When should I begin to cut? Please read

[stewiegriff]

I have been lifting for 4 months went from 152lbs to 172lbs by cut i mean cut back on the carbs and drop fat. How long do you wait if your new to lifting to cut and get all defined and what not should i wait until im 180? I guess im on a bulk right i make a thing of eating alot of protein now that i began lifting but my carb intake has remained the same. Also is there a chance that those 20 pounds could all be fat. I mean i went from a benching 8 sets of 4 with 85 pounds to doing 165 i got stronger at everything maybe just neuronal adaptation?

[Mrpb]

Upload a picture please.

In general, bulking above ~16% tends to be less effective.

[bennmuz]

I have been lifting for 4 months went from 152lbs to 172lbs by cut i mean cut back on the carbs and drop fat. How long do you wait if your new to lifting to cut and get all defined and what not should i wait until im 180? I guess im on a bulk right i make a thing of eating alot of protein now that i began lifting but my carb intake has remained the same. Also is there a chance that those 20 pounds could all be fat. I mean i went from a benching 8 sets of 4 with 85 pounds to doing 165 i got stronger at everything maybe just neuronal adaptation?

Cut when you no longer feel comfortable at your current bodyfat percentage.

It is not a decision for anybody else to make apart from yourself.

[Mrpb]

Cut when you no longer feel comfortable at your current bodyfat percentage.

It is not a decision for anybody else to make apart from yourself.

What if someone is comfortable at 25%, you think bulking is a good idea?

[bennmuz]

What if someone is comfortable at 25%, you think bulking is a good idea?

That totally depends on the end goal. Not everybody gives a toss about visible abs.

The guys question was when to cut, and I think it is a personal choice that cant be made by anybody apart from the person themselves.

[Gls133]

This is completely my personal opinion.

As a non competitor lifter.

Bulk in fall/winter..When you wear plenty of cloths

Cut in the spring...Cause summer is on the way when you wear less cloths

[Mrpb]

That totally depends on the end goal. Not everybody gives a toss about visible abs.

The guys question was when to cut, and I think it is a personal choice that cant be made by anybody apart from the person themselves.

Fyi: there are several good reasons why bulking above ~16% becomes increasingly less productive.

Insulin sensitivity goes down and the p ratio gets worse, meaning you're likely to gain more fat than muscle. Also, all the fat cells you gain will be there to stay. This means you'll gain fat easier in the future.

Having visible abs hasn't necessarily anything to do with it.

[bennmuz]

Fyi: there are several good reasons why bulking above ~16% becomes increasingly less productive.

Insulin sensitivity goes down and the p ratio gets worse, meaning you're likely to gain more fat than muscle. Also, all the fat cells you gain will be there to stay. This means you'll gain fat easier in the future.

Having visible abs hasn't necessarily anything to do with it.

My visible abs reference was meant as in not everybody cares about there BF%, therefore could care less about bulking above 16%.

Thanks for the lesson, but I stand by my statement of cutting when you are not happy with your BF%.

If somebody is 240lbs and 17% bf, they shouldn't bulk?

[Mrpb]

If somebody is 240lbs and 17% bf, they shouldn't bulk?

At 17% one could decide to push it a little further and see if one can gain muscle to fat at a good rate.

But is it optimal? Probably not. The hormonal environment at lower body fat is more suitable for gaining muscle. For an in depth explanation see this article: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/mus...-changes.html/