Cut more or bulk in my position?

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dave_in_ni
dave_in_ni Posts: 533 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
After some advice, I posted this on Reddit but would like opinions from people more knowledgeable, I can't get past my belly fat, left over from a being a former fat boy. Others have said go on a slow bulk and add some muscle but as I say can't get past the stomach fat. I think I have built a bit of muscle.

In my position what would you do?

I should add I'm 5,11 75kg

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Replies

  • bufger
    bufger Posts: 763 Member
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    Sorry I can't help but I'm in exactly the same position as you and wondering the same thing so I'll watch for the replies.

    Do you find it's more loose skin than fat? Like it's really 'jiggly' ? That's what I've found
  • dave_in_ni
    dave_in_ni Posts: 533 Member
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    bufger wrote: »
    Sorry I can't help but I'm in exactly the same position as you and wondering the same thing so I'll watch for the replies.

    Do you find it's more loose skin than fat? Like it's really 'jiggly' ? That's what I've found

    Yes exactly its jiggly, and if I bend over it just hangs there.
  • Tic78
    Tic78 Posts: 232 Member
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    What weight have you cut down from? Did you keep protein high as you lost weight as well as making sure your lifts were progressing/staying as close to the same as possible?

    How long have you been on a cut? Your could either cut more, go on a lean bulk just 250 or so over maintenance or if neither appeals then eat at maintenance and do a body recomp.

    If you have lost a lot of weight quite quickly then the skin will tighten up still. It’s basically skinny fat although I think they now call it normal weight obesity, more pc I guess!

    It’s not that bad though, your biceps looks good, tone is there in the stomach. I think is likely you lost weight to fast, taking both muscle and fat done that in the past myself.

    So if being lighter that 75kg doesn’t appeal then recomp or bulk but if you decide to lose more then keep the lifts good but slow the weight lose right down say .5lb a week so just 250 off yr maintenance.
  • dave_in_ni
    dave_in_ni Posts: 533 Member
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    Tic78 wrote: »
    What weight have you cut down from? Did you keep protein high as you lost weight as well as making sure your lifts were progressing/staying as close to the same as possible?

    How long have you been on a cut? Your could either cut more, go on a lean bulk just 250 or so over maintenance or if neither appeals then eat at maintenance and do a body recomp.

    If you have lost a lot of weight quite quickly then the skin will tighten up still. It’s basically skinny fat although I think they now call it normal weight obesity, more pc I guess!

    It’s not that bad though, your biceps looks good, tone is there in the stomach. I think is likely you lost weight to fast, taking both muscle and fat done that in the past myself.

    So if being lighter that 75kg doesn’t appeal then recomp or bulk but if you decide to lose more then keep the lifts good but slow the weight lose right down say .5lb a week so just 250 off yr maintenance.

    I was 106kg back a couple of years back, cut down to 80kg very fast 6 months not knowing what I was doing, maintained that for a good year or more then decided to start cutting again, this time much slower, it was around 0.5 - 1lb per week, and that's where I'm at today.

    For my protein no not really at the start as I didn't research, its only when it went wrong I discovered my error, been eating 1gram per 1lb daily since though but by that stage the damage was done. Ever since I started lifting I have never really been in a surplus as such, I want to see what will happen when I do bulk? Will I get fat or will I build muscle.
  • Tic78
    Tic78 Posts: 232 Member
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    The answer is you will build both slowly work your way back upto maintenance and once you have that number eat a slight surplus of 250 cals or so per day.

    Keep the protein at 1g per lb bodyweight, fat at 0.5g per lb and rest from carbs/fat or protein whatever you prefer.

    If you gain slowly you will minimise the fat gains.

    If your newish to lifting you will still get some newbie gains.

    I’ve done it myself in the past cut to quickly ended up way down in weight and still had a belly, Ive also cut on low calories starting say at 1800 with no cardio didn’t really work for me either.

    Currently I’m 82kg 5’10 and maintaining at 3000. Cutting at 2300 at the minute with cardio to supplement the weight lifting and my belly is far superior than when I was cutting without cardio or when I went way down in the scales without proper nutrition and found I still had quite bad body fat percentage. So for me that’s what worked and bodyfat currently estimate at 12-15% will work it down to just below 10 and then lean bulk.

    If you have been dieting for a long time sometimes a wee break at maintenance works wonders, resets your levels and gives the body a break.

    Good luck
  • dave_in_ni
    dave_in_ni Posts: 533 Member
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    Thanks for that. Think that’s what I’ll do for rest of summer then reevaluate.
  • fb47
    fb47 Posts: 1,058 Member
    edited June 2018
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    How long have you been lifting? If you are new to lifting, I would say just do recomp. If you've been lifting for many years, I would say keep cutting.
  • dave_in_ni
    dave_in_ni Posts: 533 Member
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    fb47 wrote: »
    How long have you been lifting? If you are new to lifting, I would say just do recomp. If you've been lifting for many years, I would say keep cutting.

    2.5 years.
  • fb47
    fb47 Posts: 1,058 Member
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    dave_in_ni wrote: »
    fb47 wrote: »
    How long have you been lifting? If you are new to lifting, I would say just do recomp. If you've been lifting for many years, I would say keep cutting.

    2.5 years.

    You're an intermediate. Personally, I would cut....but doing a recomp wouldn't be a bad answer either in this case. The reasoning behind it is that in your shoes, I would like to get rid of that tummy and then start focusing on building muscles, but that's me.
  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
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    I’d run a slight deficit tbh
  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
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    As others have said, recomp or deficit.

    Just be advised that a recomp is usually slow and, depending on your personality, can be a bit frustrating. Just trust the process!

    A bulk will, by definition, add body fat and since you can not get past your belly I would not suggest that (bulk of any kind). Also keep in mind that since you have been lifting for 2.5 years that you will not experience the "newbie" or "re-trainied" gains that those folks experience. So, it is gonna be a little bit slower. But, I repeat, trust the process.

    So, you are about 180cm and about 165lbs? I lived in Germany for several years after college so meters | kilograms are second nature to me. Not everyone in the US can say that! So, I try to translate for people...

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