Should I be bulking or cutting? Little help please.

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  • beezerphd
    beezerphd Posts: 136 Member
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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.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    I'd say cut. There's some biceps just waiting to emerge there.
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
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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!
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    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
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
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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!

    And don't forget the green coffee extract.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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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!

    And don't forget the green coffee extract.
    And the one-legged romanian dumbbell sumo squats.
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
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    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.
  • PomegranatePriestess
    PomegranatePriestess Posts: 2,455 Member
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    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:
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
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    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?
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    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.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    Do what YOU want.

    If you wanted more definition all you have to do is lean out a bit more. It's all about how much fat you leave on and everyone is different.

    I found most body fat measurements to be inaccurate except a DXA scan, or a hydrostatic body fat test. Last year I had all the other measurements tell me I was at 17% when the hydrostatic test told me I was at 10% and was accurate and what I needed to know for my calorie intake.

    I'm not a competitor and I don't bulk, but I cut very slowly after vacation eating and like have maintained 11-12% body fat for a little over a year dropping down to 10% on occasion and I couldn't stand the thought of bulking (gaining fat). The only way to know the truth about bulking and cutting is a DXA scan, you really don't gain muscle as fast as people think and DXA will tell the truth. The problem is DXA is a medical procedure and is fairly expensive. I found a place for $80 and lucky for me I'm old enough that the doctor wanted to check my bone density. I found my lean body mass doesn't change much and a bulk of my weight is my bone density from lifting for over 30 years, but I'm a girl and girls just don't build that much muscle. My muscles are only defined because of the fat being gone. I'm probably as big as I'll ever get. Guys will build more muscle but not as much during "bulking" as they think, again DXA would prove the point. And it's really the only truth, DXA, you really don't know the whole truth without it. People can say what they want about muscle growth and weight, but I won't believe it unless I see DXA after what it's shown me with my own body (that my lean body mass doesn't change much with weight gain and loss).

    Also everyone is different and has a different look even at the same body fat. For example both these guys are at 10%

    10-percent-body-fat-male-pictures1.jpg

    And these girls are at 15%. I'm at 11% and look nothing like either of them. We are all different. It depends on what you want and your own genetics.

    15-percent-body-fat-female1.jpg


    I think heavy lifting, and changing up your routine often provides the best look and the best health benefits and keeps you injury free. At least that what works for me. I constantly change things up; regular sets, super sets, a variety of pyramid routines, circuits, combos, high weight, low weight.

    I did an experiment and cut out all ab exercises for 6 months to bring my waist down (I have a fairly thick torso even when that area is 0% body fat according to DXA, I carry the bulk of my fat on my arms and upper legs). Anyway most of my profile pictures are a result of no ab exercises, just heavy lifting and changing things up. I'm also a runner though but I don't believe it does anything for my shape, I just like it and believe it provides good health benefits.

    I added back in the abs and I'm up 1.5% body fat and my abs have more definition and my waist is thicker (even though DXA shows that area is 0% body fat.

    Have fun, doing what YOU want for your body. :)

    You do look AWESOME. Nice work! :)
  • eatcleanNtraindirty
    eatcleanNtraindirty Posts: 444 Member
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    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.

    me.jpg

    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 would cut first if I were you. That's just me though. I would rather cut and get lean and then slowly gain lean mass over time. You'll look really good the entire time you do if you do it correctly... lean is a much better look than "bulky" that's just my honest opinion. Take it as you see necessary.
  • job187
    job187 Posts: 26 Member
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    That question is impossible to answer unless you tell us your goals. Do you want to loose weight or gain muscle? Pick one of them and the answer should be obvious.
  • lewist90
    lewist90 Posts: 126 Member
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    You're around 15%, I would cut.



    this!! i would cut to like 9-10% then just look at lean bulking year round. you have decent mass so time to show it off :)
  • JasonDetwiler
    JasonDetwiler Posts: 364 Member
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    Bulk and get your lifts up.
  • AlayshaJ
    AlayshaJ Posts: 703 Member
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    I LOVE YOUR BEARD
  • breezedaze
    breezedaze Posts: 357 Member
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    Cut then post another pic..pretty please. ;-)
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    I never suggested PX90, please go back and reread the context. Secondly, I advised that making sure you target smaller upper arm muscles gives you better *definition* I never suggested he use light weights. *I* used light weights and achieved what he is looking for. That's all I said. His dismissive attitude was rude...even after I gave him encouragement AND compliments. effing rude. but whatevs. I don't expect everyone to be nice on these forums. That's more naive than believing unicorns crap gold.

    Have fun cutting away, you have a ways to go with that. I have nothing more to say.

    That's really offensive.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    tumblr_m4xne1e3jc1qj3ir1.gif
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    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.

    The ignore button is such a wonderful invention. Oh «and magj0y....you are re«ally not having any kind of definition on your arms and shoulders....I would pick up heavy weight.....it would really improve your physique

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