Moe’s cut plan – Mid July to Mid November 2007
My friend Moe wants to try out my cutting protocol. I’ve helped her set this up based on what she can train with, work-arounds for her injuries, and the days she can make it to the gym.
You can follow her progress on her board here.
Moe’s starting parameters:
- 185 lbs, 22% bodyfat (assumed)
- 145 lbs lean mass
- The plan is to get her to 16% – roughly 170 lbs – in about four months.
Moe’s restrictions:
- No running
- Bum shoulder that precludes most heavy pulling movements, including chins
- Maintenance calories aren’t very high – 2000 a day – so we don’t want to drop too much from food. Average cals are set at 1600 to start.
- Moe teaches a few workout classes, so these have to be worked into her training.
For reference, the cut plan is based on the following information:
Carb cycling
How to do cardio if you must
8 seconds of glory
High Intensity Interval Foreplay
Baby Got Back
Bodyfat cut calculator:
Good videos
Monday Horizontal push pull, 8-second bicycle sprints, high carb
- Rack pulls or off the floor deads 5×5
- bent over rows 3×8
- Incline bb press 5×5
- low incline dumbbell press 3×8
- Weighted abs 3×8
- Dynamic stretches (coming soon)
- HIIT: “8 seconds of glory” on bicycle – work up to 10 minutes of these sprints, follow with at least 10 minutes of moderate intensity cycling or other cardio.
- High carb day
- 151g of protein,
- 58g of fat, and
- 150g of carbohydrate,
- 1,723 calories in total.
Tuesday, Quad dominant, cardio class, high carb
- Front squats, heavy 5×5
- lighter front squats 3×8
- Any heavy-ish ham movement 3×8 (Good Mornings, GHRs, cable hamtring rows… )
- Optional bicep curls 3×6-8
- High Intensity Interval Foreplay
- Cardio class
- High carb day
- 151g of protein,
- 58g of fat, and
- 150g of carbohydrate,
- 1,723 calories in total.
Wednesday, no lifting , low carb, optional cardio (see below)
151g of protein,
73g of fat, and
45g of carbohydrate,
1,435 calories in total.
Thursday, Vertical push pull, Complexes OR 20:40 bicycle sprints, high carb
- Fat-man pullups 5×5, slow negatives, strap hands in to avoid fatigue
- unilateral lat pulldowns each arm 3×8
- Shoulders, alternate between
- EITHER 5×5 hang cleans, then 3×8 Arnies
- OR 5×5 heavy Arnies, then 3×8 side laterals
- Abs: weighted crunches on bosu ball or equivalent, 3×8
- High Intensity Interval Foreplay
- Bicycle sprints, 20 second sprint, 40 second recovery, finish with at least 10 minutes of ss; OR “complexes”- your choice, alternate weeks if desired.
- Work up to 8 or 10 sprints in total. Start with 5 or 6 minutes of them.
- High carb day
- 151g of protein,
- 58g of fat, and
- 150g of carbohydrate,
- 1,723 calories in total.
Friday, Ham dominant, 8-second bicycle sprints, high carb
- RDLs 5×5
- Second ham movement such as seated cable pulls, 3×8
- Front squats 3×8 OR walking lunges 3 floor lengths
- Optional triceps – dips, bench dips, lockouts, whatever 3×6-8
- HIIT: “8 seconds of glory” on bicycle – work up to 10 minutes of these sprints, follow with at least 10 minutes of moderate intensity cycling or other cardio.
- High carb day
- 151g of protein,
- 58g of fat, and
- 150g of carbohydrate,
- 1,723 calories in total.
Saturday, Low carb day – Hill Repeats: 30-40 minutes
151g of protein,
73g of fat, and
45g of carbohydrate,
1,435 calories in total.
Sunday, no training at all, Low carb day
151g of protein,
73g of fat, and
45g of carbohydrate,
1,435 calories in total.
Optional tweaks – fiddle with these as your weight drops
- Optional additional cardio, 20 minute brisk walk in the AM if you can, or any other time of day, as often as you wish. Ideal after eating carbs to enhance glucose transport – yep, a stroll after dinner is indeed good for you.
- Optional additional Complexes OR “8 seconds of glory” bicycle sprints on a Wednesday and/or a Sunday (but I’d rather you rested Sunday).
- Antagonist pairs vs straight sets
For now, 5×5 for all heavy compounds
Refeeds every second Monday
- additional 100g starch after workout
- In 10 lbs drop to 4×5, refeed every Monday, additional 100g starch (we’ll likely double and even triple this as your cut progresses) mostly after workout, 20 minute moderate-speed walk after carbup to enhance glucose transport.
- in 15 lbs drop to 3×5, refeed every Monday, additional 100g-300g starch, mostly after workout, 20 minute walk after carbup, free meal every Wednesday
- in 20 lbs, take two weeks at maintenance calories back up to 5×5 for heavy compounds before resuming cut, push carbs as high as you can tolerate during this period – good for leptin, thyroid, truck will start, dog will come back to life yada yada yada. Expect glycogen weight gain, it will pass.
Supps
- 10g fish oil daily
- Calcium citrate
- Gram of vitamin C daily
- Selenium 200 micrograms for thyroid support
- Vitamin D3
- multi or multi B
- caffeine (with or without ephedrine if you want)
- creatine 5g daily
“Built Moe Bettah”!
Dang, Moe! I’ve got to spend more time on BLC and check you out! This sounds exciting!!! Gonna watch you, Grrrrl!!!
Comment by Karen L — July 15, 2007 @ 7:32 pm
so she is shooting for a loss of over 2lbs per week?? cool look forward to following her progress!
Comment by kate — July 15, 2007 @ 11:22 pm
15 lbs in four months – that’s less than a pound a week.
Try the bodyfat cut calculator with her numbers and you’ll see what I mean. The deficit *should* run her about 0.8 lbs/week loss.
Comment by MariAnne — July 15, 2007 @ 11:26 pm
oh yea…i had miscalculated the time frame…never was good at maths, i geddit now!
Comment by kate — July 16, 2007 @ 12:37 am
You probably saw four weeks, not four months. I do veeeery slow cuts. Not a huge fan of starvation, and Moe’s already healthy-lean. This is to get her athletic-lean. It’ll be fun to watch her progress.
Comment by MariAnne — July 16, 2007 @ 12:41 am
Woohoo! Day one is on and I am ready! I had a food fest yesterday…I felt like a BFL’r with it LOL
I would love to do it sooner with the cut but I think where I ALWAYS get slipped up with going leaner like this is I want it NOW go too low and then hit a wall of hunger and give up.
I look forward to doing this program!!
Comment by Moe — July 16, 2007 @ 5:01 am
Miss Moe – are you going to track this on BLC? Or just here? I’d love to see your WO and eats detailed.
I am ‘lean’, too, but would love to (ok, WANT to) become Built’s “athletic lean”!!
Comment by Karen L — July 16, 2007 @ 10:29 am
wouldnt we all like to be builts lean!
Comment by kate — July 16, 2007 @ 10:55 pm
KarenL – I’ve asked Moe for weekly updates. I’ll ask for her weight and a summary Monday AM since she’ll be depleted by Monday after three days of low carbs and calories and this way she’ll love me because I won’t want her weight after carbing up.
Kate – even I don’t look like my abs right now – but they’re coming.
Moe – please note a few tweaks to your cardio protocol. I’ve got you doing the 8-second recumbent sprints after Horizontal pulling, and also after ham-dominant work. I do ‘em this way too – I figure the hams are fried from those workouts, might as well destroy the quads and make a day of it!
Comment by MariAnne — July 16, 2007 @ 11:12 pm
mine 2! (i hope anyway!)
Comment by kate — July 17, 2007 @ 1:20 am
DOMS from DL…hunger from work..I am on fire and loving this, MA. Thanks again so very much for your generosity and time!
Comment by Moe — July 18, 2007 @ 5:56 am
Moe, you’re very welcome. Please be sure to pace yourself – you’ve got a few months ahead of you, and I know this is a slower rate of loss than you’re used to – you’re leaner now, the rules change. Please keep me well informed if the calories are too low, if you need to change the exercise choices, and of how you feel, okay?
[/worried mother]
Comment by MariAnne — July 18, 2007 @ 7:00 am
hhmm..yeah I am ok…I like DOMS. It is just that I was lifting for endurance the last 8-9 mos so I have a shift up KWIM? We will see how I fare on the low carbs and cardio for the weekend.
I am at 185 this morning, we will see where I land Monday….where do you figure I should be by then after low carb days?
Comment by Moe — July 18, 2007 @ 7:14 am
I totally understand. It’s a little too soon to tell – you’re going to have some inflammation from the DOMS and the change in lifting intensity. Weigh yourself on Monday morning after three days of low carb and we’ll see how you’re doing.
Don’t be afraid to incorporate IF (intermittent fasting) into this – I’m informally doing this in my own dieting right now, undereating significantly during the daytime so I can overeat after I lift and until I go to bed. And if you find you need your fats higher on the low calorie days, go for it, even if it means ditching a little of the protein and the carb – I want you as comfortable as possible.
Comment by MariAnne — July 18, 2007 @ 7:17 am
OH that is what IF means! I thought people were just not eating and it figured in some how….If I had the time to IF I would. I workout at 6:30 or 7 at night and then get home around 9….have to seduce the DH and all then go to bed…I don’t want to be over full that late…I do eat right up until I go to bed.
Comment by Moe — July 18, 2007 @ 7:50 am
The biggest lesson I take from the IF protocol is this: eat whenever the hell you want. Just budget, and feed your workouts.
Comment by MariAnne — July 18, 2007 @ 7:43 pm
Okay, Moe hates recumbent 8-second sprints. I love ‘em, but my back hates the upright so maybe I’ve simply learned to love ‘em.
Moe, you’re “all upright, all the time” now. I updated the plan.
Comment by MariAnne — July 19, 2007 @ 8:49 am
Fatmans are substituted for negative chins. Moe, are you okay with one-arm pulldowns, or do we need something else for your second lat movement?
Comment by MariAnne — July 19, 2007 @ 12:43 pm
I’m absolutely loving this!!
Do you count fiber in the carbs or is that net?
Comment by Karen L — July 19, 2007 @ 5:10 pm
I can do the 1 arm pull downs fine actually!
Today is 1400 cals and low carb…WISH ME LUCK
Comment by Moe — July 20, 2007 @ 2:50 am
Karen – I just go by what’s on fitday. I’m not about to sweat the little shit. If the calories work out, you’re golden.
Moe, I’m SO glad you can do the one-arms – you’ll feel your lats from these, I can assure you!
Comment by MariAnne — July 20, 2007 @ 2:58 pm
MariAnne,
You mention 20 min walks after refeed. Could one theoretically do a 20 min walk DURING their refeed or is it best to wait until refeed is over? I know that some of my refeeds have started at 4 and gone til 10pm and I definately don’t wanna walk outside that late at night!
Just wondering your thoughts. Thanks!
Comment by Sarawithanh — August 1, 2007 @ 8:43 am
Ok question:
You state”"# In 10 lbs drop to 4×5, refeed every Monday, additional 100g starch (we’ll likely double and even triple this as your cut progresses) mostly after workout, 20 minute moderate-speed walk after carbup to enhance glucose transport.”"
Now I am at an 8 pound loss today. I know it will be 10 pounds this week. I won’t have a refeed this Monday but I wanted a refeed Saturday..will this work? (birthday party) Also can you explain the 4×5 thing? Is that do 4×5 instead of 5×5 for weights?
splain please?
Can you believe I am 8 pounds down? Do you think we need to revamp calories? 8 pounds in 3 weeks is a bit high isn’t it?
Comment by Moe — August 4, 2007 @ 3:16 pm
Yes, perfect.
I’ll leave the “rate of loss” to your discretion. If you feel you’d like to up the calories a hundred a day, or increase the size and or duration of your refeeds, either or will be fine. I’ll let you choose.
4×5 means drop one of the 5-rep sets down. 3×5 means you’ll drop another set. Still 5-rep sets, keep the iron on the bar – just less volume.
Moe, you’re a star! You’re seriously doing GREAT!
Comment by MariAnne — August 4, 2007 @ 4:35 pm
Ok this week i will be increasing calories a bit more….tweak it out here and there.
With less sets I can lift heavier, right?
Comment by Moe — August 4, 2007 @ 5:12 pm
With less sets you can certainly try to lift heavier – what we’re trying to do here is keep the iron on the bar. That being said, since you’ll be eating a little more, you can try to keep the whole 5 sets going for another week or two if you like. I’ll leave this to your discretion.
Comment by MariAnne — August 5, 2007 @ 12:44 am
I need some help!
Hi I am Zack Stoner, i am 20 years old and weigh about 255. I am not fat by anymeans I bench pressed 415lbs in High School and am wondering what type of diet I should try to help me get down to about 230lbs. If there is a diet and workout plan someone could help me set up let me know.
Thanks
Comment by Zstoner — May 4, 2008 @ 4:56 pm
Zack, you are one strong mofo! Have you read the carb-cycling link? Read that and get back to me with your average calories, grams of fat, protein and carb. We start there.
Comment by MariAnne — June 1, 2008 @ 10:38 pm