Should You Bulk or Cut?

Bulking or cutting first? This is the single most asked question in my experience when it comes to fitness. This question takes so much more into account than just simply saying "yes, you should bulk first" or "no, you should cut first". There are two main questions you should ask your self before you pick which option is best for you.

The first question you should ask yourself is "have I trained in the weight room before?". Now when I say "train" I don't mean having gone to the gym and picking random exercises to do, and committing to coming to the gym a two or three times a week. When I say "train" I mean committing to a routine that is set up for progression and allows you to hit every muscle group 3 times a week. If you have never trained like this before then the question is easy. You should focus on trying to bulk up and build strength, because when you first start your fitness journey you will be able to put on muscle while simultaneously loosing body fat, so long as your are eating a clean diet that supports your maintenance calories. This is what people call "newbie gains", which basically means you're at an optimal point because you both bulk up and cut down at the same time!!!! The first year of your training will be the best year simply because you can put on such a great amount of mass while keeping a lean figure.

For those of you who have been training for at least 6 months on a real program then you will have to answer another question. Which is "are you comfortable with your current level of body fat?" If the answer is no, then you may want to cut down first. Because of the fact that you are going to put on additional fat during a bulk if you are not currently satisfied with you level of fat it will make it very hard for you to really commit to a bulk. I personally only recommend a cut first if you are above a FFMI of 21. ( I will include a link to a FFMI calculator at the bottom of the post). The reason for this is if you are below a FFMI of 21 you will cut down to a weight that is most likely not healthy or sustainable. For example, a 5'10" 160 male with 15% body fat would look almost too skinny if they were to cut to 140 and would loose a large amount of strength. Causing a reverse effect of the original goal.

If you are comfortable with your current level of body fat then you should go for a lean bulk. Lean bulking is the best way to put on muscle while minimizing fat gain. I hate to say it but the simply fact is when your bulking you are going to gain fat. But if your satisfied with your current body fat and are okay with putting on a few more pounds then with the right program you can see some real muscles mass and strength gains. However, when you bulk you have to commit to it long term the shortest bulk I would suggest would be 6 months. Other wise you wont allow for optimal time to build up a sufficient amount of muscle mass and your bulk will result in sub-par strength gains.

In the end the choice to bulk up or cut down is up to you but in my experience the best way to determine what you should do is to revolve around it around a FFMI score. This way you will know where you stand compared to what achievable in your fitness efforts.

FREE FFMI CALCULATOR

http://www.naturalphysiques.com/28/fat-free-mass-index-ffmi