ahh don’t flame me and mark me as a troll. I’m just curious when one should cut. I’m at 195 now. Part of me is really tired of living at 19% body fat, the other half says “aim for 210 or 220” so what do you guys think?
What does it matter?
Cut when getting too fat whould be my guess.
With 19% bodyfat you have 158 pounds of lean mass on a 6’1" frame so a traditional cut wouldn’t be a great idea. Instead of an outright cut, drop some carbs from your diet, and add some healthy fat to make up the difference in calories. Keep the weight lifting efforts at a high level, and add some low intensity steady state cardio.
This really depends on what you want.
I was thinking about this very subject this morning. As you are looking for advice I will give you mine.
You say you are tired of being at 19%BF. All right - how long have you been there? Your profile says you are in high school so I am thinking it has been for some time. So instead of thinking “cut or bulk” try to get in shape first.
You have not established a base line of general fitness and body composistion to start from. Too many people on these forums ask about cutting from these large BF percentages and the fact is they have always been too fat.
Get stronger, get faster and get your BF% down to where you can really evaluate what you need if your goal is body transformation.
Please do not take this the wrong way but you do not really have a strong enough base yet to do anything other than waffle around with half assed results.
You need to develop long term sustainible habits so you do not turn around after college and say “shit - I am fat again.”
No flame - and I do not think you are a troll. Good luck
If you are just out of shape, then get in shape. No bodybuilders are ever “out of shape”, even when in the huskier stages of bulking.
However, I would first be wondering how you know you’re at “19% bodyfat”?
Without a picture of your physique we can’t tell if you’re just being a dumbass, or if theres an actual concern.
[quote]mr popular wrote:
If you are just out of shape, then get in shape. No bodybuilders are ever “out of shape”, even when in the huskier stages of bulking.
However, I would first be wondering how you know you’re at “19% bodyfat”?
Without a picture of your physique we can’t tell if you’re just being a dumbass, or if theres an actual concern.[/quote]
I’ll get a picture up as soon as I can, I can guesstimate by looking at the mirror. I have been working out for about 2 years now, I was 15%(about) and 150ish when I started working out.
[quote]RWElder0 wrote:
I was thinking about this very subject this morning. As you are looking for advice I will give you mine.
You say you are tired of being at 19%BF. All right - how long have you been there? Your profile says you are in high school so I am thinking it has been for some time. So instead of thinking “cut or bulk” try to get in shape first.
You have not established a base line of general fitness and body composistion to start from. Too many people on these forums ask about cutting from these large BF percentages and the fact is they have always been too fat.
Get stronger, get faster and get your BF% down to where you can really evaluate what you need if your goal is body transformation.
Please do not take this the wrong way but you do not really have a strong enough base yet to do anything other than waffle around with half assed results.
You need to develop long term sustainible habits so you do not turn around after college and say “shit - I am fat again.”
No flame - and I do not think you are a troll. Good luck
[/quote]
I know 2 years isn’t a lot of experience. well in this so far about 5 month bulking I have kept myself under 20% which was my main goal for it, so I’m not worried about getting fat in college since I was the toothpick never the fat kid.
What are your current lifting stats?
Why do these topics get made? This is a person decision: if you want to get lean set a goal and get to it. If you don’t like your gut make a commitment and do it, who the hell cares what a bunch of anonymous people on the internet think.
Think for yourself, Christ. No one can know what you really want but YOU.
as has been said already - it’s a matter of your comfort level with your bf level. getting bigger while staying lean is very doable, but realize you are limiting growth somewhat if you obsess about body fat levels.
If sacrificing some size for that extra degree of leanness is what you need to do to keep you happy, so be it. Just realize that you may be unpleasantly surprised by the amount of muscle you actually have underneath if you let your bf % rule your choices.
[quote]hexx wrote:
Why do these topics get made? This is a person decision: if you want to get lean set a goal and get to it. If you don’t like your gut make a commitment and do it, who the hell cares what a bunch of anonymous people on the internet think.
Think for yourself, Christ. No one can know what you really want but YOU. [/quote]
well if this were the case this forum for the most part wouldn’t exist. I have 2 options cut now or keep bulking till spring. I come here cause there are people with more experience than me that can help make a smarter decision than I would make by myself.
and yes you are right in the think for yourself part, what I guess is the more generic version of what I’m asking is should a 200lb guy at 20% BF cut or would that be one of those stupid moves?
I will start a rate my physique thread… for those who want to see pics.
It doesn’t have to be so either/or. If you’re gaining too much weight, clean up your diet and add some cardio. The trick to learning your body is to make adjustments as you go and make sure you keep your main goal in mind.
But seeing that you immediately want to start an RMP thread, I’m seeing where this is going. Hope you enjoy being 6’1 at under 200lbs for the rest of your life.
[quote]Majin wrote:
It doesn’t have to be so either/or. If you’re gaining too much weight, clean up your diet and add some cardio. The trick to learning your body is to make adjustments as you go and make sure you keep your main goal in mind.
But seeing that you immediately want to start an RMP thread, I’m seeing where this is going. Hope you enjoy being 6’1 at under 200lbs for the rest of your life.[/quote]
I only started it because someone wanted to see pics.
So someONE wanted to see pics, and you just skipped sending a few PMs and bust open on the untrained attention whore runway? You’re 6’1 under 200, just beginning, there’s nothing you need or have to show.
It’s just comming off as a lame attitude that screams ‘I wanna post pictures’ rather than a mindset directed at approaching training seriously. Because the latter is what yields results.
Cut.
Seriously, do whatever makes you happy. If you feel like lowering your bodyfat then go for it with full force. To many people try too many things at once and end up doing nothing. Again do what makes you happy and go for it with all you got.
why don’t you slowly increase cardio and clean up your diet to lean out. give it 6 months or so and you shouldn’t lose any muscle mass. best of both worlds
[quote]matsm21 wrote:
why don’t you slowly increase cardio and clean up your diet to lean out. give it 6 months or so and you shouldn’t lose any muscle mass. best of both worlds[/quote]
yeah I have thought about this and decided 5 min of cardio every workout day is best.
[quote]Majin wrote:
So someONE wanted to see pics, and you just skipped sending a few PMs and bust open on the untrained attention whore runway? You’re 6’1 under 200, just beginning, there’s nothing you need or have to show.
It’s just comming off as a lame attitude that screams ‘I wanna post pictures’ rather than a mindset directed at approaching training seriously. Because the latter is what yields results.[/quote]
Trust me it isn’t for the ego boost. I gave myself a one. and after looking at myself on camera nearly threw up literally.
don’t get me wrong I have a HUGE ego but that is because of my naturally occurring cocky/funny attitude that gets every girl I meet to like me xD.