Calorie Intake -30% vs +20% vs +50% for Fastest Result?

Diet and Nutrition
1

Hey guys,
I’m a beginner, 5’6" tall, have about 25% BF, and my maintenance calorie is 1900.
My goal is to gain 15lb muscle and lower BF to 15% ASAP.

Which one is the fastest way to achieve my goal?
(All of them below is high protein diet)

  1. Moderate calorie deficit -30%
  2. Moderate calorie surplus +20% (bulk and then cut)
  3. High calorie surplus +50% (bulk and then cut)

Thanks in advance!

2

Weren’t you at 19% in your other thread just a few hours ago?

3

Body Fat Percentage

Precisely, how did you come to the conclusion that you are 25% Body Fat?

Cutting Body Fat While Maintaining and/or Increasing Muscle Mass

Research by Dr John Ivy and Dr Layne Norton, independent of each other, demonstrated the most effective method of decreasing body fat while maintaining and/or increasing muscle mass is to decrease calorie intake around 20%.

Thus, you 30% would be the most effective. However, based on the research, I’d recommend keeping your calorie deficit around 20%.

Calorie Surplus

Based on the fact that your body fat percentage appears to be relatively high, bulking up and increasing your body fat percentage make no sense.

Kenny Croxdale

1 Like
4

This is my first thread ever on T-nation. You must have mistaken me for someone else.

5

Thanks for your reply! I just compared myself with a sample picture on the Internet. I also tried US Navy method and the result was consistent with the picture. I’m pretty sure it’s not 15% BF. Even if it’s 20%, I still have to lose BF, right?

6

This is pretty much the reason why knowing your % doesn’t matter. If you have fat you want rid of it doesn’t matter if you’re 5% or 50%. What matters is how you feel about what’s looking back at you in the mirror. Numbers are arbitrary.

I would personally cut the fat first. Even if it leaves you skinny (which it will) you’ll at least have abs, which is way better in my mind than being fat.

Also, when you’re lean your body just operates better. Things like your insulin sensitivity improves which’ll mean your body is more inclined to add muscle rather than fat.

In my opinion, if you’re already fat then a high calorie bulk is the worst thing you can do.