Now during quarantine, this question is practically urgent for many people. If the question of home muscle building is quite simple—you can build, but there's little convenience and persistence is required—then with a full cut, a number of questions arise:
1) What equipment is needed?
2) Is the effect worse than from gym workouts?
3) Will muscles burn along with fat?
Let's go in order.
1) Actually, quite budget equipment will work. For weight loss training, we don't need peak loads with huge weights, as for muscle building. On average, a man will have enough with adjustable dumbbells of 10-15kg, and for women optimally 7-10kg weight per dumbbell. If dumbbells are too expensive or too bulky, there's an excellent alternative (or addition) in the form of long fitness loops (also known as resistance bands, also expanders). With loops you can work out any muscle properly, because with the right approach they perfectly imitate exercises with barbells or dumbbells. For men, a loop with peak load of 25kg will work, for women 15kg. At a price of 400-600 rubles, you have the whole gym in your hand! It's also good to have a heart rate monitor and track your pulse in the aerobic zone;
2) No, definitely not worse. For the simple reason that for fat burning, peak loads and bombing muscles at different angles aren't important, but rather pulse, pace, and certain periodicity. If you train for at least 45 minutes in the pulse zone, focusing on tempo rather than weights, while also dedicating 45 minutes to cardio afterward—you'll get excellent home cutting, no worse than what a gym can provide;
3) The answer to this question from a theoretical standpoint is extremely simple—no, muscles will be perfectly fine. But if we turn to practice, everything isn't so clear-cut. If we take ideal conditions—proper work and rest regime, properly composed nutrition and no less properly selected training, then of course you won't lose a gram of muscle.
N.B. It's worth stepping back and noting that muscle fiber loss on average begins after 4 weeks of complete absence of training, so even under quarantine conditions, if you go into home cutting for a couple months without critical loads as in the gym, your muscles won't be destroyed, since the body will still be interested in them for some time, and accordingly won't destroy them.
But as you understand, from a practical standpoint it's practically impossible for a non-professional to do everything right. And if sleep and rest regimen is more or less clear, and there's even a chance to make decent training, then with the dietary plan in 99% of cases difficulties arise for both beginners and "seasoned gurus." The problem is that dietetics is still a medical science, and the corresponding foundation is needed, not just "cutting carbs" or sitting on another stressful diet like carb cycling. Yes, there can be an effect and most will have it, but exclusively at the cost of slowing metabolism and worsening one's own health, since such diets carry strong stress for the body. Briefly, weight will definitely return and this is a widespread problem of endlessly dieting ladies, whose hope is usually exclusively for quick "here and now" results, without considering consequences. And they will definitely come... Nutrition should be complete and balanced. The body shouldn't need any microelement or vitamin—then weight will leave stably and forever.
Thus, home cutting can and should be done, but don't forget about specialists' help for maximum results.
Good cutting and razor-sharp definition for summer to everyone! 😎
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