Bulking/cutting cycles.. how many?

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  • monicalifestylefitness
    monicalifestylefitness Posts: 37 Member
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    mom23mangos wrote: »
    OP, did you take any progress photos before and after? There is probably significant differences and you just can't tell because you forgot what you looked like before. I've kind of recompbulked and gained probably 10-12lbs of muscle over 2 years.

    I didn’t 😏 only a few videos here & there from when I was working out.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    I am 43, 5'9", and I maintain 150lbs +/- 5lbs, approx 17% body fat (I started at 25% almost 2 years ago)

    I'm around 155 right now, cutting for December, planning to maybe bulk starting in Jan

    For me, I notice every single cycle. I do before and after photos, plus usually photos every month during. I do measurements at the same time. I track body fat based on my crappy little electrical impedance scale, but it does seem to be mostly consistent and does seem to match visual photos of others at a similar body fat level. So, I guess the point is, I take a lot of metrics. And I try to stay within the +/- 5 lbs. I will stop bulking and switch to cutting at 155-158 and stop cutting and switch to bulking at 145-148, I will allow a couple extra pounds of water for time of month depending on where I am in my cycle when weighing but I try to keep my "real" weight within 5 lbs of goal.

    You didn't say what kind of metrics you are using other than the scale, but I definitely recommend measurements, lots of them, because the whole plan is that weight doesn't change in the end, but if you are building muscle and losing fat, then you should be getting smaller at the same weight in the areas you normally store fat and bigger in the areas you are building muscle but don't normally store fat, right? So for me, I tend to store fat in my abdomen and a little in my thighs and butt. When I'm building muscle I'm tracking everywhere, but I'm usually specifically looking for biceps to increase, thighs and glutes to increase. When I'm cutting I'm tracking everywhere, but I'm usually specifically looking for waist, and belly button to decrease, sometimes glutes and thighs. Plus, there's the photo compare...I do my photos flexed and naked, though not everyone is comfortable having nude photos hanging around, so a bikini would work too, whatever you are comfortable with, but the side by side compares are super helpful and you need to see your whole body shape...I will blow them up and put them next to each other and pick them apart to see what looks different...so, if you aren't seeing a change maybe more metrics would help?

    My bulk/cut cycles are usually 1-3 months, I don't think I have ever gone as long as 6 months...and I base it on how my body responds, so I keep within that 10 lb range...I don't think I have ever gone more than 3 months at a bulk or cut. Maybe shorter cycles would help?

    My progress has been slow, but progress is progress and I'll take it!
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    monicalifestylefitness wrote: »
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Many variables.

    1. How you respond to training. Are you sensitive, resistant, or somewhere in between.
    2. Your programming. Just because someone else has/doesn't achieved great results with a certain program, doesn't mean you will or won't. Hence why I'm not a fan on recommending most cookie cutter programs that aren't built specifically to your response to training. Some are built on good data and are science based for the average person though.
    3. Age. As we advance in years, most people have a hard time producing MPS as efficiently as we did when we were younger. Can it be done? Yep, but it goes back to #1.
    4. History of training and hypertrophy. If we did it previously, it easier to gain it back. That being said, the longer we train repetitively, the ability to produce muscle and strength lowers. Meaning we can gain fairly well, but the longer training goes on the more work we have to do to obtain results.
    5. Gender. This is a bit more tricky then most people realize. There are females who excellent responders to training just as there are males. There are females that are terrible responders, just as they are males. Generally speaking there is literature that states the more male traits you have, the better you will respond. So wide shoulders, small waist line, etc...

    If you maintained strength during your cut as you mentioned, you were running a program the leans towards your needs. I usually gain strength during my cuts, though they are very short because my goal isn't to be extreme low body fat as I hover 13-18%.

    The amount of cycles? That you would have a better idea by grooming over your data and your future plans.


    There is so much good information here, I literally keep rereading it. Thank you 🙏🏻
    As far as #5 goes. Yes and yes. I’m so soft & feminine looking. Kinda curvy.
    My measurements are 36,29,36 🙄
    I guess I’m trying really really hard to overcome my genetics 😭

    you cant overcome or change genetics. you have to work with what you are given. my measurments are about the same as yours .Im 5'6 1/2 though.Im working hard at changing how I look but my hips are still going to be big(even at a lower weight I had big hips) I cant change those unfortunately. so I just have to do my best to be the best me I can be. you need to do the same. curvy is fine nothing wrong with curvy at all. you can have muscle and be curvy too.

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