Hey guys, I finished my 12-week bulk and now I’m one week into a 4-6-week mini-cut before getting back to bulking. I gained about 15lbs, a bit of which was water & fat. Yes, I’ve been on cruise & blast—my current blast started during the 5th week of that 12-week bulk and will continue ‘til I finish my mini-cut.
For the mini-cut, I used a few calculators to figure out my macros and calories based on my weight. This might be a dumb question: I was wondering if as I lose weight every week, should lower my calories/macros depending on my weight or should I stick to the initial one?
For a mini-cut that only lasts 4-6 weeks, go as low as you sensibly can whilst still getting your protein in and not being absolutely miserable. I wouldn’t worry about anything week by week, just take as much fat away as you can in this timeframe. This will likely end up in a ~1000-1200 daily calorie deficit for most people which is totally safe. If you can do a little more than that, that’s fine too. The risk of muscle loss only goes up when you’re super lean - and even then it’s minimal and unlikely to happen in just a few weeks if you’re training hard. Your body will let you know when you’re deficit is no longer sustainable with reduced performance and energy. It usually happens in the 5th week for me and then I re-enter a bulk.
Aim for 1-2% of your total bodyweight lost per week dependant on your bodyfat percentage. Less than 10% lean more towards the 1%, above 20% lean more towards the 2%.
For what its worth I have twice lost ~15lbs in 4-6weeks with zero strength loss other than glycogen stability in presses which came back within a week or two. 2-3lbs a week and then some water weight is entirely possible.