Drying the body - what is it in sports and why is it needed?

The terms drying and losing weight will always go hand in hand, since the boundaries in understanding the difference between these methods are so blurred that many people perceive them as one and the same thing. In fact, these are not synonyms, but two different methods aimed at losing weight. Yes, they have the same goal, but the ways to achieve the result are incomparable. Drying is a more harsh, short-term and in some cases unsafe method, therefore it has contraindications and is not suitable for everyone. Below we will consider in more detail the rules of drying, recommendations for nutrition and training.

What is body drying

Drying the body or muscles, which is the same thing, is a complex of diet and training aimed at reducing the content of subcutaneous fat and removing fluid from the body, providing a more prominent body structure, that is, a distinct appearance of the muscles.

A clear example of a dry body is the presence of six-pack abs. This is only a small part of the process, but a good example to understand the effect of drying. The thickness of the muscle does not really matter; the thinner the layer of fatty tissue, the drier the body and the more visible the cubes. The same is true for other muscles. But to do this, you first need to build them up, tone them, and then dry them.

21 Day Workout Program

This cutting training program is divided into splits for the muscles of the lower and upper body.

Workout "A"

Upper body

Workout "B"

Upper body

Workout "A"

Lower body

Workout "B"

Lower body

Answers to frequently asked questions

• Should I only use dumbbells on the bench press?

No. You can use either dumbbells or a barbell when performing the bench press.

• Should I only use machines when performing a particular exercise?

No. You can do a similar exercise with free weights.

• Can I do pull-ups instead of pull-downs?

Yes.

• Can I do bent-over barbell rows instead of cable rows?

Yes.

• Can I do squats instead of leg presses?

You can, but the muscle pain will be very severe and may last for a week, which will negatively affect your progress.

• Are there too many approaches included in the program?

There are many approaches, but the program requires rest. At the same time, due to the shortened rest time, the working weight and training intensity are reduced.

Who needs body drying and why?

Drying is not used for the purpose of losing weight on an untrained body, but to define existing muscles, and in bodybuilding it is used as a pre-competition stage. Thus, athletes who gain muscle mass within six months or even two years, and achieve muscle growth, use the method to reduce fat tissue as much as possible. This period can last from 1 to 3 months, depending on the total amount of fat in the body.

With the help of proper training and diet, the athlete achieves muscle relief in a short time, or rather muscle separation and cross-section. These indicators allow you to view the smallest details of muscle structure, which are more necessary for the categories of male bodybuilding. At the end of the stage, the athlete also removes excess fluid from the body, which makes the skin even thinner and the muscles more defined. It is important to understand that body volumes also decrease noticeably.

The drying method has also spread in fitness among amateurs who want to look sculpted and athletic. Therefore, the form “for life” also requires certain restrictions so that the overall body looks drier. Both men and women who train their bodies through strength training and want to achieve relief can resort to drying. It is worth clarifying that when eating and training to gain weight, excess fat “sticks” along with the muscles, so only by drying can you get rid of it faster.

Workouts while cutting

During the drying process, it is necessary to combine diet with regular physical activity. The training program should include intense strength training and cardio. The main thing is not to overdo it with cardio loads in order to avoid a decrease in performance in strength exercises.

Strength training during the drying period

When continuing strength training while cutting, you should not take lighter weights, compensating for this with an increased number of repetitions. To burn off calories, you will do cardio exercises. And strength training stimulates muscle growth - this is its main goal.

It is best to train in drying according to the following scheme:

• Work each muscle group twice a week.
• Perform 6-12 repetitions in one approach. So that you end up doing about 40-70 repetitions per muscle group in one training day.
• Be sure to pause between sets for 1-3 minutes.
• Do not work to failure, especially in complex multi-joint exercises such as deadlifts, squats, presses, etc. Sets to failure are only acceptable for simple exercises aimed at working small muscle groups.

Give your body a lot of stress, but don't forget that your body is under a lot of stress due to the change in diet. If you realize that you are not able to complete the approach in compliance with the technique, interrupt the process so as not to get injured.

Cardio training during the drying period

Cardio exercise is a great way to increase the number of calories you burn. But you need to be extremely careful when drying them.

Excessive cardio training greatly fatigues the central nervous system. Nothing less than strength training. By going all out on your cardio, you'll certainly lose more calories, but you won't be able to do as much strength training as you need. Which will lead to muscle loss.

The optimal amount of cardio training while cutting is 4-5 per week. If you notice a decrease in strength indicators, reduce the number of exercises or the time of their implementation.

You can also replace long-term cardio with high-intensity interval training, which also burns more calories in less time. For the central nervous system, short, high-intensity exercise is preferable. But you shouldn't do them every day. In combination with strength training, they place a very large load on the body, which increases the risk of injury. The right solution in this case is alternating cardio and HIIT. For example, 2 workouts per week.

How to dry properly: calculation of BZHU

What are the features of a cutting diet? The predominant nutrient that the body needs during this period is proteins. Their content in the general diet reaches approximately 60% (for each individual this is an individual indicator, which ranges from 50 to 70%). Proteins are not only a building material and a source of replaceable and essential amino acids, but the main source of energy that cannot be converted into fat, unlike carbohydrates.

So, the body during this period requires 6 g of pure protein per kilogram of its own weight. To calculate the protein requirement for cutting, you need to multiply your own weight by 6.

For example, 80 x 6 = 480 grams of pure protein.

Let me clarify, this is not the weight of a piece of chicken or fish, but an indicator of pure protein found in foods high in protein. For example, 100 g of chicken fillet contains about 25 g of pure protein. A total of 1620 grams, let it be, of chicken per day. Yes, this is a lot, and side effects from the excretory system may also appear, but the point of drying is that the majority of the diet should be protein foods.

Carbohydrates make up 20-30% of the total diet, that is, they should be consumed at a rate of 2-3 grams per kilogram of body. Carbohydrates allowed, for example, are brown rice, buckwheat, that is, cereals with a high fiber content. Any simple carbohydrates - glucose, fructose, lactose - are excluded during this period.

20 x 80 = 160g net carbs.

Fats make up 10-20%, that is, 1-2 grams per kilogram of weight. Fats should be mostly vegetable - oils; another share of fat comes from animal foods - meat, eggs, fish.

10 x 80 = 80 g fat.

Sample menu for a week during drying

We present an example of a weekly menu in the form of a short table:

Where to start drying muscles

Dietary recommendations

• Start cutting back on carbs early. Do not start drying abruptly , you need to prepare the body for restrictions, so remove sweets, then gradually cut back on fruits, pasta, and cereals with a high glycemic index.
• Take food in small portions, but often , every 2-3 hours.
• Drink plenty of liquid ; during drying, the amount of clean water increases to 2.5 liters.
• Salt is also removed during drying , this is another disadvantage of the method. But for a non-professional athlete, that is, not for competitions, there is no need to remove salt, just reduce its amount in dishes.
• Be sure to eat food after training , the portion should contain both proteins and carbohydrates at the same time.

Training Recommendations

• Training should be performed according to the method of developing endurance, that is, exercises should be performed many times with light weight. The workout may contain cardio exercises.
• Choose the superset method, combining two exercises in one approach, or circuit training.
• 4-5 workouts should be performed per week, including cardio.

Diet for men

This meal plan involves limiting your food intake to 5 pm. You should focus on consuming foods that are low in carbohydrates but high in fat and protein. Have dinner (this is your main meal) around 17-18 hours, and also have a snack around 20-21 hours.

Here is the cutting meal schedule for men:

• 8:00 – 3 egg omelette with 2 sticks of butter and any vegetables you prefer such as peppers, onions (diced), mushrooms, spinach, etc. This meal contains 330 calories and 20-22 grams of protein.
• 11:00 – whey protein shake, 3 fish oil capsules and 55 grams of strawberries or blueberries. This meal contains about 157 calories and 22-25 grams of protein.
• 14:00 – 2 pieces of fatty cheese and 30 grams of almonds. This meal contains about 324 calories and 22 grams of protein.
• Dinner (post-workout) – choose one of the 3 options below
• Bedtime snack – casein protein shake, 3 fish oil capsules and a medium apple. This meal contains about 213 calories and 25 grams of protein.

Dinner. Option #1

• 280 grams boneless, skinless chicken breast (312 calories and 65 grams protein)
• Dip made with 55 grams sour cream and 55 grams salsa (141 calories and 2 grams protein)
• Spinach salad. 2 cups spinach, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar (sauce), salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 onion, diced, 5 cherry tomatoes, 55 grams diced mozzarella cheese (full-fat), 30 grams olives . (631 calories and 23.2 grams protein)

Dinner. Option No. 2

• 225 grams 70% lean ground beef mixed with seasonings and 55 grams guacamole. (743 calories and 60 grams protein)
• Salad. 2 cups shredded lettuce, 1/2 cup fresh salsa, 1/2 cup sliced ​​(full-fat) cheddar cheese, 30 grams sour cream. (343 calories and 15.6 grams protein)

Dinner. Option No. 3

• 225 grams of salmon. (466 calories, 50 grams protein)
• Lemon cream sauce. 3 melted butter, juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic. (112 calories)
• Spinach salad. 2 cups spinach dressed with 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil. 30 grams of walnuts, 1 gram of dried cranberries. (518 calories and 3.6 grams protein)

How to dry your body without harm

It is worth understanding that drying is a quick way to lose weight relatively harmlessly, so harsh methods can, of course, have side effects to one degree or another. But these effects can be minimized:

1. Do not exclude fats from your diet , especially for girls. A decrease in body fat content below normal leads to hormonal imbalance, namely the cessation of menstruation. Therefore, a healthy female body should not have skin that looks like papyrus.
2. Don't skip the salt. Lack, as well as excess, of minerals leads to bone tissue disorders, seizures, and changes in blood pressure. Therefore, 1-2 grams of salt per day is the norm for a healthy person. Also drink more clean water.

Drying according to the methods of MMA fighters. Nutrition

To begin with, here is a list of foods that you can and should take, and also which you cannot. Diet for weight loss. We eat chicken hearts, gizzards, fatty fish, meat (even lard, if in small quantities), cottage cheese, unsalted cheese.)

It is also necessary to take foods rich in fiber, such as lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus (natural).

You should absolutely not eat salt, because... it will retain water in the body, and removing water from the body is a key factor in the cutting process. It is better to exclude potatoes, pasta, sugar, honey, and cereals from your diet. All sweet fruits (especially bananas and grapes), some vegetables (beets, carrots, tomatoes). At the first stage, drink a lot of clean water.

Drying athletes before competitions - risks and consequences

No matter how scary it may sound, this is a fact that you need to know about; drying is a depletion of the body, a kind of stress that can affect both the central nervous system and the digestive organs, and also upset the hormonal balance. Many athletes calmly agree to this, since their heads are filled with dreams of titles and medals. But if this frightens a non-professional athlete, a person who wants to look good without negative consequences, it is better to be interested in methods of long-term but effective weight loss, and always follow these principles.

There is also a high probability that after quitting drying, and this happens even with every professional, adipose tissue increases several times faster than in an ordinary person without diets, and a violation of the water-salt balance leads to abnormal swelling, but these side effects are possible minimize.

Diet for women

This is what a nutrition schedule for women should look like:

• 8:00 – 2 large eggs omelet with 2 sticks of butter and any vegetables you prefer such as peppers, onions (diced), mushrooms, spinach, etc. This meal contains 260 calories and 14-16 grams of protein.
• 11:00 – whey protein shake, 3 fish oil capsules and 55 grams of strawberries or blueberries. This meal contains about 157 calories and 22-25 grams of protein.
• 14:00 – 1 piece of full-fat cheese and 30 grams of almonds. This meal contains about 244 calories and 16 grams of protein.
• Dinner (post-workout) - Choose one of the 3 options below.
• Snack before bed – casein protein shake, 3 capsules of fish oil. This meal contains about 143 calories and 25 grams of protein.

Dinner. Option #1

• 170 grams boneless, skinless chicken breast (187 calories and 39 grams protein)
• Dip made with 30 grams sour cream and 30 grams salsa (71 calories and 1 gram protein)
• Spinach salad. 2 cups spinach, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar (sauce), salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 onion, diced, 5 cherry tomatoes, 40 grams diced mozzarella cheese (full-fat), 30 grams olives . (432 calories and 16 grams protein)

Dinner. Option No. 2

• 170 grams 70% lean ground beef mixed with seasonings and 30 grams guacamole. (545 calories and 44 grams protein)
• Salad to dry: 1 cup shredded lettuce, 1/2 cup fresh salsa, 1/4 cup chopped (full-fat) cheddar cheese. (161 calories and 7.6 grams protein)

Dinner. Option No. 3

• 170 grams of salmon. (350 calories, 37.6 grams protein)
• Lemon cream sauce. 2 melted butter, juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic. (76 calories)
• Tossed Spinach Salad: 2 cups spinach with a dressing of 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil. 15 grams of walnuts, 15 grams of dried cranberries. (254 calories and 2.7 grams protein)

Why is this necessary?

Drying gives the body beautiful relief contours. It takes several months. Drying must be repeated periodically, since in the future new fat deposits will form on the body. When drying, to determine whether the desired result has been achieved, you can visually assess the amount of subcutaneous fat. A more accurate percentage of body fat can be determined by bioimpedance analysis of body composition.