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How to get Razorsharp & Ripped! |
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Written by Jeff Kuh
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Wednesday, 01 June 2005 |
Asa member on the Muscle Mayhem Forums, Razorsharp, I have had several members here PM me for advice on a cutting diet.
Everything from nutrition, cardio, supplements and weight training as
it all ties into burning off every available ounce of bodyfat. I wanted
to post a thread covering some of the underlying culprits that can
hinder fatloss when trying to get to an extremely low bodyfat.
 I do not compete in bodybuilding shows and never have. For me this is all about a personal challange.
Much of the knowledge I have has come from talking to very experienced
guys in the industry, people who have proven success. Names like
BodyFx2, SwoleCat and Ski.
If there is one thing I can emphasize it would be to UNDERSTAND how the
human body uses bodyfat as fuel and what internal and external factors
affect fat loss. Once you understand this it is your job to
instinctively apply this the best possibly way to meet your own needs.
Warning! This is not for someone looking to lose a few pounds of
bodyfat just to bring in the abs for a trip to the beach, this is a
intense approach on how to push past the 7% or 6% bodyfat range and
reach 4% or below.
Lets Get Started!
Here are several NUGGETS of information that are crucial when performing a hardcore cutting diet.
1. Pick a start date and a finish date!
I have known so many guys and girls who will aimlessly start a fatloss
diet during the early summer and have no set date to Peak. Determine
beforehand based on your bodyfat level how long it will take. I stay
single digit bodyfat year round so it only takes me 40 days, however
someone else may need as much as 18 weeks. Know how much time you have
to work with , make progress , make adjustments if necessary and hit
your mark! Have a vision and be very clear on your vision.
2. Eliminate all distractions.
Your meals, supplements, workouts and recovery should be your top
priority. If you have to travel for your work or plan to go on a
vacation/trip during a cutting diet then you may want to renig
embarking on your fatloss journey. If you are currently facing
difficult times in your life then put the cutting diet on hold , get
refocused and begin it down the road. If you are in school and working
3 jobs, then finish what the task at hand before you commence to assult
your bodyfat.
3. Gradual Progression.
If your plans for your first official day of your 10 week cutting diet
include a 1500 drop in cals, double cardio sessions, 3 x day
thermogenics and double weight training sessions then it wont be long
until your body hits starvation/survival mode and spews cortisol like a
garden sprinkler and clings onto fat for dear life. I knew a girl who
was eating far below maintence calories and running 10 miles per day.
She had 23% bf and said she wanted to get under 18%. She asked me if
she should run more and eat less to get down. My reply...Where do we go
from here? 300 cals and 15 miles per day? Don't hit the wall. Always
leave room for progression.
4. Re-Feed, Dont Cheat.
For some reason people associate a high carb day or a refeed with an
all out gut buster cheat day. When taking a carb up day , believe it or
not but if you eat 400grams of carbs from yams and oats your body will
benefit alot more then if you eat 400grams of carbs from refined
breads, doughnuts and ice cream. You dont need a cheat day if you take
a high carb or high calorie day. By having a high carb day every 4th
day you will raise leptin levels in the blood which also stimulates
thyroid output, boosting your metabolism, reducing sluggishness and
food cravings.
5. Control your hormones.
This is the most profound breakthrough in my own fatloss efforts in the
last year. Your hormones can either be your worst enemy or best friend.
Keeping cortisol levels at bay is crucial. Cortisol levels can creep up
as stress increases. As cortisol levels increase your body can actually
store bodyfat even while in cutting diet mode. I put the utmost
importance on getting as close to 8hrs of sleep as I can and avoiding
stress, weather it be from your job or from a relationship... avoid it.
Everytime you eat you eat you lower cortisol levels. Adrenaline must
also be managed. With a lack of sleep and increase stress on the body
along with the use of thermogenics will deplete your adrenal glands in
a Hot minute. Over use of thermogenics can also lead to glucose
intolerance.
I intentially did not want to get into posting how many grams, cals,
cardio specific type information. I feel that the info I posted is far
more valuable as with out it you will struggle reguardless , no matter
how "on-point" your macro numbers are.
If I get good feedback from this thread I will be happy to post my SPECIFIC macro numbers I used when doing a cutting diet.
Below is a photo of me 40 days after I started. I went from 9%BF to 4.1% in 40 days.
Thanks for yoru time.
Jeff
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