What goal to select (cutting or bulking)?
When deciding what goal to select there are a couple of things to consider. But first, let's touch on what it means to be "cutting" or "bulking."
Cutting Explained
"Cutting" is the coined term for focusing on weight loss. Cutting loosely translates to dieting and exercising with the goal of weight loss in mind. In order to be cutting, or focusing on weight loss, you need to be in a calorie deficit. Being in a calorie deficit means consuming less calories than what you expend. A calorie deficit can be created by lowering your input —consuming less food—increasing your output —increasing your physical exercise— or a combination of both.
Bulking Explained
"Bulking" is the coined term for focusing on weight gain, or building lean muscle mass. Bulking loosely translates to dieting and exercising with the goal of building muscle in mind. In order to be bulking, or focusing on weight gain, you need to be in a calorie surplus. Being in a calorie surplus means consuming more calories than what you expend. A calorie surplus can be created by increasing your input —consuming more food— decreasing your output —reducing the amount of physical exercise— or a combination of both.
After reading about what both cutting and bulking are all about I hope you've come to the conclusion that they are both essentially opposites of each other; meaning, it would be counterproductive to try and focus on both at the same time. It is far more efficient to focus on one and then the other, regardless of whichever one it is you focus on first.
How do you know which goal to select first?
Generally speaking if you have weight you'd like to lose and are above 17%-18% body fat we would suggest focusing on cutting first. This includes those of you who "want to build some muscle and lose some fat." Again, focus on losing the fat first if you're above 17-18% body fat, as once you've lost a bit of the weight we can help you gain muscle in the leanest possible fashion. If you're between 10-11% body fat and have struggled to put on weight/muscle your entire life then it should be obvious, select bulking as your goal. If you're between 10%-17% body fat and don't have a reason to be lean. Eg. Summer, or a wedding, then perhaps go with bulking first. The additional muscle mass will not go a miss next time you decide to cut down —for whatever reason.
Attached below is a body fat image to help you guesstimate your body fat percentage; however, if you're still having trouble deciding your goal please send a picture(s) to support and we will be more than happy to help you out!
