Ultimate 12-Week Bodybuilding Cutting Diet Plan to Shred Fat Fast!

Bodybuilding competitions demand dedication, especially when it comes to pre-contest preparation. The diet is arguably the most critical aspect. This article provides a detailed guide to a 12-week cutting diet plan, designed to help bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts shed body fat while preserving lean muscle mass.

Understanding the Cutting Phase

In bodybuilding, the annual cycle is often split into two main periods: bulking and cutting. The bulking phase focuses on maximizing muscle growth through a calorie surplus and intense weight training. Conversely, the cutting phase aims to reduce body fat to reveal the muscle mass gained during the bulk. This article focuses on how to set your diet- and training plan for a bodybuilding cut.

During the cutting phase, bodybuilders aim to achieve extremely low body fat levels, often below 10% for men and around 12% for women. This requires a commitment to the bodybuilding lifestyle.

Assessing Your Needs and Setting Realistic Goals

Before embarking on a cutting diet, it's essential to assess your current body composition and set realistic goals.

Body Assessment

Begin with an honest assessment of your body. Identify your strengths, weaknesses, and estimate how long it will take to achieve your desired stage shape. Consider the amount of fat you need to lose and your body type.

Read also: Vegan Diet for Bodybuilding

Timeframe

Aim to diet as slowly as possible to retain muscle mass. As a general rule, losing 1 to 1.5 pounds of body weight per week is ideal. Attempting to lose more than 2 pounds per week can lead to significant muscle loss.

Ectomorphs: Those with an easier time losing weight may diet for 11-15 weeks.
Endomorphs: Those who struggle to lose weight may require a longer dieting period of 16-22 weeks.

The Importance of Macronutrients

Macronutrients-protein, carbohydrates, and fats-play crucial roles in a cutting diet.

Protein: The Cornerstone of Muscle Preservation

Protein is the most important macronutrient for maintaining muscle mass during a calorie deficit.

Protein Synthesis: Dietary protein breaks down into amino acids, which are essential for protein synthesis, the process of building and repairing muscle tissue. Protein synthesis increases linearly with plasma amino acid concentrations until those concentrations are approximately twice that of normal plasma concentrations.
Muscle Sparing: Protein helps spare muscle by increasing protein synthesis and acting as a substrate for gluconeogenesis (glucose synthesis).
Intake Recommendations: Aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, increasing it slightly while dieting (e.g., 240-260g for a 200lb individual). A protein target of 2-2.4g per kilogram of bodyweight each day will be good for most people on a bodybuilding cut.

Carbohydrates: Fuel and Muscle Protection

Carbohydrates often get a bad reputation, but they are essential for maintaining muscle mass and performance during a cut.

Muscle Sparing: Carbohydrates are more muscle-sparing than fats because they can be easily broken down into glucose, preventing the body from converting amino acids into glucose for energy.
Energy for Exercise: Carbohydrates are the primary fuel source for anaerobic exercise, such as weightlifting. When glycogen levels are low, the body may convert amino acids to glucose, potentially leading to muscle loss.
Insulin Release: Carbohydrates trigger insulin release, which inhibits protein breakdown and amino acid oxidation, promoting muscle maintenance or gain. Insulin also counteracts catabolic hormones like cortisol.
Cell Volume: Carbohydrates help maintain cellular osmotic pressure and cell volume. Glycogen, the storage form of carbohydrates, attracts water, increasing cell volume and signaling a fed state, which promotes anabolic hormone release.
Performance: Adequate carbohydrate intake is crucial for maintaining performance and muscle recovery.
Intake Recommendations: Carbohydrate intake should make up the remaining calories after protein and fat needs are met.

Fats: Essential for Hormonal Balance

Fats are crucial for hormone synthesis, particularly testosterone production.

Read also: Fueling Muscle Growth with Keto

Hormone Production: Fatty acids are substrates for cholesterol synthesis, which is then converted to testosterone.
Energy Storage: Fats are the body’s preferred source of stored energy and are the most efficient molecule for the body to burn.
Intake Recommendations: Do not lower fat below 15% of daily calories to avoid testosterone deficiencies, and do not increase fat above 30% to allow adequate space for carbohydrates and protein. The recommended amount of fat can be anywhere from 20% to 30% of your daily calories. Towards the end of the cut, fat intake might drop below this recommended amount for a small time because calories often get so low and protein needs to be kept high to maintain muscle. The shorter this period is, the better for your health.

Calculating Macronutrient Totals

To determine macronutrient totals, estimate how many pounds per week you need to lose.

Example Calculation

Consider a 200lb mesomorph with 13% body fat aiming to reach 3-4% body fat (stage condition), needing to lose approximately 20lbs of fat.

Calorie Deficit: Aim to lose 1-1.5 lbs per week. To lose 1.2 lbs (80%) per week from diet, create a 600 kcal per day deficit.
Cardio: Burn the other 0.3 lbs (20%) per week by performing three cardio sessions, each burning 350 kcals.
Baseline Calories: Multiply body weight by 15 (200 x 15 = 3000 kcals per day).
Protein Intake: Set protein intake at 1g/lb of body weight (200g protein per day). For our subject, this equates to a protein intake of around 240-260 g protein per day. Let’s go ‘middle of the road’ and set the subjects protein intake at 250 g protein per day.
Fat Intake: Determine fat intake based on 23%-28% of total calories (increased for endomorphs to reduce carbohydrate intake).
Carbohydrate Intake: Allocate remaining calories to carbohydrates.

Example:

Baseline Calories: 3000 kcals
Calorie Deficit: 600 kcals (from diet)
Daily Calorie Target: 2400 kcals
Protein: 250g (1000 kcals)
Fat: Approximately 55g (495 kcals, based on 20% of 2400 kcals)
Carbohydrates: 239g (905 kcals)

Re-feeds: Boosting Leptin Levels

Incorporate re-feeds into your diet plan to boost leptin, a hormone that regulates fat burning.

Frequency: Lean individuals (10-15% body fat) should re-feed every 6-12 days, while those above 15% may re-feed every 1-2 weeks.
Macronutrient Focus: Keep fat as low as possible during re-feed days to minimize fat storage.

Meal Timing and Frequency

Crucial Times: Muscle tissue is most at risk of catabolism during workouts.
Pre-Workout Meal: Consume 35% of your total daily carbohydrates in a meal 1.5 to 2 hours before your workout.
Post-Workout Meal: Consume a low glycemic index (GI) carbohydrate source 30-60 minutes after your workout.

Mealtimes don’t play a big part in a bodybuilding cut but they could be useful to keep hunger at bay. Since the usual protein goal is high (at least 2g per kg), it might be easier to spread protein over a few meals in the day, to get the most anabolic effect possible. 3Whilst you could place your carbs around your workout to help perform better, this might not always be the best option. If you do this, you might be hungry at other times when those carbs could be of better use. The main aim of the diet is to get you lean, and the best way to do this is to combat hunger and eat your foods when you are the hungriest. Meal frequency and -timings don’t matter a huge deal, so choose a frequency and timing split that keeps you full and the hunger at bay.Protein might be the exception and there should be a minimum of 2 protein meals and a possible maximum of 6 per day.

Sample 12-Week Cutting Diet Plan

This 12-week program is designed to help you shed roughly 20 pounds. The plan focuses on natural, whole foods, cardiovascular exercise, and strength training. The key to the diet is change; consistently changing your meals and eating patterns is the best way to shake off stubborn fat and avoid plateaus.

Cycling the Diet

Eat four primary meals and one snack daily, scheduling meals roughly three hours apart. Rotate meals, utilizing the food list to suit your taste preferences.

Week 1: Three starchy carbohydrate meals and one meal including only fibrous carbs.
Week 2: Two starchy carbohydrate meals and fibrous carbohydrates for the other two meals.
Week 3: Exchange two meals for meal-replacement powders (MRPs), varying carbohydrate type and amount per meal.

In general, aim for approximately 40 grams of protein and 25-40 grams of carbohydrates (either "starchy" or "fibrous") at each meal. If your protein is lean and your carbohydrates "clean" (not processed), your fat intake will average roughly 4 grams per meal.

Sample Meal Plan (Weeks 1-3)

Remember to rotate your food choices based on the food list provided below.

Meal 1: Oatmeal with protein powder and berries
Meal 2: Chicken breast with sweet potato and broccoli
Meal 3: Salmon with quinoa and asparagus
Meal 4: Lean beef with brown rice and green beans
Snack: Whey isolate protein powder mixed with Crystal Lite

Snack

Most days, your snack will be a protein drink with no or very low carbs. Twice a week, allow yourself a portion of fat-free frozen yogurt (containing less than 30 grams of carbs).

Meal Replacement Powders (MRPs)

Rotate MRPs in and out of the diet. Use whey isolate protein powders for your daily snack.

Food Tracking

In the beginning, weigh your food on a scale and keep track of calories as well as grams of protein, carbs, and fat. After a while, you’ll learn to eyeball portions.

Supplements

To keep vitamins and minerals in your system throughout the day, take these supplement basics once in the morning and once in the afternoon:

A good multivitamin/mineral
1,000 mg Vitamin C
A calcium/zinc/magnesium product
400 IU Vitamin E

Cheat Day

After you’ve dieted for a month, a cheat day becomes optional. If you must indulge, preplan your cheat to stay in control.

Food Choices

Almost any diet can contribute towards your cutting phase if you have a large enough calorie deficit in place. Whilst there are no foods that will make you fat on their own (all foods contain calories), there are some foods that become more important during a cut and will make the process a lot easier.

Foods to Include

Meats, poultry, and fish: Sirloin steak, ground beef, pork tenderloin, venison, chicken breast, salmon, tilapia, and cod
Dairy: Yogurt, cottage cheese, low fat milk, and cheese
Grains: Bread, cereal, crackers, oatmeal, quinoa, popcorn, and rice
Fruits: Oranges, apples, bananas, grapes, pears, peaches, watermelon, and berries
Starchy vegetables: Sweet potatoes, corn, green peas, green lima beans, and cassava
Vegetables: Broccoli, leafy greens, tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, zucchini, asparagus, peppers, and mushrooms
Seeds and nuts: Almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds
Beans and legumes: Chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans
Oils: Olive oil, flaxseed oil, and avocado oil

Foods to Limit

Alcohol: Limit or avoid alcohol, as it can negatively affect your ability to build muscle and lose fat.
Added sugars: Avoid foods with added sugars, such as candy, cookies, and sugary drinks.
Deep-fried foods: Limit deep-fried foods like fried fish and french fries.
High-fat foods: Fatty meats, buttery foods, and heavy sauces or creams
High-fiber foods: Beans and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower
Carbonated beverages: Sparkling water or diet soda

Training

A lot of people make the mistake of changing their training too much when going on a cut. Traditionally, most muscle is gained in the 8 to 12 rep range. 6What you don’t want to do when starting a cut is to suddenly drop the weights and only use a high rep routine. This is a recipe to lose hard-earned muscle gained during a bulk. What you want to do is train with the heaviest weight you can within the 8-12 rep range and stick to what helped you put on muscle in the first place. 6Your weightlifting workouts should be used to help keep your muscle mass as high as possible, not to lose body fat. Your diet and cardio should be enough to help you lose the weight and get into the shape you want.

When to Start Cutting

If you’re thinking of getting on stage, it’s better to give yourself more time than less. Most people don’t realize how much body fat they carry and to get on stage takes getting cut to a whole new level.

If you are in good shape and fairly lean, then perhaps your bodybuilding cut should start 16 weeks out. This will give you time to ease into the last few weeks without needing to rush things and lose muscle. If you aren’t in such good shape, the process could need up to 6 months of multiple cutting- and diet-break cycles.

Seek a coach or an experienced bodybuilder to give you an honest opinion of where you currently stand and rather err on the side of giving yourself more time to diet. The result will be worth it.

Potential Health Considerations

Low levels of body fat can negatively affect sleep and mood. Anabolic steroids can have adverse effects.

tags: #bodybuilding #12 #week #cutting #diet #plan