How to make a minicut in a volume stage
The minicut is a short period of time in a long-lasting volume stage, in which the main objective is to eliminate as much fat as possible while maintaining the greatest amount of muscle mass, preventing its loss. It could be considered a small cut or definition.
It has an average duration of between 2 weeks and 6 weeks , although it will depend on the fat percentage from which we start and to which we want to reach. Also of the deficit; higher or lower. Usually our body weight will decrease by a greater amount when we start. This occurs due to the decrease in the volume of food and the fact that our body will store less glycogen and we will retain less water.
Another use of the minicut can occur as a percussion of a long definition stage.
People with higher percentages of fat can benefit from more aggressive minicuts and shorter durations.
We remember that it is not a 100% necessary protocol. It can be done the moment your fat percentage starts to rise. Some approximate percentages are:
- 15-16% in men.
- 22-25% in women.
These values are reference. We can take into account other references such as the amount of weight we have gained and in what period of time and the visual appearance.
How much weight will I lose each week?
Each case must be individualized , although General recommendations can be established:
- People below 8% fat: less than 0.5% of body weight.
- People at around 10% fat: 0.5% -1% of body weight.
- People around 15% fat: 1- 1.5% of body weight.
- People over 20% fat: 1.5 – 3 % of body weight or more.
Its advantages
The main advantage is that it is a short period compared to a definition.
So psychological , it has a positive effect since we will make the most of the time by being little and physically we will see a better body composition. Also, those people who have been eating large numbers of calories and are saturated, both digestively and mentally.
Starting a volume phase with a too high percentage of fat will reduce the time you can remain in surplus.
The higher the percentage of fat, the more fat and less muscle we will gain in the process.
Does it have any disadvantage?
Great results are not achieved since their duration is limited. We will lower the percentage of fat, but not excessively. Remember that it is not a definition.
The deficit is greater which can be difficult the first days. It is much more aggressive than in a conventional definition stage.
How to adapt diet and macronutrients:
Depending on the macronutrients :
- Carbohydrates: the macronutrient with which we will play the most increasing and decreasing the amounts.
- Fats : together with carbohydrates we can alternate and modify the amounts. For example, training days increase carbohydrates and low fats and rest days, on the contrary.
- Protein : we must keep this macronutrient stable or increase its amount. Never decrease it since we want to maintain maximum muscle mass. The standard amount is 1.8 to 2.5 grams.
- Micronutrients: It is a good time to increase your consumption, first because of the vitamins and minerals they provide and secondly because they have a low caloric density but a lot of physical volume.
It is recommended to choose those with the highest satiety index. Next, we are going to give you some examples. As a reference, we will use the Satiety Index of Common Foods . As a reference, white bread is used as a reference, assigning it a score of 100. Foods that are above are considered more satisfying, and those that are below are considered less.
The 6 most satisfying are:
- Boiled potato: 323%.
- Fish: 225%.
- Oranges (whole piece, not juice): 202%.
- Apples: 197%.
- Pasta integral: 188%.
Training.
Exercise Cardiovascular : it is not mandatory, it is a tool that we can use to our advantage to increase the deficit. Increase neat.
It is also not necessary to overdo it, as excessive amounts of cardio can interfere with recovery from strength training.
Strength training: try to maintain the volume and intensity, and if necessary play with the breaks and the total volume.
The maintenance volume during the minicut will be close to the minimum effective volume during a normal situation.
The goal is to maintain the minimum volume possible that allows you to maintain muscle mass during this time.
Can I combine it with a ketogenic diet? And with intermittent fasting?
Yes, it can be perfectly combined with both. There are no interferences since at the end of the day / week the calories consumed will be the same.
And after finishing the minicut?
After finishing this period, we will return to the volume stage. We will increase the calories from carbohydrates and fats.
It is normal to experience a sudden rise in weight since by increasing carbohydrates the glycogen stores will be loaded and need to retain water. The days go by.
We must remember that our main objective is gain in muscle mass, so we are interested in returning as soon as possible to in a caloric surplus.
To make the transition progressively, we can spend a few days on maintenance calories . Allowing our body weight to stabilize and then return to surplus.