Question

[Timmy82]

Hi all,

I have a question about working out. I don't know if this is the right place to put the thread so please don't shoot me if it's not...

I see a lot of guys here are talking about bulking and then cutting.

My question: Can someone please explain to me what it actually means 'bulking and cutting'? Do you work out, eat like hell and take supplements to increase weight (=bulking) and then work out, eat only the things you need to get strong and stop taking supplements (=cutting)?

So can someone please explain the bulking and cutting program to me?

Thanks a bunch in advance!

Greetz!

[LoveCoates]

It's too much to explain, but it's been written about and written about, so you have a wealth of information here on this site. Use bodybuilding.com's search engine on the part of site with all the articles.

Click here: To generalize, bulking involves eating more calories and lifting heavy in order to gain weight, particularly lean muscle mass. Cutting involves eating less calories and increasing cardiovascular exercise in order to lose excess fat.

Happy reading and researching!

[Timmy82]

Thank you very much for the link you sent Lovecoates...

I don't understand completely but I get the point about bulking and cutting now.

I however can't even begin to work out a personal diet since I'm a vegetarian and will probably have to have a special diet. So I'm gonna ask my trainer over at the gym what we can do to get a good diet and work out schedule.

Thanks again!

[RipStone]

Check out this thread.

[Timmy82]

Thank you for the thread Ripstone...

However I'm now more confused about bulking and cutting and the question if I should or shouldn't do it.

I'm now lifting since september last year and in my opinion I'm doing fine.

My weight went from about 69kg to 76kg (don't know the lbs sorry) and a loss of 7% bodyfat (from 19% to 12%). I'm sure the bulking consists of lean muscle then.

Accordingly to the thread you suggested I'm doing a 'recomp' without knowing it. I'm a vegetarian so I eat a lot of veggies and very little 'bad' foods. Maybe this is the best way to a healthy body I don't know. And further more I eat 2 (I know I don't eat breakfast but just haven't got the time to do so) times a day and I rarely eat snacks (like chocolate bars and/or potato chips).

I started to take supplements (weight gainer and creatine) a few weeks ago and I can see something change for the better. I can lift more and I can upgrade the weight more faster without adding bodyfat (I think so because when I look in the mirror, my stomach isn't getting bigger).

So I think I'm doing a good job.

Anyway, every comment is welcome and thanks in advance for the people who do!

Greetz!

[VenomXL]

Originally Posted by Timmy82

Hi all,

I have a question about working out. I don't know if this is the right place to put the thread so please don't shoot me if it's not...

I see a lot of guys here are talking about bulking and then cutting.

My question: Can someone please explain to me what it actually means 'bulking and cutting'? Do you work out, eat like hell and take supplements to increase weight (=bulking) and then work out, eat only the things you need to get strong and stop taking supplements (=cutting)?

So can someone please explain the bulking and cutting program to me?

Thanks a bunch in advance!

Greetz!

Basically bulking it is eating above your caloric maintenance level to gain muscle. Cutting is eating below your caloric maintenance level to lose fat while maintaining muscle. Caloric maintenance is the caloric level in which you are neither gaining nor losing weight.

As for which one you should be doing, if you want to gain muscle you should be bulking and vice versa.