Bulking vs cutting

If you are a lifter you probably have once in your life heard of the terms bulking and cutting. Both terms have something to do with the period and season of nutrition. Chances are you have a rough idea about what they mean but that you can’t give a clear definition. In this blogpost we will take a look at the comparison between bulking and cutting. After reading this article you will know whether to bulk or to cut!

What is bulking?

Bulking is the period in which you are gaining weight. Why would you want to gain weight? You can’t build any muscle without a caloric surplus. The body needs all the energy it can get its hands on for building muscle. This means that in this period you will have to eat more than that you burn. You can do this by upping your protein and carbs, the carbs will give you that fuller look. However, note that you will always get some fat on you during the bulk, there is no way around this. So, can see this as a necessary part of the process.

But what is cutting?

Right, but what is cutting then exactly? Cutting is the period in which you try to lose all the unwanted fat that you put on during your bulk. By shredding all this excess fat, you can get the muscles to appear. People who are cut often are very lean, you can see this in the face and in the vascularity on the body. Cutting is normally done during the summer, since this is the time of the year that you will be spending without a shirt on. This goes the same for bulking, you do this during the winter because you can wear sweaters to hide your little fluff belly.

Can you skip bulking and cutting?

For beginners it is possible to get around bulking and cutting, they can gain muscle in the beginning without worrying too much about carbs, fats and protein. But for the person who has been lifting for quite a while there is no way you can get around the bulking and cutting cycles. These have to be done to maximize the amount of muscle you can build in a natural way. It doesn’t have to be the strictest diet you ever had, but you can always make sure that one period of the year you are gaining muscle and the other part of the year you are losing fat. After a few cycles you will look amazing.

Should you bulk or cut first?

For the average person who doesn’t spend a lot of time in the gym it is often best to start with a bulk. This is because you won’t really get fat in the beginning. By starting with a bulk, you will have some muscle on you, when you get to fat for your liking you can slowly start to lower your food intake to start your cut. Always keep in mind, during the cut it is extremely important to take as many proteins as possible to preserve muscle mass. You don’t want to lose all that hard-earned muscle, right? With 2 grams per kilogram of mass you will be safe enough!