Cut or bulk?

Alexwg_06
Alexwg_06 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
6’1 152lbs
Lift 5 days a week since January 6th

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Answers

  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,380 Member
    You need to add muscle you want to eat slightly over your maintenance calories and get on a good beginners lifting program that specializes in compound movements. you are not a candidate for fat loss right now. When you add some muscle you may be a little bit more in line to do that when you add muscle in a calorie surplus, you’re going to add a little bit of fat so you need to understand that.
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 2,028 Member
    Exactly what Tom said.

    Since you're already quite lean, you aren't going to gain much muscle without a calorie surplus, and progression and intensity with the lifting.

    Assuming you're a new lifter, you could go as high 500 calories surplus and see how you get on. Definitely add at least 250, which should result in weight gain of at least 0.5lb per week.

    Reassess in six months or so about whether to cut then.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,953 Member
    Mostly, what Tom said. You have some good things going on there already, from such a short period of time: Good show, keep working!

    The only thing to add to that is a suggestion to keep your calorie surplus moderate, and to get good overall nutrition, especially but not exclusively ample good-quality protein.

    I don't know whether this matters to you, but if part of your motivation is appearance, doing some exercises specific to your posture will help with that quite quickly. Many of us modern folks have posture habits that make abdominal fat look more prominent. Among those are anterior pelvic tilt, and a head-forward rounded-shoulders posture that is sometimes rudely called "nerd neck" because we get it from hunching over phones/keyboards. A source like Bob and Brad (physical therapists on YouTube) have simple exercises for that.

    I'm not trying to be mean here. Think of me as your concerned internet granny, maybe, because that's where I'm coming from, and I'm for sure old enough. If your photos are typical for you, you have some issues that can cause back problems as you age, plus are making your existing chest muscle less visible, and your abdomen more prominent.

    Best wishes!
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,380 Member
    edited March 4
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    Exactly what Tom said.

    Since you're already quite lean, you aren't going to gain much muscle without a calorie surplus, and progression and intensity with the lifting.

    Assuming you're a new lifter, you could go as high 500 calories surplus and see how you get on. Definitely add at least 250, which should result in weight gain of at least 0.5lb per week.

    Reassess in six months or so about whether to cut then.
    yes 500 is always a good number to shoot for just in case you’re off a little bit on your accounting on the negative side just keep an eye on your fat gain around your waist if that starts growing too much you just cut your calories back a little bit but the only way muscle goes on is if food goes in the mouth.

    The right calorie amount and the right training program you’re gonna put muscle on pretty fast just understand that more food does not mean more muscle after a certain point

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