bulk or cut ?

patrickrea2002

hi everyone,
im 5,9 and 141 lbs below is an attached flexed vs relaxed pic of me
I really want to be able to see my abs better without flexing and to be able to see them no matter what lightning I have
shall I cut my calories and do cardio to try and lose wight
or
shall I eat more calories and lift 3 times a week


open to suggestions if I do more compound lifts what lifts shall I do and how many reps?

quiksylver296

Get on a progressive lifting program. Here's a whole list to choose from.

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

You look young. Take advantage of that. Eat at maintenance or maybe a little bit more (250 cals or so) and lift.

patrickrea2002

ok thanks how long should I do this for ?

quiksylver296

JK. Until you reach the look you want, basically.

If you find you've put on too much fat (if you chose to eat over maintenance), then you'll have to cut. But I wouldn't worry about that right now. If you get to that point, come back and ask more questions.

sijomial

You have a good level of leanness and aren't far from visible abs.
But you are very light and don't have a lot of muscle mass.
In your shoes I wouldn't cut any more.

I'm going to assume you are late teens from your pictures.....
This is the time when you can build muscle quicker and more easily than you will ever be able to again - my advice to you (and I wish someone had told me 40 years ago) is DON'T WASTE YOUR GOLDEN YEARS.

This kind of question "open to suggestions if I do more compound lifts what lifts shall I do and how many reps?" is exactly why people advise you to get on a properly designed program rather than make it up yourself.
As a young male you will progress with any old rubbish collection of exercises (the gym is full of people doing just that) but a proper program will work much better.

If visible abs are really your #1 priority eat at maintenance for a while but really I think you are going to be wanting to add weight pretty soon unless you want to stay light for a particular reason.


BTW - cardio isn't for weight loss, it's for fitness. You can be fit and strong.

patrickrea2002

ok I hear you I want to be a bit heavier anyways
what would you recommend program- wise I got a list but Im not sure which one to pick and what weight and how many reps of each

quiksylver296

patrickrea2002 wrote: »

ok I hear you I want to be a bit heavier anyways
what would you recommend program- wise I got a list but Im not sure which one to pick and what weight and how many reps of each

What, if anything, do you know reference the compound lifts (squat, bench, deadlift)?

patrickrea2002

Yeah
But im not sure how many reps I should do

quiksylver296

patrickrea2002 wrote: »

Yeah
But im not sure how many reps I should do

I started with Stronglifts 5X5. It tells you what exercise, what weight, and how many reps. I downloaded the app, did what it told me to. It will be easy at first, but stick with it, it gets hard pretty quickly.

I now hold 4 state powerlifting records, so it worked pretty well for me.

Tacklewasher

Listen to her^^. She knows what she's talking about.

magnusthenerd

patrickrea2002 wrote: »

Yeah
But im not sure how many reps I should do

The plan is 4 workouts a weak instead of 3, but I'd consider Lyle McDonald's Generic Bulking Routine if you're looking mostly for just building muscle for looks, without a particular concern to any particular strength goal.
https://www.jcdfitness.com/wp-content/download/Lyle_McDonald_Generic_Bulking_Routine_FAQ.pdf

patrickrea2002

Ok thanks, I’m not sure what kind of things I should be eating

patrickrea2002

I eat healthily in general I don’t drink fizzy or sugary drinks and I don’t eat fatty foods but I’m not really sure what exactly I should eat my default thing to go to eat is pasta salad is this wrong what else should I be eating

quiksylver296

patrickrea2002 wrote: »

I eat healthily in general I don’t drink fizzy or sugary drinks and I don’t eat fatty foods but I’m not really sure what exactly I should eat my default thing to go to eat is pasta salad is this wrong what else should I be eating

All food is good food. Make sure you're getting enough protein, about 0.8 grams per pound of lean body mass. Other than that, just eat.