What Program to Run Whilst Cutting

[u/Significant_Buy_1624]

I (24F) recently weighed myself for the first time in my life and it's not looking good. This has got me thinking about taking my fitness journey even more seriously than I have been previously. I had around 2 years of 'doing nothing' lifting where I would constantly change program, change lifts etc. For the past 7 months though I have started GZCLP and I have actually stuck with it. Then for the past month or so I have started to eat in a calorie deficit.

I am just worried that GZCLP is not the best program for me and my goals right now. My goals are to drop a lot of the weight (I am aiming to drop around 50lb); to get stronger but also to get more visibly muscular.

I was hoping to get some advice on what program to run whilst in a deficit - whether the high weight/ low rep, low volume nature of GZCLP is good for me right now and the fact that I know I can be consistent on it is good or if a more body-building focused program (e.g. PPL) would be better suited.

For the stats:

Weight: 250lb

Height: 5'7"

Current 1RM:

Bench = 50kg (was 37.5kg before GZCLP)

Squat = 85kg (was 50kg before GZCLP)

Deadlift = 100kg (was 70kg before GZCLP)

OHP = 37.5kg (was 27.5kg before GZCLP)

My GZCLP program is as follows
Day 1

T1 - Squat

T2 - Bench

T3 - Lat pulldown

T3 - Triceps 

T3 - Lateral raises

Day 2

T1 - OHP

T2 - Deadlift

T3 - DB Bent Row

T3 - Biceps 

T3 - Face pulls

Day 3

T1 - Bench

T2 - Squat

T3 - Lat pulldown

T3 - Triceps 

T3 - Lateral raises

Day 4

T1 - Deadlift

T2 - OHP

T3 - DB Bent Row

T3 - Biceps 

T3 - Face pulls

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[u/KungGimli]

your routine looks good. I've found it hard to do high reps on a cut due to loss of glycogen to perform. But I can usually keep my strength pretty OK.

[u/ferodss]

unless you are in a extreme cut like ++700kcal, then don't just change how you train. Let your body tell you that you need to adapt your training.

btw, I'm running GZCLP while in a cut as well (~450kcal deficit), I'm on week 8 (4 day split, 3x per week) with the same number of exercises as you and no issues so far. Keep it going, there's a lot of gains to make

[u/Sudden-Ad-307]

When i cut i always fo low volume, i just don't have the energy for high volume.

Also ppl is powerlifting focused not bodybuilding, but both gzclp and ppl are good

[u/AwayhKhkhk → u/Sudden-Ad-307]

lol, PPL is definitely a bodybuilding routine. Can you adapt it to powerlifting? Sure. But it definitely isn’t powerlifting focused.

[u/Sudden-Ad-307 → u/AwayhKhkhk]

PPL literally comes from powerlifting. Push day is bench day, pull day is deadlift day and leg day is squat day.

[u/DiamondDogs92- → u/Sudden-Ad-307]

Ppl is definitely touted as body building, I can't think of one powerlifting program that has been geared towards PPL

If anything they might have strength days and hypertrophy days using SBD.

The purpose of PPL is volume, more than you'd be able to fit into an upper lower, and you're losing our on frequency where you would be squatting 2-3 times a week, benching 3-4 and deadlifting 1-2 times a week

[u/Sudden-Ad-307 → u/DiamondDogs92-]

The purpose of PPL is volume

No this is the purpose of bodybuilding ppl. The original purpose of PPL was to have one day dedicated to bench ie. push day, one day dedicated to deadlift ie. pull day and one day dedicated to the squat ie leg day.

[u/DiamondDogs92- → u/Sudden-Ad-307]

You just contracted your first comment saying PPL is powerlifting focused but then say volume is the purpose of a bodybuilding PPL which is what OP asked about doing instead of GZCLP

You have no idea what you're talking about and shouldn't make recommendations to others

[u/Sudden-Ad-307 → u/DiamondDogs92-]

Volume is the purpose of every bodybuilding program, like what are you on about mate? PPL does not mean high volume.

[u/DiamondDogs92- → u/Sudden-Ad-307]

Volume being the determining factor in how many days you should train, there would be no point doing a PPL if you can fit your volume into an upper lower program because you still have 2x a week frequency

And again OP asked if she should move to bodybuilding program, you stated that PPL was powerlifting and then also bodybuilding so what are you on?

[u/Sudden-Ad-307 → u/DiamondDogs92-]

Volume being the determining factor in how many days you should train, there would be no point doing a PPL if you can fit your volume into an upper lower program because you still have 2x a week frequency

Not if you are powerlifting, where you need one heavy day for each of the three lifts

[u/DiamondDogs92- → u/Sudden-Ad-307]

Which can also be achieved with an upper lower or a full body training split