Here are the 3 best cutting workout plans for aesthetic body goals

Maybe you have taken the cutting workout plan because it is time that the summer body is ready to arrive. Maybe the shredded abs are just a few inches away from that beautiful shirtless pic. Maybe you are ready to end that bulk, ready to go from that powerful bear to a defined, muscular gazelle.

Don't worry, we've got you covered. The cutting phase is naturally concerned with losing fat for a better, more aesthetic, and naturally lean-looking body, for visible muscle insertions and definition.

The issue is of course the right training and proper nutrition, where the big portion of the cutting body lies in what you put into your stomach. The tricky part lay in working out optimally for the cutting phase. One cannot simply rush to the same heavy movements followed in the bulking phase. The cutting workout plan period comes through with sculpting your body but with a noticeable loss in steady strength gain seen in the bulking phase.

The cutting workout plans can be divided into splits over the week varying from single muscle movements, the classic Push-Pull-Legs, or the golden full body split according to your devoted time.

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3 Best Cutting Workout Plans

#1 The P.P.L Split

The classic PPL is one of the best ways to start cutting (Image via Unsplash/Anastase Maragos)

The classic, golden, and fan-favorite push, pull, and legs split is concerned with three mechanical movements followed by respective muscle groups. While optimal for both bulking and cutting, to modify it for the cutting phase we would pay attention to the slow mind-muscle connection concerned with more repetitions.

Duration: 5 to 6 days

Monday/ Thursday (Push)

Incline Dumbell Press 3x12

Cable Flys 3x12-15

Triceps Rope Pushdown 4x15-20

Katana press 3x12-15

Hanging Leg Raise 3x12-15 (hold at peak)

Tuesday/ Friday (Pull)

Lat Pulldown 3x12-15 or Weighted Pull-ups 3x12

Cable Rows 4x12-15

Dumbell Shrugs 3x15-20

Preacher curls 3x12

Dumbell Hammar curl 3x12

Wednesday/ Saturday (Legs)

Leg Press 3x12-15 or Squats 3x12-15 (light to moderate weight)

Hamstring Curls 3x15

Leg Extensions 3x12-15

Overhead Press 3x10

Egyptian Lateral Raises 3x12-15 superset Face Pulls 3x12-15

Sunday

Rest

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#2 Full Body Split

Full Body Split hits most of the muscle groups (Image via Unsplash/ Karsten Winegeart)

The full body is by far the best workout split considering a cutting workout phase. While the PPL gets your respective movement muscles fatigued with a two-day training of each group, the full body ranges to hit most muscle groups reducing load for the next day.

Duration: 4 to 5 days

Monday

Weighted Pull-ups 3x12-15

Cable flys 3x12-15

Chest Supported Rows 3x12-15

RDL 3x10-12

Incline Bicep Curl 3x12-15

Tuesday

Weighted Dips 3x15-17

One Arm Lat pull 3x12-15

Calf Raise 3x15-20

Skullcrushers 3x12

Push-ups 3xfailure

Wednesday

Squats 3x12-15

Overhead Press 3x10

Goblet Squats 3x12

Lateral Raise 3x15-20

Dragon Flag 3x5 (3-second hold at top)

Thursday

Jogging 2 kilometers

or

20 minutes HIIT

or

Sprinting Session

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Incline Bench Press 3x12-15

Dumbell Rows 3x20

Dumbell Flys 3x15

Leg Extensions 3x12-15

Barbell bicep curl 3x12 superset Rope pushdown 3x12-15

Sunday

Rest

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Points to look at

Aspects to consider while shredding (Image via Unsplash/KAL VISUALS)

For a cutting workout plan, one important aspect to consider would be the activation of high metabolic movements, especially with the exercises performed. Unlike the bulking phase, which prioritizes the heavy compound movements paired with low reps with low to moderate muscle activation deals with better strength, and adaptation of skeletal tendons opposed to the cutting phase which deals with rigorous movements, and higher repetitions with higher intensity.

This helps the lactic acid build up over a period allowing the muscle to exert more strenuous effort, with muscle fibers getting engaged all over.

The higher repetitions are to be performed with light to moderate weights, recommended 65 percent of your max weight. This allows the muscle not only to easily handle the weight but also burn out in layman's terms. This is vital for cutting workout plans, better fatigue, and lactic acid build-up.

So, there you go, a detailed cutting workout plan for your transformation. Let that Bulking phase take a rest and begin your journey into a cutting session.