should i be cutting?

Options
2»

Replies

  • kieranpalmer1995
    kieranpalmer1995 Posts: 63 Member
    Options
    My training from 140-170 was lifting weights
  • kieranpalmer1995
    kieranpalmer1995 Posts: 63 Member
    Options
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    Spyer116 wrote: »
    And looking at your picture. It looks like you've never bulked when building muscle. So you really have minimal amount to begin with. Either slow bulk, and gain like 10-20 pounds of muscle over the next year, then cut to lose the excess fat to reveal abs, just be prepared if you cut now, you're going to look like a skinnier / boney guy.

    This. IMO, you'll just look skiny and boney. I would add some muscle mass for sure

    What is imo?
  • Allelito
    Allelito Posts: 179 Member
    Options
    kieranpalmer1995 wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    Spyer116 wrote: »
    And looking at your picture. It looks like you've never bulked when building muscle. So you really have minimal amount to begin with. Either slow bulk, and gain like 10-20 pounds of muscle over the next year, then cut to lose the excess fat to reveal abs, just be prepared if you cut now, you're going to look like a skinnier / boney guy.

    This. IMO, you'll just look skiny and boney. I would add some muscle mass for sure

    What is imo?

    "In my opinion"
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Options
    Going off of your back picture and what you have said (since that's all I have to go off of), I would think a few months of eating at maintenance and lifting heavy would do some good for you.
  • kieranpalmer1995
    kieranpalmer1995 Posts: 63 Member
    Options
    Thanks for the support guys! I bought mutant masS been taking it for 3 days now I will be posting front and back pictures soon so all you can give me more support if you want to help me on my track
    Hornsby wrote: »
    Going off of your back picture and what you have said (since that's all I have to go off of), I would think a few months of eating at maintenance and lifting heavy would do some good for you.
  • geotrice
    geotrice Posts: 274 Member
    Options
    maddywarden wrote: »
    You scared me, I thought you meant actually cutting yourself.. But wow! 18% body fat is good! I dont know how guys bodies are. Are you really suppose to get that low? Talking about the 12%

    I know exactly what you're talking about.
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10146306/does-the-term-cutting-bother-you
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
    edited May 2015
    Options
    vismal wrote: »
    The 18% body fat, how did you arrive at that number? Most ways of measuring body fat are extremely inaccurate. Unless you had a dexascan or a hydrostatic weighing, that number could be off by quite a bit. If you are going by a scale, or an electronic handheld device, the number has such a high margin of error that I'd consider it meaningless. Don't worry about the number anyways. The number itself is meaningless. You look how you look regardless of what the number says. It's hard to tell from your profile picture but it would look like you are certainly not overweight and that you might not have the lean mass necessary to be "abs lean". people can reach a point where losing more fat makes you look gaunt rather than "cut". You will ultimately have to be the one to make the judgement call. Without being able to actually see your physique and going just off of height and weight, 5'10, 170 could go either way.


    I dunno.

    I'm pretty "abs lean" AND somewhat "gaunt" at the same time ... but it's what I need to perform best at my running, right - we all have our own goals. I can't bulk or my running times suffer for every extra pound I'm toting around. Pounds times miles.

    Pounds times miles.

    Full Disclosure: 6'0" , 153 today (147 to 155 range, day-to-day, depending on training schedule)
    Caliper estimates say 11.5% currently.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    Options
    I just reread your original post. Are you saying you work every body part five days a week?

    Also, how long have you been lifting? If you haven't been lifting very long using an intelligently designed routine you can probably still make some noob gains in strength and possibly a little muscle while you lose some fat. This will be very short lived but take advantage of it while you can.

    But my main question is still... are you lifting five days a week using the same muscles? If so, don't expect too much in the way of anything, except maybe an injury.
  • kieranpalmer1995
    kieranpalmer1995 Posts: 63 Member
    Options
    jeffpettis wrote: »
    I just reread your original post. Are you saying you work every body part five days a week?

    Also, how long have you been lifting? If you haven't been lifting very long using an intelligently designed routine you can probably still make some noob gains in strength and possibly a little muscle while you lose some fat. This will be very short lived but take advantage of it while you can.

    But my main question is still... are you lifting five days a week using the same muscles? If so, don't expect too much in the way of anything, except maybe an injury.
    My split is arms shoulders chest back legs.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Options
    I don't know about your goals but when I get to 18% body fat I will continue to cut weight.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    Options
    kieranpalmer1995 wrote: »
    jeffpettis wrote: »
    I just reread your original post. Are you saying you work every body part five days a week?

    Also, how long have you been lifting? If you haven't been lifting very long using an intelligently designed routine you can probably still make some noob gains in strength and possibly a little muscle while you lose some fat. This will be very short lived but take advantage of it while you can.

    But my main question is still... are you lifting five days a week using the same muscles? If so, don't expect too much in the way of anything, except maybe an injury.
    My split is arms shoulders chest back legs.

    In my opinion, as a beginner, you should be focusing on a three day a week full body routine. Leave the splits for when you have a lot more experience under your belt.

    And to answer your original question, most people will "cut" until they are lower than 15% body fat, depending on your goals, and then "bulk" until just before 15%, again, depending on your goals. Meaning they won't allow their body fat to exceed 15% because that just means a longer cutting cycle. If you are looking for definition or the "cut" look you will need to get down below 15%, anything higher than that and there is going to be a layer of fat covering your muscles not allowing the seperation to be seen that makes for definition. Hope that makes sense.

Categories