Bodybuilding is very similar to sculpting marble or working on a stone statue. It involves two distinct steps for the best results. One is the buildup of muscle, in which the bodybuilder lifts and eats as much as they can in order to buildup as much muscle as possible. The second step is cutting. This is where the bodybuilder tries to drastically reduce body fat in order to make those muscles stand out against the skeletal structure. This cutting cycle takes place before competition with the goal of maximizing the muscle to fat ratio by the time the bodybuilder gets on stage. There are many different effective cutting diets that have been used over time. Here are a few of them.Eat Stop Eat
This cutting plan is currently one of the most popular and fast working fat loss diets out there. The program involves short periods of fasting in order to induce fat burning in the body. Most people associate fasting with a shutdown of the metabolism, but this simply isn’t the case with theEat Stop Eat cutting diet. The advantage of this plan comes from not having to micromanage every activity to get results. By following some simple rules, you’ll lose a lot of fat without being lethargic or excessively hungry.
Low Carbohydrates
Modern science has shown us that it’s not dietary fat that is the primary culprit of fat buildup in the body, but carbohydrates. Eating low carb during the cutting cycle involves an increased intake in dietary fat and protein. Lean meats, oils, dairy, fish and protein shakes are all great choices during the cutting cycle. A lack of easy to process carbohydrates will cause your body to go to your fat stores for energy. Low carb diets have been very popular with the general public for more than a decade, and they remain a great option for bodybuilders looking to cut.
The Perfect Foods
There are some foods that are just better for cutting than others. Bodybuilders have identified lots of different nutrients in food that benefit fat loss and make muscles bigger and more healthy. For example, sesame seed oil contain sesamin, a compound that increases fat oxidization and decreases fat storage, helping your muscles look more pronounced and powerful. Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids that help increase fat loss by stabilizing insulin levels in the blood stream. Green tea is known to be thermogenic, assisting in fat loss. It’s also known to contain many anti-oxidants that are positive for health and weight loss in general.
Macro Nutrient Balance
If you ask a bunch of bodybuilders what the perfect macro nutrient balance for a cutting cycle is, you might get as many different answers as there are bodybuilders. This is because different strategies work for different people. Some builders will recommend a high protein, low fat and low carbohydrate mix while others might tell you to keep all of the macro nutrients in a somewhat equal balance. Most people will recommend that you eat plenty of protein in order to keep your muscles satiated. There’s nothing worse than starving your muscles when you’re trying to make them look their best.