The summer cut: how to lean out without losing muscle
- Clem Duranseaud
- May 18
- 7 min read
It's that time of the year again: days are getting longer, it's getting a little warmer, you've had a couple enjoyable patio evenings, and summer is finally on it's way.
As you may be sipping your favourite brew or cocktail, the thought of losing a few pounds to "get ready for summer" may cross your mind. Beach days are coming, hiking season is just around the corner and you may have a few weddings you want to look good for.
In this article we'll go over exactly how to lean out for these events while feeling your best, and not sacrificing all that deliciousness that comes with summer.
Fat loss vs weight loss
Leaning out and seeing muscle definition is a result of a sustained high protein calorie deficit.
We want to lose fat while retaining as much muscle as possible.
Bear in mind that in any calorie deficit, you will lose a little bit of muscle, but we can can limit that amount with proper training and nutrition.
We want to focus on feeling our best, not on a number on the scale. Yes, keeping an eye out on your weight is a good way to track overall progress, but on the day to day, focus on those small, consistent habits that will help you retain your muscle mass.
First up, let's take a look at constitutes an acceptable calorie deficit.
Calorie deficit for summer cut
Being in a calorie deficit doesn't always mean you're hungry all the time. Aim for a small sustainable one, that allows you to go through the day without craving food.
Start with a 250 calorie deficit to start with. Stick with it for two weeks and see where that takes you.
Make adjustments if needed after two weeks.
Keep your protein intake high. I usually recommend anywhere between 1.6g - 2g of protein per kg of body weight per day.
Sine we are cutting, try staying on the upper end of that spectrum, with 2g/protein/day.
Example
I weight 89 kg, so I aim to eat (89 x 2) = 178 grams of protein every day.
178g of protein each day looks like this
One full chicken breast: 54g
3 egg omellet with 100ml of egg whites: 33g
Veggie salad with 100g of chickpeas and 3 tablespoons of hemp hearts: 29g
Cottage cheese, 4 ounces: 13g
2 scoops of protein powder: 40g
This gives me a total of 169g, with the rest of whatever I eat supplying the remain few grams needed.
Workouts to lean out for a beach body
Your workout plan shouldn't change much to build your beach body. You're still trying to build muscle. Do not start doing more reps for the sake toning. Avoid the tone zone.
High reps don't build muscles as well as lower, heavier reps. So do yourself a favour and stay within the 4-10 rep range for most of your workouts.
Focus on full body, compound exercises
Compound exercises work two or more joints. These exercises work more muscles and have a better hormonal response than single joint exercises.
These include:
Squats
Lunges
Deadlifts
Step ups
Chest presses
Shoulder presses
Rows
Lat pull downs
Chin ups
Sprinting
Carries
All this exercises have tons of different options. You could use a barbell, you can use dumbbells, or you can use machines.
Does this mean you can never do single jointed exercises? Of course not. Try doing 80% of your training with full body or compound exercises, and 20% with single joint exercises.
Keep your summer workouts short
You'll have slightly less energy than normal on a good calorie deficit. Keep your workouts short and intense. Don't take endless rest periods between sets. Keep them around 90-120 seconds and train with intent.
Aim for your workouts to be done in 30-45 minutes.
Should you do cardio to get your summer body?
I'm a strong believer that any training program should include some sort of cardio.
This type of training makes your heart healthy and helps you recover faster between your workouts, amongst a host of other health benefits.
However, using cardio for fat loss is a double edged sword.
On one hand, it burns calories and directly targets your fat stores for energy.
On the other hand, it usually makes us more hungry and can drain our energy.
Creating a calorie deficit is a balancing act involving your personal preferences. Some people do it strictly with diet alone. Others choose to incorporate cardio.
Finding the right balance will take you a few weeks to figure out. The easy way to see what works for you is to carefully track your progress over two weeks. After this period you should have a good idea if what you're doing works.
Avoid this cardio mistake
Doing cardio, or working out excessively, purely "so you can eat more", is not helpful when trying to get a lean summer bod.
I get that exercise tips the balance into a bigger calorie deficit. But from what I've seen on myself, and 90% of my clients, we often eat much more calories than we can ever burn during cardio routines.
The old adage "you can't out train a bad diet" is especially true here.
What about HIIT for a summer cut?
High intensity interval training is often touted as a great solution to get fit, burn fat and build muscle. I do believe in it's validity as I've dedicated my whole youtube channel to it.
But is it a magic pill to get your body summer ready? Unfortunately no.
The same rules of calories deficit apply. If you do a HIIT workout at home which burns 500 calories and then go to Macdonalds and eat 800 calories because "you've earned it", you're no closer to your summer body than before the workout.
If you are new to this form of training, check out this beginner's guide to HIIT.
Cardio routine for summer body
If you've never done cardio before, I strongly recommend adding two sessions in your weekly routine.
Cardio workout 1: slow, steady state cardio like a jog, bike ride or other form of easy exercise. 15 minutes to start. Add 5 min each week until you reach 45 minutes.
Cardio workout 2: high intensity interval training. Anything between 10-30 minutes will do the trick.
The key is to find a form of cardio you enjoy.
Common mistakes when building a summer body
Starting too late You can safely and sustainably lose 1 pound of fat every week. Most people want to lose 10-15 pounds, which is very doable over a 3-4 months period. Unfortunately, almost everyone started thinking about their summer bodies in April (two months before) and really starts acting on it in May, a month before June. The best time to start a cut is 3 months before the goal date. If we take June as the start of summer, the beginning of March should be when we start to work on our summer bodies.
Doing too much at a time What do people do to make up for lost time? They go from working out once or twice per week to five or more sessions. This inevitably results in burn out or injuries instead of the desired effect. Compound that with an overly strict diet because "summer is coming" and they don't last more than a couple weeks. Do not double up your training load overnight. Gradually add one extra workout each week, ideally every other week if you gave yourself enough time.
Program hoping Be patient when the results you want take longer than expected to materialize. Jumping from one program to another each week to see faster results never works. Stick to one you enjoy and give it at least two months to bear it's fruits.
Overindulging during the summer Once you've reach your beach body, or whatever it is you wanted, don't destroy your hard work. It's one thing indulging life a little more during the summer. I do it every year. The patios are gorgeous, going for drinks becomes easier and more frequent and social events pop up every weekends. That doesn't mean you can't stay in control of your calories and nutrition. Have a drink or two, not eight or ten. Indulge in a nice summer bbq, don't eat all the hot dogs there. The easiest way to get in shape for summer is to stay in shape. We're not talking about being at optimum performance year round but never getting out of shape.
Spot training for fat loss You cannot, absolutely cannot, target specific areas to lose fat. If you want to lose belly fat, no amount of abs workout will burn it off. Reducing fat mass happens gradually over your body in a last to arrive, first to leave basis. When we start storing fat, it first goes to the belly, then the hips, and then to our extremeties. This means you will first lose fat on your arms and legs, then your upper thighs, then your hips and lastly on you belly. A good mix of healthy nutrition, a calorie deficit, weekly strength training and some sort of cardio is the best way to achieve this.
Sample weekly program for a summer body
This weekly workout plan will get you on the right path. Either repeat it each week or tweak is as you see fit.
Nutrition
2g of protein per kg of body weight
250 calorie deficit
Recovery
Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night
No screens 1 hour before bed time
Workout plan
Monday
Strength workout 1
Squats, 3 sets of 8
Shoulder press, 3 sets of 10
Seated rows, 3 sets of 8
Walking lunges, 4 sets of 10
Tuesday
Low steady state intensity cardio
Either jog, cycle, swim or any other form of cardio for 30 minutes. You should be able to hold a conversation the whole time or breath through your nose
Wednesday
Strength workout 2
Lat pull downs, 3 sets of 8
Deadlifts, 4 sets of 6
Chest press, 3 sets of 8
Leg press, 4 sets of 8
Thursday
Recover day
Take the full day off or do an easy yoga class
Friday
High intensity interval training. Do any HIIT workout you enjoy doing.
Saturday
Strength training 3
Dumbbell split squats, 3 sets of 8
Single arm dumbbell rows, 3 sets of 10
Chest press machine, 3 sets of 8
Bicep curls, 3 sets of 8
Jump on the my online training waitlist to get a personalized training plan as soon as a spot opens up.
Happy training,
Clem
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