Should I continue in cut? How many % of BF am I?

What is your fitness objective? It sounds like you want to build more mass and strength. Can you accomplish that eating at maintenance? Your body needs carbs, fats, and protein to have the energy to grow bigger muscles. You need to fuel your body to reach the objective you want. Maintenance before will just delay the result you want. As long as you know what your maintenance macros and calories are, you can progress to bulking just fine. Do it for a while too, given that you were already feeling weak, it may take your body longer to recover from what sounds like malnutrition.

Well, beneath that hair, there are abs, and possibly veins - like the ones in your delts.

Get a shave and some sun, possibly consult a therapist regarding body dysmorphia. I do not say that maliciously or lightly, it is a serious concern.

I think the 7% is as good an estimate as any, and that is difficult to maintain. It might be time for you to take a step back and switch up your goals and program. Unless you are planning to compete soon, continuing your current regimen in an effort to get leaner may have serious health consequences.

EDIT to add - you should consider a clean bulk with compound lifts.

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Looking very solid IMO, especially for mid 40s with a new kid! It seems like staying lean is a priority to you, but you don’t want to feel like shit. I would advise against “bulking.” There’s no reason to overeat and add back fat quickly that you worked so hard to cut. And keep in mind if you’ve been cutting awhile, your maintenance calories have dropped so if you just add 200+ calories tomorrow you’ll likely spike your weight and probably wont be too thrilled. I always go for a much more gradual approach where I reverse very slowly, only adding like 25-50 cals daily per week.

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Being in the yo-yo dieting lifestyle is bad enough, but you @makovickapetr don’t need to intentionally yo-yo.

For some unknown reason to me, many need to be either “bulking” or “cutting.” They just need to see that scale move, or they don’t feel like they are trying. They seem to immediately respond to a plateau, when sometimes you just need to be persistent and work through the plateau. Many times a training strategy change is the best cure for a plateau, not moving the scale.

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I was thinking this exact same thing dude.

OP you don’t have to actually shave, but use a trimmer with a 0 guard and it’ll look the same.

People think i shave my chest… i trim it.

Dont use the 0 guard on your jeuvos. Dont ask me how I know.

No, straight to bulking. Your body is primed to utilize nutrients to their max benefit right now.

Do a modest bulk. ~300cal surplus, entirely carbs if you can.

This is the single most important piece of advice ever posted on this site.

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I think these are all important points. There are some on these boards that see fantastic results by alternating diet/calorie approaches and pair it with appropriate training protocols, and it can work great. But for many, a “temporary bulk” becomes a lifetime of extra fat. You really have to know yourself and your own goals. As someone older than most on these boards, I am not willing to bulk to add more mass that may or may not come off. Because it certainly won’t add to the quality of my life and overall health.

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To clarify, my use of the term “clean bulk” was not very specific. I do think eating in a slight caloric surplus would be beneficial in terms of health, energy, and adding some needed mass.

Arms and shoulders look good - but some more mass in your pecs and back would help.

Are you enhanced? I ask because of the delt development.

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I was thinking likewise. That is disproportionate size of delts relative to other muscle development.

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I didn’t want to ask, but the vascularity made me wonder.

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Awww man, exactly what I just advised against :rofl:

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I don’t like the term “bulk” if for no other reason is that so many people are talking either “bulk” or “cut.”

IMO, a “clean bulk” is what everyone should be doing that are not “cutting.” In other words, if I am not “cutting” then that means I am on a “clean bulk.” When you are growing muscle it seems counterintuitive to “maintain.” So, I’m in the gym just to hold my own. Never! (for everyone less than 50 years old.)

Now it 75 years of age, it would be wonderful just to maintain. Sarcopenia is a bitch you don’t want to ever have to deal with.

A dirty bulk is just being sick of dieting. And it should never last more than a week.

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the less you weigh the less sleep you require to function. that explains your lack of sleep.

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Bulk, dirty bulk, clean bulk, reverse diet - all have subtle nuances that don’t translate well.

Bottom line, it’s time for the OP to eat above maintenance enough to add LBM.

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You’ve got more experience than i do in this department.

I’m speaking on the advice i hear from a lot of other big dudes who bulk and cut (usually for shows).
you probably know all this
The point is to capitalize on the elevated nutrient absorption rate when ending a cut. Same benefit is there for minicuts… everyone thinks they are just to get a bit more lean, but they’re really intended to be placed during a bulk to take advantage of that nutrient rebound.

Id have to refresh my memory on Be Your Own BodyBuilding Coach, but i believe he alluded to 2 trains of thought for post-competition rebound, neither of which were inherently right or wrong. It’s like 500 pages long so i don’t remember it all that well.

I’ve been mulling this over and want to hear more of your thoughts, but it makes sense.

The difference here is that a competitive bodybuilder is not going to “bulk” himself past a point that he cannot easily get back into contest shape. They are a different beast than the every day guy trying to “bulk” on some muscle.

Sure. Your body will respond to the vast increase in nutrients after being in starvation mode.

I am not aware of this, but I never did a mini cut. I don’t know when I would have inserted one of these, doing three contests a year, during two different cut cycles.

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I’m advising a 300cal daily surplus :slightly_smiling_face:

I dont believe this small of a surplus will amount to any significant bodyfat, but it is possible.

I find it harder to train when i know I’m not adding muscle. Id want more muscle if i were OP.

After looking back over this thread, @makovickapetr never mentioned his current macros that I can find. A mere 300 calorie increase seems too vague for what looks like a novice.

He definitely looks protein starved in the pics. I have no confidence that OP has much bodybuilding nutritional knowledge.