Cutting back workouts while in a deficit

[Tricon7]

I'm thinking about reducing my workout time during the week from 4X to 3X a week - moving from working out half the body twice a week to a shorter workout for the entire body 3X a week. If little to no actual muscle building will happen while one is in a deficit to lose fat, I think that I should be able to keep what I have with a reduced workout 3X a week. There doesn't seem to be much point in working the muscles much more than this if they're not going to grow. Once I'm at my BF goal, I can ramp this up, of course, in order to get them bigger. But that's still at least 2-3 months away.

[ryancarlos]

I just started the Ice cream fitness cutting version, 3x5 on main lifts and 2x8 on accessory lifts. 3 days a week

too early to tell how it's going to go, but seems good in theory

[jp973156]

You can still build muscle in a calorie deficit (depending on deficit): http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...1018531&page=1

Most importantly, heaving training could have a muscle sparing effect that prevents loss of LBM during a diet. Presuming you are still eating sufficient protein (>2 g/kg bodyweight) I see no reason to cut back on your training. I certainly hit some PRs during my last cut, and cutting now and hitting PRs.

[jimsmith9999]

The reason to cut back on your training volume in a cut is due to impaired recovery while in a deficit. It is going to affect folks differently, based on their diet, training program, individual recovery and how advanced of a lifter they are. No way I can keep up the same training program on a cut that I have when on a surplus (I used to be able to when my lifts were a lot lower than they were).

That does not mean dropping heavy lifting, but it does generally mean dropping number of sets down while keeping the weight on the bar the same.

[Tricon7]

The reason to cut back on your training volume in a cut is due to impaired recovery while in a deficit. It is going to affect folks differently, based on their diet, training program, individual recovery and how advanced of a lifter they are. No way I can keep up the same training program on a cut that I have when on a surplus (I used to be able to when my lifts were a lot lower than they were).

That does not mean dropping heavy lifting, but it does generally mean dropping number of sets down while keeping the weight on the bar the same.

I'm not stopping heavy lifting; only workout frequency. Down from four days a week to three, and from half the body twice a week to the entire body three times a week, albeit fewer sets per bodypart than the four-day split. It only makes sense. Muscle building in a deficit is not impossible, but very difficult. I might as well try and get more recovery time and stop flogging my muscles to death, so to speak.

[EjnarKolinkar]

Best cut diet is the workout you ran to build the muscle. Rrducing volume to keep intensity the same or expanding slowly is commonly accepted as a smart move.

[jackedguy87]

I'm thinking about reducing my workout time during the week from 4X to 3X a week - moving from working out half the body twice a week to a shorter workout for the entire body 3X a week. If little to no actual muscle building will happen while one is in a deficit to lose fat, I think that I should be able to keep what I have with a reduced workout 3X a week. There doesn't seem to be much point in working the muscles much more than this if they're not going to grow. Once I'm at my BF goal, I can ramp this up, of course, in order to get them bigger. But that's still at least 2-3 months away.

if you ut too much stress on your body its counterproductive. it's very simple: " if you don;t use it, you lose it" keep the weight heavy and lower the volume, stick to compound movements. you can't workout like you are in a surplus when in a deficit you will tax your CNS and you will NOT be able to build muscle since you are not taking in adequate calories