How To Shred Fat (THE RIGHT WAY) | Cutting\Shredding Guide

Summary

In this fitness-focused YouTube video, Alex Finger shares his insights on effectively cutting body fat. He emphasizes the importance of a caloric deficit for weight loss, explains how to find one's maintenance calories, and discusses strategies like carb cycling and refeeds. Alex also covers the types of cardio and training styles suitable for a cut, as well as tips for managing hunger and maintaining muscle mass, including the use of supplements and a high-protein diet.

Takeaways

• 🏋️‍♂️ The importance of a caloric deficit for losing body fat is emphasized; without it, weight loss is unlikely even with a healthy diet.
• 🔢 Determining your total daily expenditure (TDE) is crucial to find your maintenance calorie level, which is the baseline for adjusting intake during a cut.
• 📉 To lose fat, aim for a calorie intake 300-500 less than your maintenance level, but avoid too large a deficit to prevent metabolic crash and muscle loss.
• 💊 Supplements like BCAAs, EAAs, and HMB can help preserve muscle mass during a caloric deficit by being anti-catabolic.
• 🚴‍♂️ Low-intensity steady-state cardio, such as fasted cardio sessions, is recommended over high-intensity interval training for its sustainability and heart rate benefits.
• 💊 Fat burners and L-carnitine are suggested for boosting metabolism and utilizing fat cells as energy during fasted cardio.
• 🏃‍♂️ Incorporating 10,000 steps a day can enhance calorie burning and complement a cutting diet.
• 💥 A training style that involves hitting each muscle group twice a week can signal the body to maintain muscle mass during a cut.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Using a pre-workout supplement can help compensate for the energy and pump deficit experienced during a caloric deficit.
• 🍞 Carb cycling and refeeds can help in getting extremely lean by manipulating carbohydrate intake strategically.
• 🍽️ Consuming whole foods and avoiding high-calorie snacks can make it easier to maintain a caloric deficit and support overall health.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the video?

The primary focus of the video is to provide guidance on how to lose fat the right way, including topics like carb cycling, refeeds, reverse dieting, and the right kind of foods and cardio exercises to incorporate during a cut.

Why is being in a caloric deficit essential for losing body fat?

Being in a caloric deficit is essential for losing body fat because it means you are consuming fewer calories than your body burns in a day, which forces the body to use stored fat for energy, thus leading to weight loss.

What is the speaker's maintenance calorie level and how does it relate to his workout routine?

The speaker's maintenance calorie level is around 2,700 calories. This means that if he consumes 2,700 calories and maintains his regular workout routines and daily activities, he would neither gain nor lose weight.

How does the speaker determine his daily caloric intake during a cut?

The speaker determines his daily caloric intake during a cut by finding his maintenance calories and then reducing them by around 300 calories to create a caloric deficit, which helps in losing fat.

What is the recommended caloric deficit range for effective fat loss without risking muscle loss?

The recommended caloric deficit range for effective fat loss without risking muscle loss is between 300 to 500 calories below the maintenance level.

Why does the speaker prefer low-intensity steady-state cardio over high-intensity interval training (HIIT)?

The speaker prefers low-intensity steady-state cardio because it is less energy-consuming, better for heart rate management, and does not interfere with his regular workout routine, unlike HIIT which can be more tiring and potentially disrupt his workouts.

What supplements does the speaker recommend to help maintain muscle mass during a cut?

The speaker recommends taking BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids), essential amino acids, and HMB (Beta-Hydroxy-beta-Methylbutyrate) as supplements to help maintain muscle mass during a cut as they are anti-catabolic and support muscle tissue preservation.

What is the significance of a refeed day in the context of the speaker's cutting strategy?

A refeed day, which is once a week, involves eating about 300 calories above the maintenance level, primarily from carbohydrates. It helps to increase leptin levels, satiate hunger, boost metabolism, and provide a mental break in the cutting process.

How does the speaker approach his training style during a cut compared to when he is bulking?

During a cut, the speaker ensures that each muscle group is trained twice a week, often using a push-pull leg split or an Arnold split variation. He also incorporates more tempo training and volume-based exercises to signal the body to maintain muscle mass.

What are some tips the speaker provides to help with satiety and managing hunger during a cut?

The speaker suggests drinking a full glass of water before every meal, trying appetite suppressants, having a bowl of low-calorie salad between meals, and chewing gum after meals to help manage hunger and increase satiety during a cut.

What dietary approach does the speaker advocate for during a cut, and why?

The speaker advocates for consuming whole foods and avoiding high-calorie snacks. He recommends staying on the perimeter of the grocery store where whole foods are typically found, and suggests snacks like skinny pop for their low calorie and high fiber content to help with satiety.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♂️ Weight Loss Fundamentals: Caloric Deficit and Diet

The first paragraph introduces the video's focus on effective weight loss strategies. The speaker, Alex, emphasizes the importance of a caloric deficit for losing body fat, explaining that it's the most crucial factor regardless of the type of food consumed. He shares his personal maintenance calorie level of 2,700 calories and how exceeding or falling short of this number affects weight gain or loss. Alex suggests using online calculators to determine one's total daily expenditure (TDE) and adjusting the calorie intake accordingly to find the maintenance level. He recommends starting a cut with a 300-calorie deficit and highlights the importance of not going too extreme to avoid metabolic crash, hormonal issues, and muscle loss. He also mentions the benefits of supplements like BCAAs, HMB, and a high-protein diet for preserving muscle mass during a cut.

05:01

🏃‍♂️ Cardio and Lifestyle Adjustments for Fat Loss

In the second paragraph, Alex discusses the role of cardio in a weight loss journey, advocating for low-intensity steady-state cardio over high-intensity interval training due to its lower energy consumption and less disruptive nature to regular workouts. He details his personal approach to fasted cardio, varying the duration based on his progress in cutting. Alex also mentions the use of a fat burner and L-carnitine to enhance metabolism and target fat cells as a primary energy source. He suggests sipping on amino acids during cardio to protect muscle tissue and emphasizes the importance of an active lifestyle, aiming for 10,000 steps per day. Additionally, he touches on adjusting training style during a cut, recommending twice-weekly muscle stimulation and various training techniques to signal the body's need to retain muscle mass. The paragraph concludes with advice on pre-workout supplements to maintain energy and workout quality during a caloric deficit.

10:02

🍽 Advanced Techniques and Hunger Management for Leaning Out

The third paragraph delves into more advanced strategies for reducing body fat, such as carb cycling and refeeds. Alex explains that while a simple caloric deficit is sufficient for initial fat loss, more aggressive measures like refeed days can help achieve a leaner physique. He describes a refeed day as a once-weekly occasion to consume 300 calories above maintenance, primarily from carbohydrates, to boost leptin levels and metabolism. Alex also provides tips for managing hunger during a cut, such as drinking water before meals, trying appetite suppressants, and consuming low-calorie snacks like salads. He advises on the importance of whole foods and gives examples of preferred protein and carb sources, advocating for a simple, uncomplicated diet. The paragraph concludes with Alex's recommendations for snacks suitable for a cutting phase and a reminder to stay active and maintain a healthy diet.

Keywords

💡Caloric Deficit

A caloric deficit refers to the state where an individual consumes fewer calories than their body burns in a day. It is a fundamental concept in the video as it is the primary method for losing body fat. The video emphasizes that without a caloric deficit, weight loss is not possible, regardless of the types of food consumed. For example, the script mentions that even if one eats only vegetables, fruits, and lean chicken, without a deficit, no fat will be lost.

💡Total Daily Expenditure (TDE)

Total Daily Expenditure, or TDE, is the total number of calories a person burns in a day, including regular workouts and daily activities. It is used to determine the maintenance level of calories needed to neither gain nor lose weight. In the script, the speaker calculates their TDE to be around 2,700 calories, which is the basis for planning their caloric intake during a cut.

💡Carb Cycling

Carb cycling is a dietary strategy where an individual alternates between high, medium, and low carbohydrate intake days. It is mentioned in the video as a method to help people get 'shredded' or extremely lean. The speaker does not personally use the traditional high-medium-low pattern but suggests incorporating a refeed day to increase leptin levels and boost metabolism.

💡Refeeds

Refeeds are days when an individual intentionally consumes more calories than usual, specifically from carbohydrates, to boost metabolism and leptin levels. The video describes a refeed as a once-a-week event where the speaker eats about 300 calories above maintenance, using it as a psychological break from the strict diet and as a metabolic boost.

💡Fasted Cardio

Fasted cardio refers to performing cardiovascular exercise while in a fasted state, typically in the morning before eating. The script describes the speaker's preference for fasted cardio, suggesting it as an effective method for burning fat and utilizing fat cells as a primary source of energy.

💡Amino Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and are essential for muscle repair and growth. The video mentions the use of amino acid supplements to fuel the body during cardio and prevent muscle breakdown, especially when in a caloric deficit.

💡HMB (Beta-Hydroxy Beta-Methylbutyrate)

HMB is a supplement derived from the amino acid leucine and is known for its potential to support muscle growth and reduce muscle breakdown. The script suggests taking HMB as a supplement to help maintain muscle mass during a cut.

💡Protein Intake

Protein intake is crucial for maintaining muscle mass, especially when cutting. The video recommends consuming at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight to support muscle retention during a caloric deficit.

💡Cardiovascular Exercise

Cardiovascular exercise, or cardio, is any exercise that raises the heart rate and improves heart health. The script discusses the importance of cardio in burning calories and creating a caloric deficit, with a preference for low-intensity steady-state cardio over high-intensity interval training.

💡Training Style

Training style refers to the method and routine an individual follows when working out. The video suggests that during a cut, one should adjust their training style to hit each muscle group twice a week, using a push-pull leg split or similar routine, to signal the body to maintain muscle mass.

💡Pre-Workout Supplements

Pre-workout supplements are designed to enhance energy, focus, and endurance during workouts. The script mentions the use of pre-workout supplements to combat the energy and pump loss that can occur during a caloric deficit, ensuring effective workouts despite reduced energy levels.

💡Appetite Suppressants

Appetite suppressants are substances that help to reduce feelings of hunger. The video provides tips for managing hunger during a cut, including the use of appetite suppressants like caffeine or yohimbine, as well as strategies like drinking water before meals and chewing gum to distract from hunger.

💡Whole Foods

Whole foods are unprocessed or minimally processed foods that are nutrient-dense and typically found around the perimeter of a grocery store. The script emphasizes the importance of consuming whole foods during a cut to maintain a nutrient-rich diet that supports health and weight loss goals.

Highlights

Introduction to the topic of losing fat the right way and starting a cut.

Importance of being in a caloric deficit for weight loss.

Explanation of total daily expenditure (TDE) and how it relates to weight maintenance.

Personal example of caloric intake for muscle gain and fat loss.

Guidance on finding one's maintenance calories and adjusting for a caloric deficit.

Recommendation for a 300 to 500 calorie deficit for effective weight loss.

Advising against excessive caloric deficits to prevent metabolism crash and muscle loss.

Suggestion to maintain muscle during a cut with supplements like BCAAs and HMB.

Emphasis on a high-protein diet for muscle retention during a cut.

Discussion on the types of cardio and preference for low-intensity steady-state cardio.

Personal routine of fasted cardio and its benefits for fat burning.

Use of supplements like fat burners and L-carnitine to enhance fasted cardio effectiveness.

Importance of staying active and incorporating steps into daily routine for additional calorie burn.

Training style adjustments when cutting, including hitting each muscle twice a week.

Incorporating tempo training and volume-based workouts to signal the body to retain muscle.

Use of pre-workout supplements to combat energy loss during a caloric deficit.

Advanced techniques like carb cycling and refeeds for getting shredded.

Description of a refeed day to increase leptin levels and boost metabolism.

Tips for managing hunger during a cut, including drinking water and trying appetite suppressants.

Recommendation to consume whole foods and avoid high-calorie snacks.

Closing remarks with a call to action for likes, comments, and subscriptions.

Transcripts

ah

what's going on guys alex finger coming

at you with another youtube video

just finished my workout felt really

good it was a good one that's why my

hair is all messed up so i look like

this

but coming at you another youtube video

today's video is going to be on cutting

how to cut how to lose fat the right way

i'm currently about to start my cut i've

technically been doing it the last week

but i'm going to kind of take you step

by step and go over certain topics like

carb cycling

refeeds reverse dieting what kind of

foods you should be eating what kind of

cardio should be doing if your training

should change

and just basically how i cut and now you

can try to implement

that as well and try it out yourself who

was texting me

that's my girl all right so i'll pop up

some workout clips stuff like that so

you can be entertained while i go over

and talk about a few of these topics but

we're gonna go over a few topics here so

the first thing we'll be talking about

is a caloric deficit now that is going

to be the most crucial and most

important thing when it comes to trying

to lose body fat

because if you're not in a caloric

deficit you're not going to lose weight

you can eat literally vegetables and

fruits and just lean chicken

all damn day but if you're still in a

surplus or you're not a deficit

you're gonna not lose any fat so

basically what a caloric deficit is

we all have a maintenance level of

calories it's called you call your total

daily expenditure basically

your tde all right so basically what

your total daily expenditure is

is how many calories you burn in a day

so this is going to be what your

maintenance level of calories is so

as a relatively active person i've been

training for about four years my

maintenance calories is around 2 700

calories

meaning if i was eating 2700 calories do

my regular workout routines

my regular daily activities i would burn

about 2 700 calories in that whole day

and i was

if i was to eat 2 700 calories i would

not gain any weight i wouldn't gain

weight i wouldn't lose weight

i'll stay around the same way especially

for training for four years it's

different for

newbie and so like that we're not gonna

get into that um so basically if you

want to gain muscle you would eat

enough surplus meaning i would be about

3000 calories therefore giving my body

extra fuel to build muscle

and if i wanted to lose weight meaning

losing fat you're going to eat under

that so i eat around

2 400 when i get deep into a cut i'll go

to 200 calories

to make sure that my body is not getting

that extra fuel so therefore it has to

take away

from my fat in order to get that that's

how you burn fats being in that deficit

to find out what your daily expenditure

is there's a lot of calculators that you

can try out online

and what i recommend doing is use one of

those calculators find the number what

it gives you

and try eating at that number of

calories for about three days track your

weight every morning right after you go

to the bathroom

write it down on a book see how your

weight changes eating at that calorie

number if your weight's staying the same

good you found your maintenance calories

if it's not if it's going up

that means you have to lower that

calorie number if it's going down too

fast

too fast you can increase it a little

bit find your maintenance calories

that's the most important thing

once you find your maintenance calories

you want to go into a caloric deficit i

like doing around 300 calorie deficits

so me

my 2 700 uh maintenance calories i'm

going to need around 2 400 calories to

start off with my cut

now if you're a person who loves doing a

lot of cardio and stuff like that you

can actually not have you don't have to

do as much of an eating deficit because

you're kind of making up for it and the

extra cardio you're burning more

calories

cardio does not burn fat it burns

calories which can help put you into

that deficit that's why i recommend

doing cardio

because it's going to kind of allow you

to eat a little bit more food and i feel

like it just speeds up the process

overall so again i recommend eating

anywhere from like a 300 to 500 calorie

deficit don't go too much into a deficit

though because then you can crash your

metabolism so it's making it harder for

you to lose fat in the long run

you can also mess up your hormones and

also you can lose muscle that way we do

not want to lose our muscle especially

as a natural lifter

you don't want to go in too big of a

deficit because you can risk that muscle

loss now what i recommend for like

trying to keep as much

muscle as possible is uh limit your

deficit as much as possible

the slower you know the slower you're

losing the weight the better means

you're losing less muscle over time you

might lose a little bit of size how it

works for a lot of natural lifters

higher quality uh taking bcaas essential

amino acids

hmd is another good supplement these are

something that's gonna it's uh they're

anti-catabolic meaning they help you

hold on to muscle tissue

especially when you're in a caloric

deficit statement you're in a catabolic

state it's gonna help hold on to that

muscle tissue a little bit better

as well as having a high protein diet i

recommend having one gram per pound of

body weight

i do a little bit more than one gram

it's just because i have a high protein

diet especially when i'm cutting and to

help you hold on to a little bit more of

that muscle

so the second thing we'll be going over

is the type of cardio you should be

doing now me

i'm a big fan of low intensity steady

state cardio there's a difference low

intensity steady state cardio

versus high intensity interval training

those are the two most popular sources

of cardio so

high physical high intensity interval

training you don't have to kind of go as

long it's more erratic sprints and stuff

like that

high pace and swap followed by like a

slow pace um i don't like doing those

because i feel like it takes too much

energy right and if you're already

working out on top of that it can kind

of mess your workouts up so that's why i

like low intensity steady state you're

at a slow pace

it's good for your heart rate and i like

doing fasted cardio off of it so for me

i do fasted cardio every morning

when i'm in a cut depending on how deep

did i am in the cut we'll

kind of say how long i go for that

cardio session so the beginning of my

cut

i'll do faster cardio for about 10 to 15

minutes almost every day of the week

when i get deep into my cut when i'm

getting really lean towards like maybe

six or seven weeks into it

i'll start doing 25 to 30 minutes every

morning

and uh before my fasted cardio i take a

fat burner as well as i take uh

l-carnitine so i'll show you real quick

what i do uh

the fabric is by rise it's high

stimulant based so it's going to kind of

increase your energy production

uh you'll burn more calories throughout

the day also it's going to help us kind

of shuttle those

uh fat cells into the bloodstream it

uses energy and then i also say carotene

which is really good at doing that this

quarantine right here

i drink this and this before i do my

fasted cardio it's going to allow your

body to kind of help its metabolism and

to utilize your fat cells

more as a primary source of energy

rather than going like your muscle

or carbohydrates and something like

glycogen stuff like that so

highly recommend doing that these aren't

necessary you don't have to a fat burner

is not like a magic pill

but it's to help aid you when you're

already in a caloric deficit and eating

the right way all right so while i do my

cardio in the morning i like to sip on

amino acids just so i can fuel my body

with amino so that it doesn't really

target my muscles to take away

when i'm doing that cardio session so i

recommend getting yourself an amino acid

supplement

i take these when i work out and when i

do my cardio mix the eaas and bcaas

on the yet my favorite choice of cardio

is doing an incline uh treadmill i do

about uh 13 degree incline for about

three miles per hour

and again 10 minutes and 30 minutes

depends how far i'm into the cut

and also i just try to make sure i'm

living a more active lifestyle you can

track your steps try to make sure that

you're getting 10 000 steps a day

uh you can include your cardio you're

walking with that try to hit 10k

steps a day be a little bit more active

when you're trying to get into a core

deficit because it's going to help

overall

and help you burn more fat and more

calories throughout the day third thing

is going to be your training style like

should you train differently when you're

cutting and when you're bulking and i i

believe some people don't

but i kind of believe you kind of have

to for me i like to make sure that

you're hitting each muscle twice a week

because you need to make sure your body

knows that it still needs to kind of try

to keep that muscle

so i think that hitting it a little bit

more often rather than once a week it's

going to kind of signal your body

hey like you still need this muscle

you're still working it twice a week so

i like doing like a push-pull leg split

or push-pull like arnold split variation

that's what i do a lot

and instead of really focusing on uh

like a ton of heavy movements

i always start off with a heavy movement

but then like oh the rest of the workout

i'll do a lot more tempo training i'll

do time retention

slow my reps down do a lot more kind of

volume based stuff and i'll make sure my

last set i always go like to

ultimate failure just to make sure that

my muscle still kind of stays there

and like signals my brain that i still

need it when i'm in that caloric deficit

state

the thing about being in a caloric

deficit especially when you get deeper

into the cut is you're not going to have

as much energy your pump is not going to

be as good because your carb is going to

be a little bit lower

you may feel you look a little bit

flatter especially being a natural

athlete

so that is going to be issue that's why

i recommend taking a good pre-workout

because if you have that extra

stimulant-based pre-workout

first it's going to act as a little mini

fat burner because of the stimulants and

it's also going to give you that extra

energy

the pump products that you need to be

able to have a good workout because when

you're in that deficit for a long period

of time

the workouts can start to suck so make

sure you have a good pump supplement

a good pre-workout supplement and you'll

be fine

oh this lighting is good now real quick

we're going to talk about a little bit

more advanced things like carb cycling

and refeeds so basically all you really

need to get into a good body fat

percentage

is that caloric deficit you can get like

10 11 pretty easily by doing just that

regular 300 calorie cooler deficit with

some cardio

now if you kind of want to bring it to

that next level of like getting shredded

shredded

you might need to incorporate carb

cycling and stuff like that

um it's really shown to help people get

really damn shredded so

uh i'm not a big fan of doing it the way

some people do like a high day

a medium day a low day no carb day that

is if you really want to share that's

like competition stuff

i personally don't do that because it's

kind of unhealthy at times and it's hard

to sustain that so for me what i do

is i'll keep doing my deficit stuff like

that once i start getting pretty lean

i'll incorporate a refeed day what a

refeed day is once

a week i'll pick a day maybe like a

sunday where i am planning to eat about

300 calories above my uh my maintenance

so i'll be in a surplus so if i'm

usually eating 2400 on a cut

for that day i'll eat about 3 000

calories for that one day and those

extra calories will come primarily

from carbohydrate sources now this is to

help increase your leptin

levels to help you kind of satiate you a

little bit more uh help your pump kind

of cup your

metabolism fire back up because you got

more calories coming in um just gotta

help reset you keep you going

plus it's kind of like a good mental

thing because you kind of look forward

to that day of the week because you will

be hungry a lot of the times in your cut

and i'll also go over some tips to help

you with that but on briefings i highly

recommend

plus the day after make sure you're

having a really good workout because

you'll have a better pump so make sure

it's a lot of high intensity stuff

um but yeah so that's what a refeed is

pick one day of the week it's kind of

like a cheat day or cheap meal

uh so like i do like a bun i go to the

diner to get like a big thing of french

toast that's like my go-to refeed meal

or i'll get donuts that's just how i am

i'm sweet tooth like crazy

especially in the cut now when it comes

to like trying to be okay and satiating

the cut

it's like the tips for like not being

hungry all the time drink a full glass

of water before every meal if you

struggle with like being hungry all the

time

full glass of water before every meal i

want you to do that try different

appetite suppressants um i forgot what's

like to go him by yohimbine i think it's

appetite suppressant

i've personally tried that but i've

heard about it uh also like black

coffee's been showing to help as the

appetite suppressant like caffeine and

stuff like that a little tip that i like

to do is i'll get a whole thing of baby

spinach

and uh really low calorie dressing and

like just between meals if i feel hungry

i'll just have a whole bowl of salad

just straight up salad it's low calorie

it'll help fill you up a little bit with

the fiber and stuff like that

as well as um i tried chewing gum after

every meal so like once i like

ate my meal even if i'm not like full

all the way i'll pop stick a gum in my

mouth and just chew it

and it kind of helps your appetite a

little bit all right so when it comes to

type of foods you should be eating

obviously you should be eating

healthier you shouldn't be snacking on

cheez-its and the reason like that is a

thing is because

those things are higher in calories i

mean it's gonna be harder to put you in

a deficit when you incorporate those

higher calorie foods

so for me like i like to eat whole foods

so carb sources

mainly i'd say like oh it's like cream

of wheat potatoes like it's my go-to

uh protein sources i eat any type of

protein really fish

salmon like cod chicken turkey ground

turkey i do a higher

or a lower fat percentage like 99 lean

turkey ground turkey or beef

um yeah that's the main protein sources

eggs of course a lot of egg whites

and um yeah fat sources avocados

peanuts almonds peanut butter and again

like that fattier fish like salmon and

stuff like that would be great for you

um but yeah don't try to over complicate

it when you go to the grocery store if

you stay on the

perimeter of the grocery stores usually

where you're going to get those whole

foods

don't snack on things if you need sakno

that uh skinny pop

skinny pop is great when you're when

you're in a cut because it's low calorie

and it's got a lot of fiber in it it's

gonna help you up a little bit more

but yeah that's it for today's youtube

video hope you guys enjoyed it i hope

you guys learned something and if you

did

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