Should I cut or bulk ?

Texas1392
Texas1392 Posts: 8 Member
edited November 23 in Health and Weight Loss
I need help on wether I should cut or bulk please help people tell me I look muscular but when I look at myself in mirror with shirt off I feel I am skinny fat ... if I lose weight I feel I start to look small and weak but if I bulk I feel I’m gaining too much fat witch accumulates mostly on my chest and stomach I don’t know what to stick with

Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Not enough info to even comment. Height, weight? Desired weight? Current photo? Gym routine?
  • Texas1392
    Texas1392 Posts: 8 Member
    My bad and I’m 5’9 180 I wouldn’t mind cutting down to 165 if I looked good but I feel I get small and weak idk if it’s cause i don’t have enough muscle or if I’m dieting wrong and losing muscle. I don’t have a diet I just eat whatever mostly cause I get confused on dieting like what to eat and how many calories to keep muscle while cutting and not starving .... I heard to cut out carbs and just eat protein but idk if that’s healthy. And I feel if I bulk I will just continue gaining stomach and chest fat witch I want to get rid of .. my routine right now is calisthenics pull ups push ups squats 100 of each with body weight every other day cause I don’t have access to gym right now.
  • Texas1392
    Texas1392 Posts: 8 Member
    I’ll post some photos
  • JLLeigh98
    JLLeigh98 Posts: 5 Member
    I would recommend adding muscle. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns, so you may have a little fat loss as well. I would say workout and lift more, and do a little cardio (HIIT or sprinting would do well for what it sounds like you want)
    This way you can kind of get a little of both, since it sounds like your not sold on really committing to just one. You can add muscle and eat just above maintenance which is technically bulking but not sacrificing what leanness you may already have. Hope this helps!
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    rigoh477 wrote: »
    My bad and I’m 5’9 180 I wouldn’t mind cutting down to 165 if I looked good but I feel I get small and weak idk if it’s cause i don’t have enough muscle or if I’m dieting wrong and losing muscle. I don’t have a diet I just eat whatever mostly cause I get confused on dieting like what to eat and how many calories to keep muscle while cutting and not starving .... I heard to cut out carbs and just eat protein but idk if that’s healthy. And I feel if I bulk I will just continue gaining stomach and chest fat witch I want to get rid of .. my routine right now is calisthenics pull ups push ups squats 100 of each with body weight every other day cause I don’t have access to gym right now.

    That's a good start, Look into a quality BW program.

    If you're doing 100 pullups a day and pushups, you're plenty strong. You just need to work on the rest,

    Squat and pushup progressions work towards pistol progressions and elevated lunges(one leg... it's closer to a DL than pistol squats) and OA/OL PU variations.

    Look at the Kavadlo brothers, Pavel, You are your own gym, or Convict conditioning for specific progression/programming suggestions.

    Other options include slow pushup variants and elevated/inverted.
  • Texas1392
    Texas1392 Posts: 8 Member
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  • Texas1392
    Texas1392 Posts: 8 Member
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  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Keep cutting and working out. @stanmann571 listed some good bodyweight workouts.
  • Texas1392
    Texas1392 Posts: 8 Member
    Thank y’all I will look into the programs. And what is a good diet to cut on ?
  • Texas1392
    Texas1392 Posts: 8 Member
    And once I do get access to gym what is a good routine to follow ?
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    rigoh477 wrote: »
    And once I do get access to gym what is a good routine to follow ?


    Here's an entire thread of good lifting routines. Depends on your current knowledge. If you're a beginner, I always recommend Stronglifts 5X5. Intermediate, I liked Norton's PH3.


    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited December 2017
    rigoh477 wrote: »
    Thank y’all I will look into the programs. And what is a good diet to cut on ?

    One that has less calories than your body uses in a day. Enter your stats into this website, put that you want to lose 0.5 to 1 lb per week, and eat that amount of calories per day.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    edited December 2017
    I would suggest that for now, you stick with maintenance, or close to maintenance and stick with either a slow cut or recomp. Watch your protein, use MFP to calculate your calorie allowance, and start there.

    As far as other programs,

    See the sticky here
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    If you decide to stick with BW, the next step beyond the programs mentioned above are either Chris Sommer's Gymnastic bodies or Overcoming Gravity
  • Texas1392
    Texas1392 Posts: 8 Member
    Thanks for the advice! what foods would y’all recommend I eat ? Would it be best to just stick to chicken fish and broccoli or could I eat spaghetti ,cereal, toast etc as long as it’s in my calorie range?
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    rigoh477 wrote: »
    Thanks for the advice! what foods would y’all recommend I eat ? Would it be best to just stick to chicken fish and broccoli or could I eat spaghetti ,cereal, toast etc as long as it’s in my calorie range?

    You can eat whatever you'd like. Doesn't have to be bland and monotonous. I like to aim for 80% nutritionally dense, and 20% of anything else. I hit my protein goals, don't stray too far from my fat goal and stay in a deficit and that is about it.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    rigoh477 wrote: »
    Thanks for the advice! what foods would y’all recommend I eat ? Would it be best to just stick to chicken fish and broccoli or could I eat spaghetti ,cereal, toast etc as long as it’s in my calorie range?

    You can eat whatever you'd like. Doesn't have to be bland and monotonous. I like to aim for 80% nutritionally dense, and 20% of anything else. I hit my protein goals, don't stray too far from my fat goal and stay in a deficit and that is about it.

    Yep. I have chocolate or ice cream pretty much every night. I just plan for it and make it fit within my calorie allowance.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    rigoh477 wrote: »
    Thanks for the advice! what foods would y’all recommend I eat ? Would it be best to just stick to chicken fish and broccoli or could I eat spaghetti ,cereal, toast etc as long as it’s in my calorie range?

    Food you enjoy, food that meets your nutritional requirements.
    You don't have to exclude anything or eat special "diet foods".
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    rigoh477 wrote: »
    Thanks for the advice! what foods would y’all recommend I eat ? Would it be best to just stick to chicken fish and broccoli or could I eat spaghetti ,cereal, toast etc as long as it’s in my calorie range?

    Chicken is fine. So is beef. Rice is fine, so is bread.

    Eat what you like, Figure out how to eat so that you're not unpleasantly hungry. For me. I snack on Nuts periodically and then eat a fairly large dinner with cheese, rice, broccoli and burgers. I like monotony(it makes planning easier) but you gotta learn to do you. I like chicken breast and tuna, so that's not the privation it is for many.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    stanmann571 wrote: »
    rigoh477 wrote: »
    Thanks for the advice! what foods would y’all recommend I eat ? Would it be best to just stick to chicken fish and broccoli or could I eat spaghetti ,cereal, toast etc as long as it’s in my calorie range?

    Chicken is fine. So is beef. Rice is fine, so is bread.

    Eat what you like, Figure out how to eat so that you're not unpleasantly hungry. For me. I snack on Nuts periodically and then eat a fairly large dinner with cheese, rice, broccoli and burgers. I like monotony(it makes planning easier) but you gotta learn to do you. I like chicken breast and tuna, so that's not the privation it is for many.

    True. I prep several chicken breasts on Sunday and then eat them for lunch throughout the week. Breakfast is almost always plain greek yogurt mixed with protein powder and berries. Dinner is pretty much the only meal that changes, and that's more because of my family than me.
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