To slow bulk or cut?

Helloitsdan

A quick history:
Started dieting down last May.
Dropped from 170 to 140 in August.
Straight bulk Sept to Oct but gained too much fat back.
150 Oct.
Slow cut 15% below TDEE through holidays.
As of Jan 1st I've been intermittent fasting eating 20% below TDEE.
On lifting days I eat TDEE.

Now I'm 136 with 11% body fat.
My short term goal was 135 10% by May.
Should I start a slow bulk now or try to drop body fat below 10%?

My slow bulk would be TDEE on rest days and 10-15% up on lifting days.
I follow SL5x5.

Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanx Gang!

Here are a few progress pics.

Me at about 175lbs in 2010.


Me last May at about 160+


Me Before my first full bulk.
I started eating 3k daily after this.


Me about a month ago with 13-14% Body Fat 138lbs.
This is after losing the majority of the fat I gained by haphazard bulking.
I did get my lean mass up to about 120lbs so partial success.

Taylerr88

i would do a really really slow bulk. like 100 over maintenance.. you are pretty lean as is... and if you cut your kinda cutting to nothing anyways. at least from the pic ..

thefuzz1290

i would do a really really slow bulk. like 100 over maintenance.. you are pretty lean as is... and if you cut your kinda cutting to nothing anyways. at least from the pic ..

Agreed, but you might want to go a little higher than 100 over maintenance...maybe 200-300, or as much as 500 if the calories are lean protein. Also, in all honesty, I wouldn't allow your body fat percentage to drop below 10% unless you planned on competing in a bodybuilding competition. At 10% you can still see a 6-pack, but your body still has enough fat to use as emergency sources of energy throughout the day.

It may just be the picture angle, but you look leaner in your "pre-bulk" picture than you do in the most recent picture.

SergeantSunshine_reused

I think slow clean bulk is the way to go

nutandbutter

Agree with everyone else. I would aim for the 200-300 over maintenance.

Helloitsdan

Perfect!
Much appreciated for the input!
I think with tomorrows planned routine i'll hit it hard.

Now for rest days would you consider TDEE?
Or cut 10-20%?

tgzerozone

I would go wild, eat 1000-1500 over maintenance, get the right hormones raging, lift my butt off and gain like crazy. Then once I get to my target lean weight, I'd start cutting 300-500 below maintenance with some hard going HIIT Cardio.

That's just me.

I started at 145 lbs. (14 % fat)
My bulk weight aim is 187 lbs (No more than 16 % fat)
My current weight after 9 weeks is 163 lbs (16 % fat)
My goal weight is 170 ish lbs (7 % fat)

Maintenance cals are 2300.
I eat 3500-4500 cals.

Guess it is all about how much you want to bulk though?

EDIT: OOps, sorry, I re-read your post and it seems you don't want to go much heavier than what you are now.) Don't follow above then.

Helloitsdan

I would go wild, eat 1000-1500 over maintenance, get the right hormones raging, lift my butt off and gain like crazy. Then once I get to my target lean weight, I'd start cutting 300-500 below maintenance with some hard going HIIT Cardio.

That's just me.

I started at 145 lbs. (14 % fat)
My bulk weight aim is 187 lbs (No more than 16 % fat)
My current weight after 9 weeks is 163 lbs (16 % fat)
My goal weight is 170 ish lbs (7 % fat)

Maintenance cals are 2300.
I eat 3500-4500 cals.

Guess it is all about how much you want to bulk though?

EDIT: OOps, sorry, I re-read your post and it seems you don't want to go much heavier than what you are now.) Don't follow above then.

LOL yea I did that and put on the ugly fat.
Didnt like having to get rid of it either!
=D

tgzerozone

lol yea, not easy.

Helloitsdan

It may just be the picture angle, but you look leaner in your "pre-bulk" picture than you do in the most recent picture.

Pre Bulk pic was me with about 113lbs lean mass.
The more recent one is me at about 118-120lb lean mass.

The bulk was all wrong.

Now I have Intermittent fasting and a better routine.
I've been IF since Jan 1st.
I'll be zig zagging instead of full blown bulk this time around.
My pre 40s body doesnt want any more fat!

EuroDriver12

um usually id say cutt more.. but like previous poster said ud end up too skinny... i would eat about 200-300 over maintance and upp my cardio to about 60min a day...

make sure u eat LOTS OF PROTEEEEIN!!!!

taso42

LOL yea I did that and put on the ugly fat.
Didnt like having to get rid of it either!
=D

just a thought i'm throwing out there. i'm not sure what you were doing last time around, but chances are, the SL program you are about to start is likely going to be much more efficient and effective for the muscle gains.

edit: hmm, looks like i misread the post.. somehow i was thinking you will be just starting with SL5x5.

Lift_hard_eat_big

How tall are you?

Helloitsdan

@Taso: I now have the equipment to get me over 200lbs in deads and squats if need be. I was using limited stuff before. Also back in September I was only doing accessory work and didnt know what a hardgainer was. Now I treat everything as if im a hard gainer.

@fpacudan: 5'5" on the dot.

NicoWoodruff

You definitely are way leaner now, whatever you decide to do you're definitely on the right track! :drinker: Cheers!

taso42

@Taso: I now have the equipment to get me over 200lbs in deads and squats if need be. I was using limited stuff before. Also back in September I was only doing accessory work and didnt know what a hardgainer was. Now I treat everything as if im a hard gainer.

if I recall, you were using powerblock dumbbells? i have a set and love them. but man, there is a world of difference if you can swtich to a barbell.

i was squatting 160 with dumbbells. now 245 with the barbell.
bench was 110; now 180
deadlift 110 or so; now 310.

the barbell will be your new best friend

Helloitsdan

Possibly after finishing the basement this summer. I dont have the room now unfortunately.

Aljos

bump...

Helloitsdan

bump...

LOL this is an old thread buddy.
Why bump it?
I got my **** together now!
=D

Aljos

I'm the same height as you are dude at 163 lbs right now, I saw the thread to read it later and gain some insight when I reach my goal. I have stalled for 3 months and trying to break the plateau. I'm following some sensible people on MFP including you sir, thanks by the way for your good posts. Right now I'm gonna do Insanity then P90x again, I am eating 1700 calories and eat 70% of my exercise calories.
Hopefully this time I will break this and lose weight mostly bodyfat.