Cut first or build muscle first?

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  • nanosuitninja
    nanosuitninja Posts: 30 Member
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    Hey thanks, just wondering, for my height and weight, what kind of calories should i be getting for a cut and should i include cardio (once i've bulked up that is)?
  • nanosuitninja
    nanosuitninja Posts: 30 Member
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    to tarekstein that was
  • EricJonrosh
    EricJonrosh Posts: 823 Member
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    I've always heard bulk first, then cut.
  • StrongerThanThor
    StrongerThanThor Posts: 544 Member
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    Hey thanks, just wondering, for my height and weight, what kind of calories should i be getting for a cut and should i include cardio (once i've bulked up that is)?

    I use this calculator to find out my numbers: http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/
    Cardio isn't important factor in cutting phase. I only did cardio for one month through my 11 months transformation.

    If you look at cardio from calories burning point, You will see that its just going to raise the number of calories your body burn per day thus you will be able to eat extra calories and that's it.
  • nanosuitninja
    nanosuitninja Posts: 30 Member
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    Hell of a transformation bud, and thanks for tha advice
  • brillmer
    brillmer Posts: 1,268 Member
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    Hey thanks, just wondering, for my height and weight, what kind of calories should i be getting for a cut and should i include cardio (once i've bulked up that is)?

    probably around 2300-2500 per day. .assuming you are working out 5 times a week. give me your real numbers and i can tell you an actual number

    age
    height
    weight
    how often / how hard you work out
    goals
    :D
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    Hey thanks, just wondering, for my height and weight, what kind of calories should i be getting for a cut and should i include cardio (once i've bulked up that is)?

    I use this calculator to find out my numbers: http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/
    Cardio isn't important factor in cutting phase. I only did cardio for one month through my 11 months transformation.

    If you look at cardio from calories burning point, You will see that its just going to raise the number of calories your body burn per day thus you will be able to eat extra calories and that's it.

    That's the site I use as well.
  • nanosuitninja
    nanosuitninja Posts: 30 Member
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    @brillmer
    17 yrs
    5ft 9in
    135lbs
    workout 3 days a week, all full body workouts. The stronglifts 5x5 routine if you've heard of it. And i've just started.
    Goals: gain 1-2lb mass per month, with as little fat gain as possible.
  • NikoM5
    NikoM5 Posts: 488 Member
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    Almost always cut first.

    Once you've cut it's much easier to track the muscle you'll gain from a bulk afterwards. It will be much more motivating as well seeing as the added muscle will be more apparent in the mirror than if you bulked while still holding extra fat.
  • jeremyw1977
    jeremyw1977 Posts: 505 Member
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    Muscle burns fat.......in other words, if you add muscle, the muscle will do do the trimming up work for you.
    I did cardio ONLY for months, and dropped a few pounds, but no noticeable change in size.

    Once I added strength training and circuit training into my schedule, the muscle started toning up and the fat just melted off.......and no, I don't look all bodybuild-y. I have a bit of bulk here and there, but a lot of tone in other areas.
  • Brad805
    Brad805 Posts: 289 Member
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    I know you were not offended by the lardazz comment. I was wondering something similar and posed the question to Layne Norton and he told exactly that. It has always stuck in my mind. You see lots of guys going crazy with food and that seems excessive. Lyle McDonald suggests mass gain/loss cycles where you bounce between 10 - 17% BF.

    Here is another macro calculator. http://iifym.com/IIFYM-calculator/
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
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    checked out leangains?
  • brillmer
    brillmer Posts: 1,268 Member
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    @brillmer
    17 yrs
    5ft 9in
    135lbs
    workout 3 days a week, all full body workouts. The stronglifts 5x5 routine if you've heard of it. And i've just started.
    Goals: gain 1-2lb mass per month, with as little fat gain as possible.

    Yes, I did SL 5x5 for about 10 weeks.. I know it very well.

    I would say to eat anywhere from 2200-2500 per day on your workout days, and about 2000 on off days (assuming you dont do any other cardio or workouts)
  • nanosuitninja
    nanosuitninja Posts: 30 Member
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    Ok, gathering that i'm fairly content with my current bf% (for the moment) i think i'm going to hit the strength training with high calories for some months, or until i'm happy with my mass. Anyway thanks for the replies everyone, wish me luck. And i think it's about time i went anabolic, and hit the sack. Night.
  • grantdumas7
    grantdumas7 Posts: 802 Member
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    Those electronic devices are inaccurate so you are probably not 16% bf. I bet you are around 11-13%. I am guessing your waist is 30-31" If all of this accurate, I would do a clean bulk. Also look at doing a routine called Icecream fitness 5x5 for novice. Jason Blaha has a channel on youtube called icecreamfitness. His 5x5 is similar to stronglifts but it adds a few more movements that stronglifts neglect. Here is the link.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feY6vi6ORXo
  • brillmer
    brillmer Posts: 1,268 Member
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    Ok, gathering that i'm fairly content with my current bf% (for the moment) i think i'm going to hit the strength training with high calories for some months, or until i'm happy with my mass. Anyway thanks for the replies everyone, wish me luck. And i think it's about time i went anabolic, and hit the sack. Night.

    just make sure you aren't adding too many calories
    a common mistake with people trying to "bulk" is they just eat lots of garbage and think they can work it off

    thats not how it works

    add 300 CLEAN AND HEALTHY calories or so to what you're currently doing, and see how you adjust.

    ;) gl~
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    Bump
  • El_Cunado
    El_Cunado Posts: 359 Member
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    [/quote]

    I use this calculator to find out my numbers: http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/
    [/quote]

    Thanks for the link.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Hi guys, I'm pretty new, first post right here.

    I'm currently sitting at 16% bodyfat, my main goals are to build muscle but to do so whilst staying lean.
    I'm not looking to do a traditional 'bulk' as some bodybuilders do to gain more muscle, as i am a little
    worried about losing the fat afterwards. Just wondering should i get rid of the excess fat first and build
    muscle second or the other way around?

    it really seems like you've answered your own question
  • BonaFideUK
    BonaFideUK Posts: 313 Member
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    Here is some good advice that I think applies to you OP

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bZ319X3CTs

    Although I disagree about the 1 year time scale, everything else is solid advice.

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