hey dude i remember you saying in a cutting vid that you try to get the cut over asap, and that you'll regain the muscle in 3ish months anyways. in this video alex says not to do that and that it will take much longer to regain muscle if we rush the process. - 14:08 you don't quite "crash diet" but did i misunderstand you and do you not rush your cuts? i remember you saying you drop from 4500cal per day to 2200, sounds quite aggressive to me
@@Kayohvaak7 you might not be taking into natural vs enhanced as well. alex is saying its much harder to not only do but do in a semi healthy way as a natty. you can fluctuate easier on peds and maintain homeostasis easier.
Impressive how much people complain about failing to either gain or lose weight when guys like you, Bald Omni Man, NH, GVS, etc. can diet and bulk any time they want with ease
I'm amazed by how honest he's been on all things related to diet, nutrition, related psychology, and the advice he gave to stay away from dark paths. The internet fitness world is full of toxic 'advice' that can destroy people lives. I'm glad there are a few good ones out there like Alex giving proper, caring advice. Keep it real, Alex!
I’m a natural female bodybuilder and man…You are SPOT on. This is golden. My last prep was 5.5 months and it “nearly ruined my life too” but in an elegant way that I think you can appreciate 😅 I wish I had incorporated diet breaks but I was coming off a building phase and ish was stubborn. You’re so so so right about diet fatigue And the backend bs. Anyhoo from the jump, it IS a science, you need to track your shit + hell yea you have more weight to lose. Everytime I assumed I only needed to drop 20LB…it was more like 30-35 to be stage lean. Bodybuilding is wild yo Thank you for this video
Once I am done with this cut, I am gonna go back and watch that "Don't Waste your Bulk" video to make sure my first gaining phase will not be a waste. Thank you for this motivational video Alex
Revisiting this video since I’m about to go on my first serious cut after three years of bulking. I told myself I’d cut after two, but I decided to keep it going since I just fell in love with training, with the addition of getting bigger and stronger. I made great progress in all aspects of training (all compounds plus weighted calisthenics went up) and so I was in a weird headspace where I was paranoid about cutting since I just kept wanting to get bigger and stronger. The way I see it, is that it’s not really a big deal if I lose strength during a cut since I’m not a competitive powerlifter. It’s also not be career to be strong or whatever, so having a small period of time spent getting lean will not detract from me. I also started to think in more positive ways of how I will come back bigger and stronger since I will be educating myself more about training in the meantime, and that I will definitely hit my lifelong strength goals in one of my next bulks. Cutting is a different type of beast in its own right, and there isn’t any shame at all in striving to be lean and see what you built up. Thanks Alex, I wish you further success in your training, as well as you channel!
Great video Alex. It’s extremely inspiring to have followed your journey for most of the last decade. One thing I might add to this list is fasting, and not just intermittent fasting but doing so for 1-2 days at a time. In 2017 I went from 230 lbs to 190 lbs. Of course the water weight went easily, and I was continually cleaning up my diet, but I learned of the health benefits of fasting and gave it a try. I still fast to this day because of the other benefits it added to my life in terms of discipline. Learning to not only be okay with being hungry, but to let that hunger fuel me like a fire and attack my goals with unforeseen tenacity. I appreciate your contributions to the conversation and I hope this comment finds you and the community well!
I've just gotten back down to 174 for the first time in 2 years and a lot of these are spot on. I can't stress your last point enough; it was very hard to bulk back up after being lean. One thing that helped me was finding fun/junkier foods to eat during a bulk as a way to encourage me to keep going. After leg day I would eat cereal, I'd go to the gym with my girlfriend and then have a date meal out at a local hibachi or Mexican place, etc. Sometimes you have to look at your Improvement Season as the time to make social gains in addition to gym gains
Brother, the last point really resonated with me. I've been going through photos from exactly one year ago, I was 160lbs at 5'10 and looking lean with abs popping. Now I'm at 180lbs after going through 2 bulks and cuts over the past year. I looked great but at the same time a lot of bodyparts were so much smaller, especially my arms grew almost 2 inches(almost at 17' now) and forearms got much bigger too. We have to keep reminding ourselves of all the positives of the bulks. Can't have one without the other. At the same time I'm really excited for the next cut to properly see all the new gains and I'm hyped to see you competing, the last time you were shredded u looked insane and probably could've won a show. Great video and keep up the great work.
Your totally right about this being a double edge sword . I lost a ton of body weight but still can’t lose this last part of my stomach and it’s becoming so consuming over my life! I know what it is that’s holding me back and it 3 fold : I can’t eat consistently now because of my new job while making less money , I cannot afford to be weak physically and because I live in New York City it’s a food desert unless I prepare and bring food I won’t get good foods to eat and if I do I’m spending up to $60 a day. Something I realized when I was dieting was I was angry all the time and physically weak . Plus in order to do this time , money and rest must be on your side . Great content , you told the truth about this a lot of these guys on here won’t say this especially about cutting phases .
It's like this man is reading my mind..Been bulking for a year and been planning to cut but scared because I might lose my strength and gains..But after this I have the absolute certainty to get shredded 💪 Thank you King
Comes with the territory dude but it gives you something awesome to look forward too. Changes, different sort of challenges, sure you'll lose strength but it will be like another game where you try to maintain your reps and strength.
Another tip I'd add is recognise which situations or activities cause you to overeat or binge. Keep an eye out for these triggers. For me it was starting a new TV series & everytime I'd end up binge eating. On a cut atm, so just wanna say amazing vid, it helps out a lot & keeps me on track ♥️
I feel this man. The habits are associated with one another. I have to cut the netflix or whatever completely, too hard to regulate that junky binge eating. Can binge youtube for hours tho.
can't wait for my next cut. gonna see my current bulk out until the end of January and assess from there but hopefully this bulk will have been worth it.
Alex you've gotten so eloquent at speaking you deliver your thoughts well. I'm trying to return to the fitness lifestyle since i stopped training for three years when I joined the workforce. Hopefully I get lean again with this tips since i'm too fat now.
Having been away from these fitness channels a while, I must say that you are one of the few that haven't shown much signs of aging; you still look very youthful.
Really great stuff man, diet breaks/maintenance phases are super important. I used to be 335lbs at my heaviest and got down to about 240lbs (roughly 25-28%BF I am 6'2) but once I got back into dating and didn't really do a maintenance phase/break I regained a bunch of weight now I'm back at 280ish. I'm currenlty planning the macrocycle for next year to cut in Q1 and Q3 and do maintenance phases in Q2 and Q4 so I don't burn out and actually reach my goal for the year to get down to 220lbs around 20-22%BF roughly. Still a ways to go before I can get down to 12-15% which is end goal, but slow and steady wins the race.
This video is absolutely perfect ! Spitting straight facts my man, even with peds these fundamentals need to be adhered to. As a long distance runner who moved into weight lifting I often tried to offset my eating with high amounts of cardio which drove up fatigue and made me more susceptible to injury. Tightening up the diet ,tracking properly and taking diet breaks was a much more stress free process. Great content brother 💪
Great video, bout to start a cut soon. When I first started lifting I was obese at 320, I have been fluctuating around 205-210 for about a year now and I've always had the goal of 190 in mind. What you said about losing water weight and looking really good early on resonates with me quite a bit. Many times I would start a cut, get down to like 200 really quickly and look really good and then kind of fall off the wagon underestimating what endeavor I'm going for. Still the leanest I've ever been but I want to take it to the next level
Just as you've pointed out how weight loss assists calisthenic performance, the corollary is true at least for me. When I have focused on calisthenics, it has either made it easier for me to maintain weight loss efforts or kept me from bulking too much. There's a certain feedback where it seems like the body just knows it doesn't want to make things too difficult.
Facts!! I've experienced this as well. It's like your body wants to adapt to those activities, making your physique as efficient as possible. And with the leanness incentive being higher with calisthenics, this makes it even easier.
Thank you for sharing this information with us. I could’ve used this info when I first started lifting instead of wasting time with bs most people put out. Great video brother!
Definitely agree with the part about needing to take a break.. im down 35 lbs total from a dirty bulk that went a little too far and took a break after about 20-25 lbs where i was maintaining at around 190.. now that im cutting again down to hopefully 165, my body doesnt feel like its dying or needs a break because i actually spent a few months maintaining at 190. Down to 180 and while it is getting more difficult to stay consistent with the dieting i feel like my body can definitely handle losing the next 10-15 lbs
I'm about intermidiate level of strength and never really done a proper cut, around 90kg at 5 "11 so I'm far from lean. Literally just started a cut and this video shows up in my notifications, perfect timing, cheers Alex. The best fitness content on this platform, as always!
@@simzblack1571 i feel so behind... im 21, 6ft, 85kg, and at a novice level for most lifts. i dont know how to calc BF, but id say im probably 25-30%. Finding it hard to cut weight atm, i do intermittent fasting and hiit in the form of cardio. i wanna get lean as for summer
I got shredded to 9% last year and plan to start up again after the holidays, this is perfect advice. You just need to trust the process and remain disciplined. Celebrate the small wins too, like if you see a new striation in the mirror, that's a victory!
@@ronaldsuarez6389 haha it went great! Got down to the same leanness but was 10lb heavier so big gains on the bulk! Since then I did another long lean bulk and am finishing up my cut, looks like I've added another 5ish lb lean mass this year. Just keep going brother hope you're making gains too :)
I was a chubby person my whole life till 16y old. Lost like 30 kg in 3 months and from there the grind started. I gaind and lost that kind of weight more then 3 times in my next 23 years, a lot or not but my skin could look a lot better thats for sure😂 ....now after trying all bs advice and diets i know that to stay lean i need 3 things. 1. Tracking callories 2. Working out. 3. MY most important factor which is 200 to 300 kcal cheat sweet snack every day. Im 3 years maintaining and slowly but surely sculpting my physique. Never ever i have looked like now, not compering to others and just trying to be a better person than I was. Thats from a guy who has been fighting depression and all kinds of things for more then 15 years. Anyway,i have also been doing the opposite of all this points mentioned in the video and boy, that list should be written in gold 🥇. Awsome material💯👍
22 yo 196cm and around 195lbs, started 2022 at 180lbs, started a serious bulk in July and put on some significant muscle. I'm going to aim for 220lbs before I begin to cut, and to be honest my main goals are moving weight and not pure aesthetic. Great vid.
personally over the last 2 years ive bulked for 9 months and then cut for 3 starting in late april so i look good for most of the summer time, been working for me and enjoying the process, its easier for me to lose than to gain weight, started very skinny. thanks for the tips Alex
Yes! Thank you so much for this video. Currently cutting rn and I feel so much better about having taken a week and a half unplanned break. Also good to know that the very large amount of strength loss is totally normal. I’ll be adding multivitamins to my daily routine and cardio. I’d been staying away from much cardio, electing to deficit almost entirely thru diet, but ik now that I shud add cardio for work capacity. Once again thank you so much
dude i have been a cook/baker and pastry chef for almost 20 years and the diet advice of actually paying attention to your micro to macro nutrient intake from a real health perspective (mental and physical) is the best natural body building advice i have ever heard, with an easy way to meet this goal; LEARN TO COOK. this is of course followed closely by consistency in the gym and managing fatigue. long term you want to be lifting at 60, you want to hold your grandchild, thats what you do. great vid, thanks for your work.
Love this bro. I can relate to the dysmorphia. I went from 235 to 196 over 6 months. Now I’m at maintenance around 205 and I feel FAT. Gonna take a break and cut to ~185 in April.
I 100% agree with everything you've said here. Even the body dismophia thing. I'm at 14% right now and I feel fat. I made it to the single digits. It's legit man.
@@tonyf3100 gets in your head, just gotta remember that we are freaking elite monsters compared to the average slob. You're a freaking stud, remember that big dog 👍.
I totally agree about the dysmorphia issue. Last year I decided that I wanted to get rid of the fat and I succeeded. Then I fell well below the minimum for my height, just because I wanted to be more and more lean.. and the health problems started immediately. I had to gain a few kilos and now I feel totally lost and fat etc. wanting to reach this leaner version again, even though it's not healthy . So yeah the struggle is real 😕
So I’m about 176 cm (just under 5’10”)…currently sitting at 186 pounds….with a significant amount of vascularity….not bad for a 38 year old that weighed 268 pounds back in 2019….keep after it!!! 💪🏋️❤️
@@AlexLeonidas yup, your channel has been instrumental in helping me absolutely demolish my strength/hypertrophy goals! Fellow Canadian 🍁 too! I had someone ask me recently if I was on steroids haha 😂…( I’m 100% natty)… my favourite compliment. 💪❤️
Did my first successful cut during the fall before a BJJ competition, but bulked too hard after. Also didn't reach the leanness I desired. Going to start the new year off with new cut. This time even more successful and with a plan of sustainability to follow. A bit heavy at 90kg, 174 cm. Going to enjoy the easier time with chins and dips. Perfect timing Alex!
Great video. This will give me a good boost going into a deficit after Christmas day. Its gonna be slow and i'm not going to let myself suffer, not worth it for me for the shredz. Just gonna get to a happy point and maintain for a bit before I reassess goals.
I’ve noticed with myself that sometimes at the start of a cut, I actually look worse. Which I believe is due to losing significant intra-muscular water and glycogen first, but not much fat. Therefore I look flatter and smaller, but not leaner. But as the cut goes on and more actual fat loss occurs, that’s when the cuts to show. Then I start to throw in once a week cheat days/re-feeds, which is when my physique looks its best, as my muscles get “filled back out”, but I’m also lean at the same time.
Alex, would love a response on this. You mentioned that on a cut, losing strength could take you from advanced to intermediate. If its an expected and well known side effect of a cut to decrease their level of experience. Is intermediate, advanced, elite all relative to strength, fitness, or physique, or is it the knowledge of how to meet your goals?
You’re indeed one hundred % right! Crisp and clear perse based on the experience. Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge and experience!🌸 I wish You A happy new year 2023 mate with more health and wealth!
Yeasss! I gotta switch up and start doing a couple overheads/finishers again. It’s fallowing this guy that gave me the realization that there was a weaghted exercise I had access to with my curl bar this and reverse curls. (More for the Arsenal)
Amazing video Alex! I’ll be cutting in February so this was really helpful. Something I’m wondering is, do you think there’s any benefit to doing more calisthenic work the further you progress with your cut? Thanks!
More so psychological and the fact that there's an incentive to stay lean. Not to mention, actually getting some PRs! Calisthenics + cardio are the two activities that improve when cutting, which is very rewarding.
Thanks for the reply Alex! Yeah in my mind, if strength losses are an inevitable part of the cutting process, then achieving PRs in calisthenics is a great way to shift the mindset away from “oh man my barbell numbers are going down” to “oh wow I just got a new pullup PR”. Appreciate the videos as always 👍
In June 2020 I went from big and strong (slightly fluff but with a visible 4 pack) but still fit and able to run 10k and go 35-40 minutes non stop on the heavy bag at 182cm weighing 103.5kg to 85kg in April 2021. I did no cheat meals from June 2020 - September 2020 and then eased up a bit and then again went super adherent and disciplined from January 2021-April 2021 again with no cheat meals. Afterwards I got back to pursuing strength on my lifts like the power cleans , hang snatches , behind the neck presses , box squats , 3 point rows and Bench Press and my weight went back up to 104kg by April 2022 I bulked but it didn't feel good, even though I was still doing heavy bag work , running and sprints . Since then I have trained exclusively calisthenics and weighted calisthenics and running 5-10k with weight and hitting the heavy bag and I currently weigh around 87.5-88kg I want to maintain my pound for pound relative strength and lose 3-4 kg slowly. I may return to the weights at some point but I am currently happier doing calisthenics and retraining my martial arts and tricking skills.
@@eventhorizon7234 40 minutes continuous work and just a minute break here and there to stop for a drink of water and that's also wearing a weighted vest with a sweat jacket on.
I almost skipped this video thinking it was just another cutting lesson from your typical influencer. Easily the greatest video ever made. Hard reality check, going to get after it. See you on the other side.
welcome to rep city bois... thanks alex your gpp videos introduced me to ironwold and i hit a goldmine with that discovery. currently running a 3 day full body and some burpees on off days
Amazing video, you're a true inspiration. started to cut after being a lazy ass the last couple of months, i'll be revisiting your video many times over the next few months
WOAHHHHHHH dude congrats on your competition phase! We send you the full support and love from here in Cali. Keep us updated and mayyyybe should we suspect a surprise Nippard guest appearance during your competition prep?? =P
Hey Alex, as always you put out great content and i love your videos a lot! Huge inspiration!! One question though, have you ever tried out the Impossible dip?
A quick tip with cheat meals. For me on the day of my cheat meal, i plan it as my rest day and i fast for 16hrs and then eat micro-nutrient dense low calorie foods for the 2 meals before my cheat meal (which is dinner for me), and plan my cheat meal in such a way as to only be at maintenance calories. This has worked really well for me as it still allows a insanely filling and enjoyable meal while maintaining a lower cal intake.
The last part about wanting to chase that leanest state was excellent - I appreciate the vulnerability there
hey dude i remember you saying in a cutting vid that you try to get the cut over asap, and that you'll regain the muscle in 3ish months anyways.
in this video alex says not to do that and that it will take much longer to regain muscle if we rush the process. - 14:08
you don't quite "crash diet" but did i misunderstand you and do you not rush your cuts? i remember you saying you drop from 4500cal per day to 2200, sounds quite aggressive to me
@@Kayohvaak7 you might not be taking into natural vs enhanced as well. alex is saying its much harder to not only do but do in a semi healthy way as a natty. you can fluctuate easier on peds and maintain homeostasis easier.
This 30 min video legit gave a solution to every cutting problem thus saving people from months of mistakes! you deverse 1million subs already!
Thank you so much man, I'm happy you found lots of value in it!!
Impressive how much people complain about failing to either gain or lose weight when guys like you, Bald Omni Man, NH, GVS, etc. can diet and bulk any time they want with ease
you just do the thing
When you know what you're doing and stay away from fads, that's how it should be!
Almost like people are very different and the brain is very powerful
Literally everyone can diet and bulk any time with ease
@@akalion213 that’s why it’s impressive
I'm amazed by how honest he's been on all things related to diet, nutrition, related psychology, and the advice he gave to stay away from dark paths. The internet fitness world is full of toxic 'advice' that can destroy people lives. I'm glad there are a few good ones out there like Alex giving proper, caring advice. Keep it real, Alex!
I’m a natural female bodybuilder and man…You are SPOT on. This is golden.
My last prep was 5.5 months and it “nearly ruined my life too” but in an elegant way that I think you can appreciate 😅 I wish I had incorporated diet breaks but I was coming off a building phase and ish was stubborn. You’re so so so right about diet fatigue And the backend bs.
Anyhoo from the jump, it IS a science, you need to track your shit + hell yea you have more weight to lose. Everytime I assumed I only needed to drop 20LB…it was more like 30-35 to be stage lean.
Bodybuilding is wild yo
Thank you for this video
This is one of the best, no-BS real-life natty bodybuilding videos i have seen. Subbed, love the wisdom. Cheers!
Welcome aboard brother, real recognize!
Hola desde España. Probably, the best video on UA-cam about cutting and lose weight. Congrants!
Once I am done with this cut, I am gonna go back and watch that "Don't Waste your Bulk" video to make sure my first gaining phase will not be a waste. Thank you for this motivational video Alex
I watched that video so many times during my last bulk!
@@thestonecirclesame 😂
Good idea
Revisiting this video since I’m about to go on my first serious cut after three years of bulking. I told myself I’d cut after two, but I decided to keep it going since I just fell in love with training, with the addition of getting bigger and stronger. I made great progress in all aspects of training (all compounds plus weighted calisthenics went up) and so I was in a weird headspace where I was paranoid about cutting since I just kept wanting to get bigger and stronger. The way I see it, is that it’s not really a big deal if I lose strength during a cut since I’m not a competitive powerlifter. It’s also not be career to be strong or whatever, so having a small period of time spent getting lean will not detract from me. I also started to think in more positive ways of how I will come back bigger and stronger since I will be educating myself more about training in the meantime, and that I will definitely hit my lifelong strength goals in one of my next bulks. Cutting is a different type of beast in its own right, and there isn’t any shame at all in striving to be lean and see what you built up. Thanks Alex, I wish you further success in your training, as well as you channel!
Watched this video multiple times over the past year. Probably one of the best videos on I’ve seen.
Great video Alex. It’s extremely inspiring to have followed your journey for most of the last decade. One thing I might add to this list is fasting, and not just intermittent fasting but doing so for 1-2 days at a time. In 2017 I went from 230 lbs to 190 lbs. Of course the water weight went easily, and I was continually cleaning up my diet, but I learned of the health benefits of fasting and gave it a try. I still fast to this day because of the other benefits it added to my life in terms of discipline. Learning to not only be okay with being hungry, but to let that hunger fuel me like a fire and attack my goals with unforeseen tenacity. I appreciate your contributions to the conversation and I hope this comment finds you and the community well!
I've just gotten back down to 174 for the first time in 2 years and a lot of these are spot on. I can't stress your last point enough; it was very hard to bulk back up after being lean. One thing that helped me was finding fun/junkier foods to eat during a bulk as a way to encourage me to keep going. After leg day I would eat cereal, I'd go to the gym with my girlfriend and then have a date meal out at a local hibachi or Mexican place, etc. Sometimes you have to look at your Improvement Season as the time to make social gains in addition to gym gains
The first 30 seconds were the greatest casual flex. My boy said “100% success rate” 💪💪💪
Brother, the last point really resonated with me. I've been going through photos from exactly one year ago, I was 160lbs at 5'10 and looking lean with abs popping. Now I'm at 180lbs after going through 2 bulks and cuts over the past year. I looked great but at the same time a lot of bodyparts were so much smaller, especially my arms grew almost 2 inches(almost at 17' now) and forearms got much bigger too.
We have to keep reminding ourselves of all the positives of the bulks. Can't have one without the other. At the same time I'm really excited for the next cut to properly see all the new gains and I'm hyped to see you competing, the last time you were shredded u looked insane and probably could've won a show.
Great video and keep up the great work.
Your totally right about this being a double edge sword . I lost a ton of body weight but still can’t lose this last part of my stomach and it’s becoming so consuming over my life! I know what it is that’s holding me back and it 3 fold : I can’t eat consistently now because of my new job while making less money , I cannot afford to be weak physically and because I live in New York City it’s a food desert unless I prepare and bring food I won’t get good foods to eat and if I do I’m spending up to $60 a day.
Something I realized when I was dieting was I was angry all the time and physically weak . Plus in order to do this time , money and rest must be on your side .
Great content , you told the truth about this a lot of these guys on here won’t say this especially about cutting phases .
I always enjoy your honest no bs approach. Greetings from Athens, Greece!
The most valid point you made. Listen to others more experienced and apply it. Well said.
It's like this man is reading my mind..Been bulking for a year and been planning to cut but scared because I might lose my strength and gains..But after this I have the absolute certainty to get shredded 💪 Thank you King
You just to trust that return of your strength! Which will happen King, you got this 💪
@@AlexLeonidas Appreciate what you're doing for the natty community, Alex 🙌 You're the best man
It mindfcks the shit out of you
Look at it this way. Just because your wife leaves for work, doesn't mean she won't return. She may even want a romp in the sheets afterwards.
Comes with the territory dude but it gives you something awesome to look forward too. Changes, different sort of challenges, sure you'll lose strength but it will be like another game where you try to maintain your reps and strength.
Another tip I'd add is recognise which situations or activities cause you to overeat or binge. Keep an eye out for these triggers. For me it was starting a new TV series & everytime I'd end up binge eating.
On a cut atm, so just wanna say amazing vid, it helps out a lot & keeps me on track ♥️
I don't have anything like that. I only eat what I'm supposed to eat.
I feel this man.
The habits are associated with one another.
I have to cut the netflix or whatever completely, too hard to regulate that junky binge eating.
Can binge youtube for hours tho.
can't wait for my next cut. gonna see my current bulk out until the end of January and assess from there but hopefully this bulk will have been worth it.
It's always worth it brother!
Alex you've gotten so eloquent at speaking you deliver your thoughts well. I'm trying to return to the fitness lifestyle since i stopped training for three years when I joined the workforce. Hopefully I get lean again with this tips since i'm too fat now.
Remeber it´s a marathon brother
Nice advice. Especially at the end
I learned more then I expected from this video. Thx Alex
I'm happy you found this informative brother!
Never fails to deliver real and actionable advice.
Having been away from these fitness channels a while, I must say that you are one of the few that haven't shown much signs of aging; you still look very youthful.
No bullshit editing, straight facts, straight to the point. Thank you brother 👊
This video is legendary already, it is continuous non stop nailing of the subject.
Wishing you all the best in your body image journey
Really really appreciate the warning at the end. Thats real shit, thanks for opening up.
Really great stuff man, diet breaks/maintenance phases are super important. I used to be 335lbs at my heaviest and got down to about 240lbs (roughly 25-28%BF I am 6'2) but once I got back into dating and didn't really do a maintenance phase/break I regained a bunch of weight now I'm back at 280ish. I'm currenlty planning the macrocycle for next year to cut in Q1 and Q3 and do maintenance phases in Q2 and Q4 so I don't burn out and actually reach my goal for the year to get down to 220lbs around 20-22%BF roughly. Still a ways to go before I can get down to 12-15% which is end goal, but slow and steady wins the race.
This video is absolutely perfect ! Spitting straight facts my man, even with peds these fundamentals need to be adhered to. As a long distance runner who moved into weight lifting I often tried to offset my eating with high amounts of cardio which drove up fatigue and made me more susceptible to injury. Tightening up the diet ,tracking properly and taking diet breaks was a much more stress free process. Great content brother 💪
Great video, bout to start a cut soon. When I first started lifting I was obese at 320, I have been fluctuating around 205-210 for about a year now and I've always had the goal of 190 in mind. What you said about losing water weight and looking really good early on resonates with me quite a bit. Many times I would start a cut, get down to like 200 really quickly and look really good and then kind of fall off the wagon underestimating what endeavor I'm going for. Still the leanest I've ever been but I want to take it to the next level
Just as you've pointed out how weight loss assists calisthenic performance, the corollary is true at least for me. When I have focused on calisthenics, it has either made it easier for me to maintain weight loss efforts or kept me from bulking too much. There's a certain feedback where it seems like the body just knows it doesn't want to make things too difficult.
Facts!! I've experienced this as well. It's like your body wants to adapt to those activities, making your physique as efficient as possible. And with the leanness incentive being higher with calisthenics, this makes it even easier.
100% back this…it’s like magic
@@AlexLeonidas Alex do you have a callisthenics only orogram ?
Thank you for sharing this information with us. I could’ve used this info when I first started lifting instead of wasting time with bs most people put out. Great video brother!
I'm liking the channel name change Alex! Moving in the right direction imo
This video came out at a perfect time for me as I'm in a middle of a cut. Keep it up Alex!
This came at the perfect time thanks man 😎
Definitely agree with the part about needing to take a break.. im down 35 lbs total from a dirty bulk that went a little too far and took a break after about 20-25 lbs where i was maintaining at around 190.. now that im cutting again down to hopefully 165, my body doesnt feel like its dying or needs a break because i actually spent a few months maintaining at 190. Down to 180 and while it is getting more difficult to stay consistent with the dieting i feel like my body can definitely handle losing the next 10-15 lbs
I'm going through a transformation of my own at the moment. Really enjoy watching your videos Alex! Straight to the point and truthful!
I'm about intermidiate level of strength and never really done a proper cut, around 90kg at 5 "11 so I'm far from lean. Literally just started a cut and this video shows up in my notifications, perfect timing, cheers Alex. The best fitness content on this platform, as always!
If you tell me that you are at 21% bf and do 40kg weighted pulls with a 50kg dip and are age 20 we will literally have the same stats and situation
@@simzblack1571 Hey that's me, just 6ft height and 21
@@mirkoperic1679 lol insane bro.
@@simzblack1571 i feel so behind... im 21, 6ft, 85kg, and at a novice level for most lifts. i dont know how to calc BF, but id say im probably 25-30%. Finding it hard to cut weight atm, i do intermittent fasting and hiit in the form of cardio. i wanna get lean as for summer
@@Seyiu. just trust the process and make sure your diet is dialled in.
I got shredded to 9% last year and plan to start up again after the holidays, this is perfect advice. You just need to trust the process and remain disciplined. Celebrate the small wins too, like if you see a new striation in the mirror, that's a victory!
Well said brother!
How did it go ?
@@ronaldsuarez6389 haha it went great! Got down to the same leanness but was 10lb heavier so big gains on the bulk! Since then I did another long lean bulk and am finishing up my cut, looks like I've added another 5ish lb lean mass this year. Just keep going brother hope you're making gains too :)
I was a chubby person my whole life till 16y old. Lost like 30 kg in 3 months and from there the grind started. I gaind and lost that kind of weight more then 3 times in my next 23 years, a lot or not but my skin could look a lot better thats for sure😂 ....now after trying all bs advice and diets i know that to stay lean i need 3 things. 1. Tracking callories 2. Working out. 3. MY most important factor which is 200 to 300 kcal cheat sweet snack every day. Im 3 years maintaining and slowly but surely sculpting my physique. Never ever i have looked like now, not compering to others and just trying to be a better person than I was. Thats from a guy who has been fighting depression and all kinds of things for more then 15 years. Anyway,i have also been doing the opposite of all this points mentioned in the video and boy, that list should be written in gold 🥇. Awsome material💯👍
Good luck with your competition man!
Thank you Viktor!
22 yo 196cm and around 195lbs, started 2022 at 180lbs, started a serious bulk in July and put on some significant muscle. I'm going to aim for 220lbs before I begin to cut, and to be honest my main goals are moving weight and not pure aesthetic. Great vid.
Your informative videos save me from long binges, thanks bro!
Long time follower here...glad to see you're finally getting the recognition you deserve. Happy holidays!
Hey Alex, I think it's time you came out with a fresh updated non-Minimalist Beginner Workout routine, would love to start cutting to that!
I think it's time for a lot of new programs
personally over the last 2 years ive bulked for 9 months and then cut for 3 starting in late april so i look good for most of the summer time, been working for me and enjoying the process, its easier for me to lose than to gain weight, started very skinny. thanks for the tips Alex
Bro this was soooo helpful. Thanks for this
Very inspiring video. Seeing your physique motivates me more
Yes! Thank you so much for this video. Currently cutting rn and I feel so much better about having taken a week and a half unplanned break. Also good to know that the very large amount of strength loss is totally normal. I’ll be adding multivitamins to my daily routine and cardio. I’d been staying away from much cardio, electing to deficit almost entirely thru diet, but ik now that I shud add cardio for work capacity. Once again thank you so much
Best channel on you tube by far...
dude i have been a cook/baker and pastry chef for almost 20 years and the diet advice of actually paying attention to your micro to macro nutrient intake from a real health perspective (mental and physical) is the best natural body building advice i have ever heard, with an easy way to meet this goal; LEARN TO COOK. this is of course followed closely by consistency in the gym and managing fatigue. long term you want to be lifting at 60, you want to hold your grandchild, thats what you do. great vid, thanks for your work.
Love the video, straight logic. Also love the IronWolf burpees for cardio! Thanks for the great content my man.
100 percent brother. Great advice and it's not just great but it's true for all us Natural lifters
Fantastic and honest video that actually sucker punched me with that "body dysmorphia" part.
Love this bro. I can relate to the dysmorphia. I went from 235 to 196 over 6 months. Now I’m at maintenance around 205 and I feel FAT. Gonna take a break and cut to ~185 in April.
You’re always keeping it real, no BS. Thanks for that Alex
Yo Alex! Bought a chest expander after your video on it and have incorporated it into a few training sessions, really digging it so far!
80lbs lost since March, 100lbs gone from my bench. It's a struggle just finding "the groove" with the leverage changes.
I 100% agree with everything you've said here.
Even the body dismophia thing.
I'm at 14% right now and I feel fat.
I made it to the single digits.
It's legit man.
Yeah same. My InBody results were 15.4% body fat at 188lbs, but looking in mirror I felt like I had tons of improvement to do.
@@tonyf3100 gets in your head, just gotta remember that we are freaking elite monsters compared to the average slob.
You're a freaking stud, remember that big dog 👍.
@@paulx7620 lol get a room
Super unusual and awesome tips, thx!
thank you for this bro, currently on my diet break for the same reasons in ur vid
I totally agree about the dysmorphia issue. Last year I decided that I wanted to get rid of the fat and I succeeded. Then I fell well below the minimum for my height, just because I wanted to be more and more lean.. and the health problems started immediately. I had to gain a few kilos and now I feel totally lost and fat etc. wanting to reach this leaner version again, even though it's not healthy . So yeah the struggle is real 😕
Going through the same thing, I think the solution is just committing to one thing. In my case I’m cutting down to 200 and maintaining for awhile.
So I’m about 176 cm (just under 5’10”)…currently sitting at 186 pounds….with a significant amount of vascularity….not bad for a 38 year old that weighed 268 pounds back in 2019….keep after it!!! 💪🏋️❤️
That's impressive my man!! Experienced natty representing 💪💯🔥
@@AlexLeonidas yup, your channel has been instrumental in helping me absolutely demolish my strength/hypertrophy goals! Fellow Canadian 🍁 too! I had someone ask me recently if I was on steroids haha 😂…( I’m 100% natty)… my favourite compliment. 💪❤️
@@MarcoIsBig awesome! I’m all about getting older AND stronger !! 💪💪
Old man strength is real 💪
@@SamSung-jn5fi it sure is!!! 💪💪💪💪
Awesome video Alex!!! Thank you! Just in time for my 2023 cut!
Hell ya so awesome your going to compete cant wait bro!!
I needed this video thank you Alex
Did my first successful cut during the fall before a BJJ competition, but bulked too hard after. Also didn't reach the leanness I desired. Going to start the new year off with new cut. This time even more successful and with a plan of sustainability to follow. A bit heavy at 90kg, 174 cm. Going to enjoy the easier time with chins and dips. Perfect timing Alex!
Hell yeah, would like to see you compete brother! Let’s go!
Great video. This will give me a good boost going into a deficit after Christmas day. Its gonna be slow and i'm not going to let myself suffer, not worth it for me for the shredz. Just gonna get to a happy point and maintain for a bit before I reassess goals.
perfect timing alex!
I’ve noticed with myself that sometimes at the start of a cut, I actually look worse. Which I believe is due to losing significant intra-muscular water and glycogen first, but not much fat. Therefore I look flatter and smaller, but not leaner.
But as the cut goes on and more actual fat loss occurs, that’s when the cuts to show. Then I start to throw in once a week cheat days/re-feeds, which is when my physique looks its best, as my muscles get “filled back out”, but I’m also lean at the same time.
Thanks so much for this video Alex. It's what I needed to hear today, 1 month into a cut, that has me freaking out about strength loss. Blessings!
Speech pattern very reminiscent of old school Yo Elliot videos. Good stuff
Bro I remember when blalaha thought he was disrespecting you. What a clown. You look so good.
Great information. Well rounded perspective. Great video. ✌️
Alex, would love a response on this. You mentioned that on a cut, losing strength could take you from advanced to intermediate. If its an expected and well known side effect of a cut to decrease their level of experience. Is intermediate, advanced, elite all relative to strength, fitness, or physique, or is it the knowledge of how to meet your goals?
You’re indeed one hundred % right! Crisp and clear perse based on the experience. Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge and experience!🌸 I wish You A happy new year 2023 mate with more health and wealth!
Alex is gonnaaa compeeeete lessss goooo💪
Love the video. Straight up facts.
Yeasss! I gotta switch up and start doing a couple overheads/finishers again.
It’s fallowing this guy that gave me the realization that there was a weaghted exercise I had access to with my curl bar this and reverse curls. (More for the Arsenal)
At 3:00 that seems like a neat and simple total body workout/cardio thing, what do you call that?
Amazing video Alex! I’ll be cutting in February so this was really helpful. Something I’m wondering is, do you think there’s any benefit to doing more calisthenic work the further you progress with your cut? Thanks!
More so psychological and the fact that there's an incentive to stay lean. Not to mention, actually getting some PRs! Calisthenics + cardio are the two activities that improve when cutting, which is very rewarding.
Thanks for the reply Alex! Yeah in my mind, if strength losses are an inevitable part of the cutting process, then achieving PRs in calisthenics is a great way to shift the mindset away from “oh man my barbell numbers are going down” to “oh wow I just got a new pullup PR”. Appreciate the videos as always 👍
Why not now? 😒
In June 2020 I went from big and strong (slightly fluff but with a visible 4 pack) but still fit and able to run 10k and go 35-40 minutes non stop on the heavy bag at 182cm weighing 103.5kg to 85kg in April 2021. I did no cheat meals from June 2020 - September 2020 and then eased up a bit and then again went super adherent and disciplined from January 2021-April 2021 again with no cheat meals. Afterwards I got back to pursuing strength on my lifts like the power cleans , hang snatches , behind the neck presses , box squats , 3 point rows and Bench Press and my weight went back up to 104kg by April 2022 I bulked but it didn't feel good, even though I was still doing heavy bag work , running and sprints . Since then I have trained exclusively calisthenics and weighted calisthenics and running 5-10k with weight and hitting the heavy bag and I currently weigh around 87.5-88kg I want to maintain my pound for pound relative strength and lose 3-4 kg slowly. I may return to the weights at some point but I am currently happier doing calisthenics and retraining my martial arts and tricking skills.
@@eventhorizon7234 40 minutes continuous work and just a minute break here and there to stop for a drink of water and that's also wearing a weighted vest with a sweat jacket on.
I almost skipped this video thinking it was just another cutting lesson from your typical influencer. Easily the greatest video ever made. Hard reality check, going to get after it. See you on the other side.
This vid gonna help me 100% thanks bro, good shit
I’m cutting right now and I really appreciate this video! Great content as usual!
welcome to rep city bois... thanks alex your gpp videos introduced me to ironwold and i hit a goldmine with that discovery. currently running a 3 day full body and some burpees on off days
Man I'd love some more food content from you. Good work bro!
Amazing video, you're a true inspiration. started to cut after being a lazy ass the last couple of months, i'll be revisiting your video many times over the next few months
Thank you Alex! I have fell out of my diet, but this upcoming year, I plan on getting shredded. You put be back on track with this video
WOAHHHHHHH dude congrats on your competition phase! We send you the full support and love from here in Cali. Keep us updated and mayyyybe should we suspect a surprise Nippard guest appearance during your competition prep?? =P
Always great content 👍
Thanks for the chapters, I was easily able to find my place again after waking up
Hey Alex, as always you put out great content and i love your videos a lot! Huge inspiration!!
One question though, have you ever tried out the Impossible dip?
A quick tip with cheat meals. For me on the day of my cheat meal, i plan it as my rest day and i fast for 16hrs and then eat micro-nutrient dense low calorie foods for the 2 meals before my cheat meal (which is dinner for me), and plan my cheat meal in such a way as to only be at maintenance calories. This has worked really well for me as it still allows a insanely filling and enjoyable meal while maintaining a lower cal intake.
Great video, I needed to hear this
Very profound & appreciate video. 🙏
I was like , who the hell is Alex Leonidas😅