When people are trying to lose fat, they typically reduce the intensity of their weight training, increase the frequency of cardio, and switch to lighter weights with high repetitions. A combination of all three is a surefire way to lose the muscle gains you worked so hard for.
The truth
Continue lifting heavy and hold the same reps (6-10)
If you start lifting lighter weights, you tell your body that it doesn’t really need your muscle, combined with a calorie deficit, your catabolism is the best. The theory of light high reps arose from the assumption that light high reps shape, tone, and ridge muscle. This is completely false, you cannot change the shape of your muscle. The shape of your muscles is determined by your genetics, you can only make them bigger or smaller. There is no such thing as toning a muscle, but you can lose weight, which will make you look firmer. As far as adding stretch marks to your muscles, expect to go below 7% body fat. So lift weights to maintain your muscles while you diet.
Emphasize diet over cardio
Many people start doing cardio like crazy to lose fat, without paying much attention to their diet. Unless you are in a calorie deficit, YOU WILL NOT LOSE FAT. By putting more emphasis on your diet, you’re pretty much guaranteed to lose fat. By having a deficit of 500 calories a day, you will lose a pound of fat a week. Would you rather do 50 minutes of cardio a day or lose 55 grams of fat?
Do the cardio that suits you best
You should do some cardio while cutting, 3-4 sessions per week will be fine. With the debate over High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or Low Intensity Steady State Cardio (LISS), many people are confused. The truth is that at the end of the day the calorie burn will be the same. But both have great advantages. A great benefit of HIIT is that it is very brief, if you don’t have a lot of time, HIIT is for you. LISS, on the other hand, is much easier to perform because you don’t need as much energy as HIIT. While on a diet, your energy levels won’t be as high, so LISS is ideal. But if you have the energy, HIIT is a great option.
So stick to these principles, don’t follow the masses, and get the ripped physique you deserve. So if you were wondering Should you change your routine while cutting?the answer is not really.