Uploaded July 2015 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Path to your Goal Physique: thinkeatlift.com/path
Attached article: thinkeatlift.com/losing-strength-while-cutting
When we're cutting the goal is obviously not just weight loss, we want to lose fat without muscle. Sometimes some muscle loss is inevitable, for example if you're going to diet to 5% body fat you will have less lean mass than you had at 7% let's say.
However, for most people looking to get beach ripped, muscle loss should not happen at all if they do things right.
Strength and muscle size are intricately linked. We can't really talk about one without the other. When cutting, strength maintenance is the best indicator for muscle maintenance.
That is because if the contractile tissue (your muscle fibers) remain the same size, they will be able to produce just as much force. So if you're maintaining strength while cutting, know that you're doing things right, you're maintaining all your muscle. In fact you may be gaining a little because you're lifting the same weights at a lower body weight.
However, it is possible to lose strength without losing muscle. The reason for that is because strength is not only dependent on muscle size, it is also dependent on fuel availability and leverage.
When you're eating less, you're also reducing your fuel for your workouts. Carbs fuel workout performance so if after a few weeks of dieting, one day you are glycogen depleted you'll probably lose some strength in that workout. As you get closer and closer to the essential body fat levels, fueling your body while staying in a deficit becomes more and more difficult so in this scenario you may see strength loss without muscle loss.
Also, I mentioned leverage a few moments ago. When you're losing body weight you're ability to control the weight on some movements decreases. For example on shoulder press if the weight you're using moves you around instead of you moving it, obviously the exercise will be that much harder to perform.
That probably the main reason pushing strength is the first one to go on a cut. Most people find their bench press to suffer while cutting and this certainly has something to do with that.
And as a side note, when you're leaner the range of motion on bench press is likely longer because you have less fat on your back and chest and the bar may need to travel an extra inch each rep. That also affects your strength levels.
This is not to say that you can't gain strength while cutting. In fact, a lot of people do, beginners and advanced lifters alike. I was talking with Greg on facebook about cutting and he said something I'll remember for a long time. He said "In my reality I see no reason why you couldn't make gains on a cut. So I go for it." Wow what an attitude. No wonder the guy hits PRs at 7% body fat.
The Path to your Goal Physique: thinkeatlift.com/path
Attached article: thinkeatlift.com/losing-strength-while-cutting
When we're cutting the goal is obviously not just weight loss, we want to lose fat without muscle. Sometimes some muscle loss is inevitable, for example if you're going to diet to 5% body fat you will have less lean mass than you had at 7% let's say.
However, for most people looking to get beach ripped, muscle loss should not happen at all if they do things right.
Strength and muscle size are intricately linked. We can't really talk about one without the other. When cutting, strength maintenance is the best indicator for muscle maintenance.
That is because if the contractile tissue (your muscle fibers) remain the same size, they will be able to produce just as much force. So if you're maintaining strength while cutting, know that you're doing things right, you're maintaining all your muscle. In fact you may be gaining a little because you're lifting the same weights at a lower body weight.
However, it is possible to lose strength without losing muscle. The reason for that is because strength is not only dependent on muscle size, it is also dependent on fuel availability and leverage.
When you're eating less, you're also reducing your fuel for your workouts. Carbs fuel workout performance so if after a few weeks of dieting, one day you are glycogen depleted you'll probably lose some strength in that workout. As you get closer and closer to the essential body fat levels, fueling your body while staying in a deficit becomes more and more difficult so in this scenario you may see strength loss without muscle loss.
Also, I mentioned leverage a few moments ago. When you're losing body weight you're ability to control the weight on some movements decreases. For example on shoulder press if the weight you're using moves you around instead of you moving it, obviously the exercise will be that much harder to perform.
That probably the main reason pushing strength is the first one to go on a cut. Most people find their bench press to suffer while cutting and this certainly has something to do with that.
And as a side note, when you're leaner the range of motion on bench press is likely longer because you have less fat on your back and chest and the bar may need to travel an extra inch each rep. That also affects your strength levels.
This is not to say that you can't gain strength while cutting. In fact, a lot of people do, beginners and advanced lifters alike. I was talking with Greg on facebook about cutting and he said something I'll remember for a long time. He said "In my reality I see no reason why you couldn't make gains on a cut. So I go for it." Wow what an attitude. No wonder the guy hits PRs at 7% body fat.
