Bulk or Cut?

Alright guys, before I was pretty set on bulking, but after seeing nm0neys progression through cutting compromised with how he actually looked bigger after losing some fat I decided it might be time for me to cut some too.
I've been training for four years, every since I was 17 years old in which I started out at 125lbs, about 15% bodyfat, my bench press max was 145lbs, squat was 155, and deadlift was 175. I'm setting at 190lbs right now at about 25% bodyfat and my bench press recent max in November was 275lbs, squat max is unknown but the most I've ever attempted was 365lbs and successfully pushed it up, deadlift max was about a month ago at 405lbs.
 
I think I've built up some strength, I'm noticing that I'm pretty big but this bodyfat on my chest and stomach is just too much, I know there's no thing as spot reduction and I'm sad that I have to lose overall bodyfat seeing my arms just hit 16" and are just now starting to look somewhat big. I know being lean plays a big roll in looking big though. So seeing someone at 5'6" and 190lbs, would it be ideal for them to bulk or cut? Seeing that I have gyno I think I should probably be keeping my bodyfat% at minimum. But what's your opinions?

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

If you're 190lbs and have 25% bf, it is no doubt a good time for you to cut.

5'7" - 20 - 195lbs

Depends really. I thought you recently started cutting though?  I was going to cut starting mid april when I reach around 200-205, but I realized I still don't have the amount of lean body mass I want, and rather than roller coaster I am going to keep building.  My focus is going to shift more towards strength and speed, but I am also going to gain weight more slowly maybe even do a recomp, but I want to keep my calories going so I can keep building strength.

If you want to look sexy for the summer, I would suggest cutting, since the ladies love that, atleast all the ones I know. I agree though losing the fat makes your muscles look 10 times better, and I would like to drop the fat but I would be in the 160 lb range again, so really it is up to you.  In the future when I can get to maybe 180 and cut I personally might try to get shredded, but my goals change from time to time and I want to train more like a powerlifter for a while.

Just though I would help by giving you what is going on in my head, that is how I made my decision.  For you, just think about what you want more. And I understand the extra fat on the nipple area I have that problem too, which has always been one of the big things that kept me wanting to keep bf down.

http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/Seos-Log-2008-m442008.aspx

Better to look great and lose strength then be strong and fat.

''If one is after quick results one never learns an art.''

Erich Fromm

I think I'm going to go with cutting, it's March so it's not too late to drop virtually 10-15lbs or so. I'm still categorized as "small" to some people even though I'm only 5'6" and almost 200lbs, not sure exactly why. Probably because I don't look complete muscle due to overlying fat.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

Don't consider it cutting, more of a leaning down.  I hate the Bulk and Cut system, and it is not the only way to do things.  When you have high body fat, 20% and up, you can cut down the fat and still grow and maintain muscle mass.  Remove the junk from your diet, lower you high glycemic carbs and try to choose one fuel source per meal, fat or carbs, not both.  Try caloric cycling, such as the every other day diet.  Reduce the rest periods in your workout by supersetting exercises to keep your heart rate up.  The results should take care of themselves without the dreaded muscle loss.

Good info optimumhealth.

I've thought very seriously about the cycled diet here as of lately. Particularly going medial carb on days that involve resistance training then low carb on non-training days with a bit of cardio, twice per day cardio in fact seeing that 5 minutes at a time is virtually all I can go right now. I need to have gyno surgery very bad though.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

optimumhealth


Don't consider it cutting, more of a leaning down.  I hate the Bulk and Cut system, and it is not the only way to do things.  When you have high body fat, 20% and up, you can cut down the fat and still grow and maintain muscle mass.  Remove the junk from your diet, lower you high glycemic carbs and try to choose one fuel source per meal, fat or carbs, not both.  Try caloric cycling, such as the every other day diet.  Reduce the rest periods in your workout by supersetting exercises to keep your heart rate up.  The results should take care of themselves without the dreaded muscle loss.

X2 .... Iv read alot of people state that when bulking, dont worry about putting on fat ... well you shouldnt, but i wouldnt like to have more that 10-15% body fat on me .... I feel you can still eat a lot and maintain this percentage ... its important never to get that fat, as you still like to look good.

also you sure you have 25% body fat .... to get to around 10%, im guessing you would need to drop around 25-30 lbs ... if this is the case, then im guessing you need to work more on building your legs ... as you seem to have a strong upper body (seeing as you can max bench 275 lbs)??? This is only a guess as i have not seen pics of you.

I am only 5'5 .... weigh around 177lbs and have around 10% body fat.

I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. - Frank Sinatra

Bodyfat% is just a guess, I've never checked it but I do have a picture of myself on my avatar a few pics from last summer in my training journal. Even if it's under 25% I'd still like to cut down to have a flat stomach. Plus I'd like to remove the gyno. If I'm 25% bodyfat @ 190lbs then I would have to get down to 161lbs to be 10% bodyfat.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

Have you thought of running arimidex or letrozole with some nolvadex for rebound to see if that will give any slight gyno reduction.

''If one is after quick results one never learns an art.''

Erich Fromm

I don't really see a point in being set on a strict cut unless you are severely overweight.  You could probably cut a lot of that fat by just fixing your diet.

@ Adam- No, but I'll definitely google that.

@ Chalky Palms- Your probably right and I don't want to go on a strict cut. It just seems like a suitable option, I'm not extremely overweight but not satisfied at my bodyfat level. My diet isn't key at the moment and it hasn't been for a while. I've always been under the understanding you had to burn more calories than you consume and you had to be at a catabolic state, but yeah your bodyfat would probably naturally decrease maybe if you started eating clean.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

I agree

but, I know how he feels and I just think the best option is to get the fat off asap and then continue with strength/hypertrophy training on a surplus.

Chalky Palms


I don't really see a point in being set on a strict cut unless you are severely overweight.  You could probably cut a lot of that fat by just fixing your diet.

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"

Yeah thanks for the input guys, I'm going to feel bad doing it because I know I'm not really big enough or strong enough to think about a cutting phase at the moment but I really need to cut down and start over. I'll try to cut perhaps to 160lbs or so (still isn't small for my height) and then bulk back up to 180-190 but without so much of the added fat.

Thanks again.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

I know its a tough decision.  I'm sort of in the same boat.  After an 18 month lay off i turned into a fatty and have now been lifting for about 3 months.  Prior to my lay off i was 216 at 5'6 and around 20-22 % percent B/f.  Now im 208  and this new digital scale i got says im around 30 % bf.   Everyday i think about whether or not i want to start cutting or continue trying to regain my strength and size.  As of right now im looking more towards the long term and thinking of cutting next summer, but starting the cutting phase crosses my mind all the time. 

From your pic it doesent look like you have gyno, you have a layer of fat on your chest but im sure it will go away when you cut.  I always thought gyno was more pertaining to guys who had man boobs even after they cut and leaned out.  It does not look like you have gyno.

Chalky Palms


I don't really see a point in being set on a strict cut unless you are severely overweight.  You could probably cut a lot of that fat by just fixing your diet.

Well thats the thing ... unless you aint seriously trying to get your body fat down to something like 6% ... then there is no need to really go all out and cut ..... but like i said before ... you still want to look good and have some definition ... afterall, you are working so hard to get your body nice and big, you want it to look good as well.

Like someone else mentioned MVP .... do supersets .... One you can fit more into a smaller time and it really helps in losing weight while bulking ... and adjust your diet ... eat more protine and less fatty foods and junk foods ... also cut down your carb intake as well

This will take longer to get to your overall objective, but you get there without having to go all out and cut .. well its worked for me anyway.

I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. - Frank Sinatra

if u turn all that fat into muscle u wouldnt lose that much mass. u will still be big

bklynpride


if u turn all that fat into muscle u wouldnt lose that much mass. u will still be big

fat doesn't turn into muscle, nor  muscle into fat.

No food tastes as good as looking good Feels.
"Body Becomes Its Function"

M0n3yman

bklynpride


if u turn all that fat into muscle u wouldnt lose that much mass. u will still be big

fat doesn't turn into muscle, nor  muscle into fat.

HaHa!

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