When’s the Right Time to Cut and When It’s Better to Maintain or Build As An Athlete

For athletes who love DEKA, HYROX, and performance training  but also want to feel lean, strong, and energized year-round.

The Reality Check

If it feels like there’s always another event on your calendar, you’re not imagining it. Between DEKA, HYROX, 5Ks, and in-gym challenges, there’s barely a breather and that constant “go-mode” can make it tough to know when (or if) it’s the right time to focus on fat loss.

But here’s the truth: your body needs seasons just like your training does.

Even professional athletes cycle through build → peak → recover phases. They don’t live in a calorie deficit all year long and neither should you.

“Performance athletes can’t (and shouldn’t) live in a cut phase 365 days a year.”

‍

Why Cutting During Intense Training Can Backfire

When you’re training hard, your body is already in a high-stress environment:

• Intense workouts
• Less sleep
• High adrenaline
• Tight schedules and recovery windows
  
  

Adding a calorie deficit on top of that is like throwing gasoline on the fire.

When you eat too little during a demanding training block, cortisol (your stress hormone) spikes and that can lead to:

• Plateaued strength
• Slower race times
• Hormonal imbalances (especially for women over 40)
• More injuries and fatigue
  
  

“Your body doesn’t know the difference between a tough training block and a famine, it just knows stress.”

If you’re under-fueling while pushing your body, your system will adapt by slowing recovery, lowering metabolism, and holding onto energy stores. In other words: you’ll feel flat, fatigued, and frustrated.

‍

Know Your Season: Performance > Perfection

If you have a big event coming up, you’re in a performance phase, not a cut phase.

Trying to train intensely while eating in a calorie deficit creates stress overload leading to poor recovery, weaker sessions, and immune dips.

💬 “Your body can’t build and burn at the same time so choose performance first.”

Here’s how to reframe your mindset:

• Fueling well is part of training.
• Leaner isn’t always faster or stronger, especially under stress.
  
  

Your food, sleep, and recovery aren’t “extras” they’re training tools. Using them strategically supports performance, consistency, and body composition over time.

The Best Window for a Cut

Think of your year in seasons, not just events.

✅ The ideal time for a cut:

• 8–12 weeks after your last major event
• When training volume is slightly reduced
• When sleep and stress are more consistent
  
  

This is when you can safely:

• Eat in a small deficit (≈200–300 calories/day)
• Keep protein high
• Maintain strength training
• Protect hormones and recovery
  
  

🚫 Avoid cutting:

• During peak training (4–6 weeks before an event)
• During back-to-back race periods
• When stress, sleep, or energy are inconsistent
  
  

“If you’re within 6 weeks of a DEKA or HYROX that’s not the time to diet. It’s the time to fuel like an athlete.”

‍

The Better Approach for Frequent Competitors

If you love competing year-round, the answer isn’t cutting harder, t’s periodizing smarter.

Use mini maintenance blocks between events to restore your metabolism and energy reserves. This keeps your body strong and responsive while avoiding burnout.

For many women, this rhythm works beautifully:

• Fall/Winter: Build season (fuel + strength focus)
• Spring: Cut phase (if desired)
• Summer: Maintenance + performance (event season)

This approach shifts the focus toward body recomposition, eating enough to train hard while letting your physique tighten naturally through lean mass gain.

“If you’re always in go-mode, build and maintenance phases are your secret weapon for long-term leanness.”

‍

The Takeaway

The goal isn’t to stay in a calorie deficit, it's to be in the right phase for your goals.

You can’t build strength, recover deeply, and shred all at once. Instead, think like an athlete:

• Train with intention.
• Fuel for performance.
• Recover with purpose.

“The leanest version of you isn’t the most underfed — it’s the most well-trained and well-recovered.”

Coming Up Next

🎙️ Next on the Coache’s Corner Podcast:
We’ll dive into how to time your nutrition phases, when to push for a cut, when to maintain, and how to periodize your year so you’re fueling your best performances instead of fighting your body.

‍