When do you decide to cut after bulking?

I'm at 12% right now. I haven't put on much fat even though I gained 20 pounds. My waist is the same as it was when I was 149 somehow haha

I added 2 inches to my waist in 4 months/15 lbs. I wish I were 20-something again. : )

When you can't stand feeling fat.

This is my way too.

You set an upper limit of body fat percentage. A person with a more favorable Partitioning Ratio can sustain the same caloric surplus as someone with a less than favorable P-Ratio and end up with more calories added to gains in lean mass than fat mass. As a result, the first person is more able to continue bulks for longer durations.

12%. anything above that is too high imo if you are bodybuilding or working out to achieve a certain physique.

Muscle gain is better in the the 8-12 range too.

It depends on what your goals are. If you want 6 pack abs and/or to look ripped, then 15%ish as per the above advice

if it's just for health, then look at health measures like waist size and stay within the healthy body fat percentage range

if you're training for a specific sport then you'll need to find the body fat percentage where you perform the best, i.e. not cutting so low that you lose strength, and not carrying so much fat that it slows you down. If you're competing in a weight category, then you want to be the lowest body fat percentage that doesn't cause you to lose strength or harm your performance in any way.

It depends on what your goals are. If you want 6 pack abs and/or to look ripped, then 15%ish as per the above advice

if it's just for health, then look at health measures like waist size and stay within the healthy body fat percentage range

if you're training for a specific sport then you'll need to find the body fat percentage where you perform the best, i.e. not cutting so low that you lose strength, and not carrying so much fat that it slows you down. If you're competing in a weight category, then you want to be the lowest body fat percentage that doesn't cause you to lose strength or harm your performance in any way.

Quoted for wisdom!

All so depends how you're training, I bulked at the begining of the year went beyond the fat % I was comfortable with as my gym closed I was training with a group in a Body building gym my gains were something else, had to let the six pack go!

So really it depends how the muscle is going on, as that is the goal really, what I lost in getting fat again I've gained in overall physique, but then I've had to cut a lot longer since!!!

Until I can't stand being fat any more and my belly distends outwards!

I doubt you are 12% BF% from your pics and if you don't weight in a water tank you will really never know ! There is a newer way od thinking and bulking does not have to include gainig fat you just up your protien intake and raise the intensity of your w/o and you will be amazed you will have more blood flow to the muscles and be more vascular and burn fat at the same time ! Unless you are eating 5 to 7 times a day and really serious your theory of bulking and leaning is a waist of time just live and eat healthy and remain steady with lean muscle and you will get bigger due to protein and blood flow to the muscles ! doesn't sound like you are going pro or goals of being on a stage so why put your body throught the drastic changes ?

There is a newer way od thinking and bulking does not have to include gainig fat you just up your protien intake and raise the intensity of your w/o and you will be amazed you will have more blood flow to the muscles and be more vascular and burn fat at the same time ! Unless you are eating 5 to 7 times a day and really serious your theory of bulking and leaning is a waist of time just live and eat healthy and remain steady with lean muscle and you will get bigger due to protein and blood flow to the muscles !

Can you explain this some more? Are you saying to gain weight slower (lean gain)? Or, are you saying recomp? I don't think upping your intensity should be a variable because you should be killing it in the gym with 110% intensity and making strength gains on any bulk.

He doesn't know what he's saying.....leave him alone It's a very fascinating post though. Oh thats all he has to do is raise his proteinz and he will get noe fat will have rope like vascularity! It doesn't matter what macro you raise if you are in a SURPLUS you WILL gain fat. You think all of that surplus is going towards building nothing but lean muscle tissue?....all macro nutrients are EQUALLY important. Protein for the actual biosynthesis of muscle tissue, carbs to aid in the synthesis of muscle tissue and fat for testosterone production. Fat also provides a great service by keeping hormone levels in check and regulate blood-glucose levels and insulin response. Think of it as protein being bricks, carbs being the brick layers and fat being the cement that holds the bricks in place.

Moral of the story is you cannot build muscle without some fat gain. unless you are a complete beginner or have muscle memory and in that regard you're still just recomping for the most part.

I'm attempting a first time cut. I've been in recomp for a long time then tried to bulk... now I just wanna look less fat for a vacay in Feb... otherwise I'm damn skippy doing recomp.