Summer is fast approaching and with the season change comes the time to ask yourself one of the hardest questions possible: Should you bulk or cut?

Over the next few paragraphs, I am going to tell you what I believe to be the true, honest answer to this question, break down the pros and cons of each choice, and give you my guidelines for bulking and cutting successfully.

Should You Bulk or Cut?

Are you ready for this? The true, honest answer is almost always … bulking.

Now, this is not the sexy answer for most people, but the truth is that putting on more muscle mass and maintaining your ability to build muscle mass will do more for you in the long term, then getting lean ever will.

Let me explain this further. Building muscle is not that easy and when one is in a caloric deficit, the mechanism of muscle protein synthesis that builds muscle is dampened. This means that during a cutting phase, you are most likely sacrificing some of the muscle that you worked hard to build.

For that reason, building muscle as a natural athlete is normally tough, so I always recommend that we play the long game and continue to build muscle for the future, if we can.

Bulking is Not for Everyone

Now, please take note of the fact that I said the true answer is almost always bulking. Bulking is not always the best option for everyone.  If you are:

1. A person who has been consistently building muscle for 3 to 10 years without any long weight cuts
2. A physique or weight class athlete that needs to cut specifically to meet the demands of competition
3. A beginner athlete without much muscle mass or prior training

cutting may not be the best option for you. Let’s explore why!

A person who has been building muscle for a few years may benefit from cutting and fully seeing the fruits of their labor. They are at an advantageous position compared to someone who has not been lifting as long because they will retain a higher level of muscle mass after they cut which can allow them to really see the strengths and weaknesses of their physique. If they never spent the time to build muscle in the first place, they would never know how truly balanced their physique is.

In this situation, I think of the famous Michael Jordan quote, “I will turn my weaknesses into strengths.”  You can never turn your weaknesses into strengths if you do not find out what your strengths are in the first place. Spend time on developing yourself. It is worth it!

The next category is more traditionally understood. Athletes like bodybuilders or wrestlers need to fit within certain weight classes so that they can legally compete in their sport. Simply put, it is a nightmare and a recipe for disaster to be caught outside of your weight class the day of competition.

There is one caveat to this that I need to mention. In the case of many bodybuilders, competing too frequently or competing without taking the requisite 3 to 10 years to build muscle mass can lead to developing a physique lacks muscularity in key areas. For these individuals, cutting is the problem, not the solution.

Lastly, a beginner athlete without much muscle mass of prior training is in one of the most advantageous positions of their lifting career. As a beginner, training is a novel stimulus which means adaptation to training will occur quickly and muscle will be built at a faster rate than intermediate and advanced trainees.

The red box in the chart above represents the beginning stage.

Notice how strength increases much faster in the beginning stage compared to the later stages.

Many beginners can successfully lose weight while gaining muscle during this stage.

I also want to say that my point here is only to teach you the cold, hard facts that I know about weight change. If you disagree with my views and want to cut or bulk in opposition of my views, I fully support you! It is your body and your decision! I just want you to be aware enough to make your own educated decision!

Misconceptions about Bulking

A large part of the reason that I believe the answer of bulking is a difficult pill to swallow for most people is because of all the misconceptions surrounding bulking such as:

• Bulking is simply getting fat
• Bulking is easy
• Bulking makes you less athletic
• Bulking is unhealthy

Many of these misconceptions are simply not true. Let’s break them apart one by one.

Bulking is simply getting fat

Bulking is far more nuanced than simply getting fat. In fact, I would argue that the mark of a successful bulking phase would be simply a more muscular individual, not necessarily an individual with significantly higher body fat.

I do not consider a person that is “dirty bulking (weight gain associated with excessively caloric consumption from unhealthy foods)” to be approaching a bulking phase with the proper maturity and discipline to successfully reap its benefits. 

Most bulking should be done with calories that are only a few hundred above maintenance. When calories are significantly higher than maintenance, increased fat gain is often the result. That is not bulking. When bulking, slow and steady wins the race and leads to less fat gain!

Bulking is easy

The misconception that bulking is easy compared to cutting is false. It is not easy for everyone to eat more calories in the same way it is not easy for everyone to eat less calories. It simply depends on the person.

Bulking makes you less athletic

There may be some truth to the argument that bulking can make you less athletic. I would argue that Zion Williamson begs to differ, but his weight gain does not seem to be the result of a caloric surplus.

It simply seems to be what his body wanted to do. (Who else wishes their body wanted to do that too, sigh?)

However, on a serious note, Zion is a perfect example of a person whose athleticism has increased with their weight gain because his ability to produce and distribute maximal amounts of force throughout his body has increased at an equal or even faster rate than he has gained weight.

This phenomenon is not unheard of and can occur if the weight gain occurs at a steady rate or as result of natural processes like puberty.

Bulking is unhealthy

The last misconception that I hear about bulking is that it is unhealthy. Once again, this is not always the case.

First, it depends upon which bodily system you are referring to.

Muscles and tendons are in an advantageous state during a bulk despite the increased stress placed on them from weight gain. This is because they can recover to a greater capacity. Optimal recovery is a supreme advantage for the muscular system of the body.

I agree with the argument that force-feeding and dirty bulking are unhealthy for the cardiovascular (heart and surrounding blood vessels) and enteral (intestinal) systems because they may lead to increased risk of atherosclerosis (buildup of plaque in arteries) and poor digestion. This is simply another case of why bulking needs to be done properly.

Misconceptions about Cutting

Similar misconceptions about cutting are rampant throughout the fitness community such as:

• Cutting is simply starvation
• Cutting makes you weak and less athletic
• Cutting is unhealthy

Once again, these misconceptions are not true.

Cutting is simply starvation

Cutting is far more than simply starvation. Starvation is defined as a long-term severe deprivation of nutrition. Cutting is not done for long periods of time when it is performed properly, and all markers of macronutrients and micronutrients should be met in order to ensure basic body functions.

Cutting makes you weak and less athletic

The misconception that cutting makes you weak and less athletic is rooted in truth. However, it is not so much that cutting makes you weak, but it is that cutting impairs your ability to recover from physical activity and exercise, which eventually leads to a weaker body.

Additionally, making sure that you are only in a slight caloric deficit will help you retain more strength than being in a severe caloric deficit.

Cutting is unhealthy

The last misconception that I want to address here is that cutting is unhealthy. Once again, it depends upon which bodily system you are referring to. Cutting can be extremely healthy for a obese individual in order to help them gain a more favorable body composition.

Similarly, it can be extremely unhealthy for an underweight individual and make it harder for them to gain a favorable body composition. Learn your body, ask experts, experiment, and weigh the pros and cons to find out if it is the best decision for you!

Guidelines for Successful Bulking and Cutting

The final topic that I want to discuss with you all are my guidelines for bulking and cutting.

When cutting, I believe that a small amount of weight loss (~0.5 to 2% of bodyweight) each week is appropriate in order to best maintain muscle mass. This process is best done by beginning with a small to moderate caloric deficit of around 200 to 500 calories. Cutting can be done in either of two ways:

 It can be done quickly (3-6 week period) in order to minimize the time spent in a deficit

a. The downside is that this form of cutting is normally far more intense and more likely to increase athletic performance

b. Typically marked by quicker muscle loss, but over a shorter period of time

2. It can be done slowly (12-20 week period) in order to minimize muscle mass lost per week

a. The downside of this form of cutting is that while it is less intense for the most part, it is a longer process

b, Typically, marked by slower muscle loss, but over a longer period of time

When bulking, I believe that a small amount of weight gain (~0.25 – 0.5% of bodyweight each week) is appropriate in order to best gain muscle mass and minimize fat gain. This is best done by beginning with a small to moderate caloric surplus of around 100-300 calories for most people.

Mini-Cuts

One topic that needs to be discussed when bulking is using mini-cuts.  Mini-cuts are simply cutting for a short period of time (similar to a less intense form of the first form of cutting discussed above) in order to reduce fat gained while bulking. It can be hard to stay mentally disciplined during a bulking period, so we can use mini-cuts to keep body composition at favorable levels.

Check out this chart below to summarize the guidelines on bulking and cutting, so you can make your choice!

 

Guidelines for Successful Weight Loss/Gain
State	Bulking	Cutting
Goal:	Small amount of weight gain (~0.25 – 0.5% of bodyweight each week)	Small amount of weight loss (~0.5 to 1% of bodyweight) each week
Method:	Caloric Surplus	Caloric Deficit
Time:	Best done slowly to minimize fat gain	Best done quickly (3-6 week period) or slowly (12-20 week period) depending on preference and situation
Stress:	Can be stressful if force-feeding	Typically is stressful whether done intensely for a short period of time or less intense for a longer period of time
Helpful Supplements:	Creatine monohydrate, caffeine, beta-alanine, citrulline malate, omega-3

 

Make sure to comment on any questions that you have about bulking and cutting down below and be sure to check out my upcoming social media posts on bulking and cutting, where I will go more in depth in some areas!

 

Peace!