Do I need to cut or bulk?

Roadie2000

Not sure exactly where to ask this, but here goes...

Most people swear by cutting and bulking when trying to lose fat and add muscle, so if I maintain my current weight and exercise (weight train mostly) will it help that much or is it a lot more efficient to do cut and bulk cycles.

Basically I don't mind exercising and eating better, but I hate logging my calories and I'm not super focused on losing weight anyway. I just want to eat regularly, which is fairly healthy but with some more protein added in. But I'm worried I'll wasting my time exercising if I'm not really burning fat or gaining muscle.

RoxieDawn

Yes you can and maintaining weight to lose fat/build muscle also known as 'recomp'. Its a much slower process than doing bulk/cut cycles.

I would also make sure you are following an established lifting program for optimal results.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

Jthanmyfitnesspal

You don't need to do anything you don't want to do.

Roadie2000

RoxieDawn wrote: »

Yes you can and maintaining weight to lose fat/build muscle also known as 'recomp'. Its a much slower process than doing bulk/cut cycles.

I would also make sure you are following an established lifting program for optimal results.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

Thanks for the links. I do a somewhat modified 5x5 program to fit my needs. I've had good results with it in the past but I honestly don't remember what my diet was back then. I guess I will try to drop a few lbs while I'm still getting back into shape and then bulk up later.

Roadie2000

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

You don't need to do anything you don't want to do.

Sure I do, I don't always want to exercise or eat healthy but I know I need to if I'm going to make any changes.

Davidsdottir

Hope old are you and how long have you been lifting? What exactly is your goal? Do you want to compete? Are you trying to get stronger for other activities?

Southpaw1958

Test

sijomial

No you don't need to, when I was growing up it was a tiny, tiny proportion of people did cut/bulk cycles - never heard of anyone outside of serious bodybuilders doing it. People just went to the gym and "got in shape"!

Define what you mean by "efficient" - to me recomp is more efficient as you are progressing towards two goals simultaneously rather than separately.

Cut/bulk is generally accepted as being quicker but not everyone cuts well, bulks well or recomps well.
Genetics, quality of training supported by your diet and training status all have an impact plus the lifestyle factors of enjoyment factor in.

fb47

When you do them right, cutting and bulking will give you a faster progress. But looking at your photo, you do seem to have a decent size already, maintaining would be a good option for you. In my opinion, bulking and cutting is perfect for someone who starts lifting and wants to get big asap, but it doesn't seem like it's your case.

Roadie2000

Davidsdottir wrote: »

Hope old are you and how long have you been lifting? What exactly is your goal? Do you want to compete? Are you trying to get stronger for other activities?

I'm 41 now, definitely not looking to compete in anything. My goals are not really clearly defined yet, basically just get healthier, get stronger, live longer, look better, feel better, etc. I have a lot of extra weight in my mid-section, I'd like to lose that without losing much muscle. I've also been having some lower back aches, so trying to stretch and strengthen that best I can.

Roadie2000

sijomial wrote: »

Define what you mean by "efficient" - to me recomp is more efficient as you are progressing towards two goals simultaneously rather than separately.

By efficient I mean, for instance, if I cut for 6 weeks and then bulk for 6 weeks will I see a much bigger change in my BF% and/or physique than if I was to just eat normally and recomp for 12 weeks?

I honestly have a tough time cutting, I just don't have the desire to measure and log my food like a lot of people do. And my wife does most of the cooking, we eat out a lot, and I just don't have the discipline. Mainly I got rid of empty calories and am eating smaller portions. Anyway...

In the past I have gotten the best results from either exercising a ton, eating less, and dropping lbs or lifting a few times a week, eating more, and gaining muscle. But the times when I have just exercised and maintained I don't feel like I really noticed the results as much. Although maybe it just seemed slower because I was losing weight and gaining muscle so the changes weren't as drastic.

Anyway, I have heard in the past that you can't really gain muscle and lose weight aside from some newbie gains. So I'm wondering if that is still true. If I really want to look better should I just pick one or the other or does it not really matter?

Roadie2000

fb47 wrote: »

When you do them right, cutting and bulking will give you a faster progress. But looking at your photo, you do seem to have a decent size already, maintaining would be a good option for you. In my opinion, bulking and cutting is perfect for someone who starts lifting and wants to get big asap, but it doesn't seem like it's your case.

Thanks, I appreciate that. That photo is a bit older, but I'm also not too worried about getting huge fast. Just trying to be smart about my exercising and not spin my wheels.

sijomial

Roadie2000 wrote: »

Davidsdottir wrote: »

Hope old are you and how long have you been lifting? What exactly is your goal? Do you want to compete? Are you trying to get stronger for other activities?

I'm 41 now, definitely not looking to compete in anything. My goals are not really clearly defined yet, basically just get healthier, get stronger, live longer, look better, feel better, etc. I have a lot of extra weight in my mid-section, I'd like to lose that without losing much muscle. I've also been having some lower back aches, so trying to stretch and strengthen that best I can.

Your goals sound like my goals when I started out - but I waited until I was 53....
Sounds to me like a slow cut down to your goal weight is your starting point to lose your extra baggage in your mid-section - you certainly shouldn't bulk first.
Would be surprised if you lost any muscle if you are training effectively with a small to very small caloric deficit and adequate protein.

Sometimes it's easier to think in stages and it seems to be cutting down to shed fat until you get to goal weight would be the first stage. Then reassess and decide on one of the three options.
I didn't look how I expected to look when I got to goal - sadly!!

sijomial

Roadie2000 wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

Define what you mean by "efficient" - to me recomp is more efficient as you are progressing towards two goals simultaneously rather than separately.

By efficient I mean, for instance, if I cut for 6 weeks and then bulk for 6 weeks will I see a much bigger change in my BF% and/or physique than if I was to just eat normally and recomp for 12 weeks?

I honestly have a tough time cutting, I just don't have the desire to measure and log my food like a lot of people do. And my wife does most of the cooking, we eat out a lot, and I just don't have the discipline. Mainly I got rid of empty calories and am eating smaller portions. Anyway...

In the past I have gotten the best results from either exercising a ton, eating less, and dropping lbs or lifting a few times a week, eating more, and gaining muscle. But the times when I have just exercised and maintained I don't feel like I really noticed the results as much. Although maybe it just seemed slower because I was losing weight and gaining muscle so the changes weren't as drastic.

Anyway, I have heard in the past that you can't really gain muscle and lose weight aside from some newbie gains. So I'm wondering if that is still true. If I really want to look better should I just pick one or the other or does it not really matter?

I've never seen a comparison study that actually compares rates of progress but those timescales do seem very short to me. Once you are past beginner status, in terms of dedicated training years rather than strength levels, muscle gain is slow whatever your dietary conditions (assuming no pharmaceutical assistance).

I don't log my food but don't have a problem with a very slow cut, it's what I do in the Spring to lose my Winter "fluff" and get down to my cycling weight. I just weigh daily and watch my weight trend. At the moment I'm just starting that process and am skipping breakfast most days. Quite painless really.

fb47

Roadie2000 wrote: »

fb47 wrote: »

When you do them right, cutting and bulking will give you a faster progress. But looking at your photo, you do seem to have a decent size already, maintaining would be a good option for you. In my opinion, bulking and cutting is perfect for someone who starts lifting and wants to get big asap, but it doesn't seem like it's your case.

Thanks, I appreciate that. That photo is a bit older, but I'm also not too worried about getting huge fast. Just trying to be smart about my exercising and not spin my wheels.

Therefore if you want to maintain, just maintain. You can always go back to bulking and cutting if you ever want to. As I've said, bulking and cutting is for those who want faster progress. I used to be skinny, so the first 4 years was all about bulk and cutting. Now that I have gained 80+% of what I could possibly gain genetically, I am in the same boat as you, I am currently bulking, but will maintain my weight once I hit somewhere around 170 lbs. I will only cut if I decide to go on a trip so that I can show the muscles I've built over the years.