Should i continue to cut or start bulking?

LonelyAssAthelete

Hello there. This is a long one.
Currently male at 155lbs, 5'7".

Back in November of 2016, I weighed around 220lbs at 5'7", and I had a depressing time which sent me into a workout frenzy. I needed to be healthy. I decided to run, workout etc. In around January of 2017, I got down to 155lbs. To this day I still have visible fat on my stomach, not much but enough to piss me off and not have a 6 pack. Im trying to remove all of the fat on my stomach, and have a washboard abs look. I eat really clean, and eat a deficit of 1600 calories (1.5 lbs a week). I want to bulk and get bigger muscles while losing fat, I'm just wondering if I should do a surplus of calories? I'm just scared I will gain fat from it, I do not want any fat whatsoever.. Fat scares me. I also intake about 1 times my body weight in protein, in hopes to counteract the cutting sequence Im doing, so it won't target my muscles. Thoughts?

psuLemon

Eat at maintenance and have a good progressive overload lifting program. Your not gonna get huge any time soon, but you wont gain fat. Generally to gain a good amount of muscle recomping, it will take a few years.

Otherwise, to get big you would need to bulk, which adds fat. And you would have to cut after. So really, what is more important, getting big fast or not gaining fat?

Skyle33

No one in fitness wants to hear this, but you DO NOT need to cut or bulk. It's unhealthy to rock your weight back and forth and you can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time because you're young. Like the above said, eat at maintenance with moderate unsaturated fats (no saturated/trans fats if possible, other than oil) and start lifting weights and getting cardiovascular exercise regularly. You will be happy staying leaner, lighter, and healthier year round and your body will thank you if you consistently eat nutrient rich foods. If anything, once you are lean and satisfied from this healthy lifestyle, you can begin upping calories slightly while keeping a crisp diet and intensifying workouts. That means healthy carb, fat, and protein sources. Stay fit my friend

AnvilHead

LonelyAssAthelete wrote: »

...I'm just scared I will gain fat from it, I do not want any fat whatsoever.. Fat scares me....

...Thoughts?

If you don't want any fat whatsoever, don't bulk. There's no way, even with PEDs, to gain 100% muscle and not put on any fat.

psuLemon

Skyle33 wrote: »

No one in fitness wants to hear this, but you DO NOT need to cut or bulk. It's unhealthy to rock your weight back and forth and you can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time because you're young. Like the above said, eat at maintenance with moderate unsaturated fats (no saturated/trans fats if possible, other than oil) and start lifting weights and getting cardiovascular exercise regularly. You will be happy staying leaner, lighter, and healthier year round and your body will thank you if you consistently eat nutrient rich foods. If anything, once you are lean and satisfied from this healthy lifestyle, you can begin upping calories slightly while keeping a crisp diet and intensifying workouts. That means healthy carb, fat, and protein sources. Stay fit my friend

Do you have to bulk/cut? No. But if you have a time frame, or you don' want to wait to see if you are a good responded to a recomp, it is an effective and healthy strategy. Not everyone wants to spend 2+ years trying to gain 20lbs of muscle, and that is if the are consistent.

Also, you should look at some of the latest science around SFA. It's not as unhealthy as once thoughts and some of the more recent would suggest no impact to metabolic markers at all. And while, I do agree it might be worth limiting, I personally don't if the SFA are coming from whole sources (beef/dairy).

sardelsa

Skyle33 wrote: »

No one in fitness wants to hear this, but you DO NOT need to cut or bulk. It's unhealthy to rock your weight back and forth and you can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time because you're young. Like the above said, eat at maintenance with moderate unsaturated fats (no saturated/trans fats if possible, other than oil) and start lifting weights and getting cardiovascular exercise regularly. You will be happy staying leaner, lighter, and healthier year round and your body will thank you if you consistently eat nutrient rich foods. If anything, once you are lean and satisfied from this healthy lifestyle, you can begin upping calories slightly while keeping a crisp diet and intensifying workouts. That means healthy carb, fat, and protein sources. Stay fit my friend

You don't have to cut/bulk, but recomp isn't for everyone either, it was not for me.

What if I don't want to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time? Before I started bulking I was pretty lean, a bit undermuscled. While I wasn't underweight, I was small and wanted to be larger. I don't think recomping works for everyone and their goals, especially when there is nothing to work with (like myself).
I am much happier now that I have put on weight.

There are many ways to do things, some are better for certain people than others.