Balanced Summer Cut: Calorie Deficit and Cardio Training

Although it doesn’t feel like it here in London, it’s summertime and everyone is talking about the cut. The cut is the annual ritual where fellow gym-goers and fitness enthusiasts embark on their journey to turn off the gains machine, officially end the bulk season, and start the lean-out phase in time for the summer rays.

Influencer accounts start buzzing about cutting exercises, their “new” methods, and caloric deficit diets. New pictures and reels flood social media with “how I did this” captions. It’s a great time to jump on a new trend and find new ways to compare yourself to the many beach body-perfect mannequins on display.

The self-starvation and misery begins. The constantly hungry people with projected smiles discuss how many kilograms they have dropped over the previous couple of weeks. Oh, it’s a lovely time of year. Riveting conversations about phase lean are everywhere. And yes, I partake in this conversation because would I really be considered a proper fitness enthusiast or gym bloke if I didn’t? I cannot be bothered with another comment thrown at me like, “do you even lift, bro?”

Mostly, I partake in these conversations because there’s always something to learn. It is actually interesting to hear how other people are doing, their experiences, and their methods. One conversation happened to steer in this direction toward the topic of the cut. We were at the gym, obviously, and my friend was saying how he and his girlfriend were going away for a week in the summer. In preparation, they were on the cut.

It was actually me who took the conversation in this direction, albeit unintentionally. I can’t remember why, but I mentioned something about wanting to add more cardio to my routine. I was talking about maybe doing less resistance training so I could make use of some of the limited time I had for cardio. Now, this had nothing to do with cutting season or trying to lean out. I was just discussing it as part of my routine.

He responded with how he prefers to cut by eating less and putting himself in a calorie deficit as he doesn’t want to do cardio. He went on to explain how he and his girlfriend have completely changed their meals and what they are eating. His girlfriend keeps saying that she is hungry, but he defends the position that if they do it right, it’s not really a problem.

I tried to explain to him that I wasn’t talking about leaning out. Adding more cardio to my fitness regimen wasn’t about weight loss or leaning out, even if it might be a nice side result. I was talking about cardio because I feel I need to improve my cardiovascular fitness and health. For some time now, I feel like I’ve been neglecting it. I go on walks every day and longer walks on my rest days. But I don’t feel like it’s enough. A proper balanced health and fitness routine requires cardio work, and not just for the physique. It requires it because the way your muscles look doesn’t mean you are healthy.

You have to take care of your vital organs and heart health. Being able to run or even walk over a distance without making your heart work too hard is important. Endurance is essential. Having muscle mass doesn’t mean you are healthy. All it really means is that you have put a lot of work into the way you look. Fitness requires a healthy balance of different types of endurance, strength, and cardiovascular health. A calorie deficit may help you reach your desired look, but it won’t necessarily add to your overall heart health and endurance.

By focusing on a balanced approach that includes both strength training and cardiovascular exercises, you can ensure that you are not only looking good but also feeling good from the inside out. Do your summer cut however you want to, but don’t look at cardio just for the weight loss, but rather for the benefits it adds to your overall health.