Doug's mega cutting workout routine is designed to lose fat while maintaining muscle mass. A thorough cardio warm up at start of each day, stretches and cardio cool down at the end of the training session.
Workout notes:
- Low intensity cardio is performed every day, morning and evenings working up to 40+ minutes each session.
- Abdominals performed after each training session.
- Ab exercises: rope crunch, crossover crunch and hip thrusts. 20-15 reps on each set for abs.
- First two sets on each body part is a warm up set indicated by * are warmup sets
- Repetition timing is 4-1-4 on main exercises, and 1-1-1 on Tri-Set exercises
- 45 seconds rest between sets unless indicated.
WEDNESDAY - REST DAY
| Friday - Legs and Calves |
Quads
|
| Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
| Squats - (15-12*) |
5 |
12, 10, 8, 8, 8 |
| Tri Set x 3 (see notes): |
| Wall Squat |
3 |
12-15 |
| Leg Extension |
3 |
12-15 |
| Sissy Squat |
3 |
20-25 |
| Hamstrings |
| Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
| Leg Curls - (12-15*) |
4 |
12, 10, 10, 10 |
| Straight Leg Deadlifts |
3 |
15, 12, 10 |
Calves
|
| Seated Calf Raise - (10-12*) |
3 |
12, 10, 10 |
| Standing Calf Raise |
3 |
20, 15, 15 |
Workout Notes:
|
Tri sets: No rest between exercises. 60-90 Seconds between each Tri-Set.
Wall Squats are performed with back against a wall or door, feet placed approx 2 foot in front. |
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY - REST DAYS
Got Something To Say? Post Your Comments Below
Great plan, will give this a go as of next monday, can I just ask, what weight should I be lifting? I'd say about 50% 1rm? What do you suggest? Thanks in advance
How long should you do this routine?
this workout i shud kip for how many week n shud i start wth light weight or heavy
great routine man just one question: is it possible to split this into 3 days? cause im gonna do it when wrestling season starts so i can maintain my muscle and burn fat. Doing it 4 days a week would be a hassle since itd be during school and wrestling season. So if its possible to shorten it to 3 please let me know how
You could do chest, shoulders and triceps on Day 1, legs and abs on Day 2 and back and biceps on the third training day.
that seems like too much volume on the first day though
You would have to reduce some of the exercises.
Great routine. What kind of diet do I need to go along with this?
I would recommend heading to the forum and laying out some specifics about your current weight, etc., and see if we can't help you figure out a good diet.
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/forum/
just to clearify, is it 60-90 after the first set in tri-set then another after the 2nd set or is the rest only between switching exercises.
No rest during trisets. Rest 60 to 90 between exercises.
so each tri set consists of the 3 different exercises? So do the 3 different exercises rest then again?
gr8 routine kindly explain what does it means by no rest between trisets ?????
so do i do 3 straight sets of the same exercise or do one, one, one 60 sec of rest then 1-1-1 again. i just wanna make sure i have all this perfect
You do not rest in between exercises on trisets.
Ok just so I'm clear. A tri set is the 3 different exercises. so 3 exercises rest 60-90 sec then next 3 sets of exercises? I this right?
hey what do you mean by 4-1-4 for the exercise.. do the 4 sets of the main exercise then the triset then back to the 4 sets for the main exercise ?
4-1-4 is the rep tempo. you should take 4 seconds to lift the weight concentrically, hold for one second at contraction, and take 4 seconds to lower the weight to the starting position.
could this also increase the seze of your arms?
It is very hard to cut fat and increase muscle at the same time.
The first 6 weeks of strength gain is usually new neurological connections between muscle fibers. This workout is designed to cut fat and build lean muscle, so putting on any sort of "bulk" is highly unlikely.
However, if you have not been active prior to this workout and have not spent much time in the weight room before, you could possibly put on some muscle during this workout given you stick with it long enough. Again, this is designed to cut fat and tone muscles so it is likely you will experience more definition rather than muscle gain.
Jake
Kinesiologist
Health and Fitness Specialist
Licensed Massage Therapist
When you say: "Ab exercises: rope crunch, crossover crunch and hip thrusts. 20-15 reps on each set for abs". How many sets of each ab exercise am I suppose to do after each workout? Is it just one set for each exercise or 3 sets of each?
One set for each movement.
Thanks Steve. I will be starting this routine today, but unfortunately I will only be able to do cardio once a day - after the workout, since I'm at work 9 hours everyday, and it is too hard for me to get up in the morning(I am not a morning person).
I would like to talk about what supplements to take along with this routine? I have read some of the other routines and your posts and saw that you recommend fish oil, nitric oxide and some fat burning supplement.
I can easily get fish oil no problem. What is that Nitric oxide? Which one would be the best out there?
Also which fat burner would you recommend the most? I will be going to GNC over the weekend or might go online and search for better deals.
Just to let you know that I just got finished with a split system of Joe Weider. It has worked quite well for me. I did some good gains on it. My next routine was suppose to be power and bulk but I feel like I need to shred some of my unwanted fat instead of bulking up too much. I take whey protein twice a day(2 scoops of EAS), L-Glutamine and creatine as well. I am done with creatine now and still taking the protein and Glutamine.
Just in case you'd like my measurments: 6'3", 220lbs. I have a problem with extra unwanted fat around my waist area(lovehandles) and abs and lower chest. Is there anything particular that I should pay extra attention to?
Thank you so much for the response.
Martin
Here are the Nitric Oxide supplements:
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/store/category/nitric-oxide.html
They are very popular because they work. They help with boosting energy and focus during training, which can really help during cuts.
There are also many quality fat loss products:
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/store/category/fat-loss.html
Animal Cuts and Lipo 6 are 2 of the most popular.
As far as unwanted fat, just make sure you're eating enough protein while cutting, at least 30 to 40 grams every 2.5 to 3 hours. You'll also want to lift as heavy as possible within stated rep ranges to give your body a reason to hold on to hard-earned muscle. The fat will slowly come off. Be patient and keep working hard.
Steve,
Just thought to drop a line. As of today I am still on mega cutting routine and it has been amazing. So far I dropped to 194lbs. You were right about the fat. Slowly, but it's coming off. Pretty soon I will be ending my cutting routine and going into power and bulk. I did lost some strength but not too bad. I keep trying to lift as heavy as possible every time.
Congrats on the great progress!
Also for nitric oxide the best ones that I've found is N-Zero, C4, or the new M5 by Cellucor. Also for fat burners use T7 or D4 extremem thermal shock also by Cellucor. Cellular by my opinion is the best supplement company going right now.
For the ab sets, 4-1-4 timing as well? Or regular 1-1-1 for them.
hey steve what about this rutine, a fat burner ( lypo-6 multiphase) and a low carb and fat balanced diet( 5 meals)...
btw... i only make 1 hour of cardio
Sounds like a reasonable approach. What type of low-carb approach will you be using?
Thanks for the great plan.I'm goin to get started monday morning.I have a question; assuming I did everything on this plan exactly how its descrived, when should I expect to see some changes?If i cant do cardio in the evenings becoz of work, can I replace that with a saturday activity like swimming?
Thanks again Steve.
Swimming is a great form of exercise. The real key to success on a program like this is having a proper diet. You want to eat at least 30 to 40 grams of protein every 2.5 to 3 hours, and eat fewer calories then it takes to maintain your weight. You would like to lose about 1.5 to 2 pounds of fat each week.
First off,thank you for a great website.Is this rutine doable for a women? My wife is having a hard time with keeping weight off,and is asking for some help.Could she do this rutine with weight that is heavy for her or at least offering good resistance? Granted she does not want to bulk up but I would think that if building muscle burns fat,once she reaches her goal and starts to see some muscle tone,she could then switch up her rutine.Of course this would be with a good diet.Thanks in advance.
This program would work for a woman.
Women generally require a slightly higher rep range. I would recommend using 10 to 15 reps for most exercises. She won't bulk up if she lifts heavy. She'll actually tone up and look wonderful. Have her check out the female transformations...most of them recommend training heavy, and as you will see, they are not bulky:
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/transformations.html
If sh does perform this routine for a while, and enjoys lifting, it is definitely OK to switch routines!
I can only do 1 cardio session would 1hour of cardio work for this routine?
Yes as long as you have your diet in check and setup to help you lose weight.
For the sets that are 12,10,8,8 are we supposed to increase weight or just use the same all the way through?
If you are pushing hard you will probably be using about the same weight for each set.
Hi Steve,
Great Plan!!
Does this plan require a low carb diet.
As I workout in the morning I have my protein (35gms) shake with creatine(5gms), gluatimine(5gms) and waxy maize (1scoop).
Post workout I have the same combination of the shake.
Breakfast is again with eggs and oat meals Since I work 10-12 hours a day, I need to have a high carb meal(rice with soya chunks/grilled chicken) in the afternoon, followed by evening snacking on a sandwich and a granola.
Dinner is low carb with a protein shake before sleep.
I weigh 69 kgs for 5.6" frame.
Please let me know your inputs, so I could start this program at the earliest.
Regards,
Pradeep B
It's doesn't require an extremely low carb approach, but ti does require a cutting diet for fat loss.
It seems like you approach is solid.
Thanks a million.
I will have this plan cycled from this coming week.
Pradeep B
I have a few questions and a statement,
I just finished my first week of this routine. and I LOVE it thus far.
I am only able to do 30 minutes of cardio, but I dont take as much rest between sets as the workout recomends.
I always Powerlifted 3-6 reps 80% of my max to start, this has been difficult for me, my Muscles are not attuned to the reps.
I wanted to ask in there are some substitute exercises, My body has taken a ton of punishment from, work sports and plain old me being clumsy.
Sissy squats are near impossible for me to do correctly, my knees and ankles simply do not bend the proper way anymore, I have had quite a few surgeries.
My gym has a 45 degree calf machine but not a seated calf machine, suggestions?
I can squat but I must use the Sumo style, with feet pointing pretty far out. I tried to squat properly but again my body would not contort properly.
also on the Pushups either Triangle for triceps or regular, its always done last and I Struggle to get 4-5 good ones before failure is this normal? is my diet off? will my body adapt and get longevity? I am currently on the South Beach diet, I understand its not the best workout diet but its per the doc so its what I have to deal with. I use the phase 2 meal plans.
Regards
Mike
Hi Mike,
I think it would be best to answer your questions over at the forum. We have several topics to address.
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/forum/
I reposted my thread on the forums here is a link,
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/forum/beginners-questions-advice/42129-...
Thank you in advance for taking your time to answer!
Mike
Is the cardio portion designed to be done every day (7 days) or just on the work-out days (4 days)? Also, as a women, which would be the best routine to loose weight/fat the quickest? Doug's Mega Cutting routine, Doug's 5 day high definition routine, or Doug's super shredding routine?
Thank you,
Chenise
You only perform the cardio on resistance training days.
As far as which program is better...if you have your diet nailed down, working out more frequently will help you burn slightly more calories. I would advise using Doug's 5 day high definition routine.
Just finsihed my first week of this workout, last week, and boy am I sore...but feeling good. I have a few questions:
First, as far as the weights go...is it a matter of doing an amount of weight that will allow you to complete each exercise within the set OR should it be 20%, 30%, and so on of your max?
I weigh 175lbs and am 6'2"...I'm consuming approx 1800 calories a day. I know this is low but I'm trying to burn the fat while maintaining muscle. My goal right now is to define/tone (primarily my mid-section) and so I'm going low on the calories to accomplish this goal. My question: is this calorie intake too low? (NOTE: instead of slow paced cardio twice a day...I'm doing Intense intervals - ten 1 minute cardio exercises (ex. mountain climbers) once a day - and working as a night loader for a company in which I'm lifting and moving boxes (5 to 60 lbs in weight) for 4 hours a night, 3 days a week).
Last question: what is the recommended length of time to use this program? By that I mean, should this be a 2 week, 3 week, 4 week, etc. program?
Thanks for the workout. I'm looking forward to some great results. Also, thanks for your time to read and respond to my questions. Greatly appreciated.
Hi Isaiah,
You should be lifting as much weight as possible for each stated rep range. You don't want to train to failure, but you want to train real close to failure. If you aren't pushing this hard, you are giving your body a big reason to lose muscle while cutting.
As far as calories, that is too low. You run the risk of "bounce back" weight gain when the cutting is done. There was a study many years ago (The Minnesota Starvation study) which basically revealed that those who eat very low calories for several months at a time run the risk of gaining back more fat then those that eat slightly more. You would be better off eating around 2300 to 2500 calories and losing the weight a bit more slowly.
Low calorie intake also encourages the body to burn muscle as fuel, making it harder for you to cut as you lose weight. You will be losing muscle and fat, and could end up looking skinny but flabby - especially if you're not training hard.
I woudl run this program for 8 to 12 weeks max.
Great. Thanks for the feedback, Steve. I greatly appreciate it. I wil increase my calorie intake. Based upon what I told you I'm doing for cardio...any feedback on that? Thanks again.
Isaiah
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