Cutting after bulking

What's the best way to cut after reaching desired bulk?
«1

Replies

  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
    Lower your calories so you're in a deficit? Keep protein high and fats moderate.
  • se015
    se015 Posts: 583 Member
    I actually think OP is asking a good question, I am currently bulking and I screwed up by cutting too quickly after my bulking cycle. Shouldn't he maintain first or go right to cutting? If he does shouldn't he gradually lower his calories to see how he does? I mean unless it's just as simple as dropping right to caloric deficit, I find that you can lose muscle easily that way.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
    edited July 2017
    I think it's personal preference. You're not going to want to lose more than .5lbs per week anyway, or a pound if you are pretty fat and want to get aggressive for two weeks before dropping back. I found that cutting right from a bulk was tricky, but I went the aggressive route. I wasn't afraid of muscle loss. I was primed for fat loss and carrying so much extra water. The thing that sucked was that I was drained and it was hard to adhere to the deficit for long. So I failed at my first cut, lol. Anyway, that's just an anecdote and maybe not helpful.

    I learned the hard way to stop overthinking things. Cut too early? Think of it as a mini cut and get back to bulking.
  • se015
    se015 Posts: 583 Member
    I gotya
  • loftus4827
    loftus4827 Posts: 54 Member
    Seth1825 wrote: »
    I actually think OP is asking a good question, I am currently bulking and I screwed up by cutting too quickly after my bulking cycle. Shouldn't he maintain first or go right to cutting? If he does shouldn't he gradually lower his calories to see how he does? I mean unless it's just as simple as dropping right to caloric deficit, I find that you can lose muscle easily that way.

    He's got a good point. Even with added weight the body will try to return to its original "set point" OP should do the same as if he just finished cutting: maintenance phase for at least a month to allow the body to stabilize and retain the hard won new muscle mass.

    It's soo tempting to get that fatty bulk off asap, but be patient
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    edited July 2017
    vOv I don't bother with a maintenance period, and I use an extremely aggressive cutting protocol. Then again, I could give a rat's *kitten* about "losing muh gains". So long as my strength stays up (it always does, because I am in and out so fast), my Wilks will be greatly improved, and that's my primary concern.
  • sa_kiwi
    sa_kiwi Posts: 15 Member
    I stuffed up and went too aggressive with my cut - lost quite a bit of muscle mass. Personally I would do the maintenance for a while before gradually cutting down and introducing more cardio.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I spent about a week at maintenance after my bulk, mostly to just get used to my new calorie intake. I've heard of many people just jumping into a cut with no issues too. I just keep my protein up and keep killing it in the gym.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Seth1825 wrote: »
    I actually think OP is asking a good question, I am currently bulking and I screwed up by cutting too quickly after my bulking cycle. Shouldn't he maintain first or go right to cutting? If he does shouldn't he gradually lower his calories to see how he does? I mean unless it's just as simple as dropping right to caloric deficit, I find that you can lose muscle easily that way.

    When going from cutting to bulking, it is a good idea to eat at your new perceived maintenance as it has likely decreased and your body is primed for fat storing.

    When going from bulking to cutting, I like to jump right in and get going.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
    Seth1825 wrote: »
    I actually think OP is asking a good question, I am currently bulking and I screwed up by cutting too quickly after my bulking cycle. Shouldn't he maintain first or go right to cutting? If he does shouldn't he gradually lower his calories to see how he does? I mean unless it's just as simple as dropping right to caloric deficit, I find that you can lose muscle easily that way.

    When going from cutting to bulking, it is a good idea to eat at your new perceived maintenance as it has likely decreased and your body is primed for fat storing.

    When going from bulking to cutting, I like to jump right in and get going.

    This. Get the job done.

    The way I see it too, you diet a little aggressive...maybe you lose a little muscle (which is pretty much inevitable anyway) but the LONGER you stretch a diet out for...meh, maybe you lose even more muscle this way rather than a quick bing bang boom.

    (This is how I type before I have finished a cup of coffee sorry).
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    bbell1985 wrote: »
    Seth1825 wrote: »
    I actually think OP is asking a good question, I am currently bulking and I screwed up by cutting too quickly after my bulking cycle. Shouldn't he maintain first or go right to cutting? If he does shouldn't he gradually lower his calories to see how he does? I mean unless it's just as simple as dropping right to caloric deficit, I find that you can lose muscle easily that way.

    When going from cutting to bulking, it is a good idea to eat at your new perceived maintenance as it has likely decreased and your body is primed for fat storing.

    When going from bulking to cutting, I like to jump right in and get going.

    This. Get the job done.

    The way I see it too, you diet a little aggressive...maybe you lose a little muscle (which is pretty much inevitable anyway) but the LONGER you stretch a diet out for...meh, maybe you lose even more muscle this way rather than a quick bing bang boom.

    (This is how I type before I have finished a cup of coffee sorry).

    Yeesh this is me right now. My cut is going all summer. It sucks.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    vOv I don't bother with a maintenance period, and I use an extremely aggressive cutting protocol. Then again, I could give a rat's *kitten* about "losing muh gains". So long as my strength stays up (it always does, because I am in and out so fast), my Wilks will be greatly improved, and that's my primary concern.

    Cosigned.

    I usually go agressive the first two-three weeks and just keep close watch on my weight progression of lifts hits as programmed.

    Quick work, no waiting or worrying about muscle loss. Just efficiency within my goal of strength.

  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    bbell1985 wrote: »
    Seth1825 wrote: »
    I actually think OP is asking a good question, I am currently bulking and I screwed up by cutting too quickly after my bulking cycle. Shouldn't he maintain first or go right to cutting? If he does shouldn't he gradually lower his calories to see how he does? I mean unless it's just as simple as dropping right to caloric deficit, I find that you can lose muscle easily that way.

    When going from cutting to bulking, it is a good idea to eat at your new perceived maintenance as it has likely decreased and your body is primed for fat storing.

    When going from bulking to cutting, I like to jump right in and get going.

    This. Get the job done.

    The way I see it too, you diet a little aggressive...maybe you lose a little muscle (which is pretty much inevitable anyway) but the LONGER you stretch a diet out for...meh, maybe you lose even more muscle this way rather than a quick bing bang boom.

    (This is how I type before I have finished a cup of coffee sorry).

    Yeesh this is me right now. My cut is going all summer. It sucks.

    Lady you look lean anyway. Try being 5'4" and 140 lbs.
  • se015
    se015 Posts: 583 Member
    Okay so consensus is that you go right into a cutting? Some are saying aggressively? So how do you guys recommend doing a cut while MINIMIZING loss of gains?
  • jakeycork
    jakeycork Posts: 26 Member
    Jump straight into a cut after bulking. But try and be slow and steady, don't go straight onto poverty macros. Lower to what you think your maintenance is for 1-2 weeks. Then re-*kitten*.
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,216 Member
    Seth1825 wrote: »
    Okay so consensus is that you go right into a cutting? Some are saying aggressively? So how do you guys recommend doing a cut while MINIMIZING loss of gains?

    Most of the ones saying "aggressive" also say they don't give a *kitten* about loss of gains. Personally, my gains come so hard that I'd hate to lose any significant amount. Slow and steady - keep lifting heavy as you can. Maybe reduce volume a little if you get too exhausted. Eat plenty of protein and keep on top of your macros. Carbs are the one area that most people have some leeway to drop.

    I've seen to many stories where an aggressive cut leads people to the exact point they started. :(
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    jseams1234 wrote: »
    Seth1825 wrote: »
    Okay so consensus is that you go right into a cutting? Some are saying aggressively? So how do you guys recommend doing a cut while MINIMIZING loss of gains?

    Most of the ones saying "aggressive" also say they don't give a *kitten* about loss of gains. Personally, my gains come so hard that I'd hate to lose any significant amount. Slow and steady - keep lifting heavy as you can. Maybe reduce volume a little if you get too exhausted. Eat plenty of protein and keep on top of your macros. Carbs are the one area that most people have some leeway to drop.

    I've seen to many stories where an aggressive cut leads people to the exact point they started. :(

    People also have a nasty habit of overestimating how much lean mass they have at the end of a bulk. Hint: they're probably fatter than they think. I've never seen anyone with any real data to back up their "zomg lost muscle" claims. Even DEXA is fairly useless for this, due to the huge number of things in the body that are not fat, that also decrease during a cut (water, etc.)

    It's the same principle that leads braniacs to think that they "lost their gains" within a few weeks of stopping steroids. With a couple of exceptions (Anavar and Winistrol being the most common) most juice crams a bunch of water into you. Once the T stops, the water drops.
  • nomorepuke
    nomorepuke Posts: 320 Member
    Agree with Seth 100%
  • surjiosurjio
    surjiosurjio Posts: 33 Member
    bbell1985 wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    bbell1985 wrote: »
    Seth1825 wrote: »
    I actually think OP is asking a good question, I am currently bulking and I screwed up by cutting too quickly after my bulking cycle. Shouldn't he maintain first or go right to cutting? If he does shouldn't he gradually lower his calories to see how he does? I mean unless it's just as simple as dropping right to caloric deficit, I find that you can lose muscle easily that way.

    When going from cutting to bulking, it is a good idea to eat at your new perceived maintenance as it has likely decreased and your body is primed for fat storing.

    When going from bulking to cutting, I like to jump right in and get going.

    This. Get the job done.

    The way I see it too, you diet a little aggressive...maybe you lose a little muscle (which is pretty much inevitable anyway) but the LONGER you stretch a diet out for...meh, maybe you lose even more muscle this way rather than a quick bing bang boom.

    (This is how I type before I have finished a cup of coffee sorry).

    Yeesh this is me right now. My cut is going all summer. It sucks.

    Lady you look lean anyway. Try being 5'4" and 140 lbs.

    No milk no sugar no bread equals definition