22yo 5’8” 166lbs. Title says it all. Not sure if it’s worth hopping on a mass gaining program like BBB if I’m not down to the generally advised 12-15% BF
1RM if it matters 250/350/390 B/S/D
Do you want to be bigger or do you want to be leaner?
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Lift heavy but not look like a slob.
Knowing that, do you want to be bigger, or do you want to be leaner?
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Ultimately bigger
Sounds like bulking is the way to go!
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Should I not worry about bf% when doing so?
It’s not my place to say what you should and should not worry about. That’s up to you to decide.
How about posting some pics?
Bulk.
Also post your diet.
Coming off a cut @ 1950cals Planned to eat at 2400 for a week or two to gauge maintenance. Then if that’s the case add another 250-300cals. Meals mostly consist of chicken, lean ground beef, salmon, and lean pork chops. Add in either rice or potatoes plus something green and that’s about it.
I interpret “ultimately bigger” to mean bigger and leaner. Is that correct?
If so, how do you feel about your current physique? Would you be upset if you gained 20 lbs and 10-15 lbs of it was fat (because for most people, I think that is reality), unless you bulk very slowly.
If you want to look good for a majority of the process to your ultimate goal, I’d say cut first. Get pretty lean, then gain from there. When you gain some fat, since you started lean, you will probably still have abs and look pretty good (although it will still mess with your head if you are like me). I don’t really plan on bulking past the point of having abs at this point in my life (I am 36). They might get blurry, but the big bulks of my 20s are hopefully over for me. I’d got up to basically obese in my late 20s. I was strong, and wide, but also pretty fat. IDK, spending 5 years bulked up was not really worth it in hindsight.
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Bigger and leaner yes.
My main concern with cutting down further was possibility of there really being not enough musculature to cut down to and looking skinny
You are fairly strong. My suggestion is to powerlift competitively for a couple years in a class close to your current body weight. But still do some bodybuilding movements.
I would not bulk until you showed some distinct muscle separation. Which means when you post a pick, show us some distinct muscle separation. That is flex. I know many say they want relaxed poses. I couldn’t disagree more strongly. You need to be training with some obvious muscle separation if you want to look good.
Only then would I consider any kind of a bulk.
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So you’d suggest cutting until obvious muscle separation, while also competing in powerlifting/raising numbers? Wouldn’t that be quite difficult
I should have been a little more specific.
Just stay at about the weight you are now. Find a powerlifting federation that has meets near you and choose a weight class close to your current weight. (or just show up, weigh in, and they will tell you what weight class you will be competing.)
Now get strong at those lifts. If you train like a powerlifter your lifts should increase. Now adding some bodybuilding exercises will help with muscle hypertrophy.
As you get into the powerlifting competition, you might want to compete at the top weight of your weight class. That’s okay, but it isn’t time to jump up to the next weight class if you are interested in looking better in the long run.
As you put on muscle (combining powerlifting with bodybuilding) and don’t add weight, you will be cutting without trying to cut. This is exactly what I did.
The better your genetics, the faster this will happen. Just remember. You are pretty strong now, and I am guessing that you will get stronger.
IMO, you don’t have to bulk to get big. You just have to keep putting on muscle. IMO, you don’t need to be fat to add muscle. I pretty much stayed 15% body fat (or much less) the entire time I competed. Anything over 12% body fat is enough of a cushion to be in a metabolic position to add muscle.
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Much appreciated! Basically maintaining current weight getting strong at powerlifting lifts/leaning out with bodybuilding lifts.