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  1. #1
    Registered User Babalom's Avatar
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    Cutting While Increasing Strength?

    I've been working out seriously for over a year now, and I've always just switched back and forth between a mass building program/diet and a cutting program/diet. Is there a good program I can follow to increase strength (while maintaining, but not necessarily increasing mass) while also losing fat?
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    Registered User VIsland's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Babalom View Post
    I've been working out seriously for over a year now, and I've always just switched back and forth between a mass building program/diet and a cutting program/diet. Is there a good program I can follow to increase strength (while maintaining, but not necessarily increasing mass) while also losing fat?
    not legally.
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  3. #3
    Registered User titus666's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by VIsland View Post
    not legally.
    I disagree. I have been cutting for the last 2 months and as an unexpected bonus I have increased all of my weights along the way. It's quite strange as each one of my weight sessions are full intensity. I have had to break up my training to separate days so I have enough energy to complete the full workout e.g. before I would work Chest+tris, Back+bis but now I have had to split it up to Chest, Back and Arm days. I am able to focus on those areas without running out to steam half way through the session. BUT.... I have also noted extended recovery times. It now takes me an extra day or two to recover which kinda sucks. Keep consuming a lot of protein and creatine. Good luck.
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    Registered User Kennetth's Avatar
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    You most certainly can gain strength while cutting. Lower weight for high reps is doing more than making you look more cut, it is building strength and endurance. Diet wise even if your trying to lose weight, make sure you take in your body's weight in protein. Optimum Nutritions Whey Protein is very good, or any other sort of Whey. Post workout, and for a snack 2-3 hours before you go to sleep. It has a ton of proteins without all the fat and calories.
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    Lifting to Avoid COVID-19 PeterGibbons316's Avatar
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    I'm pretty new both to this site and lifting in general, but there seems to be an obsession here with bulking and cutting. I'm convinced that you don't need to bulk and cut. All you need to do is eat lots of protein - no matter what. It seems that if you are cutting you need to eat a lot of protein to maintain your muscle mass, and if you are bulking you need to eat a lot of protein to increase your muscle mass. From a diet standpoint - you should be eating a lot of protein at all times, and so the only difference between bulking and cutting that I can tell is whether your body fat is going up or down.

    I'm trying to drop my body fat percentage, so you could say that I'm cutting. But I'm also hitting the weights pretty hard and eating a lot of protein to build muscle. So in that sense I'm bulking as well. The net effect is that I am losing weight, while gaining strength.
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    Registered User atownv3t's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Babalom View Post
    I've been working out seriously for over a year now, and I've always just switched back and forth between a mass building program/diet and a cutting program/diet. Is there a good program I can follow to increase strength (while maintaining, but not necessarily increasing mass) while also losing fat?
    I've been working out for 8 months now. After bulking for the first 5 months, I went into a moderate cutting phase by dropping about 500 calories or so once I started getting a turtle shell for a belly. Mostly I avoided fast food and tried to get as many "clean" calories in my system instead. I also increased my whey protein consumption to about 1.0-1.5g per lb of body weight.

    Initially I dropped about 5 lbs and now my weight hovers around 178-180 (@5'10") after trying to cut for 3 months. My BF% is dropping (abs show a lot more) but my bench, deadlift and squat have increased at the same time - and of course the muscle size with it.

    So, I believe you can do it but you have to be patient and disciplined with your diet and training.
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  7. #7
    Registered User Babalom's Avatar
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    Thanks

    Thanks for the responses! Sounds like I should stick to what I'm doing for the most part. I'm eating my BMR in calories (In an exact ratio of 40-40-20), plus a post workout protein shake (I use nothing but Optimum Nutrition, the best powder in my opinion for so many reasons). No negative effects in energy levels for the past 2 weeks. I do use glutamine and creatine before and after working out however, which may be part of the reason for maintaining my energy levels while lifting.
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    Registered User aspengc8's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by PeterGibbons316 View Post
    I'm pretty new both to this site and lifting in general, but there seems to be an obsession here with bulking and cutting. I'm convinced that you don't need to bulk and cut. All you need to do is eat lots of protein - no matter what. It seems that if you are cutting you need to eat a lot of protein to maintain your muscle mass, and if you are bulking you need to eat a lot of protein to increase your muscle mass. From a diet standpoint - you should be eating a lot of protein at all times, and so the only difference between bulking and cutting that I can tell is whether your body fat is going up or down.

    I'm trying to drop my body fat percentage, so you could say that I'm cutting. But I'm also hitting the weights pretty hard and eating a lot of protein to build muscle. So in that sense I'm bulking as well. The net effect is that I am losing weight, while gaining strength.
    You may gain a little strength, but your not going to build any significant amounts of muscle in a caloric deficit.
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    Originally Posted by aspengc8 View Post
    You may gain a little strength, but your not going to build any significant amounts of muscle in a caloric deficit.
    This. If you want to build strength on a cut, you're going to have to focus on CNS development moreso than muscle gain, and you aren't going to be able to have workouts that are too strenuous to recover from. Google "The Periodization Bible" by Dave Tate and read up on dynamic and max effort methods.
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