Most people want to build more muscle and reduce their body fat.
But not everyone reaches that destination by taking the same path…
Bulking and cutting are common strategies for building muscle and achieving a lean physique. However, each approach offers unique benefits and drawbacks.
When you're first getting started, it can be hard to know what to start with.
The decision to bulk, cut, or follow a body recomposition phase depends on your current body composition, training experience, and fitness goals.
So, you may be wondering, "Should I bulk or cut?"
That’s what we’re going to look into today!
We'll weigh the benefits of bulking, cutting, and even doing a body recomposition. From there, we'll determine which approach will be best to help you achieve your fitness goals.
Let’s start by diving into what each of these phases are.
Bulking vs. Cutting
Let’s go over the key differences between bulking and cutting. That way, you can get an idea of what each of these approaches looks like.
Bulking Phase
Bulking, or a gaining phase, is a period of strategic calorie surplus with the end goal of putting on more muscle. After all, this is exactly what it takes to gain weight. You have to eat more calories than you burn.
You also need enough protein to give your muscles the building blocks they need to grow. Not only that, but you also have to resistance train if your goal with bulking is to gain new muscle.
Some of the advantages of bulking include:
• Improved strength
• Muscle growth
• More energy for workouts (and better workout performance)
There are a few cons to keep in mind too:
• Can lead to increased body fat (this can later be lost, but you have to be committed to doing that as well)
• Can decrease insulin sensitivity
Cutting Phase
A cutting phase involves eating in a calorie deficit to lose weight. The goal would be to maintain lean muscle and lose body fat. That way, you'll reveal the muscle you've worked hard to build.
When you cut, you'll be eating fewer calories than you burn, which is what it takes to lose weight. The problem is, this weight loss won't come strictly from body fat. It can also come from bone and muscle tissue.
So, in order to maintain muscle, your protein intake still has to be high on a cut. In addition to that, resistance training will still be necessary. This can help your body preserve more muscle, and even bone (1).
The advantages of cutting include:
• Improved muscle appearance
• Healthy body fat loss
• Higher insulin sensitivity
That being said, there are also some disadvantages to cutting:
• There can be some muscle loss
• Can lead to feeling hungry or weak
• Can affect your sleep quality
• Can decrease bone density
The good news is, there's a lot of research out there to support this process and guide you in a healthy way.
A cut doesn't have to destroy your muscle gains, and won't if you do it the right way!
Body Recomposition
Bulking and cutting aren’t the only options for reaching your goals.
Think of “should I bulk or should I cut” as a traditional approach to making muscle gains or losing body fat. Many bodybuilders use this language and follow this process.
There is a clear “season” and “off-season” in competitive bodybuilding. To keep it simple, stepping on stage is the “season”, and bulking to gain muscle is the “off-season”. So, athletes are prepared to increase body fat while increasing strength and size.
Even if you aren't planning to compete in this sport, it's an approach you can use. However, many of my clients don't have this mindset ... and you may not either. This is why I wanted to mention a third approach known as body recompositioning.
Body recomposition involves building muscle and losing fat at the same time.
To do this, I recommend eating at your maintenance calories or at a slight calorie deficit (usually about 250 calories or a 10% decrease from your maintenance calories). This is what I've found to be the sweet spot for building some muscle and burning some body fat.
Now, your weight likely won't shift very much, if at all. The idea is to give your body enough energy and protein to maintain, and potentially even build muscle. At the same time, your body can get enough energy to ditch stored fat.
You’re making it so a much larger portion of your body weight will be muscle and less will be fat.
While all of this sounds great, your experience with training and current body composition will play a role in how effective this approach can be (2).
So, your results can vary quite a bit with body recomposition.
But, the main advantage of the body recomposition approach is that you can build muscle and lose fat simultaneously.
The downsides of body recomposition include:
• It’s difficult to measure your progress
• The progress on the scale can be very slow or non-existent, and should not be your only measure of success
• You likely won’t notice physical differences for awhile
• Results can be highly individualized and hard to generalize
The only gripe I have with body recompositions is that progress can be slower. When you aren't seeing results, you could lose motivation.
With my clients, this is one of the biggest reasons they quit. So, body recompositions are something you have to be a little more patient with when it comes to seeing results.
I will say though, it can be a great approach if you're willing to take a slow and steady approach to change.
When Should You Bulk?
If you’re looking to build muscle and lose fat, how do you know if you should bulk or cut?
Basically, let’s return to your original question: "Should I bulk or cut?"
Here are some signs that a bulking phase could be the right way to kickstart your fitness goals:
• If you are underweight or have a low body fat percentage already
• If you want to really prioritize muscle and strength gains over fat loss
• When you have achieved a lean physique and want to increase size
Basically, if you can spare the extra pounds bulking will involve, this could be the right approach for you. Even still, it's ultimately up to you.
Consider what your ultimate goal is and what will make most sense for you to tackle first: a bulk or cut.
One advantage to starting with a bulk is that you can build more muscle to make the cut easier. You may be wondering, why is that? Well, muscle tissue is highly metabolically active.
Basically, the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn at rest. This can help build up your metabolism to make it easier for you to cut in the future.
How to Bulk
When it comes to bulking, there are three factors you have to be dialed in with...
1. Calories
2. Protein Intake
3. Training
When you're bulking, it's important to eat more calories than you burn. This gives your body the extra energy it needs to add new tissue. At the same time, you need to prioritize protein to give your muscles the building blocks they need to grow.
Lastly, you have to be doing the right kind of training. By this, I'm talking about resistance training. When you resistance train, you break down muscle tissue. Then, when your body receives the energy (calories) and protein it needs ... It can repair muscle tissue and build back more to overcome the same stress in the future.
This is why I always recommend tracking your training and nutrition. It will give you an idea of what you need to consume and how you are progressing your training to reach your goals.
When Should You Cut?
On the other hand, how do you know if cutting is the right approach?
Here are some signs it could be a good fit:
• If you are overweight or carry excess body fat
• When you want to unveil muscle definition and achieve a leaner physique
• If your main goal is to lose body fat
Cutting isn't always the best place to start, but it certainly can be.
I would argue that your starting point is what matters most. If you do have a lot of weight to lose, it could be best to start with a cut. This can be especially true if the weight you're at poses a risk to your health.
How to Cut
When it comes to bulking, there are also three factors I consider to be crucial...
1. Calories
2. Protein Intake
3. Training
You aren't crazy, those are the same factors that I mentioned for bulking! The difference here comes down to the amount of calories you need to consume. In a cut, you have to maintain a calorie deficit by consuming fewer calories than you burn.
If you're looking to maintain muscle and emphasize fat loss, keeping your protein intake high can be important too. The same goes for training as well.
You should still work to include resistance training in order to maintain your muscle tissue and keep your metabolism high as you continue to lose body fat.
Should I Bulk or Cut: Making the Right Choice For You
Let's look at how to choose where to start, and what your approach should be.
First thing you should do is take a good look at yourself, your current body composition, and your diet.
Next, consider your goals and lifestyle.
What are you ultimately trying to achieve?
If you’re really just trying to lose body fat, then cutting is the best way to go.
On the flipside, if you want to build muscle and look big, bulking is the way to go.
Just remember that resistance training and getting enough protein will still be relevant whether you bulk or cut. Plus, your calories will change depending on which goal you choose to pursue first.
As a coach, I encourage a lot of my clients to work on building muscle first. That way when they go to cut, they have the muscle definition they're looking for. Again though, it all depends on their starting point.
So, the answer to your question, “Should I bulk or cut?” is ultimately up to you. Only you can decide what the best approach is for YOU.
Working with a professional trainer or coach can also be beneficial. They can help you figure out which approach will be best for you and achieving your goals long-term.
Now, regardless of whether you bulk or cut first, you won't be doing one forever! Eventually, you'll want to switch it up or even move to doing a body recomposition. But, how long should you bulk or cut for?
How Long Should You Bulk or Cut?
The length of your bulking or cutting phase depends on your desired weight gain or loss.
Basically, you’ll go until you see the results you're after. If you're just getting started with your journey, you may see results more quickly.
You may even be able to build muscle while cutting because of the way an untrained body reacts to changes (3).
A good rule of thumb is 8–12 weeks for bulking and 8–16 weeks for cutting.
If you are bulking and cutting (doing both), I recommend spending around 8–12 weeks bulking with a 3:1 bulking-to-cutting ratio. This could be 12 weeks of bulking followed by 4 weeks cutting as an example.
Although, just remember these are generalizations and it will depend mostly on your goals and progress.
I have gone through many iterations of these phases throughout my life. Most notable was during my four-year journey to my first bodybuilding competition.
I spent many of those years dedicated to bulking and lifting heavy to put on as much muscle as possible. Once a year, I would tackle a short, 8-week cut phase to feel comfortable with my body composition.
Hopefully this helps give you an idea of what your journey may look like!
Don't Forget To Do This For Your Bulk or Cut
Overall, bulking, cutting, and body recomposition are all strategies to help you reach your fitness goals.
You can build muscle and lose body fat by doing all of these approaches and by combining them when needed.
No matter where you choose to start though, you need to make sure your nutrition and workouts are locked in. The way you fuel your body and train matters more than anything else.
If you're just getting started, or even if you've been pursuing your goals for some time, keeping track can be crucial. If you can't measure it, you can't manage it. This goes for both your nutrition and your workouts.
But, especially because you have to get enough protein and eat a specific amount of calories ... You need to know what you're getting on a daily basis.
At 1st Phorm, we developed the ultimate all-in-one fitness tool to help you do just that! That tool is the 1st Phorm App, and it can help simplify the process of earning results.
When you download the app, you'll get to connect with your own certified advisor! They'll help program your nutrition, recommend workouts, and hold you accountable to reaching your goals! Not only that, but you'll also get access to several incredible features in the app:
• An easy way to log your food to stay on track
• 5x per week live streams about nutrition, training, and supplementation
• A full library of workout programs catered to your goals
• Activity and step-counting software
• Progress tracking and body metrics to make sure you get the results you're after
All you have to do is download the 1st Phorm App and get started now!
If there's anything we can do to help out in the meantime, don't hesitate to reach out! We have a full team of NASM Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches right here in St. Louis, Missouri. Just give us a call at 1-800-409-9732 or send us an email at CustomerService@1stPhorm.com any day from 6 AM to 10 PM Central.
References:
(1) Hong AR, Kim SW. Effects of Resistance Exercise on Bone Health. Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 2018 Dec;33(4):435-444. doi: 10.3803/EnM.2018.33.4.435. PMID: 30513557; PMCID: PMC6279907
(2) Barakat, Christopher, et al. “Body recomposition: Can trained individuals build muscle and lose fat at the same time?” Strength & Conditioning Journal, vol. 42, no. 5, 29 July 2020, pp. 7–21, https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0000000000000584.
(3) Front. Nutr., 19 August 2019 Sec. Sport and Exercise Nutrition Volume 6 - 2019 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2019.00131
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