How to Lose 5 kg Before Summer in 8 Weeks
We both put on some weight on purpose to build strength and extra mass. Now it's time to lose 5 kg in 8 weeks, get shredded before summer, and keep as much muscle and strength as possible.
This isn't only about looking leaner. In calisthenics, weighing less can make your skills feel lighter and cleaner, so the cut has a clear performance goal too.
Why we're cutting before summer
When you spend a few months gaining weight for strength, some extra body fat usually comes with it. That's normal. The next step is trimming that fat back off without losing the strength you worked for.
The main reason for this cut is to look better and leaner during summer. Still, the bigger reason is performance. When your bodyweight drops, a lot of calisthenics skills become easier to perform because you're moving less mass through space.
A lighter body can help with skills such as:
- muscle-ups
- handstand push-ups
- human flags
Summer might be show-off time, but the goal is still practical. Get leaner, move better, and keep your strength.
The starting point
Day one started with weight check-ins and physique check-ins. Merino checked in at 84.7 kg, and Nick checked in at 92 kg.
That starting point matters because it gives the whole challenge a real baseline. If you're doing the same, take a before photo like we did. A clear photo at the start makes it much easier to judge your progress honestly after a few weeks.
The 8-week training setup
For this fat-loss challenge, we're following an intermediate program with 4 H.I.I.T. sessions per week. The workouts alternate between upper-body and lower-body days, which keeps the week balanced and lets you train hard without repeating the same stress every session.
We've used this approach before during another shredding phase and both lost around 5 kg, so we already know the setup works for us. The first workout in this challenge is an upper-body session with 6 exercises. Each exercise is done for 30 seconds of work, followed by 30 seconds of rest.
This is the structure:
| Workout element | Format |
|---|---|
| Sessions per week | 4 H.I.I.T. workouts |
| Split | Alternate upper body and lower body |
| Exercises per workout | 6 |
| Work interval | 30 seconds |
| Rest interval | 30 seconds |
The short work-rest pattern keeps the intensity high. After a couple of extra rounds, the pump is real, and this style of training burns a lot of calories fast.
Why this approach works for calisthenics
The goal isn't to lose weight for the sake of losing weight. The goal is to get shredded while maintaining as much muscle and strength as possible.
That matters more in calisthenics than many people realize. Your strength is always tied to your bodyweight, so if the scale goes down and your strength stays close to the same, your relative strength improves. As a result, skills like the muscle-up or handstand push-up often feel smoother.
H.I.I.T. also fits this kind of short cut well because it keeps the sessions intense and efficient. You're not dragging through long workouts. Instead, you're training with pace, getting a strong pump, and pushing the calorie burn high enough to help the cut move forward.
Track the full 8 weeks
This kind of challenge works better when you document it from the start. Weight check-ins and physique check-ins give you something real to compare, especially when daily changes are too small to notice.
A before photo helps, and regular check-ins help even more. By the end of the 8 weeks, you want proof that the fat came off and that your physique changed with it.
What this cut is really about
An 8-week cut like this works best when the target is simple: lose around 5 kg, train hard four times per week, and hold on to your strength while the fat comes off.
Because calisthenics rewards strength relative to bodyweight, getting leaner can do more than change how you look. It can make your skills easier, sharper, and more controlled at the same time.
