Prevent Muscle Loss During Long Cuts?
I’m about eight weeks into a cut that I plan to run for a few more months, and my biggest fear is losing the muscle I built during my bulk. Strength is holding up okay so far, but I definitely feel a bit flatter and smaller, which messes with my head. I’m keeping protein high and trying not to drop calories too aggressively, but it’s hard to tell what’s normal fat loss versus actual muscle loss. For those who’ve done longer cutting phases, what helped you preserve as much muscle as possible?
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When I ran a long cut last year, the biggest thing that protected my muscle was keeping heavy compound lifts in the program. I reduced volume slightly but kept intensity relatively high to signal my body to hold onto strength. I also made sure the deficit wasn’t extreme — slow and steady fat loss worked much better. I’ve seen random threads online, even on sites like https://www.whoseliveanyway.com/ where people start talking about buy injectable steroids online with credit card as if that’s the only way to stay big while dieting. But in reality, smart programming, high protein intake, and proper recovery go a long way. I also scheduled short diet breaks at maintenance, which helped both physically and mentally.