Should I cut, bulk, maintain or what?

Im new to the site but have been weight training since the mid 80s. I never concerned myself with the nutrition side of things back then. It wasn't untill I got real lazy and had a long layoff and then came back that I concerned myself with nutrition.
 
I am a 5'2 male. In 1990, when I was 25, I weighed 140 pounds and was caliper tested at 11% bodyfat. Since then, I gained weight and slacked on my training untill I got to 205 pounds. By that time, I had not lifted worth anything for 3 years and not at all for 1.
 
Once I decided I needed an overhaul, I cut back my eating and started walking. I lost to 160 in about 6 months.  Then I started weight training again and tried to work on my nutrition. An injury (torn bicep tendon not training related) kept me from training for about a year. I gained up to 170. Once I started training again, I lost more weight and ate mostly protein. I still indulged in processed carbs and fats once a week for sure.
 
Enter today. I finally got some better eating habits. I eat 5 small meals of chicken or fish, potatoes, squash, brocilie and such. I was having some small processed sweets from time to time, but have done without them for the past 3 months.  Im in the 5th week of the HST program. I am now 5'2", 138lbs, 35" waist, 14" bicep, 12" forearm, 38" chest, 21" thigh, 14" calf. Based upon measurments and a online calculator, Im at 15% bodyfat.
 
What do I do now? Keep cutting? Try to clean bulk? just maintain? I wanted to get to 9% body fat this year and a 32 or 31" waist. Is that possible for me? Im not growing though. I lost 1/2 inch in my bicep going from 150 to 138, but lost 3 inches around my waist.
 
Any advise? Ive read the threads about bulking and about cutting. I do need to adjust things, but what? what goals do I set? Id love to get to 9% and a 31" waist and see gains in my chest, thighs, shoulders and biceps as well. Can this be done at one time? do I need to go through specific phases to get there?
 
Thanks.
 
 

You have 14" arms? That's pretty beast, haha bigger than mine and I am a guy with 15 lb. on you..*depressed* I would bulk up a little, bulk since summer is coming I would probably clean cut for a few weeks to try and get a bit more muscle then cut till summer, then maintain in summer.

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

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

Im still a little fuzzy on the topic of working to build muscle, or working to lose fat.  Im not a neewbe to training and have been training hard and solid for over a year. I read in some info from Dan that its possible to build more muscle while losing fat, however, another person, Marc David, says that you can only do one or the other if you have already got some training time under your belt.

So which is right? And what should I concentrate on? Im still confused.

What Marc David was talking about in not being able to gain muscle and loose fat at the same time was basically that in order to bulk up or gain muscle you need to be over your maint. calorie levels.  To loose fat you need to be under your maint. calorie levels.  Basically, you can't be UNDER your maint. level and OVER at the same time.

Theoretically, if a person WERE new to training was to eat 500 calories above maintenance, and do cardio ONLY after resistance training (burning mostly fat) would that be an ideal scenario to put on the most amount of muscle and lose fat at the same time?  We would assume 1-1.5 g/lb of protein, 25-30% from good fats, and the rest made up of complex carbs. Let me know if anything is incorrect in those nutrition assumptions. I know everyone is different, but in theory is this correct?

You can build muscle and lose fat at the same time, it is very hard though. So neither person is right..It is alot easier to cut and bulk, and will be faster in the long run.

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

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

I think I will focus on cutting as my main thing, although I will be extra careful just how many calories I cut. From what I have read here is that there is a fine line to walk when you try to add muscle while cutting the fat.

Based upon some calculations, If I cut and loose 0 muscle, I can be at 10% in 8 weeks at 130 lbs.

williemon


I think I will focus on cutting as my main thing, although I will be extra careful just how many calories I cut. From what I have read here is that there is a fine line to walk when you try to add muscle while cutting the fat.

Based upon some calculations, If I cut and loose 0 muscle, I can be at 10% in 8 weeks at 130 lbs.

Don't get your hopes up on gaining muscle and losing fat..tbh you will probably lose a bit of muscle if you cut..

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

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