Difference between cutting and Bulking

Guys i need some help
So right now I am bulking
therefore- I do compound lifts, eat 5 times a day, rest 60 to 90 seconds

I want to cut next month. How should I change my routine.. more reps? and more isolations?

Its all about diet. Continue with the same workout, heavey lifting. Look into the Keto Diet, Rolling Stone, as well as many others have seen very good turnouts with it.

BULKING LIKE A BEAST! AND IT FEELS SOOOOO GOOD!

Supps: 100% Whey protein, Creatine Ethyl Ester, Fish Oil, Jack3d

Your training cycle (bulking / cutting) does not dictate your training regime, except for cardio.

Cutting is more about the diet.

5'8.1"
Age = 20 
started in February 16th 2007: 58kg (127.6lbs)
current : around 79-80kg (173.8lb-176lb)

It does not require change of routine, it requires change of calories. It really doesn't even require change of cardio, sometimes an increase, but not always.

I like to do HIIT when cutting and lower intensity cardio when bulking.

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

What everyone else said is right. Cutting is all about the diet (and cardio to some extent) You still want to keep lifting heavy.

Goals by end of 2009:
Bench 205
Squat 255 ATG
Squat Clean 185

"There is no elevator to success, you must take the stairs."

If your body uses say.. 3000 calories a day to maintain. Adding Calories say... +350 would be a bulk. Subtracting Calories -350 would be a cut. 
 
3350 bulk
3000 stay as you are
2650 cut
 
No cardio needed. Cardio allows you to drop the fat faster.
Example=
-350 calories from your maintenance calories  ..... 7 days to drop a pound.
-350 calories and Cardio ......4 days to drop one pound.
 
None of the above is exact, just explaining basically how it works.

Team Keine Ausreden = No Excuses
mein scheinehund ist daheim
48 yrs young
6'5" 270 Lbs

Wetdawg


If your body uses say.. 3000 calories a day to maintain. Adding Calories say... +350 would be a bulk. Subtracting Calories -350 would be a cut. 
 
3350 bulk
3000 stay as you are
2650 cut
 
No cardio needed. Cardio allows you to drop the fat faster.
Example=
-350 calories from your maintenance calories  ..... 7 days to drop a pound.
-350 calories and Cardio ......4 days to drop one pound.
 
None of the above is exact, just explaining basically how it works.

Its 3500 to drop a pound, so itd be -500 not -350

working on explosive phase
vertical: 35
weight: 206

Big 3: 300/440/515

Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.

thanks but when you lift heavy you get fatty muscle as in they are big but not toned.
By cutting i meant to tone my muscle not reduce body fat percentage. i already have low body fat but my muscles just look big not toned.
So in order to tone my muscles  I need to do more reps or what? anything else?>

ripped_


thanks but when you lift heavy you get fatty muscle as in they are big but not toned.
By cutting i meant to tone my muscle not reduce body fat percentage. i already have low body fat but my muscles just look big not toned.
So in order to tone my muscles  I need to do more reps or what? anything else?>

Fatty muscles? Tone? I seriously hope you haven't been training like this for the past 2+ years you've been signed on this forum. It's only your fault you haven't taken the time to get more informed during that time, someone completely new to this world i can understand but at 100+ posts your just stupid or blind.

Here is the truth. You are still too fat. Cut some more.

My body fat percentage is 9%

Post some pictures as proof then please and truth to be told I don't think you look truly "ripped" until you are about 7% bf or under. Maybe you just don't have enough muscle too. How much are you putting up on your big three?

I am just 17 years old and I look big for my age group but I am not really a heavy lifter. Now I can squat 185 lbs, Bench 145 and my deadlift @ 185.

Well I honestly think there is your problem right there. Judging by your lifts you probably don't have a good foundation upon which to cut to. I personally know kids who can put up more than that without training so if I were you I would post your diet and training to critique. With any luck we can fix it all up and you will be well on your way to truly looking ripped_

http://img5.imageshack.us/i/muscleback.jpg/
heres a picture

As you can tell looking at the body that it's muscle but not very toned like black people  :(
(sorry I had to say it cuz you guys dont get what I am talking about)

You need to bulk.

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

ripped_


http://img5.imageshack.us/i/muscleback.jpg/
heres a picture

As you can tell looking at the body that it's muscle but not very toned like black people  :(
(sorry I had to say it cuz you guys dont get what I am talking about)

It's the other way around. We know what we are talking about. Bulk up please.

this picture was takin about 4 months ago but during this summer I have gotten bigger cause I put more time.

And PumaKreig, I consume about 100 grams of protein and my body weight is 140 lbs.
Breakfast- cereal ,egg brown bread
12pm- meat, rice, orange juice
 3 pm- fish/meat, rice, carots
6pm - chicken,carbs, juice
9 pm- beef/chicken, rice, brocoli, orange juice
11pm- protein shake + vitamins, milk

adds up to about 100 grams of protein

Sorry but 140 is really small. How tall are you?

PumaKrieg




It's the other way around. We know what we are talking about. Bulk up please.

You probably misunderstood. I dint mean to say that you guys dont know what you are talkin about. I was implying that you guys are not understanding what I am trying to explain.
I have noticed how a lot of ppl here keep saying lift heavy and reduce fat. True you look ripped that way because you have less body fat and your muscles look thick. I don't really want size, I want defintion. My body fat is already low but they are not toned because I am doing like only few isolations.
I guess to accomplish my goal , I have to do isolations. My goal is NOT to be huge

I am 5'7

Rolling Stone who posted earlier got "ripped" by lifting heavy and cutting weight to around 5-7% bodyfat. The word toned purely has to do with how low bodyfat you are. The shape of your muscles is purely genetics.

Read this link it might help you. http://www.discussbodyb...eginers-Help-m25516.aspx

I'm with PK, and from your picture you can see you still have body fat to lose if you want to be ripped or "toned". 

Weight - 190lb 
BF% - Unknown 
Height - 5'11" 
Goals by new year? 
ATG Squat - 308lb 
Deadlift - 308lb 
Bench - 220lb

I hate when people make comments like that. No one has ever in the history of weight training got accidentally huge. That's something that takes massive calories, dedication and overload.

That's like saying you don't want to go for a jog tomorrow morning because you're not interested in winning the Olympic running division. It makes absolutely no sense.

"Black" people are not all toned and cut. Most of them that you're referring to had to work for their muscle too. I'm willing to bet they never said "I don't want to get big and ugly" and they just lifted weights, ate right and played sports.

What you need to do is listen to the advice we're giving you. You are too small right now and you need to bulk up, doing a clean bulk you'll gain a lot more muscle than fat and that alone will cause you to look leaner.

Right now you should focus on compound movements and progressive resistance. The frequency and duration of your program should be depended upon individual response and recovery, which usually differs from each unique individuals goals and response to specific stimuli.

Now I would recommend you to look up Stronglifts 5X5 and work with that program for the time being. At this point, you should be focusing on as follows..

Quad Dominant Movement--- Squat
Hamstring Dominant Movement--- GHR
Posterior chain dominant movement--- Deadlift

Horizontal pushing--- flat bench press
Horizontal pulling--- Barbell Rowing

Vertical Pushing--- Overhead Pressing
Vertical Pulling--- Pullup/Pulldown

Accessory movements are OK depending upon preference but I don't feel at this point you'll need one. You'll grow from that alone.

Whatever it is you've been eating over the past few months I'd recommend you to double it. Invest in some creatine monohydrate, whey protein and a multi-vitamin.

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

MVP


I hate when people make comments like that. No one has ever in the history of weight training got accidentally huge. That's something that takes massive calories, dedication and overload.

That's like saying you don't want to go for a jog tomorrow morning because you're not interested in winning the Olympic running division. It makes absolutely no sense.

"Black" people are not all toned and cut. Most of them that you're referring to had to work for their muscle too. I'm willing to bet they never said "I don't want to get big and ugly" and they just lifted weights, ate right and played sports.

What you need to do is listen to the advice we're giving you. You are too small right now and you need to bulk up, doing a clean bulk you'll gain a lot more muscle than fat and that alone will cause you to look leaner.

Right now you should focus on compound movements and progressive resistance. The frequency and duration of your program should be depended upon individual response and recovery, which usually differs from each unique individuals goals and response to specific stimuli.

Now I would recommend you to look up Stronglifts 5X5 and work with that program for the time being. At this point, you should be focusing on as follows..

Quad Dominant Movement--- Squat
Hamstring Dominant Movement--- GHR
Posterior chain dominant movement--- Deadlift

Horizontal pushing--- flat bench press
Horizontal pulling--- Barbell Rowing

Vertical Pushing--- Overhead Pressing
Vertical Pulling--- Pullup/Pulldown

Accessory movements are OK depending upon preference but I don't feel at this point you'll need one. You'll grow from that alone.

Whatever it is you've been eating over the past few months I'd recommend you to double it. Invest in some creatine monohydrate, whey protein and a multi-vitamin.

Nailed it on the head MVP. I have a loathing myself towards people who are afraid of becoming "big" on accident and most of my friends who work out with me do this stupid stuff all the time. If it was that easy to get big we wouldn't have a huge forum like this on how to become so.

MVP

Right now you should focus on compound movements and progressive resistance. The frequency and duration of your program should be depended upon individual response and recovery, which usually differs from each unique individuals goals and response to specific stimuli.

Now I would recommend you to look up Stronglifts 5X5 and work with that program for the time being. At this point, you should be focusing on as follows..

Quad Dominant Movement--- Squat
Hamstring Dominant Movement--- GHR
Posterior chain dominant movement--- Deadlift

Horizontal pushing--- flat bench press
Horizontal pulling--- Barbell Rowing

Vertical Pushing--- Overhead Pressing
Vertical Pulling--- Pullup/Pulldown

Accessory movements are OK depending upon preference but I don't feel at this point you'll need one. You'll grow from that alone.

Whatever it is you've been eating over the past few months I'd recommend you to double it. Invest in some creatine monohydrate, whey protein and a multi-vitamin.

I LOVE the sound of that program.  I'm thinking after my 1st cycle of HST, if I don't do another cycle, I'd like to hit the compound movements hard.  I don't do flat presses or (bent leg) deads in my routine now, and I hunger to.  Is it possible to do a good all-compound program using 3 or 4 w/o's a week.  I find any split that has me rotating days and working out on weekends is too much.  And what is a "GHR"?  Thanks!

You seem to think that theres a difference between toned, and low body fat.  There isnt.  You cant tone a muscle with exercises.  You tone a muscle by losing fat.  If you dont want any more size and you want toned muscles, lose fat.

working on explosive phase
vertical: 35
weight: 206

Big 3: 300/440/515

Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.

JMBS

I LOVE the sound of that program.  I'm thinking after my 1st cycle of HST, if I don't do another cycle, I'd like to hit the compound movements hard.  I don't do flat presses or (bent leg) deads in my routine now, and I hunger to.  Is it possible to do a good all-compound program using 3 or 4 w/o's a week.  I find any split that has me rotating days and working out on weekends is too much.  And what is a "GHR"?  Thanks!

Yeah, there's quite a few options and here is my favorite 2.

Day 1- Heavy Push
Day 2- Light Pull
Day 3- Off
Day 4- Light Push
Day 5- Heavy Pull

Heavy Push
**Squat
**Bench
**Press
**Dips
**Skull Crushers (optional)

Light Pull
**Deadlfit
**GHR
**BB Row
**Pullup
**BB Curls (optional)

Light Push
**Squat
**Flat Bench
**Incline Bench
**Dips
**Skull Crushers (optional)

Heavy Pull
**Deadlift
**GHR
**BB Row
**Pullup
**BB Curls (optional)

Or you can do a 3-day version.

Workout A:
**Squat
**GHR
**Flat Bench
**BB Row

Workout B:
**Squat
**Press
**Pullup
**Deadlift

Something like that. A GHR is a glute/hamstring raise. Involves the primary function of the hamstrings (knee flexion) and is usually needed to balance a movement like a squat that involves knee extension. This is because synovial joints for balanced training would ideally need to be worked within their natural capabilities. Over strong knee extensors and weak knee flexors are an imbalance. Same thing with hip flexors and hip extensors.

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

MVP,
    Awesome!  Thanks!  Are Heavy days high wt / low rep, and Light days low wt / high rep?  The GHR is performed on a back extension apparatus.  My gym only has an angled back extension apparatus.  Could I substitute SLDLs?  Any suggestions for number of sets and reps/set on Light vs Heavy days?  Thx!

Oh, and to be clear, your 5 day is a Mon Tue Thu Fri program (Wed Sat Sun rest?)  If so, incredible!
 
[edit]  Okay, upon further thought, SLDLs involve the hams, but not knee flexion.  Would machine leg curls be okay as a sub for the GHRs?

Yeah, you can do cardio on the off day, or stretching, whatever you feel is necessary.

If you can't do a GHR, hamstring curls would work fine. They are the isolated version of that GHR.

For me, I'd go 3-5X5 on heavy days and 3X8-12 on light days, or you could take a bodybuilding approach and on heavy days go 3X8-12 and the on light days go 3X12-20, it'd be up to you and the rep range you feel works the best.

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