12-Week Cut
Hold onto the muscle and strength you have built while you're in a calorie deficit. Twelve weeks of measured progressive overload paired with cardio to help you hit your targets.
The 12-Week Cut is built to protect the muscle and strength you already have while you run a fat-loss calorie deficit. It combines a maintenance dose of lifting with cardio that builds over three phases. You keep your strength while the conditioning and daily activity rise. It runs five or six days a week depending on the variant you choose.
The Cut asks you to confirm you have a sensible eating and deficit plan before you start. It verifies a plan exists. It does not prescribe your diet.
Who it is for
You're prioritizing fat-loss through your diet and want to hit your targets without losing the strength you have built. You can commit to both lifting and cardio.
Not the right fit if: You are trying to add size or set strength records right now. A build program fits that goal better.
At a glance
- Length
- 12 weeks
- Days per week
- 5 or 6
- Session
- 45 to 60 min
- Equipment
- Dumbbells and, ideally, an adjustable bench, but the program works around your equipment. Your preferred cardio equipment.
How it is built
Three phases over twelve weeks. Lifting progresses conservatively at a maintenance dose to protect your muscle, while cardio progresses across the phases, from Zone 2 base work up through added conditioning and a rising daily step target. Choose the six-day or the five-day full-body variant.
A sample session
A lifting day keeps the compound movements and trims accessory volume to a maintenance dose, so you protect strength without digging a deeper recovery hole. Cardio days progress from steady Zone 2 work toward harder conditioning.
You see the shape of the session here. The exact exercises, weights, and reps are set for you inside the app, and they adapt as you train.
It adapts to you
Every Measured program runs on one screen and progresses on evidence. After the last set of an exercise you tap how hard it was, 6 to 10. Hit the top of the rep range with clean form and the load goes up. Fall short and it holds. That is double progression, and it runs on what you actually lifted, not on a calendar.
Common questions
Will I lose strength on the Cut?
The program is intended to maintain strength during a calorie deficit through conservative progressive overload. A cut isn't the time to chase new PRs. This program is set at a maintenance dose specifically to hold your strength while you lose fat.
Does Measured plan my diet?
No. Measured will ask you to confirm you have a sensible eating plan before starting. The program handles training and conditioning.
Six days or five?
Pick the variant that fits your week. The six-day runs a push, pull, legs split with cardio days. The five-day is full-body with cardio.
How does it adjust to me?
After the last set of an exercise you tap how hard it was, 6 to 10, and Measured keeps the loads calibrated to you so the maintenance dose stays honest as the weeks add up.
Measured launches on the App Store soon. Get on the list and we will tell you the day it is live.
Get early access