Six-Week Cutting Workout Plan: Training and Progression
By Anabolic Bodies Editorial Team. Updated October 4, 2026.
Keep a repeatable resistance-training routine during a cut, use a manageable calorie starting point and adjust from your weight trend and training performance. The six-week example below is a practical template, not a guaranteed fat-loss result.
How to use this six-week plan
Train three days per week, alternating sessions A and B. Leave a rest day between lifting sessions when possible. Week 1 can be A/B/A and week 2 B/A/B; continue alternating through week 6.
Choose exercises that suit your equipment and experience. The example is for adults already comfortable with the movements. It is not a contest-preparation protocol or a training prescription tested in a controlled trial.
Sessions A and B
| Session | Exercise or movement | Starting sets and reps |
|---|---|---|
| A | Squat or leg press | 3 × 6 to 10 |
| A | Bench press or dumbbell press | 3 × 6 to 10 |
| A | Row | 3 × 8 to 12 |
| A | Standing calf raise | 2 × 10 to 20 |
| B | Romanian deadlift or another familiar hinge | 3 × 6 to 10 |
| B | Split squat or step-up | 2 × 8 to 12 per leg |
| B | Overhead press | 2 × 6 to 10 |
| B | Lat pulldown or assisted pull-up | 3 × 8 to 12 |
These set counts are an example. Reduce the work if it exceeds what you can recover from, and use loads that leave roughly two controlled reps in reserve. Keep rests long enough to repeat the movement with sound technique.
Need a substitute? Compare leg press alternatives, Bulgarian split squat alternatives or lat pulldown alternatives. The exercise alternative finder helps compare equipment and movement goals.
Progression over six weeks
| Weeks | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Choose repeatable loads and record controlled sets within the rep ranges |
| 3 to 4 | Add reps where possible while keeping the same range of motion |
| 5 to 6 | Add a small load only when all sets reach the top of their range; assess recovery and the overall trend |
Maintaining a familiar load and rep count can be useful during a calorie deficit. Do not force a weekly increase if technique or recovery deteriorates. If performance falls across several sessions, review the deficit, sleep and training demands before adding more work.
The progressive overload planner can record a rep-based progression. Use the RPE calculator for load comparisons and the warm-up calculator to prepare for the first work set.
Calories and protein
The cutting calorie and macro calculator compares deficit scenarios against estimated maintenance. Its result is a starting model, not a measurement of your energy needs or a promise of weekly fat loss. Follow several weeks of average weight and training performance before adjusting the plan.
A review of natural bodybuilding contest preparation emphasizes controlling the rate of weight loss and retaining muscle with appropriate protein intake. Those recommendations concern competitors preparing for a show; this general training example does not reproduce their preparation protocol.
Use the protein intake calculator to compare a starting target and the affordable protein guide to choose foods you can use consistently. You do not need to eliminate every processed food or force a very low-fat diet to follow this template.
Cardio and recovery
Include walking or another form of conditioning that you can sustain alongside lifting. Start with an amount you can recover from, rather than adding hard intervals every day. Cardio should not make the next lifting session impossible to complete as planned.
Track changes in energy, sleep and session quality alongside scale weight. A single unusually heavy or light weigh-in is not enough evidence to overhaul the plan.
After week six
Review your average weight trend, exercise performance and whether the routine was manageable. Continue a repeatable plan if it is working, or reconsider the calorie target and training demands. If your goal changes, the body recomposition calculator offers a different starting comparison.
Is there a downloadable cutting program?
The complete example is the table on this page. You can print it from your browser; there is no separate download or required email signup.
Does this guarantee fat loss in six weeks?
No. Results depend on energy balance, adherence, starting conditions and individual responses. The six-week period gives you a review point, not a guaranteed outcome.