Eating and Fitness Approaches: Deciding Between Bulking and Cutting

In the bodybuilding realm, you'll encounter many brands, principles, and products aimed at assisting you in attaining your objectives. However, the cutting and bulking strategy is an essential part of bodybuilding that cannot be purchased or bargained for online.

This approach involves deliberately adjusting your exercise habits, diet, and other lifestyle aspects to gain muscle and lose fat during separate periods in your sport or day-to-day life, according to Jake Harcoff, MSc, a certified strength and conditioning coach and owner of AIM Athletic. The standard practice for bodybuilders is to start bulking during their off-season, targeting maximal muscle and strength gain. As a competition approaches, they switch to a cutting stage to eliminate any extra body fat while preserving the newfound muscle gains.

It's critical to note that the cutting and bulking technique isn't exclusive to bodybuilders; it can benefit other people as well, says Harcoff. It can be adapted for other fitness goals, such as building strength, improving sports performance, or gaining muscle. For instance, rugby or football players may start a bulking phase before the season to enhance their tackling ability, while skiers, runners, or climbers could initiate a cutting phase to boost agility.

This article is relevant whether you're a bodybuilder, an individual with specific aesthetic or fitness ambitions, or someone who stumbled upon a #FitTok thread. Read on for a summary of the cutting vs. bulking concept.

Essentially, cutting is a particular type of weight loss practiced in bodybuilding. During a cut, the aim is not just to lose weight but specifically to lose body fat, according to Jim White, CPT, RD, a registered dietitian, exercise physiologist, and owner of Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios. The objective is to decrease overall body fat while retaining or perhaps increasing muscle mass.

A successful cut will result in a significantly lower fat percentage than before, with strength levels being maintained or improved. In combination, these outcomes can help individuals reach their specific goals. For bodybuilders, a cut is key in crafting the "cut up" appearance favoured in competitions. However, its complexity and the health implications warrant a discussion with a healthcare provider before attempting it.

Effectively cutting necessitates changes in your dietary habits and workout routine. Here are the five key steps to a successful cut.

During a cut, it's essential to cut overall calorie intake while maintaining high protein consumption, Harcoff says. The calories consumed should be less than your daily calorie burn. The required caloric deficit will depend on various factors, such as body composition, current exercise regimen, age, and other health aspects. However, it shouldn't be too large, or it may lead to muscle loss, nutritional deficiencies, menstrual issues, or other health problems. The International Sports Science Association suggests a 10% to 20% calorie decrease below the amount needed for weight maintenance during a cut.

Bodybuilding individuals typically aim for a daily calorie deficit of 300 to 500 during a cut, Harcoff notes. Monitor your intake and watch for drastic mood changes, new sleep disruptions, or decreased gym performance as signs that your calorie deficit might be too large.

Not just the total calorie intake, but also its source matters, says Harcoff. Because fats are more calorie-dense as a macronutrient compared to protein and carbs, those on a cut usually favor a macronutrient profile heavy on protein and carbs but low on fat. This ratio can vary based on numerous factors, including the duration of the cut, individual metabolic responses to fats among others. Yet, research in the Journal of Sports Medicine suggests bodybuilders generally aim for a macronutrient mix of around 55% to 60% carbohydrates, 25% to 30% protein, and 15% to 20% fat.

A thriving cut hinges on consuming sufficient protein, states Jenna Stangland, MS, RDN, CCSD, co-founder of A4 Health and dietitian for the Minnesota Wild. She equates the body's calorie consumption for energy to fuel usage in a Jeep. When energy (calorie) intake is reduced, the body seeks alternative sources.

It's important to maintain muscle mass and reduce body fat simultaneously during the cut phase. To do this, one must ensure that the body relies more on stored fat than muscle. A diet rich in protein aids this process, says White.

White elaborates that proteins are made of compounds called amino acids, which are basic building blocks of muscles. Consuming sufficient protein during a cut ensures immediate replenishment of any amino acids used for fuel.

To preserve muscle mass during a cut, Stangland suggests an intake of at least 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of individual body weight. For a 150-pound person, this equates to 105+ grams of protein daily.

A study from the journal Nutrients suggests it's safe, and even beneficial, to consume up to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram, or 1 gram per pound, of body weight. Therefore, a 150-pound bodybuilder should intake 150 grams of protein daily.

Maintaining a log of food consumption, body measurements, and workout details is crucial to managers, Harcoff says. It's advisable to use fitness and nutrition tracking apps or keep a fitness journal for this purpose. For those involved in cut and bulk phases, consulting a sports dietician could be beneficial.

Harcoff clarifies that there's no universal solution for calorie intake and exercise regimes during a cut. Adjustments may be required based on factors like body composition, fitness experience and personal goals. Professional guidance may be advantageous, especially if sleep, mood or recovery are negatively impacted due to the cut.

Bulking refers to the process of consuming additional calories to stimulate muscle growth or hypertrophy, says Harcoff. He further explains that "bulking season" is a designated period for maximizing muscle growth. While a cut typically follows a bulk, they don't necessarily have to be paired.

Stangland mentions that some people may go through these phases to achieve a specific weight or body composition for pre-season preparedness. Bulking and cutting, however, require consistent exercise and strict dietary regulation, which may not be viable or healthy for everyone, particularly those with a history of eating disorders.

Like cutting, bulking also necessitates changes in exercise regimes and nutritional habits. Here are five important things to consider for successful bulking. White asserts that bulking essentially involves consuming additional calories, providing the body with the energy needed to repair and build muscle.

For gaining muscle mass, sufficient caloric intake is fundamental. Insufficient calories might cause the body to break down existing muscles for energy, instead of using the surplus energy. This is counterproductive for someone who wants to maintain their gains.

The amount of calorie surplus required for bulking varies depending on factors such as your exercise routine, current body composition, and the duration of your bulking phase. Typically, bulking requires consuming 200 to 500 more calories per day than what you burn, according to White.

Protein intake is vital for repairing and building muscle tissue. It facilitates muscle protein synthesis, which is responsible for muscle growth, explains White. Muscle growth occurs when muscle protein synthesis exceeds muscle protein breakdown.

White recommends consuming at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight for those undergoing bulking. He suggests consuming low saturated fat, high protein animal sources such as turkey, chicken, pork, shrimp, trout, and bison.

Animal protein sources are highly digestible and contain all essential amino acids, making them excellent for muscle repair and rebuilding. White explains.

If meeting your protein intake is a challenge, consider supplementing with whey protein powder, suggests Harcoff.

Bulking, like a marathon, requires a slow and steady approach, says Whitle. To maximize muscle gain and minimize body fat, he suggests aiming for a weight gain of approximately 0.5 to 1.0 pounds per week.

By monitoring your body weight and body fat percentage weekly, you can make minor adjustments to your diet and macronutrient breakdown if you notice unnecessary fat accumulation, muscle loss, or weight stagnation, says White.

Bulking, like a marathon, eventually must end. It can last from 16 to 52 weeks, says White. If a cutting phase follows your bulking phase, especially if you are preparing for a bodybuilding competition, you need to schedule ample time for both phases.

The duration spent in each phase wholly depends on factors like your current body composition, the specific competition, fitness level and how easily you gain and lose weight. Generally, individuals spend two to three times as long bulking as they do cutting.

If your aim is strength gain, you need to keep increasing your lifting weight. White explains that as your body adapts to the increased workload, you'll need to keep increasing the lifting weight to ensure continuous physiological adaptation, thus facilitating muscle strength and hypertrophy gains.

During a bulk, your primary goal is muscle gain, says Harcoff. He suggests progressively challenging your muscles for optimum muscle growth and strength. To achieve this, he recommends getting a tailored training program from a fitness coach.

Bulking and cutting are highly effective strategies for achieving significant muscle and strength gains and reducing body fat, respectively. But, they both require great attention to sports and nutrition details. It's important to note that they are not suitable for everyone due to their demanding nature.

There are other strategies for bodybuilding that don't involve bulking or cutting, you can still achieve strength gains and increase leanness.

In order to find out if bulking and cutting are right for you, talk to a healthcare provider as well as a fitness professional about your particular health, fitness, and sports goals. Because both cutting and bulking come with some pretty mighty potential downsides, it’s worth chatting to an expert before editing your eating and fitness habits to either.