Cutting cycles aren’t just about losing weight. You can be skinny-fat and have an adequate muscle-to-fat ratio just coming off the bulking cycle. The point is, cutting cycles are designed to preserve the muscle mass you already have and reduce body fat content.

Wouldn’t this mean it’s a recomposition cycle? Not exactly. It’s a common misunderstanding. Every cycle is about body composition, yet it doesn’t mean that the rules and protocols are the same. So, when you are:

• On a bulking cycle: you’re increasing your muscle mass, improving your muscle-to-fat ratio;
• On a recomposition cycle: you’re up for muscle growth and reducing body fat content at the same time (can be slower than a classic bulking-cutting cycle rotation);
• Planning for a CUTTING cycle: you want to lower your body fat content and show off those muscles ― meaning you don’t strive for muscle gains, you’re just preserving the muscles you already have built.

So, what are the best cutting cycles in 2025, and how can you get the most results out of them?

Cutting 101: what you need to know before your cycle

We understand the appeal of cutting cycles ― you feel on top of the world when your veins are like roadmaps, people compliment your physique and ask if you’re on gear, your body is lean and defined. But it’s not the step you want to take when you’re a beginner, and here’s why:

• Most of the “traditional” cutting steroids aren’t suitable for complete beginners: you don’t want to start with Trenbolone or Masteron. Check out our article on the best steroids for beginners here;
• To flex your muscles, you have to go on a bulking cycle and build them first: you’re not going to increase your muscle mass while cutting, so it’ll be practically equal to washing gear down the drain;
• If you want to go on the cutting cycle to lose weight ― don’t: some of the steroids can cause an increase in appetite and stunt your progress. There’s a reason why they’re recommended for athletes with a body fat (BF) under 15-17% and a natural training experience of 3-4 years. Anabolics won’t do much for you if you’re just starting your fitness journey.

Now, when that’s settled, let’s look at the nutrition and training adjustments you need to implement for your cutting cycle to bring the best possible results:

Nutrition on a cutting cycle

To make sure that you’re getting the best results, you need to dial in your diet:

• Count those calories: you need to stay in a calorie deficit (slight to moderate, depending on an individual metabolic rate). To do so, you should eat 200-600 calories below your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure);
• Watch your protein intake: to preserve your lean muscle mass, you’ll need at least 0.5-1.2 g/lb of protein;
• Cut carbohydrates but do not eliminate them completely: carbs are an essential part of the diet. If you eat them in excessive amounts (more than 3-4g/lb of body weight), it’s not okay. On the other hand, excluding carbs can lead to fatigue, lack of motivation, and lowered strength stats.

It can be hard to hit macro goals on a calorie deficit. There are supplements that can help, though. To increase your protein intake, you can go for just more protein shakes. 

If you’re struggling with low energy levels, you can add Taurine, or pre-workout compounds. For example — 1.3-DMAA or Ephedrine. Some athletes say that they get a little less focused on a cut: check out stimulants and nootropic agents to resolve this issue.

How to train on a cutting cycle

You may feel the need to reduce progressive overload, as the cutting phase isn’t the best for strength gains. However, it doesn’t mean that you should significantly reduce your training volume ― your muscles still need stimulation. You can try to:

• Implement more cardio into your routine;
• Opt for HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) or circuit training to boost your metabolism.

Since you’re on a steroid cycle, after all, you will recover faster from high-intensity activities. You don’t need to go for shorter training sessions: your body will handle training 5-6 days a week (on a rest day, you can do some cardio) perfectly well.

Once your training regimen and diet are in order, and your body fat percentage is lower than 15-17%, you are ready to go on a cutting cycle.

Best steroids for a cutting cycle in 2025

The most popular choices for cutting cycles that you can easily get on the market today are:

• Anavar;
• Winstrol;
• Trenbolone;
• Masteron;
• Testosterone ― as an anabolic base in lower doses & faster esters.

These steroids don’t cause water retention. Yes, even Testosterone doesn’t cause severe fluid retention in low doses. You don’t need bloating when you’re on a cut.

If you find yourself struggling with water retention, though, you can always add an aromatase inhibitor to your cycle, in mild doses, for example ― Arimidex.

Adding fat burners to a steroid cycle

It’s a common practice to stack anabolic steroids with Clenbuterol and Ketotifen or T3 for a cutting cycle. Those fat burners aren’t steroids, but they provide synergistic effects, allowing you to lose body fat at an accelerated rate.

Anavar and Testosterone cutting cycle

Anavar is an oral anabolic compound, capable of preserving or slightly increasing your muscle mass (like 1-5 lbs) on a cutting cycle, while boosting your strength and recovery.

It needs to be combined with Testosterone, as it can shut down your natural testosterone production on its own.

Here’s an effective Anavar and Testosterone cutting cycle for you:

The length of the cycle can be adjusted (up to 8 weeks) if needed. However, Anavar is hepatotoxic, so you should closely monitor your liver enzyme levels if you’d like to prolong the cycle.

Anavar cutting cycle for women

Female bodybuilders can use Anavar solo to avoid virilization:

You can stack Anavar with Clenbuterol or T3 for better results. You’ll find pre-calculated cycles featuring Anavar & T3 and Anavar & Clen in our latest article on the best steroids for women.

Other than that, the goal of the cycle will mainly depend on your nutrition ― you need to stay in the deficit while trying out this protocol.

Advanced cutting cycle: Trenbolone, Masteron, and Testosterone

This is a go-to cutting cycle for experienced bodybuilders: it’s the perfect summer cutting stack. Trenbolone and Masteron will help you shed off extra pounds while retaining your muscle gains and improving your vascularity:

You can add Anavar for the first 4 weeks to kickstart your cycle at 40-60 mg/day, or you can use it for the final touch (in the last 4-5 weeks). 

If you’d like to look even more shredded, you can switch Anavar for Winstrol and use it for the last 4 weeks at 30-50 mg/day.

The benefits of this cycle include:

• Increased muscle definition;
• Reduced body fat content;
• Lean muscle mass preservation;
• Boosted strength;
• Enhanced vascularity and great pumps;
• Increased confidence (maybe even a Golden God complex).

Depending on your personal response to gear, you can also experience loss of libido, hair thinning, acne, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular problems. 

Do not go on this cycle if you have any doubts about your health (if you’re a beginner ― STAY AWAY as well). This is some PRO-level stuff.

Best anabolic steroid blends for cutting cycles

If you’re struggling with PIP, have a hard time keeping track of all the compounds that you have to inject (especially with advanced cycles), or just don’t have the time to calculate the dosage right, and it's nauseating to change the draw needle on 2-3 different syringes, you can try out steroid blends:

TNT 400 for cutting

TNT 400 is a mix of Testosterone Enanthate and Trenbolone Enanthate. In 1 mL, there’s 250 mg of Test E and 150 mg of Tren (400 mg total):

It’s a great choice for a cutting cycle if you stick with the lower dosage: 400 mg will be just enough to lose some extra fat and get a great chiseled look. 

Cut Mix cycle

Cut Mix by Apoxar features three of the most popular compounds for a cutting cycle:

• Testosterone ― 100 mg/mL, acts as an anabolic base;
• Masteron ― 50 mg/mL, a great “dry” agent that increases your muscle definition and density;
• Trenbolone ― 50 mg/mL, provides strength gains, muscle hardness and fullness, vascularity.

You get one injection instead of three, yet the effects are pretty much the same ― a defined, lean look. Here’s the protocol for you:

If you choose to use Clomid instead of Nolvadex, you should take 50 mg/day for the first two weeks, and 25 mg/day for the last two.

We have a similar option in stock ― Rip-stack by NovoPharm. This blend consists of two testosterone esters instead of one (Acetate and Propionate), Trenbolone, and Masteron. You can check out the Rip-stack for your next cutting cycle.

Pre-designed cutting cycles

If you don’t want to go through cycle planning, you can always go for a pre-designed option:

• Testosterone Propionate and Masteron cutting cycle with free PCT;
• Anavar and Clen cutting cycle;
• Testosterone Propionate and Winstrol cutting cycle with free PCT.

By ordering a pre-designed cycle, you get everything you need in one package: just the right amount of gear, aromatase inhibitor (if one is needed), and PCT. All that’s left to do is follow the dosage instructions, and you won’t recognize the shredded guy in the mirror in a few weeks.

Alternative options: HGH cutting cycle

HGH, or growth hormone, can be used for weight loss by both men and women. It’s the safest cutting solution on the market in 2025: the only thing you’ll be injecting is a natural hormone that can be produced by your body. 

It’s not an option for those who’d like to be done with the cycle after 2 months, though. The minimal length of an HGH cycle is 6 months. Here are the HGH dosage guidelines for cutting cycles:

• For male bodybuilders: 2-5 IU/day;
• For female bodybuilders: 1-4 IU/day.

This cycle isn’t the best fit for a “shredded” look, though it’s effective, time-tested, and brings other benefits to the table. For example, you can improve your joint health, boost the recovery rate, and improve your skin texture (clear up acne, revitalize it, get rid of wrinkles, etc).

Conclusion

The results of the cycle depend on multiple factors: your nutrition, training, the very understanding of basic steroid cycling, and the selection of suitable compounds. 

In 2025, there’s a whole lot of cutting cycle gear on the market ― blends, pre-designed cycles, and other agents for a custom cycle.

No need to overthink it. Want to build your cycle from scratch ― you can buy the gear and go for it. Looking for a ready-to-use cycle? Well, there’s plenty to choose from. All that matters is the fact that you’re ready and get your compounds from a verified source.

FAQ on cutting cycles

How long are cutting and bulking cycles?

The length of the cycle will depend on the compounds you plan to use. Most cutting and bulking cycles last for 8-12 weeks.

The oral compounds are an exception to this rule. Since they are hepatotoxic, their use should be restricted to 4-8 weeks. 

What is the best cutting cycle?

There’s no such thing as the best cutting cycle, as it will vary from one individual to another. The best cutting cycle for advanced male athletes will feature Testosterone, Masteron, and Trenbolone. Beginners should use an Anavar and Testosterone cutting cycle.

For females, it’s recommended to go for an Anavar and Clen, or an HGH cycle. See? That’s a lot of “bests”. 

When should you start a cutting cycle?

You should start a cutting cycle when your body fat content is lower than 17% (at the very least), and you know about the basics of steroid cycling. Also, there’s not much sense in running a cutting cycle and increasing your muscle definition without a proper bulking cycle before.