New or not new to lifting one of the significant Shakespearean decisions on a workout enthusiast's path is: to bulk or not to bulk - to cut or not to cut..
Those are the questions.
If don’t ask you’ll join the ranks of many lifters that find themselves doing neither, which in reality can give you marginal success, but ultimately you end up treading.. Running in place (save that for when you want to maintain).
If you want to make things happen in a rich way it’s time to pick a direction.
To start 2021 we’ll get into how to decide whether to make your number one priority packing on muscle or stripping off fat.
SECTIONS:
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What Is Lean Bulking
Before we decide when to bulk and when to cut we have to define the terms. It’s new year new you time and we join this life for the muscle. Whether your aim is to be as big as the Rock, to be as lean as a physique competitor, or if you’re in this for the strength and power - muscle is part of the equation.
To sport any solid semblance of muscle definition you have to build. Can’t define what you don’t possess. The most efficient way to build muscle is by going on a bulk.
But what is a bulk exactly?
A bulk, lean bulk in particular, is when you diet and train with the goal of gaining weight. The weight, ideally, is to be more muscle than anything else. Regardless it’s to be noted when bulking fat accumulation is inevitable, yet if done so methodically you’ll minimize how much additional adipose tissue (fat) you store.
To gain weight a calorie surplus is needed, which is when you consume more calories than you burn. The higher your surplus, the more likely you are to add body fat so you want a slight surplus. More on that here -> how to lean bulk
Again, you want to gain as much muscle as possible with as little fat as possible. To make this reality you should only bulk in the situations we’ll cover soon, but first what is a cut.
What Is A Cut In Fitness
Cut, shred, lose weight, drop fat it’s all for the same cause: unload adipose tissue.
A cut is when your dietary and training habits lend more to losing fat than anything else. When i say training I’m referring to cardio and lifts. The biggest flip is diet and usually expanded cardio, since you should always lift as if you’re bulking, but back to the topic.
On a cut you want to shake as much fat as possible while maintaining muscle and in certain cases building more.
To lose fat you’ll implement a calorie deficit, which means to consume less calories than you burn. To maintain as much muscle as possible you’ll want that deficit not to be too large or you’ll compromise muscle tissue to a detrimental degree. (how to develop abs)
Note: Yes, it’s possible to build muscle while losing fat, however the less fat you carry the more difficult this process becomes - since that excess fat is stored energy that’ll be used while in a calorie deficit. Need an abundance of energy to be metabolized for hypertrophy (muscle growth).
When To Start Your Cut
Let's get to it.
I mentioned muscle being a need for the physiques we have in mind regardless of desired size.. For this reason folks, guys especially, like to waddle right into a bulk from day one. Everyone isn’t ready to bulk from day one. Not only could it be too early, you may be doing harm.
Whether you should cut or not isn’t a complicated decision if you want to optimize results and/or be lean 365, it mostly comes down to how much body fat you’re holding:
Men above 15% body fat should cut before bulking.
Women above 25% body fat should cut before bulking.
Note: I suggest getting to 12% body fat or lower before considering a bulk as a male - 22% for females if you’re an experienced lifter. It’ll give you more time to bulk while remaining lean.
The reasons to cut in these circumstances are many; that many is up next.
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Reasons You Need To Cut
I know I know, “But Eugene I want to be big nooow!”.
Let me explain:
If you have a higher body fat percentage you’ll get the best of both worlds. This excess adipose tissue will allow you the opportunity to build muscle as you lose fat, so a bulk wouldn’t even be necessary. The higher your fat percentage the easier pulling this feat off is.
You’ll find out exactly what your aesthetics are. After a cut you can point out weaknesses and strengths. Do I need to work more on shoulders and focus less on pecs? Quads? Etc.. Getting the fat out of your way paints a clearer picture.
With the cut you allow yourself to get and stay lean perpetually, despite if you’re bulking or cutting. If you bulk without a low body fat percentage it’ll be long before you hit a lean phase.
Some have no issue, others do. That is with appearance.. Everyone can’t handle carrying a load of body fat even if there’s a bigger picture. If you stay lean you’ll worry less about a loss of confidence due to visible changes.
If you conduct your physique alterations in this suggested manner there’ll be less fat to cut after your pending bulk occurs. This means you can spend more total time focusing on building muscle, less on cutting fat throughout the years.
It’s flat out healthier. Potential health challenges amass as you climb the body fat ladder. Keep it in a reasonable range and you’ll avoid a lot of these.
It’s better for your joints. You already have plans to add weight later, so why carry that extra fat if it isn’t a need? Your joints would love for you not to.
You’ll see your progress in the mirror, not just the scale. With that said take progress pictures too.
By being efficient with your cutting and bulking you’ll save time. The need for shorter cuts means more time building muscle, then you’ll reach your ultimate goal faster.
It’s better hormonally to carry less body fat: better insulin sensitivity, helps avoid excess estrogen production, steady testosterone levels, and you evade the high amounts of leptin signaling changes that occur when you stack up adipose tissue.
To expand on blood sugar.. Higher amounts of body fat go hand in hand with lower insulin sensitivity. Insulin is an anabolic hormone that is released when you consume carbs. Its job is to regulate your blood sugar by shuttling consumed nutrients where they’re needed. Lack of insulin sensitivity AKA insulin resistance means one doesn’t respond to insulin as one should, which makes putting on extra body fat easier and can push you toward type 2 diabetes. Even muscle protein synthesis is hindered with low insulin sensitivity [2].
Continuing with the hormonal inefficiencies - as fat accumulation rises so does the catabolic hormone estrogen. In addition the oh-so anabolic hormone testosterone dips. So it becomes increasingly harder to build muscle [4].
Then there’s more leptin produced with more fat stored. This can lead to leptin resistance.. Leptin signals to your body when you’ve had enough to eat AKA enough energy stored. If you start to ignore these signals your hunger will only grow.
On the other end of the spectrum your ghrelin production is lower with more body fat, yet your response to it heightens.. Leading to stronger hunger pangs.
Note: I get that you may want to be “big now”, still there’s a method to the madness. If you want to do it as efficiently and in a way your physician would approve, it may seem longer, but you’ll academically get there at a faster pace with these strategies.
When To Start Bulking
Now it’s time to go in the other direction; time to grow. You should bulk when your body fat percentage is 15 or less and you want more muscle - that’s 25 or less for the ladies.
Note: I’ll mention again, personally I like to cut to 12% or lower before bulking so that I have more wiggle room. That would be about 22% for the ladies.
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Why You Should Lean Bulk
The reasons to lean bulk are largely inferred to in the why you should go on a cut section. Yet I know it may take more to convince some of my fellow meatheads why bulking this way has benefits:
Again better hormonally. Your testosterone production is much better in this body fat range so more muscle is coming your way [3].
In this readily anabolic state fat accumulation becomes more difficult. Not impossible, more difficult. This fares well for extending your bulk as long as you can before going above around 17% body fat as a guy and 27% as a gal.
A national library of medicine study even resulted in a greater potential increase in strength, as well as muscle mass for individuals with less body fat [1].
How To Determine Your Body Fat Percentage
The easiest way I recommend to figure your body fat percentage is to use bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). You don’t need to be 100% accurate, BIA isn’t, yet it’s close enough for what you need. Several scales have BIA functionality, most gyms, and there are even handheld versions you can purchase.
What I use to check my body fat each morning
Other fat tracking methods include: calipers, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), hydrostatic weighing, 3-d body scanners, and more.
Note: just like with weight always check your body fat in the same condition each time IE morning before your first meal and beverage. Duplication of a setting will allow for more accurate comparisons.
My Thoughts
Knowing the body you want is vital. Early on develop an idea of your goal then it’s easier to create a strategy and achieve it.
It’s okay to alternate between “bulking” and “cutting” if you’re always lean you’ll still maintain health and efficiency.
It’s commonplace for gym rats, especially some of your favorite body builders, to go on big bulking and cutting cycles. It’s beneficial to take tips from professionals, but in this respect they aren’t taking the economical route. These big bulking cycles tend to be “gain weight as quickly and abundantly as possible” - this won’t work well for you.
Note: if you aren’t a natural lifter you can bend these rules a little more with less downside, but as a natural these rules will put your best foot forward.
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So, It’s About That Time
There you have it. Now you know whether to cut or bulk is mostly body fat dependent. You put a lot of work in so get results accordingly. Make your body fat equal to or less than 15/25% M/F before you go on a weight gaining journey. It’s the best way - put those muscles to use and Be Great.