Since summer is about 12 weeks away, most people wanting to be leaner this summer should start their cut right around now. Allow me to simplify things for you :)
1) The goal is to lose fat and retain as much muscle as possible, so keep training stimulus high. If you decrease performance, you won't be able to maintain as much muscle tissue as possible especially as food decreases.
2) The weather is getting better so start increasing your step count/cardio. Personally I prefer increasing cardio before dropping food weekly just because im a hungry girl. Step count is a great way to increase energy output so take advantage of it.
3) Depending on how lean you’re wanting to get, aim for a 0.5-1.3% weight drop weekly. This can be done by figuring out your maintenance calories, and implementing a caloric deficit while keeping protein intake high.
4) Shoot for 1.1g-1.3g/1lb bodyweight of protein intake daily. So for example, if im 155lbs, I will be eating at least 170g of quality protein daily.5) Down the line your gym performance MIGHT decrease. Once you hit this point, consider lowering your training volume while keeping intensity high. If this persists and sleep and recovery are also hindered, consider ending the fatloss phase.6) If you cant seem to lose fat or figure out your macros/training/recovery, consider letting go of your ego and hire a coach!
