Ep 23: How to Minimize Fat Gain and Get Lean with Cuts and Bulks

If you could be in a calorie surplus for three-quarters of the year and constantly get leaner, would that appeal to you? Today’s topic is something that ended my many, repeated unproductive cycles of crash dieting and changed my mindset to one of abundance, performance, improved body composition, a better relationship with food, and sustainable results. You’re going to learn how to periodize your nutrition with cut and bulk cycles to get leaner and leaner by minimizing fat gain while maximizing muscle gain. Why do we periodize our nutrition anyway? Why use so-called cut and bulk cycles Why not just lose a bunch of weight and then maintain? Or gain a bunch of muscle and maintain? Or gain muscle and lose fat at the same time (the holy grail known as body recomposition)? Because our biology has thrown us a curveball. When you lose weight, you DO lose fat but you ALSO lose some muscle. Conversely, when you gain weight, you do gain muscle but also gain some fat. Therefore, why don’t we focus intelligently on ONE GOAL AT A TIME and MAXIMIZE our results for that goal? That’s exactly what today’s discussion is about! Topics discussed in this episode: What happens when we lose and gain weight What is body fat overshooting? Using cuts and bulks for body composition Eating in a surplus while training to gain muscle Not spending long enough in a bulk Identifying your start and end points Identifying your goal weight and more! RELATED LINKS Join our Facebook community if you'd rather watch the video MacroFactor diet sidekick (use discount code WITSANDWEIGHTS ) Support the show 📱 Get Fitness Lab - Philip’s science-based AI app for fat loss, muscle building, and strength training for people over 40. It adapts to your nutrition, recovery, and training to improve body composition without guesswork. 🎓 Try Physique University - Evidence-based nutrition coaching and strength training to help you lose fat, build muscle, and master your metabolism with support and accountability (free custom nutrition plan with code FREEPLAN ). 👥 Join our Facebook community - Free fat loss, muscle building, and body recomposition strategies for adults over 40 who want practical, science-backed fitness guidance. 👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape on Instagram