“Should I bulk or cut?” is one of the most common questions that I get asked especially for those with a skinny fat body type. And to those of you in this situation wondering if you should cut or bulk first, I know that it can seem so confusing as to the optimal approach you should take, but it really is quite simple. No matter what you choose (i.e. cutting or bulking), all that your body needs in order to look “better”, is a combination of more muscle and less body fat. There are 3 approaches (i.e. bulking, cutting, and body recomposition) you can take to achieve this. I’ll discuss the pros and cons of each of these approaches (bulking vs cutting vs body recomp) in this video.
The first option between bulking vs cutting vs body recomp is to start with a “bulk”.
Pros:
1. You’ll look bigger and better in clothes.
2. You’ll get stronger much faster.
3. Your workouts will generally be more fun.
Cons:
1. You’ll accumulate more body fat than you currently have now
2. You have to be willing to go into a calorie deficit to strip off the fat afterwards.
3. Your risks for health ramifications increase when your body fat gets past 20%.
Ideal for:
– Those who are currently skinny with very little muscle
– Those who want to prioritize building muscle and strength first
– Those who have a relatively low body fat percentage of around 10-15%
Of course, the next option when it comes to cutting or bulking is a cut. Some individuals, primarily beginners, detrained individuals, or those at a high body fat %, may be able to build a little bit of muscle throughout this process.
Pros:
1. You’ll see results much faster
2. It puts you in a good position to gain afterwards if you’re starting out with a relatively higher body fat %.
3. If you’re at higher body fat or inexperienced, you’ll likely be able to build some muscle as you cut.
4. Once you do lean down, you’ll get a better sense as to whether or not you think you have enough muscle or would like to focus on adding more.
Cons:
1. Your strength gains won’t progress as well.
2. Your workouts will likely be less enjoyable.
3. If you’re skinny, you’ll look leaner afterwards but probably not as much muscle as you’d like.
Ideal for:
– Those who have a relatively higher body fat % (over 15%)
– Those who want to first prioritize losing fat and getting lean rather than putting on more size
The last approach is what’s called a body recomposition. It technically means you don’t need to decide if you need to cut or bulk first (you’re doing both at the same time).
Pros:
1. Build muscle and lose fat at the same time.
Cons:
1. Highly individual (some see better success with recomp than others)
2. Difficult to measure.
3. Visual progress is quite slow.
4. Hard to tell how long it will last (usually a few months).
5. Many individuals can still build muscle & lose fat on a normal cut.
Ideal for:
– Beginners, detrained individuals, or those who have never trained/dieted optimally and are sitting at around 15% body fat
– Those who want to prioritize getting bigger and stronger while slowly getting leaner
Still confused as to “Should I bulk or cut?”? Then first ask yourself these 2 simple questions.
1. What is your main goal and what are you most excited for right now?
2. What is your current body fat %?
If your main goal right now is to add more size, build muscle and gain strength, then a gaining phase is probably the best option as long as your current body fat % is around 10-15%. If it’s closer to 20% or above that, then start with a cut.
If your main goal and what you’re most excited about right now is to get lean and see visual progress quickly, then a cutting phase is probably the best option.
And then:
3. Am I eligible for a body recomp?
As we mentioned earlier, this is best suited for true beginners and detrained individuals sitting around 15% body fat with the main goal to build muscle and strength while slowly getting leaner.
Regardless, the end point is the same: a lean muscular physique with more muscle and less fat than you currently have. And you can eventually get their regardless of what approach you choose. So try not to overcomplicate things.
And for a step-by-step all in one program that uses science to not only start you out with the best initial approach for you and your body, but then also guides you through the different phases needed afterwards to achieve a lean and muscular physique just like it has done successfully for thousands of our members, then simply take the analysis quiz to discover which science-based program would be best for you and where your body is currently at below:
https://builtwithscience.com/bws-free-fitness-quiz/gender?utm_source=Youtube&utm_medium=Video&utm_content=Description%20box&utm_campaign=Bulk%20or%20cut%20Mar%2014%2F2021
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