Thread: what does "cutting"mean?

toning and loosing body fat

Originally Posted by merry

what does "need help cutting"mean?

Most people use this word incorrectly - they confuse it with 'weight loss' or 'fat loss' - but it is not the same....

Generally:

• weight loss = loosing TOTAL SCALE WEIGHT (no implication on what type of tissue is lost)
• Fat loss = decreasing FAT MASS. In this you do not necessarily have to 'loose weight' as you can decrease your fat mass but increase your lean mass.
• Cutting = what you do in the last few weeks of a competition preperation to strip excess bodyfat/fluid from your body in order to get 'cut' (ie: striated - to show maximal muscle definition).

Weight loss doesn't really need much effort at all - all you have to do is eat less energy than you expend...

Specific fat loss is a little harder, but is easily achievable with a healthy weight loss diet in combination with a good weights program +/- cardiovascular training.

Cutting usually requires a much stricter (and often unhealthy) diet regime in combination with resistance training (and, usually, cardio) and should not be done for long periods of time.


ps: there is really no such thing as 'toning' in the "I'm a female and I don't want to bulk, I just want to look 'toned'" sense of the word -You either add muscle, or you don't. And to look good, you NEED muscle!

Yes I think many gals don't realise how good muscle can make them look. Most picture the steroid induced overly muscled physique of hardcore female BB's but in reality normal weight training with a sensible diet will increase overall muscle size just enough to bring out those curves that can make a women look so good.

Originally Posted by KarlW

Yes I think many gals don't realise how good muscle can make them look. Most picture the steroid induced overly muscled physique of hardcore female BB's but in reality normal weight training with a sensible diet will increase overall muscle size just enough to bring out those curves that can make a women look so good.

Yes, I know a girl who is very muscular/strong. She has probably 1% body fat too and she looks great! She looks VERY feminine. Very curvacious and cut.

So ladies please don't be afraid of gaining muscle. It's a good thing for your health and your look !

I see! thanks a lot!

I think 1% BF is a bit overstated albeit unhealthy. I wouldn't recomend it lest you end up looking like the model in this illustration:

Originally Posted by ricky_rocket

Yes, I know a girl who is very muscular/strong. She has probably 1% body fat too and she looks great! She looks VERY feminine. Very curvacious and cut.

1%???