You’ve put in the work. You’ve stacked the weights, built size, and earned every ounce of muscle mass gained through discipline and dedication. Now it’s time to cut. But the truth is, most people do it wrong. They chase the scale, burn too fast, and watch their hard-earned muscle shed off with the fat.
Not you. You’re not here to get skinny. You’re here to put in the work and show it off—the size you’ve earned through the years, and this cut that brings it all to the surface.
Here are 5 Animal-approved tips for leaning out without losing muscle.
1. Don’t Crash Your Calories—Cut with Precision
Cutting shouldn’t equate to starving yourself. Drop calories too fast and your body will eat your muscle for fuel. The most effective and sustainable cuts happen when properly controlled. Use a moderate deficit, starting with 10–15% below maintenance. Keep protein high, fats stable, and carbs around your workouts to stay fueled and anabolic. Track it and adjust based on your body’s response.
If you’re already eating clean and training consistently but still can’t shed that last layer of stubborn fat, it’s time to bring in reinforcements. Add Animal Cuts to your regimen—our award-winning thermogenic fat burner, available in convenient pill packs or fast-acting powder.
2. Keep Lifting Heavy
Your body keeps what it needs. If your lifts get lighter during your cut, you’ll begin to lose your muscle because you’re telling your body that you no longer need the mass.
Stick to the heavy basics: squats, pulls, and presses, with lower reps and longer rest between sets. This will signal to your body the muscle still matters.
3. Add Cardio, But Keep It Smart
When you’re cutting, use it strategically to burn fat without burning out. Start with low-intensity steady-state (LISS) sessions a few times a week, ideally fasted or post-lift. If you’re conditioned, sprinkle in HIIT 1–2x per week, max. Keep the intensity in your lifts, and let cardio support the cut—not replace the work.
4. Stack Creatine HMB+
Muscle loss is real during a cut, but Creatine HMB+ can help combat this. Here’s how the combination of creatine and myHMB® yields a superior formula that’s proven to preserve muscle mass during a cut.
Creatine Monohydrate (5g)
Creatine helps fuel your muscles during high-intensity training, so you can lift heavier, push harder, and maintain strength even in a deficit. It keeps your muscles full and performance-ready, preventing the drop-off that usually comes with restricted calories.
myHMB® (3g)
HMB is your muscle’s defense system during a cut. It inhibits protein breakdown and supports the recovery process, helping you retain lean mass while shedding fat. Clinical research shows that adding HMB to creatine results in a 67% greater increase in lean body mass and 32.7% greater strength gains than creatine alone.
5. Make Rest A Priority
Cutting is stress on your body. Training is stress on your body. Cardio is stress on your body. But sleep? That’s recovery.
Sleep isn’t optional—it’s critical. Getting 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night is essential for recovery, muscle growth, and overall performance. During deep sleep, your body releases growth hormone, repairs muscle tissue, balances testosterone levels, and reduces cortisol. Without enough rest, your training suffers, recovery slows, and gains stall. Sleep is where the real growth happens.
Animal PM is a non-habit forming, nighttime recovery pack that promotes deep sleep, boosts natural growth hormone, and supports muscle repair with ingredients like melatonin, GABA, and essential aminos. Add it to your stack to optimize sleep and recovery.
