Shall i Bulk Or Cut?

thatch1234

Hi peeps im 5 ft 7 15.2 stone, 27Bf%, i lift weights 2 days a week at the moment(upper body) then i do 2 cardio days for lower with squats. I also play football for an hour on wednesday which is very intense. Being so near to christmas im unsure wether to cut or bulk. Ive never really done it that way ive always just lifted and eaten at a restriction but ive come to a point now where im not getting much stronger and i think that could be something to do with the 1900 cals i consume a day(was 220). I would love to lose fat and weight but i would also love to gain muscle so which one at my stage would benefit me more? Also are there any good weight training regimes i can get into? for legs i do cardio and squats mainly. i also dont have a squat rack so i cant load too much weight on normally 50-60kg. my bench press is 3x8 95kg and deadlifts 3x8 90kg. Just to give an idea of where im at. thanks for your time, look foward to responses!

prdough

I would cut to bring that body fat % down into the teens, then bulk it back up after. I wouldn't stop lifting though.

Maybe add some plyometrics in there to help with the football. Just my opinion.

thatch1234

Yeah i have done a week of insanity before which i heard was great for fat burn. considering starting up again but feel i wouldnt be able to do that and lift as much as its needed. So any good ideas of what a week could look like for me working out on a cut?

prdough

I would lift heavy 2-3 times a week with the large compound lifts, and throw in some jumprope in between sets.

On the days you don't lift I'd run/eliptical and do pushups/pull ups/Burpees after every mile or after some measurable point in the workout (whether it be time or distance)

I'd workout 5-6 days a week, with at least one days rest.

I'm no personal trainer though. Has been working for me!

thatch1234

Ok thanks for reply, will wait and get a few more responses hopefully and go with the general vote appreciate your time pal

jwdieter

Cuuuut. 27% bf is no way to live (or play football/soccer). Keep lifting and eating protein, and 1900 seems like a workable deficit.

You have decent strength, so might as well look good and perform better. Dropping 30 lbs of fat is huge for running sports.

When you're at a reasonable fitness and bodyfat level, you can make a more-informed decision on your strength and appearance objectives.

Mr_Excitement

If I were you I wouldn't even bother with the HIIT and plyometrics. Cut with your diet, running a moderate calorie deficit with enough protein, and just keep lifting at the same time.

thatch1234

That's the crazy thing though guys. I am 27bf% but am actually quite fit I think. Compared to alot of others with lower fat percentage anyways so it seems like when I work hard for an hour they all are much more exhausted than me lol. But yes would love for bf% to drop. But want muscles when it's shredded away don't want to just be bone and skin.

Mr_Excitement

You can be very fit at 27% bodyfat or more-- that's not surprising. You won't go down in fat percentage until you run a calorie deficit though. And it's a lot easier to do that by eating a little less than by working out a lot more.

I've known people who could place pretty well in triathlons who had really high bodyfat. They just ate like mf'ers after they trained and put all the calories back into their bodies.

Amadbro

Cut at a very small deficit (200-300 cals). Look for a 5x5 program like stronglifts or starting strength. Follow it religiously WITHOUT altering it or adding anything. Try this for 3-4 months then once you have form down and lifts have moved up, move onto an intermediate 5x5 like MADCOW. Steady state cardio is fine but I wouldn't do anything more than that. You need to preserve the LBM you have and you can decrease BF without cardio. All cardio does is supplement your deficit.

Try to get at least 1g protein per lb of bodyweight (I tend to aim for 1.3-1.5), .3-.5x bodyweight for fats and fill the rest with carbs.

Perfect form should be your primary goal with a 5x5 program. The results will come.

jwdieter

That's the crazy thing though guys. I am 27bf% but am actually quite fit I think. Compared to alot of others with lower fat percentage anyways so it seems like when I work hard for an hour they all are much more exhausted than me lol. But yes would love for bf% to drop. But want muscles when it's shredded away don't want to just be bone and skin.

There's "fit" relative to the general population, which is like, "hey I can walk up a flight of stairs without running out of breath", and there's "fit" relative to your own potential. You're 30+ lbs overweight. Everything you do is like you're wearing a backpack full of books. Take that off, and everything is easier. Especially a sport where you're expected to run for 45 minutes straight. Plus, you have muscles in there just waiting to show off.

I was at ~20% bf last summer. I could do 20 pull ups. Yay. Still looked like sht. Dropped down to 11%, looked a lot better, and started bulking. Can do 30+ pull ups now and I look good.

Don't compare yourself to the normal people. They suck. Realize your potential.

thatch1234

Thing is amadbro is that ive been doing a similar routine for 6 months but weight loss isn't great. I have added a good 40kg to bench but not significant muscle gains. Ofcourse its a marathon not a Sprint but just feel like I'm at a point that I need to do one or the other. With my stats is 1900 a good amount to cut on?

odddrums

I'd cut first. Keep lifting so you can maintain your strength and you'll get stronger slowly, and just cut cut cut until your bf% is where you want or a little bit below. When you start gaining and bulking, you'll end up where you want to be. You'll also be better at lifting so bulking won't be so hard, then you can cut again after. That's what I'm trying to do right now, I don't want to lose anymore weight so I'm bulking a bit to get stronger before cutting back again.

Mr_Knight

Hi peeps im 5 ft 7 15.2 stone, 27Bf%....I would love to lose fat and weight but i would also love to gain muscle so which one at my stage would benefit me more?

Losing body fat will have - by far - the greatest and quickest impact on your football (soccer) playing. IMO, until you get to mid-teens BF%age, it's no contest - cut.

Ronaldo is six stone lighter than you on a 6'1" frame and looks cut as hell - stay active, eat enough protein, and muscle mass is just not going to be something you'll need to worry about.

sijomial

That's the crazy thing though guys. I am 27bf% but am actually quite fit I think. Compared to alot of others with lower fat percentage anyways so it seems like when I work hard for an hour they all are much more exhausted than me lol. But yes would love for bf% to drop. But want muscles when it's shredded away don't want to just be bone and skin.

Of course you can be fat and fit, I played squash to a reasonably high standard when 30 lbs heavier. Would have been faster without carrying the flab around of course!
Small deficit, patience and a good lifting routine.
Assume you are maintaining a good protein intake?

thatch1234

My protein intake is around 120 grams a day.also football isn't a career for me it's just one hour a week. Ofc would be awesome to have less to carry around but it isn't a primary objective. But all up for the cut guys. Just need a plan

thatch1234

Btw what's the best option to test my bf%? I used a stand on weigher/bf analysis for mine. Haven't had it done for 2 months so I could be lower hopefully. But not in teens definately. But is there a good option to buy so I can do at home? Also how often should I measure? Thanks again guys. All the help is brilliant

jwdieter

Easiest way is to look at the builtlean photos and guess from that. Probably be within a few percent.

Scale bioimpedence bodyfat estimates are about as accurate as a broken clock.

Edit (body fat link with photos): http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/

obsidianwings

I would cut to bring that body fat % down into the teens, then bulk it back up after. I wouldn't stop lifting though.

Maybe add some plyometrics in there to help with the football. Just my opinion.

This

Mr_Excitement

Btw what's the best option to test my bf%? I used a stand on weigher/bf analysis for mine. Haven't had it done for 2 months so I could be lower hopefully. But not in teens definately. But is there a good option to buy so I can do at home? Also how often should I measure? Thanks again guys. All the help is brilliant

Calipers are the easiest means of getting a reasonably accurate measurement, once you get used to doing it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPy-D9LZQqM

Those scales are pretty much useless for measuring bodyfat.

thatch1234

Okay and as I've never cut before I should ask, does my calories need to be made up of good food or anything within calorie range??

obsidianwings

Okay and as I've never cut before I should ask, does my calories need to be made up of good food or anything within calorie range??

You might get lots of different answers to this, but personally I prefer to eat anything I want that fits my macros

jwdieter

Okay and as I've never cut before I should ask, does my calories need to be made up of good food or anything within calorie range??

I always opt for good food when given a choice. You should focus on meeting your protein and fat macros. Whatever you like best for the rest of the calories.

thatch1234

Ok and last question what should I aim for in my macros?

obsidianwings

- Your bodyweight in pounds x 1.2-1.5 = Protein per day

- Your bodyweight in pounds x 0.45+ = Fat per day

- Fill the remaining calories up with carbs

jwdieter

Ok and last question what should I aim for in my macros?

Concept that is easy to set with MFP: 30% protein, 25% fat

Target based on science and stuff: 1.8g protein / kg bodyweight.

Overkill but still ok: 1g protein/ lb bodyweight.

obsidianwings

Ok and last question what should I aim for in my macros?

Concept that is easy to set with MFP: 30% protein, 25% fat

Target based on science and stuff: 1.8g protein / kg bodyweight.

Overkill but still ok: 1g protein/ lb bodyweight.

o_O 1g protein per pound of bodyweight overkill?

thatch1234

I weigh 211lbs so I need about 230grams of protein? Is that correct?