According to the unwritten rules of bodybuilding, a period of bulking is always followed by cutting, that is, training to get shredded and make those muscles shine.
After all, whatever others may say, along with muscle volume, the amount of body fat also increases. And this worsens the aesthetics and visibility of the muscles.
In theory, cutting is very simple. But in practice, to achieve it, you have to sweat a lot.
What is cutting?
Cutting or getting shredded in bodybuilding slang means a period when an athlete works to reduce the percentage of fat in his body while trying to preserve muscle mass as much as possible.
The essence of cutting is to show the muscles in all their glory.
After all, the less subcutaneous fat you have, the more clearly you can see the muscles that you worked so hard on.
Work on being shredded needs an integrated approach. It includes:
- Diet
- Power training
- Cardio
Let’s start with training.
Example of a program for getting shredded
The cutting training program has one characteristic feature – an increase in the volume of the load. The essence of cutting: expend as much energy as possible in as low time as possible. Make your training sessions as energy-intensive as possible.
To do this, strength training should use various methods and ways to increase the intensity of the training process.
Among them:
1. Reducing pauses between sets to 30 – 60 seconds
As a rule, the working weight during this period is slightly reduced, which allows you to increase the intensity by reducing the rest time.
2. Perform several exercises in a row without rest
These include supersets, tri-sets, dropsets. The example training program below uses these techniques.
3. Circuit training
The entire strength program is performed without rest, or with minimal pauses between exercises.
Only suitable for healthy and well-trained people!
4. Increasing the total amount of load
This is done by increasing the number of exercises, approaches, and repetitions.
At the same time, the duration of the workout remains the same, and ideally even decreases.
5. Increasing the frequency of training
This increases overall energy consumption and accelerates metabolism (metabolism).
In connection with all of the above, an exemplary program for cutting might look like this:
Monday – Abs, Chest, Back, Biceps
1. Side crunches with leg raise
3 sets of 15 – 30 reps
+ Russian Twist
3 sets of 15 – 30 reps
+ Knees to Chest Seated Crunches
3 sets of 15 – 30 reps
2. Bench Press
3 sets of 8 – 10 reps
+ Behind-the-Neck Lat Pull-Down
3 sets of 12 – 15 reps
3. Incline Dumbbell Press
2 sets of 10 – 12 reps
+ Seated Cable Row
2 sets of 10 – 12 reps
4. Incline Dumbbell Fly
3 sets of 12 – 15 reps
+ Pushups
3 sets of 12 – 15 reps
5. Dumbbell Hammer Curls
3 sets of 12 – 15 reps
+ Dumbbell Biceps Curls
3 sets of 12 – 15 reps
As mentioned above, the program uses supersets and tri-sets. That is, you perform 2 or 3 exercises without rest.
Only after doing all 3 movements, you can rest. And so on.
Tuesday – Abs, Shoulders, Hamstrings
1. Knee Raises
3 sets of 15 – 30 reps
+ Standing Cable Crunch
3 sets of 15 – 30 reps
2. Incline Dumbbell Rows
3 sets of 15 reps
+ Dumbbell Lateral Raises
3 sets of 15 reps
+ Dumbbell Front Raises
3 sets of 15 reps
3. Arnold Press
3 sets of 10 – 12 reps
4. Leg Curls
3 sets of 15 reps
+ Seated Leg Curl
3 sets of 15 – 20 reps
5. Romanian Deadlift
3 sets of 15 reps
Thursday – Abs, Back, Chest, Triceps
1. Laying Leg Raises
3 sets of 15 – 30 reps
+ Incline Bench Crunches
3 sets of 15 – 30 reps
+ Side Scissors
3 sets of 15 – 30 reps
2. Pull-Ups
3 sets of 8 – 10 reps
+ Butterfly Machine
3 sets of 15 reps
3. Bent over Rows
3 sets of 10 – 12 reps
+ Dumbbell Fly
3 sets of 15 reps
4. Hyperextension
2 sets of 20 reps
+ Shrugs with Dumbbells
2 sets of 20 reps
5. Cable Extensions
3 sets of 12 – 15 reps
+ Overhead Cable Tricep Extension
3 sets of 12 – 15 reps
Friday – Abs, Quads
1. Cross Crunches
3 sets of 15 – 30 reps
+ Crunches
3 sets of 15 – 30 reps
+ Laying Leg Raise
3 sets of 15 – 30 reps
2. Squats
3 sets of 10 – 15 reps
3. One Leg Extension Machine
2 sets of 15 – 20 reps
+ Leg Extension Machine
2 sets of 15 – 20 reps
4. Walking Lunges with Dumbbells
2 sets of 30 – 40 steps
- Frequency: 4 workouts per week
- Rest between sets: 30 – 60 seconds
Cardio and other rules for cutting
Work on being shredded is not only strength training.
This is also regular cardio – walking, running, swimming, orbit track, cycling, and rowing.
The purpose of power loads is to resist the “burning” of muscles, which occurs when cutting.
With the help of workouts, we try to minimize this negative side effect.
The goal of cardio is to speed up the fat-burning process. Plus additional energy expenditure.
As a result, the general structure of training will be as follows:
- Each session begins with a general warm-up lasting 5-10 minutes. Usually, it’s cycling or walking
- Strength training – 4 times a week
- When performing strength exercises, working weights decrease
This is due to two factors:
The first is a low level of glycogen in the body due to a carbohydrate-free diet. The second is the minimum pauses between sets (30-60 seconds)
- Immediately after strength training – cardio, duration 30-40 minutes
- You can perform cardio additionally, on off-days. Duration 40-60 minutes
Such workouts put a lot of stress on the body. Therefore, if you begin to feel the accumulation of chronic fatigue, be sure to take a break from all physical activity for 2-3 days. After that, you can continue to train. Your body will thank you.
Diet and nutrition
It is generally accepted that when working on cutting 70% of the result depends on a correct and balanced diet.
Main rules while cutting:
- Reducing the total caloric content of the daily diet due to less consumption of fats and carbohydrates
- Strict control of the quantity and quality of carbohydrates
The amount of carbohydrates in the diet is reduced to an individual minimum. In any case, it is not recommended to drop below 100 grams of carbohydrates per day.
All types of sugars are excluded. Only complex carbohydrates remain in the diet – cereals, brown bread, and vegetables.
- The consumption of animal fats is minimized. The diet is dominated by vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, etc.
- Daily protein intake – 2 grams per 1 kg of body weight
Since the volume of food is reduced, it is better to switch to more infrequent meals. It will be optimal to do this 3-4 times a day.
Fat burners and other dietary supplements
Certain types of nutritional supplements can help speed up the fat-burning process. But this process starts only with the right diet.
Do not forget that a beautiful relief is a combination of proper diet, strength training, and cardio.
If you do not comply with these three conditions, no sports nutrition will help.
Effective additives when working on relief include:
- Fat burners (thermogenic and lipotropic)
- Vitamin and mineral complexes
- Complex amino acids
- Certain types of amino acids (BCAA, L-glutamine, and others)
- Adaptogens
- Heart-supporting drugs that increase overall endurance and performance (Riboxin, Mildronate, Asparkam, etc.)
That’s all!
Now you know how to quickly and accurately cut. It remains to put this knowledge into practice. Good luck!