How many reps should I use to maintain my muscle mass when cutting?

**buddhaluv** · 04-09-2011, 10:12 PM

I've finally reached my goal of 200lbs, sadly.. 18%BF. I've made some great gains but now I think it's definitely time to cut, especially with all this excess fat on my face & belly ;'(

So yeah, I've got my diet down, but how about my time in the gym? Many people are saying high reps, but that doesn't make sense to me. If you wan't your muscle to stay shouldn't you be giving your muscles a reason to stay by still lifting heavy? So yeah, I'm not really certain when it comes to this. Someone please give me the heads up on all of this please, I wouldn't want to lose all this hard earned muscle ..

**Merkaba** · 04-09-2011, 10:48 PM

low reps, around 5 or less. Heavy. If you're cutting extremely low in the calories then get your work done and get the hell out of there.

**LAM** · 04-09-2011, 11:35 PM

cutting typically comes at a decrease in strength from the reduced caloric intake. personally I always use a variety of rep ranges regardless of my caloric intake. I go lower reps on my compounds and always higher 15-50+ reps for isolation exercises

**Built** · 04-10-2011, 12:22 AM

Originally Posted by Merkaba

low reps, around 5 or less. Heavy. If you're cutting extremely low in the calories then get your work done and get the hell out of there.

^this.

Keep your volume and rep range low. I do 5x5s and 3x8s for two bodyparts (like, squats/front squats and cleans/shoulder press could be my entire workout), then go home.

Originally Posted by LAM

cutting typically comes at a decrease in strength from the reduced caloric intake. personally I always use a variety of rep ranges regardless of my caloric intake. I go lower reps on my compounds and always higher 15-50+ reps for isolation exercises

Why would you DO this? I don't even do isolation work when I'm cutting.

**coach5** · 04-10-2011, 07:57 AM

I always lift heavy and 5-6 reps.....keeps the calories burning long after you're finished.

**Built** · 04-10-2011, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by coach5

I always lift heavy and 5-6 reps.....keeps the calories burning long after you're finished.

Not by as much as you might think; the bigger deal is that you're not wearing out your muscles by trashing them beyond what your body will invest in repairing while operating under the conditions of a deficit.

**bones33** · 04-10-2011, 09:39 PM

Originally Posted by Built

^this.

Keep your volume and rep range low. I do 5x5s and 3x8s for two bodyparts (like, squats/front squats and cleans/shoulder press could be my entire workout), then go home.

Why would you DO this? I don't even do isolation work when I'm cutting.

Built, are you saying your workout day would be like this.. for example:
Bench press: 5x5
Incline Press 3x8
in the same day?

**Built** · 04-10-2011, 09:59 PM

Yeah, and then perhaps 5x5 squats with 3x8 split-squats and call it a day. As the cut progresses, the 5x5s drop to 4x5, then 3x5. The 3x8s drop to 2x8s.

**DiGiTaL** · 04-11-2011, 06:34 AM

I still dont understand why people think doing 12-15 reps, high volume is...cutting..

Told this "buffed" guy in my gym Im cutting and immediately he says "oh so you should be doing reps of 25"...

**coach5** · 04-11-2011, 08:08 AM

Originally Posted by DiGiTaL

I still dont understand why people think doing 12-15 reps, high volume is...cutting..

Told this "buffed" guy in my gym Im cutting and immediately he says "oh so you should be doing reps of 25"...

LOL....I think that's the old way of thinking. What most people in the gym don't know or realize is that everyone has muscle...it's just the amount of fat that's covering that muscle that makes the difference. What ever it takes to cause atrophy is all you need...whether that's 4 reps or more. I feel the key to getting "ripped" is to 1. Eat right, 2. Lift heavy, and 3. Get plenty of sleep...The heavier you lift, the bigger and stronger your muscles get. The bigger your muscles, the higher your metabolism. The higher your metabolism, the more fat/calories you burn="Getting Ripped"

**vannesb** · 04-11-2011, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by DiGiTaL

I still dont understand why people think doing 12-15 reps, high volume is...cutting..

Told this "buffed" guy in my gym Im cutting and immediately he says "oh so you should be doing reps of 25"...

I always thought higher reps 12-15, but have not been back into that long and am working on mass right now! I agree that your diet is how you realy cut!

**hoyle21** · 04-11-2011, 05:41 PM

I do 4 sets 6 reps. Do my damage quick and rest.
You dont build muscle in the gym, you build muscle at home.

**DEVILtrainer666** · 04-14-2011, 10:49 AM

i lost almost 30lbs of fat while lifting heavy and dieting. then the progress stopped so i took out more carbs and added some cardio. now i have stayed almost the same on the scale but my legs have gained size, my arms are the same but im starting to get some viens and my stomache is still shrinking a little here and there so i'll just keep doing what im doing i suppose.
i am going to change up my split from 3 days a week to 4 though to kick the fat loss into higher gear and keep doing the cardio after each day of lifting so that will be another day of that. what im saying is keep it heavy but lower the amount of sets and exercises you do if dieting. it seems to be working for me so far although i am taking it slow to build muscle more and loose fat at the same time. make sure to get your BCAA's, basic Multi's and Fish Oils.

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