Should I Bulk or Cut First?
Posted by Dayne Hudson
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
A mini cut is an aggressive style of dieting that drastically reduces calories for a few short weeks â usually 4-6 â to lose weight quickly. This primes our body to begin growing muscle again.
Instead of cutting cycles that are longer, mini cuts allow us to return to a calorie surplus quicker to enable more muscle-building time.
To achieve a mini cut, you eat in a 30% calorie deficit.
For example, if you are currently consuming 3000 calories daily, youâll reduce calories by 900 and consume 2100 calories a day.
The aim is for a 1% body weight loss each week. However, in the first few weeks, you can lose up to 1.5-2% per week.
Letâs look at how we do this specifically.
When it comes to your mini cut, one of the most important things to understand is how many calories you need to eat daily.
This information is critical for knowing how many calories you should consume in order to create a calorie deficit and achieve your shredded abs!
So let's look at how to calculate cutting calories.
For this, we recommend using the Harris-Benedict equation as itâs one of the most widely used methods for calculating daily caloric needs and is often referred to as a bodybuilding calorie calculator.
Itâs often used in bodybuilding where calorie calculators are vital to hitting peak form on show day.
The equation takes into account your age, weight, height, and activity level to determine how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. The equation is as follows:
For Men: BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 x weight in kg) + (4.799 x height in cm) - (5.677 x age in years)
For Women: BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 x weight in kg) + (3.098 x height in cm) - (4.330 x age in years)
Once you have calculated your BMR, you then need to factor in your activity level to determine your total daily caloric needs. The following is a general guideline for activity level:
This can also be used the other way as a bulking calorie calculator.
In particular, weâre looking at changing your caloric needs based on activity level and weight loss goals. This is a key point as it should be expected that daily caloric needs will change as you lose weight.
As you shred more fat, your body will require fewer calories to maintain your new weight, so you must regularly reassess your caloric needs and adjust them.
Additionally, if you have a specific weight loss goal from your mini cut after using your cut calorie calculator, you'll need to create a calorie deficit in order to achieve that goal.
So remember, for your mini cut, you drop to a 30% deficit on your current total calories.
To achieve your 30% deficit and nail your mini cut, you need to consume fewer calories than your body needs.
This can be achieved in a variety of ways, such as reducing your calorie intake, increasing your energy expenditure, or a combination of both.
This usually takes the form of reducing calorie intake or increasing energy expenditure.
Reducing calorie intake can be done by eating smaller portions, cutting out high-calorie foods, or reducing the number of snacks you consume.
It's important to ensure that you're still consuming enough nutrients and not cutting too many calories, as this can lead to nutrient deficiencies and negative effects on your health.
Increasing energy expenditure can be done through exercise, increasing physical activity, or playing sports you love that burn more calories.
You can also think about walking to work, riding, or taking the stairs more often to burn more calories during the day â this can help create your 30% deficit for your mini cut.
Be sure to get your 30% deficit number of calories accurate by using the Harris-Benedict equation as listed above.
Keeping track of your calorie intake and monitoring your weight loss progress for your mini cut is a must. Here are some tips for tracking your calorie intake:
There are many common pitfalls that can be made here, especially if this is your first mini cut.
Stick with these tips and youâll ensure safe, sustainable weight loss.
To wrap up â a mini cut is a style of weight loss diet that involves reducing calories for a short period of time (4-6 weeks) to get as lean as you can and be ready to add more muscle shortly after.
We recommend using the Harris-Benedict equation to determine your daily caloric needs based on age, weight, height, and activity level and is an accurate way to calculate cutting calories.
Remember: itâs important to regularly reassess your caloric needs and adjust them as you lose weight.
To achieve a 30% calorie deficit, you can reduce your calorie intake, increase your energy expenditure, or do a combination of both. But largely, eating less will be your best start.
On your first day of a mini-cut, eat at a 20% deficit. Start at a 30% deficit the day after.
Keeping a food diary and using a calorie-tracking app can help monitor your progress during the mini cut.
Ben Disseldorp
Posted by Dayne Hudson
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Posted by Dayne Hudson
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Posted by Bulk Nutrients
Estimated reading time: 18 minutes
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