Training routine for cutting - Female

[kjkitzman]

I am 27 years old - 5'7'' - 135 lbs - around 23% body fat. Looking to get to 18% body fat by March 18th. I need help with a workout routine. I have diet in check. I will be training for 50min-60min at 4am in the morning fasted.

I am currently off all training due to breast augmentation and cannot train chest for a long time. Only doing 30 minutes of fasted LISS 5 days a week to keep fat gain at minimum. I am cleared to start weight training the week of January 29.

I plan on weight training 5-6 days a week. Two days lower, two days upper, and one day plyos/full body, optional extra day in what I feel. I need help with since I cannot start lifting super heavy right away due to surgery. Sets, reps? Higher reps lower weight for cutting? How much cardio or wait to add in when fat loss slows?

I work out at home and have this equipment:
Olympia barbell with plates
Dumbbell
Resistance bands
Adjustable Bench

Any advice is very much appreciated!

 

[VO2Maxima]

No reason to have a special routine for cutting. However you gained the muscle, that's how you'll keep it. Use the same training, and just modify your diet as appropriate. As the cut goes on, you may find that you're losing strength, but you want to try to continue lifting as you did prior to cutting for as long as possible. I wouldn't switch to lower weights and higher reps, I'd keep it as similar as possible.

As far as rehab post-surgery, follow your surgeon's advice and don't compromise your recovery by trying to come back too quickly.

 

[kjkitzman]

No reason to have a special routine for cutting. However you gained the muscle, that's how you'll keep it. Use the same training, and just modify your diet as appropriate. As the cut goes on, you may find that you're losing strength, but you want to try to continue lifting as you did prior to cutting for as long as possible. I wouldn't switch to lower weights and higher reps, I'd keep it as similar as possible.

As far as rehab post-surgery, follow your surgeon's advice and don't compromise your recovery by trying to come back too quickly.

Prior to cutting and surgery, I was doing 8-12 reps with as moderate weight at 5 sets. One day I did lower weight-high reps for more plyo/cardio type lifting.

Most accurate website to find out what my TDEE is so I know a starting point with calories?

 

[VO2Maxima]

Prior to cutting and surgery, I was doing 8-12 reps with as moderate weight at 5 sets. One day I did lower weight-high reps for more plyo/cardio type lifting.

Most accurate website to find out what my TDEE is so I know a starting point with calories?

I'd stick with the 8-12 with weight as heavy as you can go, in that case. If you want to mix in some lower rep (1-5) very heavy weight early in the workout before going to the moderate rep work, that will only help to maintain strength, which will in turn allow you to work with heavier weights when doing your moderate rep work.

There are a ton of TDEE calculators out there. No matter which you use, there'll be some experimentation, because calculators aren't perfect. The first week is often water weight and food weight, don't count that. But after the first week, see how your weight trends on whatever calories you calculate. Then adjust up or down as necessary.

 

[MidwestBeast]

Solid advice, VO2.

Only thing I'd chime in with is some of the resistance band work starting out could be useful (speaking from experience coming back from chest surgery this past Summer). Obviously ease back into the weight, but band work can be helpful, too.

 

[UnicornDrpns]

No reason to have a special routine for cutting. However you gained the muscle, that's how you'll keep it. Use the same training, and just modify your diet as appropriate. As the cut goes on, you may find that you're losing strength, but you want to try to continue lifting as you did prior to cutting for as long as possible.

This^

I recently cut from 24% to 17%. I'm 5'6 119 lbs (started 133). For my cut I did the same workouts I've always done and just made sure to be in a caloric deficit. Everyone's body responds differently to routines. Find one that works for you. Like VO mentioned , it's mainly diet.

My current workout is 5-6 days/1-1.5 hours . I do about 0-40 mins total cardio per wk. I do cardio purely for heart health. I aim to do it twice a week 20 mins per session but it rarely get two sessions in. If I don't have an entire gym session available, I'll chose to lift. Is that the right thing to do? Probably not. As far as cardio for weight loss, I'll do it if I need to lose it faster or plateau. I just hate cardio.

I currently do 2 upper ,2 lower and 2 days of "weak spot" training. I just go so often bc I like the gym. U don't need to go that often. I aim for 8-10 reps, as heavy as possible.

 

[R1balla]

When I cut, my weight routine doesn't change. I just change my diet and cardio.

 

[R1balla]

This^

I recently cut from 24% to 17%. I'm 5'6 119 lbs (started 133). For my cut I did the same workouts I've always done and just made sure to be in a caloric deficit. Everyone's body responds differently to routines. Find one that works for you. Like VO mentioned , it's mainly diet.

My current workout is 5-6 days/1-1.5 hours . I do about 0-40 mins total cardio per wk. I do cardio purely for heart health. I aim to do it twice a week 20 mins per session but it rarely get two sessions in. If I don't have an entire gym session available, I'll chose to lift. Is that the right thing to do? Probably not. As far as cardio for weight loss, I'll do it if I need to lose it faster or plateau. I just hate cardio.

I currently do 2 upper ,2 lower and 2 days of "weak spot" training. I just go so often bc I like the gym. U don't need to go that often. I aim for 8-10 reps, as heavy as possible.

Killin it!

 

[kjkitzman]

This^

I recently cut from 24% to 17%. I'm 5'6 119 lbs (started 133). For my cut I did the same workouts I've always done and just made sure to be in a caloric deficit. Everyone's body responds differently to routines. Find one that works for you. Like VO mentioned , it's mainly diet.

My current workout is 5-6 days/1-1.5 hours . I do about 0-40 mins total cardio per wk. I do cardio purely for heart health. I aim to do it twice a week 20 mins per session but it rarely get two sessions in. If I don't have an entire gym session available, I'll chose to lift. Is that the right thing to do? Probably not. As far as cardio for weight loss, I'll do it if I need to lose it faster or plateau. I just hate cardio.

I currently do 2 upper ,2 lower and 2 days of "weak spot" training. I just go so often bc I like the gym. U don't need to go that often. I aim for 8-10 reps, as heavy as possible.

amazing job girl! How is your training split in the week. I read somewhere that if you do lower body on Monday you shouldn't train again till Thursday (every 3 days)? How long did it take for you to cut to 17% body fat? I am currently at 22% and 132 lbs (5'7'') Can I get to 17% by March 18th if I star tnext week? How do you evaluate your calories? Struggling where to start. My calories are all over the place the last month or two. Some days i eat 2,400 and some days i eat 1900 but i haven't gained in the last month probably more lost if anything.

 

[UnicornDrpns]

amazing job girl! How is your training split in the week. I read somewhere that if you do lower body on Monday you shouldn't train again till Thursday (every 3 days)? How long did it take for you to cut to 17% body fat? I am currently at 22% and 132 lbs (5'7'') Can I get to 17% by March 18th if I star tnext week? How do you evaluate your calories? Struggling where to start. My calories are all over the place the last month or two. Some days i eat 2,400 and some days i eat 1900 but i haven't gained in the last month probably more lost if anything.

current training

2 days upper : your usual rows, bench press, should presses, curls, etc nothing fancy
2 days lower: leg press, squats, thrusts
2 days: whatever i feel like is lacking/needs improvement + 20 mins of 8 incline 3.5 mile treadmill (for heart heath more than weight loss)

as far as training and rest days, i do squats everyday (on my non designated leg days, ill just do 2 sets of squats and deadsat about 80% of my heavy lift days).i used to think that rest days were necessary but i've since increased the amt of times i hit legs /back with minimal rest days and i've seen the best growth i've had in years despite being on a caloric deficit.

so far my cut has been going on for 4 months (14 lbs lost ). I could have cut faster but i really don't want to burn muscle or mess up my metabolism, so i've lost weight conservatively. you have 7 wks to cut from 22% to 17%.... it can be done but i would not advise it. you would most likely be shearing through some hard earned muscle.

just use a bmr calc. there are hundreds on the internet. That gives you a base, then try to estimated ho wmany daily average active calories and that should give you your maintenance calories. so my bmr is about 1340 cals/day but with my physical activity is about another 550 calories. my maintenance cals are 1900 cals but i wanted to lose about 0.5 to 1 lb per week which is about 500 calories. right now im on a 1500-1700 weekly caloric avg and lose almost a lb per wk. for your size, you will need to drop it to 1700 minimum.

make sure your diet is clean, high protein (at least your body weight) and low carb and u'll be good what happens on the 18th btw?

 

[kjkitzman]

current training

2 days upper : your usual rows, bench press, should presses, curls, etc nothing fancy
2 days lower: leg press, squats, thrusts
2 days: whatever i feel like is lacking/needs improvement + 20 mins of 8 incline 3.5 mile treadmill (for heart heath more than weight loss)

as far as training and rest days, i do squats everyday (on my non designated leg days, ill just do 2 sets of squats and deadsat about 80% of my heavy lift days).i used to think that rest days were necessary but i've since increased the amt of times i hit legs /back with minimal rest days and i've seen the best growth i've had in years despite being on a caloric deficit.

so far my cut has been going on for 4 months (14 lbs lost ). I could have cut faster but i really don't want to burn muscle or mess up my metabolism, so i've lost weight conservatively. you have 7 wks to cut from 22% to 17%.... it can be done but i would not advise it. you would most likely be shearing through some hard earned muscle.

just use a bmr calc. there are hundreds on the internet. That gives you a base, then try to estimated ho wmany daily average active calories and that should give you your maintenance calories. so my bmr is about 1340 cals/day but with my physical activity is about another 550 calories. my maintenance cals are 1900 cals but i wanted to lose about 0.5 to 1 lb per week which is about 500 calories. right now im on a 1500-1700 weekly caloric avg and lose almost a lb per wk. for your size, you will need to drop it to 1700 minimum.

make sure your diet is clean, high protein (at least your body weight) and low carb and u'll be good what happens on the 18th btw?

I normally do my training split as:

Monday: Lower
Tuesday: Upper + 15 min HIIT
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: Lower
Friday: Upper + 15 min HIIT
Saturday Lower
Sunday: Body weight full body/ Plyos

I only use a barbell with weights and dumbbells and bench since I work out in my basement! So I do pretty much the most generic exercises nothing fancy and all compound exercises (-minus bench press since I just had a BA done)

Thoughts?

My BMR = 1430 and I wear a polar watch and try to burn at least 500 cals/day. I was thinking of starting at 1700-1800 cals/day for my cut.

Diet is good but I feel my body does a lot better on high carbs and lower fat.. So normally I do 40% carbs 35% protein and 25% fat. If I notice a stall I will start to carb cycle.

I go on vacation and want to lose some of the fat that I gained on my surgery break and bulk