When was the last time you did a goal setting session with yourself?
When was the last time you did a goal setting session with a coach?
If you answered “never” to the latter, then you might be doing yourself a disservice by not fully understanding if you’re setting realistic goals for yourself.
If you set a goal for yourself and then create a plan of action, it’s not necessarily your fault if your action steps don’t align with your goal – it may just be that you don’t have all the information you need to make a proper plan.
So, let me try and help you out a little bit by clarifying the three big general goals people usually have when it comes to fitness and nutrition:
-Cutting
-Maintaining
-Bulking
What’s the difference?
Cutting
This is the term used for someone who’s cutting weight. It’s an intentional weight loss protocol followed quite precisely in order to make sure that fat is lost and all muscle mass is maintained. A proper cut can be anywhere between 6 weeks to 6 months, depending on the individual and their rate of loss. Being in a constant caloric deficit is quite taxing on the body and mind, and advanced techniques need to be implemented to diet for longer than this.
The truth behind cutting: Cutting is hard. And it will not give you the body you desire if you don’t dedicate time to nourishing your body and building muscle mass first. Most of the time, people lose weight too rapidly and they lose muscle mass as well, so make sure you earn your cut!
Maintenance
Maintenance is a great option for most active individuals, most of the time. It’s when you eat enough food to support and increase muscle mass and slowly lose body fat at the same time, resulting in weight maintenance. This process is much slower, but it is also more sustainable than cutting.
But the thing that prevents people from wanting to be in a maintenance phase is the thought that they “stay the same”. Maintenance refers to the number on the scale. That’s it. It doesn’t refer to your progress as you lose body fat, gain muscle, or build strength in the gym..
Maintenance should be comfortable. It should allow you to take time off tracking your food very strictly. It shouldn’t leave you feeling hungry. Your body wants to be maintained.
And if you’re taking a look at your life right now, and it seems like things are pretty overwhelming, this might be the perfect phase for you. Use this phase to support everything else you have going on in your life. To increase the bottom line of your business, to make your relationships better, to focus on the basics – good food, lots of water, lots of good sleep, and good movement.
Bulking
The term is used for someone who is trying to put on weight in the form of muscle mass while maintaining current levels of body fat as best as possible. A bulk can last anywhere from 4 weeks to many years!
The truth behind bulking: Bulking sounds great because you can eat more, right? Constantly eating more is not as fun as you think. This isn’t a dirty bulk we’re talking about – high quality foods are so important when it comes to building muscle. Most people go through a cut and gain weight too rapidly where they put on unwanted body fat.
I would approach bulking like you would a cut. It should be intentional and regimented. You need to be tracking your food every day, and you need to make sure you’re prioritizing the quality of your foods and a really good workout routine. You might have to spend a bit more time in the gym because you will be able to recover from your workouts much better. You might have to spend more time grocery shopping, preparing food and eating it.
So, with all this said…
Are you currently cutting, maintaining or bulking? I’d love to hear what fitness goal you’re hoping to achieve for these holidays.
I know last holiday season was unfortunately underwhelming due to Covid, but are you looking forward to this season? Do you have a specific goal you would like to meet? Send me a DM, I would love to chat about it!
To your Success,
Christian Poulos