About 24% body fat: bulk or cut for female?

[chelle21689]

When I first came to this site I had advice to bulk which was last March. I was only 116 lb at the time (5'2 1/2 34B-27-37). So I slow bulked for three months and diet and everything was going really well until I stopped. Lol, kind of the issue for me is staying motivated and continuing. Anyways I gained 9 lbs and it has now become my maintenance.

This is the heaviest I've ever weighed. I'm not fat or anything and people still seem to consider me small. But I'm afraid of doing a slow bulk and putting on pounds to be 135.

Right now I'm just trying to eat a little under maintenance and continue to workout.

[Brofessor]

Look at the mirror, not the scale, and decide which you think you should do first. If you are dissatisfied with your current BF%, then cut first.

[chelle21689]

Look at the mirror, not the scale, and decide which you think you should do first. If you are dissatisfied with your current BF%, then cut first.

Surprisingly I still fit my close really well for being 9 lbs heavier. I don't like my bf% right now although one day I would like to achieve some bigger legs/booty haha

[Naeem11]

Surprisingly I still fit my close really well for being 9 lbs heavier. I don't like my bf% right now although one day I would like to achieve some bigger legs/booty haha

If you're unhappy with how you look then cut. More often than not most women should bulk. It depends on what you currently want, because in the end you will get to your goal one way or another, so decide on what you prefer now and work on it.

[chelle21689]

All I care about is having some nice abs for summer lol I don't think a short bulking will help me achieve that in such short notice....

[JUSA]

24% for a female is pretty lean already, close to what a male might look at being 13-15%. Sounds like you want to lean down, so you answered your own question.

[chelle21689]

24% for a female is pretty lean already, close to what a male might look at being 13-15%. Sounds like you want to lean down, so you answered your own question.

Lean really? I thought maybe 20% would be lean....I'm just estimating my BF%, I don't know exactly how it is cuz I hear calipers aren't even all that accurate and just to go by mirror

[JUSA]

Lean really? I thought maybe 20% would be lean....I'm just estimating my BF%, I don't know exactly how it is cuz I hear calipers aren't even all that accurate and just to go by mirror

Women have an extra layer of fat, generally speaking you can subtract about 10% from their BF% to get an idea of what a comparable male might look like.

Have you put on weight since your avi, by chance, or do you still look like that?

Anyway, 20% for a woman would be pretty insane, like a guy around 10-12%. 25% for a woman is average, I believe.

[Naeem11]

Women have an extra layer of fat, generally speaking you can subtract about 10% from their BF% to get an idea of what a comparable male might look like.

Have you put on weight since your avi, by chance, or do you still look like that?

Anyway, 20% for a woman would be pretty insane, like a guy around 10-12%. 25% for a woman is average, I believe.

This.

Could be wrong, but I thought women stand on stage at 16-18%? So 20% would be pretty lean.

[chelle21689]

Lean really? I thought maybe 20% would be lean....I'm just estimating my BF%, I don't know exactly how it is cuz I hear calipers aren't even all that accurate and just to go by mirror

I haven't put on weight. But my stomach is not as toned in the picture. I still see the outline of my abs but not the separations of each pack or the line in the middle lol.