (regardless of your knee condition). Why? To save yourself the time. Look up some workouts that are part of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). It's not how long you workout, it's HOW you workout. I wish I knew this years ago. A simple change of diet and I went from a two pac to a six pac in a matter of weeks, without altering a single thing in my workout regime.
 

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Diet...Diet...Diet

I swear a "cutting phase" is 75% diet and 25% workout regime. Granted, I don't know your specifics, but if there's one thing I've learned about "getting cut" it's how and when you choose to cycle your carb intake. But regarding workout, I would avoid long intense periods of cardio (regardless of your knee condition). Why? To save yourself the time. Look up some workouts that are part of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). It's not how long you workout, it's HOW you workout. I wish I knew this years ago. A simple change of diet and I went from a two pac to a six pac in a matter of weeks, without altering a single thing in my workout regime.

Alright- I'm convinced. Do you have some advice or resources on the diet you indicated (cycling carb intake)? I'm afraid that having too much of a deficit will start to eat into my mass.

Thanks!
 

zerocool

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if you need some cardio to burn some calories you can still do the elliptical. When I had my ACL reconstruction x 2 (along with a torn meniscus) my PT always recommended that for recovery
 

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Get those frozen packages of veggies...broccoli is the best. Right now I'm doing something like

Protein shake for breakfast (40g)
Class
Workout
Protein shake after workout (60g)
Shower and PE
Dinner - some sort of meat/fish/chicken with a whole package frozen veggies. I eat until I'm stuffed too.
At night snack - banana with Peanut butter or one scoop (20g) protein shake.

I also only drink water.

I'm sure some people will rip this diet because its so reliant on protein shakes or whatever, but its what I'm doing and I'm on my way down from a little over 200 to 180.
 

JonasKay

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Alright- I'm convinced. Do you have some advice or resources on the diet you indicated (cycling carb intake)? I'm afraid that having too much of a deficit will start to eat into my mass.

Thanks!

From what I've read and experienced, there are only two pieces of advice I can give you.

1) EVERYTHING IS RELATIVE...to you, where you currently are, and where you want to go. How tall are you? How much do you weigh? What's your body fat percentage? Are you doing a cutting phase with a target date in mind (i.e. a photoshoot or competition) OR just for the look of being ripped? What's your current workout regime like? What's your current diet like? If you've gained 25 lbs in mass, I expect that you're probably eating your weight (if not double) in grams of protein (i.e. I weigh 165 lbs...so 165 grams of protein per day is a target I have set where I do NOT want to gain anymore bulk). For me, there were two changes in my diet that changed everything: eating a substantial breakfast and NOT eating any starches or carbs after 5 pm (fruit is the exception). So far, so good. BUT i am doing this with a specific date in mind and will definitely go back to my normal "it's-okay-to-eat-carbs-in-the-evening" mentality once all this is over. Some good diet tips I've picked up:

Oatmeal or granola - great as an afternoon snack to get your mind out of that 3pm slump
eggs - high in protein and act as a natural appetite suppressant (great for breakfast or dinner)
spicy peppers - hot peppers contain a substance called capsaicin which has been shown to speed up your metabolism AND help sate hunger.
salsa - seriously, the most under-rated condiment in the western hemisphere. Low in calories, low in sugar (compared to ketchup), and it adds serious punch to your food. the spicier it is, the better.
green tea - helps with our PE exercises too

2) "Building bulk" and "getting cut" are TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT approaches to fitness training and it's best to NOT DO THEM BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. For me, it's all about how long I keep my heart rate pumping. Search "HIIT" in google and you'll get A TON of responses with a bunch of different ways to approach it.

Also, there's a podcast, called The Fitcast. It's awesome and you should check it out.
 

RockstarParkingDude

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whats you height weight and bodyfat % estimate. seriously, if you arent like 10-12 percent you're not looking for cutting you are looking for simple diet and exercise. cutting is what you do to shed the last 10 pounds of fat that you need to be ripped. bulk and muscle are two different things. if you are barrel chested and stocky, suggestions will be different. you can't cut fat and keep bulk, unless the bulk is solid muscle.
 

JonasKay

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whats you height weight and bodyfat % estimate. seriously, if you arent like 10-12 percent you're not looking for cutting you are looking for simple diet and exercise. cutting is what you do to shed the last 10 pounds of fat that you need to be ripped. bulk and muscle are two different things. if you are barrel chested and stocky, suggestions will be different. you can't cut fat and keep bulk, unless the bulk is solid muscle.

He's right! (Thanks for being more succinct than I was :p)
 

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Good point. I'm not looking to cut. I'm not sure what by BF% is, but I'd assume upwards of 18%. I'm finding out on Friday. I'm at 206 lbs, 5'11". I'd like to bring it down to 185 or so.

I'm going to start cutting a lot of the carbs out (not completely), especially at night. I'm going to keep my heavy lifting routine for now. I'll see how this goes.
 

RockstarParkingDude

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right now, your routine matters little, so long as it is rigorous. so long as you are burning calories it doesnt matter much whether you lift heavy, light, or do cardio. you will lose weight either way.

the most important part is getting your diet right. 80 percent of your success rests on your diet. you should aim for about 4-6 meals a day, each at about 400-500 calories. eat right when you wake up - this should be the only large source of carbs you eat during a day. this will get your body buring energy as soon as possible. to add to that effect you should do a small amount of exercise when you wake up - 20 pushups and 30 situps - a ten minute run, etc. this will also start you burning energy early in the day. you metabolism will stay elevated throughout the day afterwards.

your other meals should be balanced - slightly protein heavy maybe - and your meal before bed should be straight protein.

by no means is this the only solution, however this will give you the results you are looking for in the shortest amount of time.