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Cutting Diet: Try This 6-Week Diet Plan For the Perfect Shred

[Updated 15th November 2018]

Follow this cutting diet and in just 6 weeks you’ll be a ripped freak- lean and strong like a muthaf*ckin’ superhero.

You’ve probably read so many articles about getting shredded that you’re thinking you’ve heard it all. False. There’s always something else to learn about out there.

We should note at this point in the journey bro: the 6-week cut diet program is not meant for someone with a body fat percentage higher than 20%. This approach to getting shredded will not take someone from fat to fit in less than 2 months.

It’s a program for leaner dudes wanting to get super ripped for a beach holiday or physique show. It’s hardcore and not easy. If you’ve already got some abs poking through and you’re hitting the strength room on the regular, this is your game right here, bro.

If your body fat percentage ranges in the 8-12 area, you’re welcome to give this thing a go and see where you end up. The results should be a peeled 6% or less if you’re hitting it with focus and motivation.

On the other hand, if you are carrying a little too much ‘fluff’ and your love handles need more attention, the strategies of this diet can be followed for an extended duration of time.

That way you can ride the diet wave for that little bit longer and get leaner in your own time.

Throw down with the brodown – Article preview:

  • An introduction to the 6-week cutting diet
  • What is carb cycling?
  • Rules to optimize fat loss

The 6-Week Cut Diet

Leave your excuses at the door bro; this is all about full-force fat assault. It’s time to blast your physique and hit single digit leanness.

The 6-week cutting diet in this guide isn’t a shortcut. It’s not for dudes with more fat than a stick of butter either.

If your current body fat percentage borders on 20% or more, you’ve not got the skills to enter this workout. Your best bet is a simple calorie deficit and a few strength workouts.

This is a fast, aggressive shred program for dudes who’re already at a low level of body fat

Ideally, the 6-week cutting diet is for someone who only has a little time to prepare for a photo shoot or wants to get really lean, really quickly.

Six weeks is more than enough time for someone to lean down by a substantial amount, provided that they’re in the low body fat ranges.

The 6-week cut program is built around carb cycling and intense workout sessions. Therefore, a low carb diet will be followed for the duration of the 6-week period.

Main elements of the cutting diet:

  • You’ll be hitting an aggressive, low-calorie diet
  • The main source of calories across the board will be protein
  • You’ll follow a carb cycling approach

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Bro Point: The cutting diet isn’t a simple or easy walk in the park. It’s a full-speed gauntlet run. But the results will be worth it.

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5 Rules for Optimizing Fat Loss

These simple rules hold the key to rock solid abs and peeled muscle striations. They’re simple… but Goddamn effective if you follow them properly.

As with most things in life, success comes from doing the simple stuff over and over again.

Fat loss is no different. We’re not talking about dumb *ss things like toxic cleanse shakes or ab machines so crappy they’ve been placed in the late night infomercial graveyard.

We’re talking basic stuff that works.

Without having these 5 rules present, your fat loss achievements won’t be as great as you would have liked, or imagined:

#1. Aggressive calorie restriction is what we’re after

Let the pussy bro haters moan about being hungry or low on energy. On a 6-week cutting diet you’ve not got time to f*ck around having cheat meals here, there and everywhere.

A rapid fat loss protocol will see you dick-skin shredded in no time.

Tell me more, bro…

Following a diet with 40% fewer calories than your maintenance level will see body fat fall off your frame on a daily basis. It’s about as low as you can go without plain giving up on food.

And it treads the line between just enough energy to let you work out and maintain muscle mass, but low enough to shred any fat trying to hide on your frame.

#2. focus on your protein, bro

When you’re balls deep in a hunger-inducing calorie deficit, your body will do all it can to hold onto fat – it’s an evolutionary response.

The consequence is that your body can metabolize muscle mass if you have some to spare. And that means losing those beautiful gains dude.

Hell no.

Maintaining a high protein intake of around 1.3-1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight in good quality protein will help you keep your muscular body armor… and switch attention to fat as fuel:

  • Meat and seafood
  • Yogurt, milk and whey
  • Beans
  • Quinoa

#3. Hit the iron house and reign supreme

The best way to maintain (and maybe even grow) some good quality muscle during an aggressive cutting diet is to lift weights.

It doesn’t need to be an overly-complicated daily undulating periodization plan or the like, this isn’t the Olympia. You just need to hit your large muscle groups 2-3 times per week to stimulate muscle protein synthesis – the creation of new muscle cells.

  • Target major muscles with squats, presses, pulls, deadlifts and weighted carries
  • Keep your reps in the 5-8 zone. You’ll be low on energy so fewer reps works well here
  • Rest as long as you need to maintain high loads. 3-5 minutes works well
  • 3-4 sets per exercise is more than enough to maintain lean mass

#4. Don’t let your body fight back

One thing’s guaranteed to happen on a cutting diet is your body fighting back.

Your energy levels will plummet and getting off the sofa will feel like a rep max attempt. Use this to your advantage – and trigger even faster fat loss by playing it at its own game.

Take every opportunity you can to boost general activity levels. We’re not talking about cardio (or even exercise for that matter), but regular low-intensity activities across each day will melt fat faster than a flamethrower forged in the sun itself.

#5. Cycle your carbs for ultimate shredability

Once you’ve nailed your calorie deficit it’s time to play around with your carbs.

Once you’ve factored in your energy from protein, you’ll not have that many calories left to play with. that means being strategic with not just what, but, when you decide to eat them.

Carb cycling ain’t for sissies bro. But stick with it and you’ll be granted entry to the single-digit body fat hall of fame.

 

For the most powerful, science-backed approach to fat shredding, check out Boss Workouts: Shred – a 12-week training and diet plan written by experts just for you.

 

male with high testosterone showing muscular physique


All About Carb Cycling: The Secret Shredding Weapon

Cycling your carbs around your workouts is a great way of controlling energy intake and fueling your body at the right times.

If you’ve not followed a carb cycling before, it’s time that you gave it a try. You’re in for a fat-burning treat bro.

As the name suggests, carb cycling is the process in which you cycle when you eat your carbs. In this case, it’s a cycle of consuming a diet that is either low or free from any carbohydrate sources for a few days in succession, followed by a day or two that includes the intake of carbs – especially in and around the times you work out.

 

a picture containing various sources of carbs

 

By incorporating carb cycling into your nutritional plan, you’re increasing your chances of maintaining an aggressive cut. After all, carb intake is one of the hardest macros to control. Especially when you’re one of those guys known for smashing sweet treats down his throat.

Low carb diets aren’t necessarily better for fat loss. But they allow you to regulate what happens during a cutting diet much better than a standard approach.

Benefits of carb cycling include:

  • Preserves lean mass while on a cutting diet
  • Self-discipline
  • Improves insulin resistance
  • Over time helps you reduce food cravings

Use carbs either before your workout for stored energy, or afterwards for recovery and replenishment.

But on days when you’re not training, keep them as low as you can.

What (and what not) to do when carb cycling

Here’s what you should be doing for fat loss:

  • Eliminate all bread, grain, flour and gluten-containing products
  • Eliminate cooking oils that are extracted from vegetables
  • Cook with healthy fats — coconut oil, butter, animal fats
  • Replace calories from carbs by consuming more healthy fats like animal fats, coconut milk, butter, cream
  • Get most, if not all, of your protein from animal sources such as beef, fish, chicken, eggs, venison, etc
  • Eat carbs as part of a post-workout meal. Post-workout meals are important for nutrient absorption and growth
  • Ingest enough Omega-3 fats from quality fish oils
  • Stop eating or consuming anything containing calories 2 hours before bedtime. This will ensure that blood sugar levels are low before sleeping, allowing for an increase in growth hormone secretion

The Carb Cycling Process

Muscular, lean man with abs showing off physique on white background

For this diet, you will follow a carb cycling process that is 3 days low-carb followed by 1-day high-carb.

During the 3 days of low carbohydrate intake, your protein will be at a moderate intake and your fat intake will be relatively high. This will ensure that you still get enough calories in to provide you with enough energy to go about your daily routine.

Your Calories

Before we get started, you will need to know how many calories to consume.

Here are 2 general dietary rules to follow for this shred:

  1. Reducing your caloric intake by ~40% calories will be enough to induce fast fat loss.
  2. Set your protein intake at 1.3-1.8 grams per kg of body weight.

If you’ve got that, you can use the example diet below and fill in your own calories and proportions.

Example Diet – Low Carb Days

Upon Waking

  • 15 g Whey isolate
  • 15 g Coconut oil

Breakfast (approx. 2 hours later)

  • Whole eggs with cheddar cheese and bacon fried in butter
  • 3 g Fish oil
  • Black coffee with cream

Pre-Workout (30-45 minutes)

  • 300-600 mg caffeine
  • 15 g Whey isolate
  • 15 g Coconut oil

Post-Workout

  • 300 mg Caffeine
  • 30-45 g Whey isolate/hydrolysate combo
  • 3 g Leucine

Post-Workout Meal

  • Chicken breast
  • Steamed green vegetables
  • Salad with virgin olive oil and lemon dressing

Snack

  • Tuna with mayonnaise
  • Steamed green vegetables
  • 5 g BCAA’s

Dinner

  • Beef or Turkey
  • Steamed green vegetables
  • Salad with virgin olive oil and lemon dressing

High Carb Days

Upon Waking

  • 15 g Whey isolate
  • 15 g Coconut oil

Breakfast (approx. 2 hours later)

  • Whole eggs with bacon
  • 3 g Fish oil
  • Black coffee

Pre-Workout (30-45 minutes)

  • 300-600 mg caffeine
  • 15 g Whey Isolate
  • 15 g Coconut oil

Post-Workout

  • 300 mg Caffeine
  • 30-45 g whey isolate/hydrolysate combo
  • 3 g Leucine
  • 30 g Dextrose

Post-Workout Meal

  • Any food that is high on the glycemic index – donuts, pizza, fries, cinnabon, etc. (remember to keep calories in mind)

Snack

  • Greek yogurt with whey protein
  • Fruit
  • Nuts (almonds, pecan, cashews, etc.)

Dinner

  • Beef or Turkey
  • Large salad with virgin olive oil and lemon dressing

FAQs: All About the Cutting Diet

  • Does fat loss all come down to energy balance?

Yes, bro. Calories are a unit of energy and like any measure of energy, can be manipulated to cause an effect – in this case fat gain or loss. You can’t cheat calories… achieve a deficit during the cutting diet and you’ll shred fat. it’s that simple.

  • How many carbs on low carb days?

Depends on your own tolerance levels but shooting for 50 g or less works well. Throw in another 200 g or so on training days.

  • Won’t an aggressive diet ruin my muscle mass?

If you maintain a high protein intake and stimulate protein synthesis through strength training you retain muscle, no problem.

  • Why focus on whole grains and starches?

These carb sources take longer to digest and don’t spike blood sugar as quickly, helping to keep you feeling fuller for longer – the key to maintaining your diet success.


The Final Word: Conclusion

If you’re ready to challenge yourself, you’re motivated and a bad ass bro who works for their goals, the cutting diet is for you.

You’ve got the tools – all you need to do is apply them. Welcome to the shredded side.

Want a cutting program with brutal, guaranteed super-shred results?

Don’t chew the fat; cut it instead.

We recommend getting yourself a copy of the 3 month transformation program Boss Workouts: Shred – a power-punch of a strength-based workout plan that’ll supercharge your gains and obliterate stored body fat.

It comes with a full nutrition guide and diet plan, workout guide and set of videos. It’s the most comprehensive system we’ve seen or used – and we’ve tried them all.

Best thing about it? It’s all backed up with the science of what and why you need to be doing, to cut back unwanted fat. It’s written by experts just for you.ok

Boss Workouts: Shred is a one-off payment program, but it also runs for 12 weeks and gives you lifetime access to all materials. It’s worth it if you are committed to shredding properly.

Check out Boss Workouts: Shred Review and Results for a no-holds barred look at this brutally-effective fat-torching program.

10 Comments

  1. Hi
    Can you please advise?
    I go to the gym at 8:30 or so each night. I will be doing splits as described in this excellent article.
    How about eating schedule due to my evening workouts? I go to bed at 11:00.
    Any advice on carb intake/cycling with this late evening workout schedules?
    Thank you in advance for your help and guidance.

    1. Hi Keith,

      Thanks for getting in touch, bro.

      You can find out detailed guide to carb cycling here: https://spotmebro.com/nutrition/carb-cycling-for-weight-loss/
      Hopefully you will need to find the information you need in there.

      As for nutrition timing, we’d suggest five to six small feeds throughout the day. Save your carbs for breakfast and surrounding workouts. While this might seem a little strange at first, your carbs will help fuel your workouts so you can push harder, whereas post-workout carbs aid growth and recovery. You can find a more detailed example within the above guide.

      Ideally you could spread out your feeding times throughout the day with protein in each serving. When eating before your workout try to fit in any big meals up to two hours before your session to allow for digestion. If this isn’t possible, opt for a low-fat feed with fast acting carbs and protein instead. This doesn’t mean cut fats from your diet at all – make sure to eat a healthy amount through the day.

      Similarly, try to get your post-workout meal down within 1 hour, or 2 if you struggle making it home. Finally, try not to eat right before you go to bed as this can have side-effects on your sleep. For this reason we’d suggest you leave an hour before going to sleep too, with 10 PM being an optimal cut off for a steady post-workout feed.

      SpotMeBro

  2. Hello,
    On my workout days do I keep my carbs around 50gs or up to 200 ? I don’t know if I read it correctly. I’ve been on keto so I’m fine at 50 but please let me know if I’m supposed to up it to 200 on training days. I can keep it low for 3 days. Going to give it a try. I’m hovering around 11%.

    Thank you,
    Bill

    1. Hi Bill, yes you’ll still be running low carb on these days. However, try to save any tough sessions for your high carb day. This will not only give you more energy to train but enhance and enable better recovery. The trick is to consider what training you’re doing while undergoing a hardcore cutting diet. As always, track your recovery to see how you are feeling and alter training accordingly.

      Thanks for getting in touch Bill,

      Chad Stan

  3. Hello again,
    Thank you for the advice.
    This will be my workout plan for the next few weeks. Scroll down please. ( Depending on my work schedule). I do have different workouts for different shifts at work. My question is; when would you carb load and how much on this work out plan for maximum development ?
    I’m currently at 158 lbs, 10-11% body fat.
    I’m 5’8″ 61 years old. I’ve been training off and on since I was 16. Not a rookie and no expert. I’ve been training non stop for the past 3 months and on the keto diet. It’s amazing how much body fat I’ve lost on it. I want to get into the single digit club. My bucket list.
    Thank you again,
    Bill

    My 4 Day Split

    Monday Day 1 – Back and Biceps. Abs. 3 mile run. 10-11 minute pace. ( Low impact run).

    Tuesday Day 2 – Chest and Triceps, cardio, treadmill 15% incline. 3.3 mph. 20-30 minutes.

    Wednesday Day 3 – OFF

    Thursday Day 4 – Quads, Hamstrings and Calves. Abs

    Friday Day 5 – Shoulders, Traps and Forearms. Cardio, treadmill, 3.3 mph 15 % incline, 20-30 minutes.

    Saturday Day 6 – OFF.

    Sunday Day 7 – Cardio, 3,4 or 5 mile run, (depending how I feel), 10-11 minute pace. (Low impact run) & abs.

    1. Hey Bill,

      I’d say carb load on your highest intensity days. This should allow for better recovery as well as providing energy for those sessions. Try to consume a hearty amount post-workout, as this should aid protein synthesis while still leaving some in your glycogen stores for the next day.

      Thanks,

      Chad

  4. Hello,
    When you’ve been in a caloric deficit for a while and want to do a re-feed or carb load what maintenance calories do you use ? Do you calculate everytime or do you use the original from when you first started the program.
    Thank you,
    BC

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