Path
Cutting Phase
Adaptive thermogenesis, lipolysis blockade, and the muscle-sparing problem.
For: See chapter one for the full framing.
◆ 10 quizzes◆ 10 slide decks
Learning objectives · Bloom-aligned · 11
- analyzeAnalyze the mechanisms by which adaptive thermogenesis, alpha-2 adrenergic lipolysis blockade, and muscle catabolism cause a cut to stall in caloric deficit
- understandExplain how mitochondrial fat oxidation at the inner membrane — CPT-1 transport, beta-oxidation flux, and electron transport chain coupling — gates the entire cutting response
- applyApply a Phase 1 metabolic priming protocol across Weeks 1-4 to restore lipolytic sensitivity before introducing GH-axis peptides
- applyApply a Phase 2 Tesamorelin-anchored GH-axis stack across Weeks 5-10 to drive visceral adipose tissue reduction on a primed metabolic substrate
- evaluateEvaluate thyroid (fT3, rT3) and cortisol (AM serum, DUTCH) signaling to identify the deficit-stress collision before T3 crashes or cortisol-driven muscle loss begins
- evaluateInterpret DEXA body composition, fasting insulin, fT3, rT3, IGF-1, and lipid panel trends to distinguish true fat loss from glycogen/water artifacts and lagging endocrine markers
- createCreate a Weeks 1-4 daily execution rhythm specifying AM injection timing, fasted-state training split, protein floor, and weekly compliance checkpoints
- createCreate a Weeks 5-10 layered execution schedule integrating two-injection days, the evening Tesamorelin GH pulse, and the post-injection food-window rule
- analyzeAnalyze Week 4 and Week 8 lab response patterns to classify the practitioner as a clear, partial, or non-responder and select the corresponding next-protocol branch
- evaluateEvaluate visceral fat regain risk and design a low-dose maintenance schedule with lifestyle layering (sleep, protein, resistance training) to hold the cut without continued deficit
- applyApply muscle-sparing tactics — protein threshold, resistance training stimulus, and GH-pulse timing — to preserve lean mass across the full 10-week cut
Chapters · 10
- 01What's actually happening when a cut stalls
- 02The upstream lever — mitochondrial fat oxidation
- 03Phase 1 reset — Weeks 1-4 metabolic priming
- 04Phase 2 rebuild — Weeks 5-10 GH-axis lipolysis stack
- 05Supporting axis thyroid cortisol and the deficit stress
- 06Labs that matter — what to pull, when, and what's lagging
- 07Weeks 1-4 execution — the daily and weekly rhythm
- 08Weeks 5-10 execution — layering Tesamorelin and the GH pulse
- 09Adjusting based on labs — clear, partial, and non-responders
- 10Maintenance — holding the cut without the deficit
Research use only · Not medical advice