Would bulking/cutting be good for me? *PIC HEAVY*

shorty35565

I'm 5'5 121lbs roughly, havent weighed properly in almost 2 weeks. So this is pretty much what I look like.








I have no idea what my body fat % is.
This is my exercise schedule. One of my lifter friends on here put it 2gether for me & then I added in the walking just to make myself more active cuz I stay at home all day.

10sets 3 reps each at 90% max
Monday: Deadlifts + a mile walk
Tuesday: Benchpress + a mile walk
Wed: Squat
Thurs: Deadlifts + a mile walk
Fri: Benchpress + a mile walk
Sat: Squats + a mile walk
Sunday: Pull ups. + a mile walk

I'm eating a deficit right now. It can be anywhere between 400 cal or 50 cal deficit. I have a body media, so I use that to know my TDEE for the day.
So my question is, what should I do? I'm really struggling with this. Should I eat my deficit? Should I eat maintenance? Should I bulk & cut, cuz I obviously need more muscle. Help!

howbadly

I woukd say cut and i would also add more exercises to your program like squat jumps leg extensions and squats for legs, tricep rope extensions overhead tricep raises etc, Basically add more your lifting and don;t worry about lifting too much I'd go lightweight get all toned!

shorty35565

Thank u, anyone else?

Madelinew22

cut!! lean down then bulk if u feel the need to

gmallan

don;t worry about lifting too much I'd go lightweight get all toned!

Definitely NOT this! I mean seriously, no one would ever tell this to a male. What exactly is 'toned' anyway? And light weight, really? Yep go light weight and do hundreds of sets you'll get great results in just hours a day.

Okay rant over.

I think keep lifting heavy while eating at deficit 3-4 times a week. Make sure you have rest days in-between. You've got some of the basic compound lifts in there but you probably need to look into a slightly more comprehensive program. New Rules of Lifting for Women, Stronglifts 5x5 etc. Up the intensity of your cardio (sprints are great for shredding bf) and either do it on a different day to when you are lifting or do a little cardio after lifting.

SideSteel

I'm 5'5 121lbs roughly, havent weighed properly in almost 2 weeks. So this is pretty much what I look like.

Here is my opinion:

Get an average estimate on your TDEE and reduce it by ~20% (cut). Eat at this value daily.

Set your intake values to the following:

Protein: 100g
Fat: 50g
remainder in carbs


Lift heavy with a full body program done 3 times per week. Cardio should be personal preference, probably 2-4/week either on separate days or post-training.

Check out NROLFW, SS, SL5x5, All pros for examples.

shorty35565

don;t worry about lifting too much I'd go lightweight get all toned!

Definitely NOT this! I mean seriously, no one would ever tell this to a male. What exactly is 'toned' anyway? And light weight, really? Yep go light weight and do hundreds of sets you'll get great results in just hours a day.

Okay rant over.

I think keep lifting heavy while eating at deficit 3-4 times a week. Make sure you have rest days in-between. You've got some of the basic compound lifts in there but you probably need to look into a slightly more comprehensive program. New Rules of Lifting for Women, Stronglifts 5x5 etc. Up the intensity of your cardio (sprints are great for shredding bf) and either do it on a different day to when you are lifting or do a little cardio after lifting.

What is the difference between sprinting & running?
I was doing Bench press, Over head press, bent over row, squat & deadlift. 3 sets 7-10 reps. But my lifter friend wanted me to try this out. I trust him. He's really strong, fit & knowledgeable. I just wanting to know what to do ab food really, deficit, maintenance or surplus. I have friends who keep telling me I'm too small & I dont need to lose anymore actual weight just 'tone up'. So I just dk what I'm supposed to do. *sigh*

FloyMcCaudie

bulk then cut

shorty35565

I'm 5'5 121lbs roughly, havent weighed properly in almost 2 weeks. So this is pretty much what I look like.

Here is my opinion:

Get an average estimate on your TDEE and reduce it by ~25%. Eat at this value daily.

Set your intake values to the following:

Protein: 100g
Fat: 50g
remainder in carbs


Lift heavy with a full body program done 3 times per week. Cardio should be personal preference, probably 2-4/week either on separate days or post-training.

Check out NROLFW, SS, SL5x5, All pros for examples.

I have a body media, so my TDEE varies depending on how active I am. It's not very high Normally it's about 1900. I was eating between 1600-1700 & was still losing weight & stuff. The holidays have really thrown me off though & now I just wanna eat more than normal, though still not at a surplus.
I always aim for 100g+ protein. I think today I had 121g. Fats was 67g and carbs were 174g. Had 1743 cals. App says my ratio was 39/34/27. Is that good? I had chocolate & cookies 2day though, really not proud of my eating lately (since Thanksgiving). I need to get on it & stop it with the gluten.
What is wrong with what I'm doing now? Just curious. I'm always wanting to learn.
What kind of cardio do you suggest? Is walking ok? I did cardio for a LONG time & I'm SO tired of it. Not my fav thing to do lol

paijing

I woukd say cut and i would also add more exercises to your program like squat jumps leg extensions and squats for legs, tricep rope extensions overhead tricep raises etc, Basically add more your lifting and don;t worry about lifting too much I'd go lightweight get all toned!

Ahhh! The myth persists! There is no such thing as "toning" muscles. Either you're building them, or you're not. And concentrating on multiple exercises for your triceps isn't a very efficient use of your gym time....unless you're in there all the time and don't have better things to do.

My advice: keep lifting heavy while eating at a calorie deficit. It'll help you retain your muscle mass and drop fat as you lose weight. Lift no more than 3x/week and do full-body workouts when you do lift. Think compound exercises: squats, deadlifts, overhead press, rows, bench press. Or follow a program like NROLFW.

Surprisingly, don't worry too much about cardio. I know, I know: everyone tells you that if you want to get in shape and lose fat, you have to do lots of cardio. I promise, you don't. Walking a mile is no big deal though, nor is doing some sprints, or playing a pick-up sports game. If you're lifting and eating at a deficit, everything is already taken care of.

If you're up for it, try calorie/carb cycling. Eat less on your rest days and more on your workout days. Make sure you're getting lots of protein (1g per pound of body weight) -- it helps with retaining muscle & keeping you feel full. Eat your biggest meal of the day after your lifting session.

Good luck. Go get 'em.

AntWrig

bulk then cut

I am going to have to agree with this. Slowly increase calories, so that you can actually add some muscle. You say you want to cut, but the question is for what? You have to have a foundation first.

When you bulk you don't have to consume a massive amount of calories. Just slowly up them and *kitten* your progress on a weekly basis.

Carb Cycling has no benefit over consuming the same macros everyday. The notion of consuming less on rest days is nonsense. What matters is a weekly deficit.

Regarding exercises. Go back to the compounds.

DopeItUp

I woukd say cut and i would also add more exercises to your program like squat jumps leg extensions and squats for legs, tricep rope extensions overhead tricep raises etc, Basically add more your lifting and don;t worry about lifting too much I'd go lightweight get all toned!

It's amazing how many people still believe this BS.

SideSteel

I'm 5'5 121lbs roughly, havent weighed properly in almost 2 weeks. So this is pretty much what I look like.

Here is my opinion:

Get an average estimate on your TDEE and reduce it by ~25%. Eat at this value daily.

Set your intake values to the following:

Protein: 100g
Fat: 50g
remainder in carbs


Lift heavy with a full body program done 3 times per week. Cardio should be personal preference, probably 2-4/week either on separate days or post-training.

Check out NROLFW, SS, SL5x5, All pros for examples.

I have a body media, so my TDEE varies depending on how active I am. It's not very high Normally it's about 1900. I was eating between 1600-1700 & was still losing weight & stuff. The holidays have really thrown me off though & now I just wanna eat more than normal, though still not at a surplus.
I always aim for 100g+ protein. I think today I had 121g. Fats was 67g and carbs were 174g. Had 1743 cals. App says my ratio was 39/34/27. Is that good?

Ratios are somewhat ambiguous. Cover protein and fat minimums and consume enough carbs to train with adequate intensity and stay at your calorie goal and you win. If you can do so with the above values then keep doing it.

I had chocolate & cookies 2day though, really not proud of my eating lately (since Thanksgiving). I need to get on it & stop it with the gluten.
What is wrong with what I'm doing now? Just curious. I'm always wanting to learn.

I think you MAY get better results doing a full body program vs what you've listed. Beyond that, I think you should maintain a small deficit before bulking (and you'll get differing opinions on this -- ultimately you need to choose)

Do you have an intolerance to gluten?

What kind of cardio do you suggest? Is walking ok? I did cardio for a LONG time & I'm SO tired of it. Not my fav thing to do lol

I suggest tailoring your cardio to personal preference, anywhere from zero to about 4 days per week. If you do not enjoy cardio, don't do it, and reduce calories to compensate for the removal of cardio.

At some point, if your TDEE drops low enough, cardio may become very intelligent as you may get into a position that reducing intake gets tough. (In other words -- smaller females can get to a point that adding activity to create the deficit is much more feasible than reducing food intake further)

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Cut and lift heavy, cardio is optional

chrisdavey

I'm 5'5 121lbs roughly, havent weighed properly in almost 2 weeks. So this is pretty much what I look like.

Here is my opinion:

Get an average estimate on your TDEE and reduce it by ~20% (cut). Eat at this value daily.

Set your intake values to the following:

Protein: 100g
Fat: 50g
remainder in carbs


Lift heavy with a full body program done 3 times per week. Cardio should be personal preference, probably 2-4/week either on separate days or post-training.

Check out NROLFW, SS, SL5x5, All pros for examples.

I agree with this because you appear to be a newby to strength training. Because of this you should be able to increase strength while in a calorie deficit and it you should be able to at least maintain your current LBM.

The other reason for a full body compound routine is that you are currently doing training for strength only. That is fine, if you are after strength and if you already have a good base level. If you are newby then the best way to get stronger is doing it often and not just one exercise per workout.

This is the routine that I followed.
Squat 3 x 10
Bench press 3 x 8
Bent row 3 x 8
Military press 3 x 8
Stiff leg deadlift 3 x 8
BB curl 3 x 8 (except I do pullups cause I like em)
info here http://ausbb.com/strength-training-power-lifting/9460-beginners-program.html

When you cut to a BF% that your happy with it is likely that your body will have a better partitioning ratio, that is that when you do bulk (which doesn't mean eat everything in sight ) then hopefully the majority of the gains will go into LBM growth rather than fat cells. Of course, fat will also increase as you put on weight but it's a lot easier to lose fat than it is to gain LBM.

Hope that helps
Chris

shorty35565

I woukd say cut and i would also add more exercises to your program like squat jumps leg extensions and squats for legs, tricep rope extensions overhead tricep raises etc, Basically add more your lifting and don;t worry about lifting too much I'd go lightweight get all toned!

Ahhh! The myth persists! There is no such thing as "toning" muscles. Either you're building them, or you're not. And concentrating on multiple exercises for your triceps isn't a very efficient use of your gym time....unless you're in there all the time and don't have better things to do.

My advice: keep lifting heavy while eating at a calorie deficit. It'll help you retain your muscle mass and drop fat as you lose weight. Lift no more than 3x/week and do full-body workouts when you do lift. Think compound exercises: squats, deadlifts, overhead press, rows, bench press. Or follow a program like NROLFW.

Surprisingly, don't worry too much about cardio. I know, I know: everyone tells you that if you want to get in shape and lose fat, you have to do lots of cardio. I promise, you don't. Walking a mile is no big deal though, nor is doing some sprints, or playing a pick-up sports game. If you're lifting and eating at a deficit, everything is already taken care of.

If you're up for it, try calorie/carb cycling. Eat less on your rest days and more on your workout days. Make sure you're getting lots of protein (1g per pound of body weight) -- it helps with retaining muscle & keeping you feel full. Eat your biggest meal of the day after your lifting session.

Good luck. Go get 'em.

Thank you! I wish I already looked good. Because this is something I stress aout constantly & people say different things & I just dk what to do. I walk to earn more calories & be more active. I'm REALLY hungry these days for some reason. And I stay at home all day, so I dont get to be really active. I use it for that. I don't really like cardio anymore. I did for most of my "journey" & I'm so burnt out on it. All it does is make you skinny fat anyways I feel like. That is if you don't lift along the way, which I really didn't.

Cranktastic

you have gotten some good advice here.

I would eat at a slight calorie deficit.
SMASHHHHHHHHHHHHH
and REPEAT.

shorty35565

I'm 5'5 121lbs roughly, havent weighed properly in almost 2 weeks. So this is pretty much what I look like.

Here is my opinion:

Get an average estimate on your TDEE and reduce it by ~25%. Eat at this value daily.

Set your intake values to the following:

Protein: 100g
Fat: 50g
remainder in carbs


Lift heavy with a full body program done 3 times per week. Cardio should be personal preference, probably 2-4/week either on separate days or post-training.

Check out NROLFW, SS, SL5x5, All pros for examples.

I have a body media, so my TDEE varies depending on how active I am. It's not very high Normally it's about 1900. I was eating between 1600-1700 & was still losing weight & stuff. The holidays have really thrown me off though & now I just wanna eat more than normal, though still not at a surplus.
I always aim for 100g+ protein. I think today I had 121g. Fats was 67g and carbs were 174g. Had 1743 cals. App says my ratio was 39/34/27. Is that good?

Ratios are somewhat ambiguous. Cover protein and fat minimums and consume enough carbs to train with adequate intensity and stay at your calorie goal and you win. If you can do so with the above values then keep doing it.

I had chocolate & cookies 2day though, really not proud of my eating lately (since Thanksgiving). I need to get on it & stop it with the gluten.
What is wrong with what I'm doing now? Just curious. I'm always wanting to learn.

I think you MAY get better results doing a full body program vs what you've listed. Beyond that, I think you should maintain a small deficit before bulking (and you'll get differing opinions on this -- ultimately you need to choose)

Do you have an intolerance to gluten?

What kind of cardio do you suggest? Is walking ok? I did cardio for a LONG time & I'm SO tired of it. Not my fav thing to do lol

I suggest tailoring your cardio to personal preference, anywhere from zero to about 4 days per week. If you do not enjoy cardio, don't do it, and reduce calories to compensate for the removal of cardio.

At some point, if your TDEE drops low enough, cardio may become very intelligent as you may get into a position that reducing intake gets tough. (In other words -- smaller females can get to a point that adding activity to create the deficit is much more feasible than reducing food intake further)

Doing benchpress, overhead press, bent over rows, squats & deadlifts 3 times a week is ok schedule? 5X5? What about squatting position? I was recently told to try squatting low, like powerlifters. Is that a good way? I just like getting opinions.
I was told the more BF% ur are, the more fat you will gain when u bulk. So I've been pretty uneasy ab bulking because I feel my BF% is too high & cant handle getting any fatter. Is that true?
Yes, I have a sensitivity to gluten. Makes my stomach hurt & bloat like the devil, some things make it feel like it will burst open. Yet I still eat it sometimes since thanksgiving It's hard to stay away from since it's in EVERYTHING

joejccva71

Every time I see someone say the word "toned", it makes me want to punch a kitten in the face.

shorty35565

I'm 5'5 121lbs roughly, havent weighed properly in almost 2 weeks. So this is pretty much what I look like.

Here is my opinion:

Get an average estimate on your TDEE and reduce it by ~20% (cut). Eat at this value daily.

Set your intake values to the following:

Protein: 100g
Fat: 50g
remainder in carbs


Lift heavy with a full body program done 3 times per week. Cardio should be personal preference, probably 2-4/week either on separate days or post-training.

Check out NROLFW, SS, SL5x5, All pros for examples.

I agree with this because you appear to be a newby to strength training. Because of this you should be able to increase strength while in a calorie deficit and it you should be able to at least maintain your current LBM.

The other reason for a full body compound routine is that you are currently doing training for strength only. That is fine, if you are after strength and if you already have a good base level. If you are newby then the best way to get stronger is doing it often and not just one exercise per workout.

This is the routine that I followed.
Squat 3 x 10
Bench press 3 x 8
Bent row 3 x 8
Military press 3 x 8
Stiff leg deadlift 3 x 8
BB curl 3 x 8 (except I do pullups cause I like em)
info here http://ausbb.com/strength-training-power-lifting/9460-beginners-program.html

When you cut to a BF% that your happy with it is likely that your body will have a better partitioning ratio, that is that when you do bulk (which doesn't mean eat everything in sight ) then hopefully the majority of the gains will go into LBM growth rather than fat cells. Of course, fat will also increase as you put on weight but it's a lot easier to lose fat than it is to gain LBM.

Hope that helps
Chris

What is the difference between stiff leg deadlift & the other kind, idk the name but it's what I been doing. I youtubed how to do one with proper form & the guy bent his legs slightly.

Cranktastic

Every time I see someone say the word "toned", it makes me want to punch a kitten in the face.

THIS

and dont say you wished you looked good...you DO look good

and SQUAT!!!!!!!!!!
yes do the 5x5 3 times a week

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/The_Starting_Strength_Novice/Beginner_Programs
http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

googled youtube videos for form