Bulk or cut? Stubborn fat!!!
LiveLoveSwimming
Posts: 129 Member
I am at the last 2-3 lbs that I want to lose. My goal is to be able to see my abs finally, but no matter what I do I can't seem to lose the last bit of fat over my abdomen, I would also like more muscle.... But abs are my top priority! Help!
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Replies
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Liveloveswimming, Have you tried adding hiit 3 times a week after weight training?0
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if seeing abs is your number one priority then you should not bulk as you are going to gain fat which is going to make ab definition more difficult to see.
how long have you been dieting?
do you use a food scale?
what is your current lifting regimen?
how many calories a day do you eat?
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if seeing abs is your number one priority then you should not bulk as you are going to gain fat which is going to make ab definition more difficult to see.
how long have you been dieting?
do you use a food scale?
what is your current lifting regimen?
how many calories a day do you eat?
I've been dieting for quite awhile now probably 3-4 months I moved up my calories so I'm in a smaller deficit because someone said it might help with the last bit of fat. I use a food scale and lift 6x a week doing abs 2-3x a week and HIIT at least once a week. Currently I eat anywhere from 1,700-2,000 cals a day and my maintenance is about 2,150.
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LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »if seeing abs is your number one priority then you should not bulk as you are going to gain fat which is going to make ab definition more difficult to see.
how long have you been dieting?
do you use a food scale?
what is your current lifting regimen?
how many calories a day do you eat?
I've been dieting for quite awhile now probably 3-4 months I moved up my calories so I'm in a smaller deficit because someone said it might help with the last bit of fat. I use a food scale and lift 6x a week doing abs 2-3x a week and HIIT at least once a week. Currently I eat anywhere from 1,700-2,000 cals a day and my maintenance is about 2,150.
is your lifting program a structured one or one that you designed on your own?
do you eat back 100% of exercise calories? Or are you using TDEE method?0 -
LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »if seeing abs is your number one priority then you should not bulk as you are going to gain fat which is going to make ab definition more difficult to see.
how long have you been dieting?
do you use a food scale?
what is your current lifting regimen?
how many calories a day do you eat?
I've been dieting for quite awhile now probably 3-4 months I moved up my calories so I'm in a smaller deficit because someone said it might help with the last bit of fat. I use a food scale and lift 6x a week doing abs 2-3x a week and HIIT at least once a week. Currently I eat anywhere from 1,700-2,000 cals a day and my maintenance is about 2,150.
is your lifting program a structured one or one that you designed on your own?
do you eat back 100% of exercise calories? Or are you using TDEE method?
I do a push pull legs set I found online! And I don't eat my exercise calories. I mean like 1700-2000cals total for the day!0 -
LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »if seeing abs is your number one priority then you should not bulk as you are going to gain fat which is going to make ab definition more difficult to see.
how long have you been dieting?
do you use a food scale?
what is your current lifting regimen?
how many calories a day do you eat?
I've been dieting for quite awhile now probably 3-4 months I moved up my calories so I'm in a smaller deficit because someone said it might help with the last bit of fat. I use a food scale and lift 6x a week doing abs 2-3x a week and HIIT at least once a week. Currently I eat anywhere from 1,700-2,000 cals a day and my maintenance is about 2,150.
is your lifting program a structured one or one that you designed on your own?
do you eat back 100% of exercise calories? Or are you using TDEE method?
I do a push pull legs set I found online! And I don't eat my exercise calories. I mean like 1700-2000cals total for the day!
Oh and I do iifym but I eat clean probably 80% of the time!0 -
LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »if seeing abs is your number one priority then you should not bulk as you are going to gain fat which is going to make ab definition more difficult to see.
how long have you been dieting?
do you use a food scale?
what is your current lifting regimen?
how many calories a day do you eat?
I've been dieting for quite awhile now probably 3-4 months I moved up my calories so I'm in a smaller deficit because someone said it might help with the last bit of fat. I use a food scale and lift 6x a week doing abs 2-3x a week and HIIT at least once a week. Currently I eat anywhere from 1,700-2,000 cals a day and my maintenance is about 2,150.
is your lifting program a structured one or one that you designed on your own?
do you eat back 100% of exercise calories? Or are you using TDEE method?
I do a push pull legs set I found online! And I don't eat my exercise calories. I mean like 1700-2000cals total for the day!
Oh and I do iifym but I eat clean probably 80% of the time!
I don't think its possible to do IIFYM and eat clean 80% of the time...0 -
LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »if seeing abs is your number one priority then you should not bulk as you are going to gain fat which is going to make ab definition more difficult to see.
how long have you been dieting?
do you use a food scale?
what is your current lifting regimen?
how many calories a day do you eat?
I've been dieting for quite awhile now probably 3-4 months I moved up my calories so I'm in a smaller deficit because someone said it might help with the last bit of fat. I use a food scale and lift 6x a week doing abs 2-3x a week and HIIT at least once a week. Currently I eat anywhere from 1,700-2,000 cals a day and my maintenance is about 2,150.
is your lifting program a structured one or one that you designed on your own?
do you eat back 100% of exercise calories? Or are you using TDEE method?
I do a push pull legs set I found online! And I don't eat my exercise calories. I mean like 1700-2000cals total for the day!
I would say keep cutting until you get your weight/body fat down to where you want it to be. Then once you are there you can either think about doing a recomp or bulk.0 -
LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »if seeing abs is your number one priority then you should not bulk as you are going to gain fat which is going to make ab definition more difficult to see.
how long have you been dieting?
do you use a food scale?
what is your current lifting regimen?
how many calories a day do you eat?
I've been dieting for quite awhile now probably 3-4 months I moved up my calories so I'm in a smaller deficit because someone said it might help with the last bit of fat. I use a food scale and lift 6x a week doing abs 2-3x a week and HIIT at least once a week. Currently I eat anywhere from 1,700-2,000 cals a day and my maintenance is about 2,150.
is your lifting program a structured one or one that you designed on your own?
do you eat back 100% of exercise calories? Or are you using TDEE method?
I do a push pull legs set I found online! And I don't eat my exercise calories. I mean like 1700-2000cals total for the day!
I would say keep cutting until you get your weight/body fat down to where you want it to be. Then once you are there you can either think about doing a recomp or bulk.
Okay how long do you think that would take?0 -
LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »if seeing abs is your number one priority then you should not bulk as you are going to gain fat which is going to make ab definition more difficult to see.
how long have you been dieting?
do you use a food scale?
what is your current lifting regimen?
how many calories a day do you eat?
I've been dieting for quite awhile now probably 3-4 months I moved up my calories so I'm in a smaller deficit because someone said it might help with the last bit of fat. I use a food scale and lift 6x a week doing abs 2-3x a week and HIIT at least once a week. Currently I eat anywhere from 1,700-2,000 cals a day and my maintenance is about 2,150.
is your lifting program a structured one or one that you designed on your own?
do you eat back 100% of exercise calories? Or are you using TDEE method?
I do a push pull legs set I found online! And I don't eat my exercise calories. I mean like 1700-2000cals total for the day!
I would say keep cutting until you get your weight/body fat down to where you want it to be. Then once you are there you can either think about doing a recomp or bulk.
Okay how long do you think that would take?
what is your current weight and goal weight?
do you know your current body fat%
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I'm 135lbs right now and idk about goal weight... Haha as soon as I can see my abs and which I'd think would be 130-132ish.... And idk body fat % for sure but I've been estimated at about 17%LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »if seeing abs is your number one priority then you should not bulk as you are going to gain fat which is going to make ab definition more difficult to see.
how long have you been dieting?
do you use a food scale?
what is your current lifting regimen?
how many calories a day do you eat?
I've been dieting for quite awhile now probably 3-4 months I moved up my calories so I'm in a smaller deficit because someone said it might help with the last bit of fat. I use a food scale and lift 6x a week doing abs 2-3x a week and HIIT at least once a week. Currently I eat anywhere from 1,700-2,000 cals a day and my maintenance is about 2,150.
is your lifting program a structured one or one that you designed on your own?
do you eat back 100% of exercise calories? Or are you using TDEE method?
I do a push pull legs set I found online! And I don't eat my exercise calories. I mean like 1700-2000cals total for the day!
I would say keep cutting until you get your weight/body fat down to where you want it to be. Then once you are there you can either think about doing a recomp or bulk.
Okay how long do you think that would take?
what is your current weight and goal weight?
do you know your current body fat%
0 -
LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »I'm 135lbs right now and idk about goal weight... Haha as soon as I can see my abs and which I'd think would be 130-132ish.... And idk body fat % for sure but I've been estimated at about 17%LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »if seeing abs is your number one priority then you should not bulk as you are going to gain fat which is going to make ab definition more difficult to see.
how long have you been dieting?
do you use a food scale?
what is your current lifting regimen?
how many calories a day do you eat?
I've been dieting for quite awhile now probably 3-4 months I moved up my calories so I'm in a smaller deficit because someone said it might help with the last bit of fat. I use a food scale and lift 6x a week doing abs 2-3x a week and HIIT at least once a week. Currently I eat anywhere from 1,700-2,000 cals a day and my maintenance is about 2,150.
is your lifting program a structured one or one that you designed on your own?
do you eat back 100% of exercise calories? Or are you using TDEE method?
I do a push pull legs set I found online! And I don't eat my exercise calories. I mean like 1700-2000cals total for the day!
I would say keep cutting until you get your weight/body fat down to where you want it to be. Then once you are there you can either think about doing a recomp or bulk.
Okay how long do you think that would take?
what is your current weight and goal weight?
do you know your current body fat%
Ignore the dirty mirror but this is me flexed and unflexed...
I want my abs to be visible unflexed...0 -
I would put you around 18% to 20% which is pretty lean for a female…
is your current calorie intake for .5 pound per week loss or one pound per week loss…?
honestly, you may want to consider a bulk cut cycle …because when you cut back down your abs will be more visible...
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You're super close! Whatever you decide congrats on your success so far!
I'd say continue with your cut. Then bulk this winter.0 -
I vote maintain for the rest of the summer, and bulk in September. Unless you want to bulk in bikini season. You look lean.0
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You're super close! Whatever you decide congrats on your success so far!
I'd say continue with your cut. Then bulk this winter.arditarose wrote: »I vote maintain for the rest of the summer, and bulk in September. Unless you want to bulk in bikini season. You look lean.
yes, I agree OP ..if you decide to bulk wait until end of August and start then ..
you could keep cutting over summer or do a small deficit/recomp….0 -
I would put you around 18% to 20% which is pretty lean for a female…
is your current calorie intake for .5 pound per week loss or one pound per week loss…?
honestly, you may want to consider a bulk cut cycle …because when you cut back down your abs will be more visible...You're super close! Whatever you decide congrats on your success so far!
I'd say continue with your cut. Then bulk this winter.arditarose wrote: »I vote maintain for the rest of the summer, and bulk in September. Unless you want to bulk in bikini season. You look lean.You're super close! Whatever you decide congrats on your success so far!
I'd say continue with your cut. Then bulk this winter.arditarose wrote: »I vote maintain for the rest of the summer, and bulk in September. Unless you want to bulk in bikini season. You look lean.
yes, I agree OP ..if you decide to bulk wait until end of August and start then ..
you could keep cutting over summer or do a small deficit/recomp….
Thanks for all the feedback! I think I will wait until August before starting a slow lean bulk! I eventually want to compete in May next year.
But for right now I'm not sure if I should cut or maintain? I would love to continue building muscle but it is bikini season so I would like to stay lean and maybe get some abs. What would you suggest?0 -
I would put you around 18% to 20% which is pretty lean for a female…
is your current calorie intake for .5 pound per week loss or one pound per week loss…?
honestly, you may want to consider a bulk cut cycle …because when you cut back down your abs will be more visible...
Oh and right now my cals fluctuate so much but I'm set for .5lb lost a week!0 -
LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »I would put you around 18% to 20% which is pretty lean for a female…
is your current calorie intake for .5 pound per week loss or one pound per week loss…?
honestly, you may want to consider a bulk cut cycle …because when you cut back down your abs will be more visible...You're super close! Whatever you decide congrats on your success so far!
I'd say continue with your cut. Then bulk this winter.arditarose wrote: »I vote maintain for the rest of the summer, and bulk in September. Unless you want to bulk in bikini season. You look lean.You're super close! Whatever you decide congrats on your success so far!
I'd say continue with your cut. Then bulk this winter.arditarose wrote: »I vote maintain for the rest of the summer, and bulk in September. Unless you want to bulk in bikini season. You look lean.
yes, I agree OP ..if you decide to bulk wait until end of August and start then ..
you could keep cutting over summer or do a small deficit/recomp….
Thanks for all the feedback! I think I will wait until August before starting a slow lean bulk! I eventually want to compete in May next year.
But for right now I'm not sure if I should cut or maintain? I would love to continue building muscle but it is bikini season so I would like to stay lean and maybe get some abs. What would you suggest?
I would say keep eating in a calorie deficit that results in about .5 pound per week loss….0 -
LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »I would put you around 18% to 20% which is pretty lean for a female…
is your current calorie intake for .5 pound per week loss or one pound per week loss…?
honestly, you may want to consider a bulk cut cycle …because when you cut back down your abs will be more visible...
Oh and right now my cals fluctuate so much but I'm set for .5lb lost a week!
I would say tighten up logging and try to hit your .5 pound per week loss number….0 -
LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »I would put you around 18% to 20% which is pretty lean for a female…
is your current calorie intake for .5 pound per week loss or one pound per week loss…?
honestly, you may want to consider a bulk cut cycle …because when you cut back down your abs will be more visible...
Oh and right now my cals fluctuate so much but I'm set for .5lb lost a week!
I would say tighten up logging and try to hit your .5 pound per week loss number….
Yes I do, actually usually under! Haha that's what I mean by fluctuations! And what your stance on cheat days and reducing body fat?0 -
Agree with ndj1997!
You sound like you're on the right track. You just have to decide which you want to do and what fits your goals better. Cutting will give you a better idea of what you've got to work with so you can focus on certain things during your bulk. And you can always switch to maintenance whenever you like. Only you can pick though.
Decisions decisions, lol.
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Agree with ndj1997!
You sound like you're on the right track. You just have to decide which you want to do and what fits your goals better. Cutting will give you a better idea of what you've got to work with so you can focus on certain things during your bulk. And you can always switch to maintenance whenever you like. Only you can pick though.
Decisions decisions, lol.
lol I know, haha I want to do it allll.... haha.
I think thats a really good point you made. I am going to cut so I can see what I have to work with!
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LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »I am at the last 2-3 lbs that I want to lose. My goal is to be able to see my abs finally, but no matter what I do I can't seem to lose the last bit of fat over my abdomen, I would also like more muscle.... But abs are my top priority! Help!
Try running three times a week for a period of 30 minutes to an hour. Your body will naturally start burning fat as a source of energy. This is because your body asumes you are going to be running for a long period of time and stops burning carbs for energy and starts burning fat as it is a long term source of energy0 -
If your interested in competing there is a great podcast with lots of information about the latest research. Interesting stuff, and there is an episode where they interview a female competitor (as well as both the hosts being coaches and natural competitors)
http://www.biolayne.com/podcasts/introducing-physique-science-radio/0 -
If your interested in competing there is a great podcast with lots of information about the latest research. Interesting stuff, and there is an episode where they interview a female competitor (as well as both the hosts being coaches and natural competitors)
http://www.biolayne.com/podcasts/introducing-physique-science-radio/
Thank you, I will watch these!!!0 -
GainsBruh98 wrote: »LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »I am at the last 2-3 lbs that I want to lose. My goal is to be able to see my abs finally, but no matter what I do I can't seem to lose the last bit of fat over my abdomen, I would also like more muscle.... But abs are my top priority! Help!
Try running three times a week for a period of 30 minutes to an hour. Your body will naturally start burning fat as a source of energy. This is because your body asumes you are going to be running for a long period of time and stops burning carbs for energy and starts burning fat as it is a long term source of energy
you have any sources to back that up?0 -
LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »LiveLoveSwimming wrote: »I would put you around 18% to 20% which is pretty lean for a female…
is your current calorie intake for .5 pound per week loss or one pound per week loss…?
honestly, you may want to consider a bulk cut cycle …because when you cut back down your abs will be more visible...
Oh and right now my cals fluctuate so much but I'm set for .5lb lost a week!
I would say tighten up logging and try to hit your .5 pound per week loss number….
Yes I do, actually usually under! Haha that's what I mean by fluctuations! And what your stance on cheat days and reducing body fat?
what do you mean by "cheat days and reducing fat" Are you asking if cheat days help reduce fat????0 -
Seems as though your metabolism has adjusted to your caloric intake, slowing down your fat burning process. Incorporate a refeed day into your weekly food plan. Not a "cheat day" stick with calorie dense whole foods, but double up your carb intake for those days. That should kick start your body. You shouldn't need to do it more than twice weekly. Keep up the good work!0
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