When should you start cutting?

For 10 pounds or less, start cutting 2-3 months ahead. For 20 pounds or more, start cutting 4-5 months ahead. Add 1-2 weeks for any major foreseeable obstacles. If such extended time is not on your side, I recommend at minimum six weeks for any cutting program.

When should I start cutting muscle?

If your main goal right now is to add more size, build muscle, gain strength, and set PR's in the gym, then a gaining phase is probably the best option as long as your current body fat % is around 10-15%. But if it's closer to 20% or above that, then start with a cut.

What weight should I start to cut?

A slow, even rate of weight loss — such as 1 pound (0.45 kg) or 0.5–1% of your body weight per week — is best for a cutting diet ( 4 ).

When should I stop cutting and start bulking?

How long should you bulk before you cut? I recommend that people bulk for a minimum of five months before cutting so that the muscle-building process isn't interrupted before a measurable amount of progress is made. There is no maximum time frame, but I recommend people don't exceed 20% body fat for health reasons.

At what body fat percentage do you see abs?

The body fat percentage needed to see your pack of abdominal muscles falls somewhere around 14 to 20% for women and 6 to 13% for men. However, the ideal body fat percentage for abs can look slightly different per person, depending on how you carry weight, where you typically store fat and your fitness routine.

Don't Make These Mistakes When You Start Cutting Body Fat

Should I bulk or cut 20 body fat?

You should probably bulk if you are below 15-20% body fat (25-30% for women) and don't have much muscle to show if you did cut. ? Your training should consist of good form, correct volume (not too many or too few reps and sets a week per muscle group), and always trying to lift heavier in some aspect when possible.

Should I lift heavy when cutting?

Despite what many novices (and even some strength coaches believe), lifting heavy is still an essential part to cutting. Lifting heavy, relatively speaking, is ideal for preserving strength and muscle mass during the cutting phase.

Should I bulk or cut first?

You should bulk first if you are skinny fat. A 10% caloric surplus is optimal to build muscle while ensuring you don't put on a lot of excess body fat. Stay in a surplus for a minimum of 4 months and then begin a slow, gradual cut.

Can a beginner gain muscle while cutting?

Beginners who are skinny fat (meaning they look normal for their build but sport a high body fat percentage and very low lean mass) will build a good chunk of muscle while on a cut. Beginners who are just underweight will put on a ton of weight early on.

How do I cut to get lean?

Should I lose fat or build muscle first?

When you lose fat first, you reveal the musculature you have underneath, which you can then refine and sculpt. While it's true increasing muscle mass can potentially help you burn more calories by increasing your metabolism, that requires a considerable gain in muscle mass which takes time.

Do you get weaker when you cut?

Losing muscle strength while on a cutting diet is common, but it is not unavoidable. Because weight loss inevitably involves the loss of both fat and muscle, you cannot expect to make any gains during your cutting phase, and you can expect your lean mass to decrease slightly as well.

How do I cut and get shredded?

How long do noob gains last?

Generally speaking, newbie gains can last for the first six months to a year and if done properly, can result in you reaping the highest gains at any point throughout the course of your training.

Should I cut 15 body fat?

Any time that you want to prioritize muscle and strength gains, you should be bulking, even if you're gaining weight very slowly. When you're under 20% body fat, it's perfectly fine to bulk, but most people will have better luck by cutting down to 15% or lower first.

Why do I have love handles if I'm skinny?

Restricting calories but making those you do eat come from refined carbs, sugars and saturated fats can cause your body to not get all the nutrients it needs, especially protein, to support lean tissue. As a result, you may be losing weight in the form of lean muscle, not fat, so your love handles stick around.

How do I know if I'm building muscle?

Do high reps burn more fat?

Fact: Light weights with high reps alone don't tone muscle or burn fat. People often use light weights and high reps exclusively when aiming to lose fat, but this is a huge mistake — especially if you want to have toned muscles, because lifting weights doesn't stimulate muscles enough for fat loss.

How many reps should I do for cutting?

So, what are the best rep ranges for cutting? The best rep range for cutting is one that allows you to sometimes train with heavier loads to preserve basic strength (5-10 reps) and more moderate to light loads to allow you to retain as much muscle while training in higher volumes (10-20 reps).

Should I do high reps while cutting?

High reps vs Low reps for Cutting

If you are trying to maintain or get lean, you'll want to reduce the weight but go with higher reps. This will ensure that you maintain the muscle you have but not increase your muscle size. You'll also want to consider reducing the amount of time you spend on strength training.

At what BF should I bulk?

While advice differs, it's generally said that a bulk should begin when one reaches 10% body fat for men and 20% for women, or under. Of course, this is all up to you. If you're comfortable putting on slightly more weight in fat to get some gains, then that's up to you.

Can I lean bulk at 15 body fat?

I would say you're around 14% or 15% based on your photos. In terms of bulking or cutting, it depends on your main goal at the moment really. You're lean enough to bulk from here, but if you want to be shredded for summer then you could cut down to closer to 10%.

Why do powerlifters look fat?

Some powerlifters are fat because they purposely try to consume excess calories in an effort to put on more muscle mass, because “mass moves mass”.

Can you lean bulk?

Lean bulking is a far more efficient way to try and build muscle mass. By focusing on building muscle without fat, you may see slightly slower results but you won't need to go through a tough cut.