Should I be bulking or cutting? Little help please.
beezerphd
Posts: 136 Member
I've been working out for around 11 months now and have definitely seen some muscle gains during that time, but I'm now beginning to think I've stuck and I'm just starting to get podgy again.
I'm 25, 5ft 10 and weigh about 182lb which has remained the same weight the entire time I've been working out. I've ordered fat calipers and tape measures so I can work out my BF%, but I estimate it to be somewhere in the late teens early 20's.
Here's a photo of my current progress to give you an idea of where I'm at.
I'm struggling to gain weight even with clearing 3600 calories a day on a relatively sedentary lifestyle, bar my 60 minute weight workout 5 days a week.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I'm 25, 5ft 10 and weigh about 182lb which has remained the same weight the entire time I've been working out. I've ordered fat calipers and tape measures so I can work out my BF%, but I estimate it to be somewhere in the late teens early 20's.
Here's a photo of my current progress to give you an idea of where I'm at.
I'm struggling to gain weight even with clearing 3600 calories a day on a relatively sedentary lifestyle, bar my 60 minute weight workout 5 days a week.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
0
Replies
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I wouldn't say you "need" to gain anymore right now, but I could say the same about losing. You look relatively lean still. So it's you call really, if you want more muscle / mass, then bulk for a bit longer. But if you want to get leaner and see more definition then I'd cut.
Personally, as it's coming up to winter, and you look like you could go either way, I would bulk for a little bit, and cut when it's approaching the warmer weather.0 -
You could eat at maintenance, lift heavy, and hope for some re-composition. Or just bulk. It's winter.0
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It's winter.
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What is your current workout and what is your diet like now?0 -
You're around 15%, I would cut.0
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Personally, as it's coming up to winter, and you look like you could go either way, I would bulk for a little bit, and cut when it's approaching the warmer weather.
This. Bulking is fun. If you are having trouble gaining, first make sure you are doing a hypertrophy program (lots of volume) and eat even more.0 -
No advice, but you're hot. Like Jared Leto hot.0
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Holiday cutting seems unnecessarily cruel... maybe wait until after the holidays and then cut, and just work on increasing your weight.
BTW, love your Ninja Turtles shirt in your profile pic
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I would cut, as well. You don't want to bulk at too high a body fat percentage. I know Lyle McDonald puts the end mark at 15% for guys - I'm a bit more lenient and recommend ending a bulk at 18%.0
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No advice, but you're hot. Like Jared Leto hot.
Haha so Bat**** crazy hot then.
I'll take it as a compliment cos he's a pretty good looking bloke for his age.What is your current workout and what is your diet like now?
My diary is open to anyone who wishes to look at my eating habits. I lift heavy 5 days a week. Usually with a split of
Monday - Chest and Tri's
Tuesday - Back and Biceps
Wed - Shoulders
Thursday - Arms and Abs
Friday - Legs0 -
Is there a possibility of doing a mini-cut at all or is that not really a feasible option?0
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Why arms twice a week mate? if training weights naturally for growth i would train weights no more than 4 days a week, rest is key for growth0
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Why arms twice a week mate? if training weights naturally for growth i would train weights no more than 4 days a week, rest is key for growth
The Monday and Tuesday arms is only really minimal work on them, so perhaps doing a couple of sets of tricep extensions after finishing my chest. I sometimes can't be bothered doing them on the Monday or Tuesday so keep the thursday free as a sort of fall back option. If I do them on Monday or Tuesday then I'll do some BJJ drills instead.0 -
My diary is open to anyone who wishes to look at my eating habits. I lift heavy 5 days a week. Usually with a split of
Monday - Chest and Tri's
Tuesday - Back and Biceps
Wed - Shoulders
Thursday - Arms and Abs
Friday - Legs
Maybe i did it wrong, but clicking on your profile it looks like it's locked. Also in general I find it better for a person to describe their own diet. I don't care if you ate 3 wheat thins yesterday or 5 the day before, but are you on a specific paradigm? Do you just focus on calories or do you look at macronutrients as well? How much protein and fat do you try to get in each day (and do you pull it off most days)? Etc. I ask for more specifics because, regardless of if you choose to bulk or cut, if you can't gain weight on 3600 calories I think you may want to look at what exactly it is your eating before going forward.
With respect to the workout I was more looking for a bit more specifics. What lifts are you doing? What's your current max in your main lifts for those days and what are you using for working weight? I ask about this because, especially when you decide to start bulking, having a solid hypertrophy program in place is pretty crucial. Judging by your profile pic I'll say that you're not pulling in the curl rack, so you're half way there
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I would tend to agree with Rock on this one. From what I can tell a good rule of thumb for most guys is to cut until they have very visible and defined abs, and then to bulk until they have barely visible abs. Obviously guys who don't get abs until like 5% BF or whatever this doesn't apply to, but it's a decent starting point if you don't want to worry about calipers and crap (if you do, cut to 8-10, bulk to 15 or so).
More important than that though, do you think you need to lose weight or gain? Are you happy with how you look right now? If yes, to hell with our advice and keep doing what you're doing.0 -
Is there a possibility of doing a mini-cut at all or is that not really a feasible option?
You can absolutely do mini cuts (same goes for bulking). There's no set time frame that this stuff has to be done in.0 -
My diary is open to anyone who wishes to look at my eating habits. I lift heavy 5 days a week. Usually with a split of
Monday - Chest and Tri's
Tuesday - Back and Biceps
Wed - Shoulders
Thursday - Arms and Abs
Friday - Legs
Maybe i did it wrong, but clicking on your profile it looks like it's locked. Also in general I find it better for a person to describe their own diet. I don't care if you ate 3 wheat thins yesterday or 5 the day before, but are you on a specific paradigm? Do you just focus on calories or do you look at macronutrients as well? How much protein and fat do you try to get in each day (and do you pull it off most days)? Etc. I ask for more specifics because, regardless of if you choose to bulk or cut, if you can't gain weight on 3600 calories I think you may want to look at what exactly it is your eating before going forward.
With respect to the workout I was more looking for a bit more specifics. What lifts are you doing? What's your current max in your main lifts for those days and what are you using for working weight? I ask about this because, especially when you decide to start bulking, having a solid hypertrophy program in place is pretty crucial. Judging by your profile pic I'll say that you're not pulling in the curl rack, so you're half way there.
I would tend to agree with Rock on this one. From what I can tell a good rule of thumb for most guys is to cut until they have very visible and defined abs, and then to bulk until they have barely visible abs. Obviously guys who don't get abs until like 5% BF or whatever this doesn't apply to, but it's a decent starting point if you don't want to worry about calipers and crap (if you do, cut to 8-10, bulk to 15 or so).
More important than that though, do you think you need to lose weight or gain? Are you happy with how you look right now? If yes, to hell with our advice and keep doing what you're doing.
I aim to hit 3600 calories whilst trying to hit my Macros too. On a daily basis I'm hitting about 3600 calories, 450 carbs, 120 fat and 180 protein. I'm a nightmare for not having breakfast so usually I'm aiming to get these in later on in the day.
Chest days - Bench - 90kg barbell/3 reps/ 3 sets
Incline Bench - as above
Decline - 100kg/3 reps/3 sets superset with close grip bench with just barbell.
Incline flyes - 17.5kg/8 reps/3 sets
Back - Pullups - 3 sets/unassisted to failure then negatives to failure.
Lat Pulldowns - 3 sets/120kg/8-10 reps
Deadlifts - 3 sets/120kg/8-10 reps with a 160kg 1rm
Seated cable rows - 3 sets/45kg/10 reps
Shoulders - DB Shoulder press - 25kg each arm/ 4-6 reps/3 sets
Side and Front raises - 15kg/10 reps/3 sets alternating side and front on a weekly basis.
Upright Rows - 42.5kg/10 reps/3 sets superset of 120kg shrugs.
Legs - Squat - 160kg/8-10 reps/3 sets
Leg extensions - full stack(not sure exactly how heavy it is)/ 8 reps/3 sets/
Leg curls - 15-20kg,10 reps/3 sets
Calf raises - 160kg/8 reps/3 sets
and so on....
That's a rough breakdown of my usual workouts0 -
Cut.0
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Cutting.0
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No advice, but you're hot. Like Jared Leto hot.
This.0 -
I aim to hit 3600 calories whilst trying to hit my Macros too. On a daily basis I'm hitting about 3600 calories, 450 carbs, 120 fat and 180 protein. I'm a nightmare for not having breakfast so usually I'm aiming to get these in later on in the day.
Chest days - Bench - 90kg barbell/3 reps/ 3 sets
Incline Bench - as above
Decline - 100kg/3 reps/3 sets superset with close grip bench with just barbell.
Incline flyes - 17.5kg/8 reps/3 sets
Back - Pullups - 3 sets/unassisted to failure then negatives to failure.
Lat Pulldowns - 3 sets/120kg/8-10 reps
Deadlifts - 3 sets/120kg/8-10 reps with a 160kg 1rm
Seated cable rows - 3 sets/45kg/10 reps
Shoulders - DB Shoulder press - 25kg each arm/ 4-6 reps/3 sets
Side and Front raises - 15kg/10 reps/3 sets alternating side and front on a weekly basis.
Upright Rows - 42.5kg/10 reps/3 sets superset of 120kg shrugs.
Legs - Squat - 160kg/8-10 reps/3 sets
Leg extensions - full stack(not sure exactly how heavy it is)/ 8 reps/3 sets/
Leg curls - 15-20kg,10 reps/3 sets
Calf raises - 160kg/8 reps/3 sets
and so on....
That's a rough breakdown of my usual workouts
There's always going to be things to nitpick, but at the end of the day that's just mental *kitten*. Looks pretty good. Assuming you're up for it, go for the cut first, then bulk once you're leaner.0 -
I run an almost identical split to yours. But I see you hit upper body 3 days in a row there. My best advice would be to do chest and tris, then throw legs day next or one of your 2 rest days, and then back and bis, after that hit a rest day. Just a suggestion, those are my two biggest upper body lift days so I try to break them up pretty good. Also (to your main question) I agree with an above poster that your probably in the 15-16% range, cutting for a bit longer would be best in my opinion. (I know it sucks lol, I've been so ready to start my bulk too and it's bulking season now) but I waiting for 12% before I start mine. But again, just a preference. Keep up the good work bro, look forward to seeing your progress eather way you decide to go! 0
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Fantastic advice from everyone. Very much appreciated. Going to try a 21 day cut so that I'm not suffering too much over christmas.0
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I'd say cut. There's some biceps just waiting to emerge there.0
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You're around 15%, I would cut.
^^
A friend of mine went back to weight lifting last spring and one thing he learned is his curling form was wrong. He used PX90 and had really really good results.
For better cutting, you need to make sure you target defining muscles such as your calves and smaller upper arm muscles. There are 12 specific abdominal muscles and generic sit ups won't work them all. There are a lot of exercise that help you target each specific ones. Some people naturally cut, some don't. Keep at it and don't get too discouraged.
ETA; if the pic of you in your red shorts are the most recent of your chest, your pecs are looking a lot better. Try working your lats a bit to even it out a bit to get a more V shape cut. Nice pecs are awesome and very defining for your upper chest. Don't forget the middle back muscles. beefy upper neck muscles aren't hugely important and can take away from your neck if you're not careful.
Good luck, looks like you've made a lot of great progress!0 -
For better cutting, you need to make sure you target defining muscles such as your calves and smaller upper arm muscles. There are 12 specific abdominal muscles and generic sit ups won't work them all. There are a lot of exercise that help you target each specific ones. Some people naturally cut, some don't. Keep at it and don't get too discouraged.
nope0 -
You're around 15%, I would cut.
^^
A friend of mine went back to weight lifting last spring and one thing he learned is his curling form was wrong. He used PX90 and had really really good results.
For better cutting, you need to make sure you target defining muscles such as your calves and smaller upper arm muscles. There are 12 specific abdominal muscles and generic sit ups won't work them all. There are a lot of exercise that help you target each specific ones. Some people naturally cut, some don't. Keep at it and don't get too discouraged.
ETA; if the pic of you in your red shorts are the most recent of your chest, your pecs are looking a lot better. Try working your lats a bit to even it out a bit to get a more V shape cut. Nice pecs are awesome and very defining for your upper chest. Don't forget the middle back muscles. beefy upper neck muscles aren't hugely important and can take away from your neck if you're not careful.
Good luck, looks like you've made a lot of great progress!
And don't forget the green coffee extract.0 -
And the one-legged romanian dumbbell sumo squats.You're around 15%, I would cut.
^^
A friend of mine went back to weight lifting last spring and one thing he learned is his curling form was wrong. He used PX90 and had really really good results.
For better cutting, you need to make sure you target defining muscles such as your calves and smaller upper arm muscles. There are 12 specific abdominal muscles and generic sit ups won't work them all. There are a lot of exercise that help you target each specific ones. Some people naturally cut, some don't. Keep at it and don't get too discouraged.
ETA; if the pic of you in your red shorts are the most recent of your chest, your pecs are looking a lot better. Try working your lats a bit to even it out a bit to get a more V shape cut. Nice pecs are awesome and very defining for your upper chest. Don't forget the middle back muscles. beefy upper neck muscles aren't hugely important and can take away from your neck if you're not careful.
Good luck, looks like you've made a lot of great progress!
And don't forget the green coffee extract.0 -
For better cutting, you need to make sure you target defining muscles such as your calves and smaller upper arm muscles. There are 12 specific abdominal muscles and generic sit ups won't work them all. There are a lot of exercise that help you target each specific ones. Some people naturally cut, some don't. Keep at it and don't get too discouraged.
nope
You asked for advice, I gave it. This is how I got decent wash board abs with in a year when I needed to shed 40lbs. I got down to 15% body fat, beautifully sculpted arms, legs, back and 75% of my abs. -With out heavy lifting.
Feel free to ignore it, though.0 -
You asked for advice, I gave it. This is how I got decent wash board abs with in a year when I needed to shed 40lbs. I got down to 15% body fat, beautifully sculpted arms, legs, back and 75% of my abs. -With out heavy lifting.
Feel free to ignore it, though.
I love you! :laugh:0 -
You asked for advice, I gave it. This is how I got decent wash board abs with in a year when I needed to shed 40lbs. I got down to 15% body fat, beautifully sculpted arms, legs, back and 75% of my abs. -With out heavy lifting.
Feel free to ignore it, though.
I love you! :laugh:
haha, thanks! Because I'm like TOTALLY talking out of my @ss right now... lol. Seriously... I've had professional training when I was younger..When I was weight training, I was leg pressing more than 3xs my weight while running 5 miles on each of my 2 off days. In an hour. I've had help from a personal trainer about a year ago to learn the new stuff (sadly, I got sick) But hey! what do I know?0 -
You asked for advice, I gave it. This is how I got decent wash board abs with in a year when I needed to shed 40lbs. I got down to 15% body fat, beautifully sculpted arms, legs, back and 75% of my abs. -With out heavy lifting.
Feel free to ignore it, though.
It's great that you met and/or exceeded your goals, but you do need to tailor your advice somewhat. Looking at his paradigm you can note that he has a preference for high weight low repetition bb and db movements. He's already heavy lifting, why would you suggest P90X when that's what he's doing? Also, for a lot of men, the big beefy neck you talked about is an end goal. It makes you look bigger and more intimidating. Furthermore, the idea that having a strong yoke is not needed is a pretty bold comment to make. There are plenty of places where it is useful, perhaps not in your lifestyle, but in mine definitely.0
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