How To Get Lean And Cut Without Losing Muscle

Here is a guide that shows you what to do to get lean and cut without losing muscle.

If you've just completed a muscle building phase and ready to cut the excess fat or you just want to get lean to look sculpted, it’s quite understandable why you'll want to know how to get lean and cut without losing muscle.

Building muscle mass is hard work, requires persistence, takes time and most times cost money. Therefore, cutting body fat to get lean while holding on to your hard earned muscles is crucial. Here is a guide that I put together for you to get cut fat and lean out without losing your valuable muscles.

Start With A Moderate Calorie Deficit

Your starting body fat level is a factor that should always be taken into consideration when deciding how low to go with calories in order to cut fat and get lean. However, it’s generally a good approach to start off with a moderate calorie deficit and track your progress objectively. If you make your deficit too extreme it may be a ticket for muscle loss unless your body fat is around overweight level. So I recommend starting with 300–500 calories below maintenance level if the excess fat is not plentiful. If you really have a lot of fat to cut I’ll recommended trying 500–800 calories below maintenance. However, it’s important to always keep track of your progress and after a week or two see if there is a need for adjustments.

Keep Lifting Heavy Weights

I think it’s common knowledge now that lifting weights is important for getting lean. But it’s also important that you avoid making the mistake of lifting for high reps with light weights during this time. Put simply, you must be lifting relatively heavy to give your body a reason to maintain your muscles. I recommend doing at least 2 days per week of lifting to help preserve your hard earned muscles while cutting fat.

Balance Your Macronutrients As It Fit You Best

How much protein, carb and fat of your total calorie intake you need for burning fat would vary for each individual.

However, it’s a rule that protein should be kept at moderate to high levels for both getting lean and building muscle. If you are an endomorph body type (gain fat quickly, can’t lose it easily) I recommend starting out with a macronutrient split of 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fat. If you are not carb-intolerant, I recommend starting out with 50% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fat. However, the idea is to tweak these variables to fit your needs best for every situation.

Perform High Intensity Interval Training For Cardio

The best cardio workout to burn body fat without losing muscle is High Intensity Interval Training. Do HIIT with sprints intervals and you'll be happy with the results. Take notice of how lean, cut and muscular sprints athletes are compared to marathon runners. You can do HIIT in the gym or outdoors. Sprint for some seconds, example 30 seconds and jog or walk for some seconds. Just 20 minutes per session for a workout like this will have significant impact on your fat loss results.

This has been a simple guide to help you get lean and cut without losing muscle. It’s important t have a well-structured program to go after any fat loss and muscle building goals.