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Should You Bulk or Cut?

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Let me preface this by saying that “bulking” means putting on 1 or 2 pounds a month.

The 5-10 pound-a-month bulks are dumb as hell.

That said, dudes are either bulking or cutting.

Am I right?

You are either trying to add muscle mass or lose fat.

There is no “maintaining” when it comes to bodybuilding.

So, how are you supposed to know which to choose?

Bulk or cut?

I have 3 keys when it comes to making this decision.

3 keys for making the ‘bulk or cut' decision

1.  The 15% Body Fat Rule

This is something I came up with.

I tell guys that if they are at or above 15% body fat then they should cut.

If, on the other hand, they are under 15% body fat then they should bulk.

Under 15% —> Bulk

Over 15% —> Cut

There are several reasons for this.

The leaner you are, the easier it is for you to build muscle.

The fatter you are, the more likely it is that excess calories will be stored as fat.

Insulin sensitivity is also negatively affected the fatter you are.

2.  The time of year

Normally, guys bulk during the winter and cut during the summer.

The reasoning is that you can put on some fat and cover it up with sweaters during the winter and then you cut the fat and show off the abs during beach season.

This makes sense.

You can do it this way or switch it up and do something that hardly anyone does.

You can cut during the winter and bulk during the summer.

I've been meaning to do it that way just out of curiosity.

 3.  Personal Preference

Look, I can tell you why you should bulk or should cut, but what it really comes down to is personal preference, i.e., what do you want to do?

So, if you're at 20% body fat and love eating and gaining muscle, then go ahead and bulk.

If you are 6 feet tall, weigh 160 pounds with 8% body fat and want to cut, then go ahead and cut.

After all, you have to enjoy what you do or what's the point, right?


 

So, hopefully this helps you make the ‘bulk or cut' decision a little easier.

I have given you guidelines, not rules.

Just out of curiousity, how do you decide when to bulk and when to cut?


 

Photo credit:  Anton Mukhametchin

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Want Faster Results?

Look, I know how hard it is to build muscle. Trust me when I tell you it took me 20+ years to figure it out. But once I did--BAM!--muscle appeared almost overnight. Give me your email address and I'll send you the keys.


Bill Davis
 

Bill Davis has been an avid weight trainer since the age of 12. He started out as a skinny teenager and finally made his training breakthrough in his late 20s when he discovered how to pack on lean muscle in short order.

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