The Guide To Aggressive Mini Cutting
The Guide To Aggressive Mini Cutting
There can be different situations which might trigger the need to enter a quick and aggressive fat loss phase.
Whether you are someone who just wants to lose a few kgs of weight before a vacation, or you are someone who wants to lean down to enter a specific weight class, an aggressive phase of dieting does have its place.
What people fail to understand is that aggressive dieting does not mean starving yourself.
A bad aggressive fat loss phase will not only harm you physically but also mentally.
Here’s what you need to know to be able to execute a successful aggressive cut.
*I am not a medical professional and hence you should take these as a general guideline. Consult a medical professional if you wish to decide whether the information given below is appropriate for you.
What is an aggressive mini cut?
An aggressive mini cut is a short and intense phase of caloric restriction. While there is no set amount of time for an aggressive cut, it can range anywhere from 2-6 weeks.
In my opinion, even 6 weeks is pushing it, and anything longer would just be classified as a normal fat loss phase.
As I said, there is no rule that you have to do this for a set number of days or weeks. I find 4 weeks to be a nice middle ground as it is not too short to make no significant change to your body composition, and it is not too long to burn you out completely.
What is the goal with aggressive mini cutting?
The goal is to get in and out of this process as quickly as possible.
There are no re-feed days and no cheat meals. You have to make this as efficient as you can so that you can get out of this phase as quickly as possible.
This is very important to remember. If you fix time of 4 weeks, stick by it. Don’t extend it. Do your best in that and move on.
Do I qualify for an aggressive mini cut?
The next step is to know whether or not you qualify for an aggressive cut.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND you to do an aggressive cut if:
1) You have recently come out of a fat loss phase
If you’re someone who has just recently stopped a diet, an aggressive fat loss phase is not currently suitable for you. Your body needs time to recover from the previous diet first before starting a more intense diet again.
2) You have a bad relationship with food
If you’re someone who has issues such as binge eating, or just generally a bad relationship with food, an aggressive approach to cutting is not suitable for you. Such a diet will only rekindle those feelings and might end up worsening your situation.
3) You’re looking for a quick fix
While this might not sound as much of a serious issue as the previous two, it still needs to be mentioned here because a lot of people don’t realize that an aggressive cut is not a shortcut to getting ripped. If you are carrying a significant amount of fat, a four week period is not enough to get you ripped. At least not naturally.
If you are interested in running a 3-week mini cut, check out the protocol below.
What should I consider before starting an aggressive mini cut?
1) More food-focused
You might end up being a lot more food-focused than what you would be in a normal cut. This is because your body is running at a larger deficit and it will signal you to increase your energy intake.
This is an important point to consider as you should be ready to say no to cravings. While being food-focused isn’t healthy, this is only a short phase. I repeat that your goal is to get in and out of this phase as quickly as possible(preferably in 2-4 weeks).
2) Can’t eat out
This is a given. You can’t be accurate with your calories eating out and this will slow down your process. You might end up losing weight at a slower rate with the mental stress of doing an aggressive cut.
3) Need to be very consistent with the plan
If you are currently very busy, consider doing this at another time. You will need to spend more time prepping your meals and training. You have to make the process as efficient as possible. The more efficient you make it, the quicker you get done with it.
How much can I eat while cutting aggressively?
While the upper end of the range for a normal cutting phase would be set at a deficit of 500 calories per day in most cases, the aggressive cutting approach extends this to a 500-1000 calorie deficit per day.
The reason I say 500-1000 is because the time frame of the phase can vary from person to person.
For instance, you might have a much higher chance of getting away with a larger deficit if you plan on doing it for just a week or two.
Be smart and remember that more isn’t always better.
AT NO POINT SHOULD YOU BE CONSUMING LESSER CALORIES THAN YOUR BMR.
This is crucial as your BMR is what your body needs to survive and maintain regular functions.
To read more about how to set your calories for fat loss, click here.
What types of food should I be eating?
Healthy food that is dense in micronutrients. Period.
While I wouldn’t mind adding add in a few treats here and there in a normal fat loss phase, an aggressive cut doesn’t give you the freedom to do so.
Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t care about health and just cares about how your body will change visually.
You have to realize that your body will be running at a very big deficit, and hence every calorie you consume should be helping you fill the nutrient demands of your body.
Most people fail to consider this while executing an aggressive cut. Just hitting your protein, carbs, and fats isn’t enough. You NEED to eat food rich in micronutrients as you have to make sure your body is getting the nutrients it needs to run efficiently.
How should I train?
Training plays a vital role in this process. Do not expect to build muscle while going through an aggressive cut. Your best bet is to lift heavy and try to maintain your strength on the big lifts. Since this is a short phase, you shouldn’t be losing a lot of strength.
While this section could have a whole article on itself, if I had to give the most general training guideline, it would be as follows:
Lift 3-4 days a week at max.
If you choose 3 days, follow a full body 3x a week.
If you choose 4 days, do an upper lower split.
Your ability to recover will diminish and doing more will only do more harm than good.
For the same reason, keep the volume low in your workouts. Keep in mind that you have to make up for it with a high frequency and intensity.
For example, instead of doing 12 sets of chest on one day and not training it again for a week, split it into a full body routine where you hit chest 3 times a week with 4 sets each time.
You see, the volume remains the same, but you have a higher frequency, and most likely a higher intensity since you will be hitting the sets fresh every time.
Again, remember that this can be a very complicated discussion and this is not set in stone. If you feel your current approach is working for you, stick with it.
Should I do cardio?
Yes. Since you have a large deficit, I don’t recommend creating it entirely from food.
A much better approach would be to add in cardio to assist you in creating the deficit.
If you have no idea about how much cardio to do, a good place to start would be to add in 45-60 mins of cardio on your rest days.
This can be any form of low to moderate intensity cardio.
Do not overdo it with the high-intensity interval training (HIIT) as you lack enough resources to recover and it might hinder your weight training, especially when you are in a big deficit.
Keep Falling Off Your Plan? Here’s Something That Can Help You Lose Weight And Get Ripped!
What should I do when this is over?
This is just as important as the process of aggressive cutting itself. You need to be very careful about what you do after you finish this phase. Otherwise, you will rebound.
In my opinion, if you plan on continuing a bulk, you should bump your calories up to maintenance and stay there for a MINIMUM of 2 weeks before you enter a surplus. It’s better if you have even more time to spend in maintenance.
DO NOT CUT right after an aggressive cutting phase. It doesn’t matter if you “just have to lose 2 more kgs” or if you’re “so close to your end goal”.
In my opinion, you HAVE to stay at maintenance for at least 6-8 weeks at MINIMUM before you think about entering a cut again. And if you do enter a cut, make sure it’s slow and not aggressive. Aggressive cutting isn’t something you’re supposed to keep doing again and again.
Conclusion
To execute a successful aggressive mini cutting phase, make sure that it is short and efficient.
This is not a quick fix and not a shortcut to getting abs.
Make sure to listen to your body before making any extreme decision.
If you are interested in running a 3-week mini cut, check out the protocol below.
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