5 Non-Negotiables To Maintain Strength While Cutting

If you’re someone training for performance, like many of my clients in my 1:1 Pain-Free Performance Program I think it is obvious to say that you want to continue to improve over time. But I think it’s also possible that, at some point, you will want to not only perform well but also look good.

There is a saying, “Form follows function,” – meaning that if you want to look like a world-class sprinter, train like a world-class sprinter. If you want to look like an elite bodybuilder, train like an elite bodybuilder. 

The training improvements drive the adaptation in physique. I believe this wholeheartedly, but sometimes, the body may need a nudge in the right direction. That is where a strategic, well-thought-out nutrition program comes into play to help improve body composition or decrease body weight.

The caveat in most cases, though, is that if you’re training for aesthetics, performance will suffer, but I don’t believe this to be entirely true. 

This week, we’re discussing the main factors you can apply to help cut weight or improve body composition without losing, and possibly even continuing to improve your performance in the gym. 

How do you maintain strength while cutting?

Ever wondered how to shed those extra pounds without sacrificing your hard-earned muscle mass and strength? The key lies in a strategic approach to weight cutting that prioritizes muscle preservation and optimal performance. It’s not just about reducing calorie intake – it’s about doing it right. 

Below, we’ll delve into the intricacies of maintaining strength while cutting, addressing crucial factors like proper calorie intake, training volume, and the delicate balance between muscle loss and fat reduction. This way, you can achieve your weight-cutting goals without compromising your strength gains. 

So here are the details on how to do so. These are the same principles I have used to properly cut weight and help my clients do so in my 1:1 Pain-Free Performance Program.

1) Keep the Caloric Deficit to 15% of Maintenance Calories

The first rule of thumb when trying to lose weight or body fat is that there needs to be a deficit in caloric intake. Many diets out there claim to have effects on the body outside of this principle to drive weight or fat loss. 

However, I can promise you that this is a tactic to sell you something. The only thing driving weight loss is a caloric deficit. These diets simply mask it in different ways, like removing carbohydrates for the Ketogenic diet or high-calorie grains and processed foods for the Paleo diet.

There needs to be a deficit, but where some go wrong in trying to lose weight is by creating too large of a deficit when it is not necessary. The larger the deficit, the more rapid the weight loss, but the more rapid the weight loss, the more likely it is that performance will suffer.

I have seen repeatedly that an athlete will drop 600+ calories and lose 2+ pounds in the first week without feeling sluggish during training. But like clockwork, that second week comes around, the weights feel heavy, and the conditioning feels more grueling than usual.

The key to avoiding this is to keep the deficit to a max of 15% of your current caloric intake. Anecdotally, I have found that 15% seems to be enough of a deficit where weight loss will occur but not enough to drive performance down, at least within the first month. For a 25-35-year-old male athlete who is average height, trains hard, and is decently muscled, this will equate to about 300-400 calories. 

By no means is it a crazy large deficit, but it is large enough to get things moving in the right direction. Weight loss will be slower, but you will be able to train hard and keep progressing.

2) Keep Protein and Carbohydrates High

The second principle requires macronutrient manipulation. I have talked ad nauseam on the blog about the importance of carbohydrates and protein in athletes who prioritize performance. There is no substitute. To optimize performance, adequate carbohydrates and protein (preferably animal) are necessary. This is even more important when an athlete goes into a caloric deficit.

The reason is that we deprive the body of calories (Principle 1) or energy to perform its daily functions to survive. Now, on top of that, we are training hard and asking it to keep the performance gains we’ve made or even continue to progress. It is a lot to ask of our bodies, so what we can do is give them enough or even a surplus of certain macronutrients to keep energy and recovery as high as possible, and that includes carbohydrates and protein. 

A great place to start macronutrient-wise is 40/30/30 percent of total calories for carbs/pro/fat, respectively. But when we drop below maintenance calories, a better approach will be 50/30/20 percent of daily calories after the 15% has been subtracted.

This distribution keeps fat intake at the required level for normal hormonal function but also keeps protein very high and floods the body with carbohydrates to ensure that the training is fueled as well as possible and there is enough protein and carbohydrates to recover post-training.

If we are fueled properly and recovering optimally, we are in a good position to maintain our performance. Normally, I would say this amount of carbohydrates would be too high for a non-field sport athlete, but remember, we are in a caloric deficit, so there will be no fat accumulation.

3) Take Diet Breaks

So, we have the macronutrients sorted and supporting our training and the caloric deficit to kick-start weight loss, but there is a catch. No matter how well we are hitting our calories, protein, and carbohydrates, eventually, we will exhaust the system. We can only train at high levels for so long under maintenance calories. This is where diet “breaks” come into play once weight loss has stagnated or we feel training is suffering.

A diet break is when the calorie deficit is removed to normalize metabolism and allow the body to catch up (so to speak). In instances where performance is not a priority, the main goal of a diet break is to bring metabolism up – to further drive weight loss when we re-enter another caloric deficit.

In athletes who prioritize performance, this is also a goal. Still, we are also looking for the body’s nervous system to fully recover, glycogen stores to be topped off, and protein synthesis to be optimized for a short window of time. In addition, it is helpful for the athlete to have a mental break from dieting. 

Taking a diet break and bringing calories up to baseline does not mean going back to the calories you were eating before starting in a caloric deficit. You will recalculate maintenance calories based on your new weight, height, activity, age, gender, etc., adjust macronutrients to 40/30/30, or whatever percentages you feel comfortable at, and stay there for about two weeks.

Ideally, weight will stabilize to where you have brought it during the deficit and potentially come up a little bit from increased calories, but that is expected. Following the two-week break, your metabolism will hopefully be normalized, and we will introduce another deficit and macronutrient change to continue weight loss. You’ll repeat this process over and over until you have hit your goal weight or body composition. 

4) Let Nutrition Create the Calorie Deficit, Not Extra Work or Volume

The next principle is resisting the urge to increase workload to increase “calorie burn” or the caloric deficit. This trap is easy to fall into for those looking to lose weight or improve body composition. Although the thinking is sound in that the larger the deficit created, the more weight loss will occur, the approach does not fit the goal.

Remember, if we go back to principle one, if the goal is to drop weight while also maintaining or improving performance, we want a deficit that kick starts weight loss but also allows us to keep training intense and recovery optimized.

Suppose we start adding in things like extra conditioning or higher-than-normal volume strength training. In that case, we are driving calories burned further up, which would need to be replaced nutritionally. If it is not, then not only have we essentially become the person who drops 600+ calories, but now we have training stress both peripherally and centrally that needs to be recovered from. 

The better approach would be to determine the activity level you will need to drive weight loss, which is typically what you already do if you train hard, and let your nutrition drive the deficit. This way, we can more accurately control the deficit and keep the workload manageable for recovery. 

5) Sleep Like It’s Your Job

This is the final principle, but you could make the argument that it is by far the most important. If we were eating in a surplus with a performance goal, and nutrition wasn’t something we needed to dial in, sleep would still be a priority. It’s where the magic happens concerning training adaptations. I have had athletes who have admitted to under-eating and eating low-quality foods, but because they got a solid night’s sleep, they come into training and have a great session. 

When we are in a caloric deficit, optimizing sleep is even more important because we want to squeeze out as much recovery as humanly possible. Given that we are already walking a tightrope for allowing recovery to occur with a caloric deficit, we should treat sleep like it’s our job. To maintain or improve performance, 8-10 hours of sleep must be the goal.

I understand 8-10 hours is tough if you have other responsibilities. Life gets in the way, and sometimes, getting to sleep before 10 p.m. can be a struggle. But that is where having a professional coach is crucial so that they can manipulate training to match your ability to recover. This way, we can stay in a caloric deficit, drive weight loss, and also have a training workload that is manageable to recover from. If we’re further driving ourselves down on the stimulus recovery adaptation curve with no subsequent recovery upswing, we will undoubtedly lose our performance gains.

If you’re looking to cut weight or improve body composition for any reason, give these principles a try! I have used them to train many athletes, as well as myself, with extreme success. They are foundational and can and should be revisited anytime weight loss or performance is being chased. 

6) Intra-workout nutrition

When it comes to preserving your hard-earned muscle tissue during a calorie deficit, intra-workout nutrition becomes a game-changer. Having a protein shake strategically throughout your training session can deliver a crucial dose of amino acids directly to your muscles when they need it the most. This can help mitigate muscle loss as much as possible. 

Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are pivotal in maintaining muscle mass, especially when your body is operating on a calorie deficit. A lower-calorie, high-protein shake during weight training can supply your muscles with a steady stream of these essential compounds. It’s a small yet easy way to ensure your body has the support to minimize muscle loss in the face of calorie restriction. 

However, keep in mind that while intra-workout nutrition is possible during traditional strength training, it may not be possible for more intense workouts like CrossFit or high-intensity interval training (HIIT), where large amounts of blood are sent away from the stomach, and digestion and nausea can become a problem.

7) Reduce stress 

Beyond the confines of the gym, addressing stress in your life emerges as a pivotal aspect of optimizing your fitness journey, particularly when building and preserving muscle mass. Numerous studies have shown the detrimental effects of chronic stress on these endeavors, emphasizing the need to mitigate external stressors for the best results. 

Imagine your stress tolerance as a metaphorical bucket, with its size representing your overall capacity to handle stress and the water within it symbolizing the various stressors in your life. The main reasons are that engaging in training and weight-cutting inevitably contributes to filling this bucket, potentially hindering your progress as well as reducing your effort with resistance training. 

To preserve the most muscle mass possible in a caloric deficit, it becomes imperative to minimize unnecessary stress to create room in your metaphorical stress bucket. Incorporating practices such as meditation, deep breathing, and other stress-reducing techniques into your routine is a way to ‘free up’ space in your stress bucket and ensure that the negative effects of stress don’t inhibit your fat loss and your attempt to preserve muscle tissue. Let’s delve into the profound impact of stress reduction on your overall fitness journey.

8) Adjust volume accordingly

Navigating the intricacies of training in a calorie deficit demands a nuanced adjustment to your workout volume. The reality is that as you progress on the journey of calorie restriction and weight loss, your body’s capacity to tolerate the same training volume diminishes.

During a weight cut, reducing the number of calories consumed is important, but just as important is aligning your training program with the reduced energy stores that come with shedding body weight. High reps and many sets may become less sustainable in this scenario. 

Striking the right balance between training volume and calorie intake will prevent burnout. overtraining and a declining mental health state. When volume is not adjusted accordingly and too large of an energy balance deficit is created it can ultimately stall progress and even have the opposite effect on body fat levels, weight loss, and the preservation of lean body mass.

9) Consider Supplements 

As you attempt to cut weight while maintaining muscle mass during a weight cut, using supplements may be the right move for you. While whole foods are crucial, achieving the necessary protein intake consistently may pose a challenge. This is where supplements can help fill the gaps in your diet and ensure you have as much protein as your muscles need. 

This could be anything from Creatine to whey protein. Below are some common supplements my clients have used in their 1:1 Pain-Free Performance program to help mitigate the loss of lean mass.

Creatine

Creatine Monohydrate has demonstrated its efficacy in muscle maintenance; it can help minimize the risk of strength loss during a calorie deficit by assisting recovery and providing valuable energy substrates for training.

Its performance-enhancing benefits are based on increasing phosphocreatine stores through supplementation and expediting ATP regeneration. Using a Creatine Monohydrate supplement is very useful for maintaining strength but there are different ways to take Creatine.

Caffeine

Caffeine supplements or coffee go beyond being the go-to morning pick-me-up; caffeine plays two roles in preserving as much muscle mass as possible in a calorie deficit. Caffeine stimulates metabolism, aiding the body’s calorie-burning processes, and offers an energy boost for training. This boost becomes particularly important with reduced energy levels due to decreased calorie intake.

Vitamins and Minerals

Micronutrient supplements play a pivotal role in supporting muscle strength for effective training. Essential minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium, contribute to the structural integrity of muscles and play a key role in optimizing their contraction and relaxation. Beyond their direct impact on muscle function, minerals are integral in hormone production, influencing factors like testosterone levels that are vital for muscle maintenance. Similarly, vitamins like D and B complexes enhance muscle function and energy metabolism.

Protein Supplements

The significance of protein supplements cannot be overstated in a weight cut, as it addresses the amino acid requirements necessary for muscle preservation. A high protein will help you mitigate muscle loss in a calorie deficit where the body is at risk of breaking down muscle tissue for energy by ensuring your body has what it needs as it enters a catabolic state (breakdown). 

Options like whey, casein, and collagen can all be useful. But, among these, whey protein is the most effective at preserving (and growing) muscle mass. This is because the amino acid profile of whey provides all of the essential amino acids, including the pivotal branch-chain amino acids (BCAAs). These include Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine. 

In order to stimulate protein synthesis, 2.5g of leucine is required, and therefore, having adequate protein throughout the day is critical for muscle-building endeavors. 

FAQ

Should you lift heavy when cutting?

Absolutely, lifting heavy weights while cutting can be a good idea and effective approach. The misconception that cutting calories should be accompanied by lighter lifting is not necessarily true. Maintaining heavy lifting during a calorie deficit can aid in preserving both strength and muscle mass. Training with heavy weights keeps the central nervous system sharp and promotes increased muscle tension, essential for preventing muscle loss in the presence of fewer calories. 

However, it’s important to acknowledge that what constitutes “heavy” may be relative during a cut, as reduced energy levels may impact your lifting capacity. The key is to tailor your lifting routine to what your body can handle while still challenging it, ensuring a balanced approach to cutting that prioritizes both fat loss and muscle preservation.

How long should a cutting phase last?

Determining the ideal duration for a cutting phase involves an individualized approach. While research suggests that shorter, focused cutting phases may enhance fat loss, the actual length of time can vary. But in my personal experience, particularly within my 1:1 Pain-Free Performance Program, I incorporate strategic diet breaks whenever I notice that progress has stalled. 

Diet breaks are where you temporarily increase your calorie intake and provide a breather for your metabolism and mental well-being amidst ongoing calorie deficits.

Prolonged calorie restriction can trigger metabolic adaptation, potentially slowing progress. Introducing periodic diet breaks not only helps counter this adaptation but also fosters a sustainable and mentally manageable approach to your cutting journey. The key lies in striking a balance between achieving fat loss goals and ensuring long-term metabolic health.

Should you cut first or bulk first?

Determining the optimal duration for a cutting phase isn’t a one-size-fits-all scenario. It’s based on your current position in your fitness journey. If you’re starting from a larger frame and body fat percentage, initiating a cutting phase could provide momentum when you start to shed excess fat before focusing on muscle building. 

On the other hand, if you’re already leaner but want to refine body fat levels, prioritizing muscle-building might be more beneficial. The process of muscle development can even positively influence body fat levels, potentially making the subsequent cutting phase less daunting or not necessary depending on how your body responds. Tailoring your approach based on your unique starting point can enhance the overall success of your fitness training.

How much protein do I need to maintain muscle on a cut?

Your ideal protein prescription varies based on several factors, including age, gender, activity level, and lean body mass. Research suggests that a protein intake ranging from 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight is effective for muscle preservation during cutting phases. 

Additionally, paying attention to the leucine threshold is crucial—ensuring each meal contains around 2-3 grams of leucine, a key amino acid in protein synthesis. This threshold stimulates muscle protein synthesis optimally, contributing to the overall goal of preserving lean muscle mass.

Tailoring protein intake to your characteristics is essential for maintaining muscle while undergoing a cut. To reach the required threshold, you will generally have to consume between 25g-40g of protein depending on how much leucine is in that particular food item.

Wrapping up on how to maintain strength while cutting!

Navigating the balance between performance-driven training and aesthetic goals, it’s crucial to adopt a strategic approach that preserves both strength and muscle mass. In this article, we’ve explored principles that form the foundation of a successful weight-cutting journey without sacrificing performance gains.

From maintaining a controlled caloric deficit to optimizing macronutrients, incorporating diet breaks, and prioritizing quality sleep, these principles make up the framework inside of my 1:1 Pain-Free Performance Program. Over the past decade, I’ve helped countless individuals achieve their ideal physiques while preserving their hard-earned performance levels.

If you’re determined to cut weight or enhance your body composition, these principles are your roadmap. I encourage you to implement them and witness the transformative effects on your fitness and physique. However, every fitness journey is unique, and personalized guidance can make a significant difference.

If you are ready to take the next step toward your fitness goals, I invite you to book a risk-free consultation for my 1:1 Pain-Free Performance Program. We will chat to see if a tailored plan that aligns with your goals, schedule, and training history is right for you.

If we both decide we are a good fit to work together, we’ll ensure you not only meet but exceed your expectations, just like so many of my other clients have. So, book now HERE and I look forward to chatting and learning more about your goals!

Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.