Bulk or Cut....?

[UHGH]

Its taken alot of time for me to post this as im not comfortable with the way i look and this is one of the main reasons i have started weight training.
Starting off with some background, i am 18, 5ft9 and i weigh 172lbs. All the way through school i was the short fat kid in class but as ive grown taller i dont look 'as fat' as i used to be when wearing clothes. However, i still know that underneath i am still that same chubby kid. I have been to the doctors to ask if gyno could be a possibilty of my excessive chest fat but after a quick check up i was told there is no breast tissue in my chest.
Now to the issue at hand. I have started fierce 5 and i am currently eating at maintenance which has been a relative success. Yet, i am now in a situation where i am going to start counting calories but i don't know if i should aim to put on muscle at this stage or to lose this fat first. All advice is much appreciated.
Current pics - imgur. com/a/1hr7K

[ArchangelEST]

You could go either way.

Usually I'd recommend folks to focus on building some muscle for the first few months otherwise there's really nothing to show underneath all the fat. However, in your case I can totally see how starting with a couple of months of fat loss focus wouldn't be a bad idea either. Get those man boobs smaller and that waistline a bit tighter and then move on to building some solid muscle.

So it's up to you. It's always up to you. There's really no massive benefit from starting with one approach over the other. As a beginner you'll also be able to enjoy some muscle gain even as you burn fat, or some fat loss as you build muscle. Which makes the choice even less of a head scratcher.

So ask yourself. Would you rather get a bit more beefy so that there's some muscle to give shape to your body and extra strength to make you feel tougher? Or would you prefer to obtain a more "normal", skinnier body first and move on to beefiness later?

Ultimately, the end goal - a lean, muscular body (I assume) - is roughly the same distance away regardless.

[UHGH]

You could go either way.

Usually I'd recommend folks to focus on building some muscle for the first few months otherwise there's really nothing to show underneath all the fat. However, in your case I can totally see how starting with a couple of months of fat loss focus wouldn't be a bad idea either. Get those man boobs smaller and that waistline a bit tighter and then move on to building some solid muscle.

So it's up to you. It's always up to you. There's really no massive benefit from starting with one approach over the other. As a beginner you'll also be able to enjoy some muscle gain even as you burn fat, or some fat loss as you build muscle. Which makes the choice even less of a head scratcher.

So ask yourself. Would you rather get a bit more beefy so that there's some muscle to give shape to your body and extra strength to make you feel tougher? Or would you prefer to obtain a more "normal", skinnier body first and move on to beefiness later?

Ultimately, the end goal - a lean, muscular body (I assume) - is roughly the same distance away regardless.

Thank you ever so much for such a detailed reply. I am moving off to a boarding school in 1 year so i wont have access to gym. Therefore i have felt that not having this excess fat would do me a world of good and in turn i couldn't care less about muscle as of right now because i know that i wont have access to a gym. however, if i commit to getting stronger i know i will also increase in bodyfat which i am very much comfortable with but less so knowing that i will have no gym access. Its a very strange situation to be in but i am obviously looking to get back into the gym after i finish boarding school which is another 3 years away.

[ArchangelEST]

Thank you ever so much for such a detailed reply. I am moving off to a boarding school in 1 year so i wont have access to gym. Therefore i have felt that not having this excess fat would do me a world of good and in turn i couldn't care less about muscle as of right now because i know that i wont have access to a gym. however, if i commit to getting stronger i know i will also increase in bodyfat which i am very much comfortable with but less so knowing that i will have no gym access. Its a very strange situation to be in but i am obviously looking to get back into the gym after i finish boarding school which is another 3 years away.

Nothing is stopping you from doing bodyweight training. And in fact I highly recommend you do just that when regular gym isn't available. For a beginner, doing things like push ups, squats (one legged even), lunges, pull ups (you can find a pull up bar at any playground or a tree branch and whatnot) and such is plenty to get and stay in shape. Very impressive physiques have been built using nothing but bodyweight exercises. You can get a ton of ideas about different exercises from youtube. You'd be surprised at how many ways there are to train your body even outside of the gym.

[UHGH]

Nothing is stopping you from doing bodyweight training. And in fact I highly recommend you do just that when regular gym isn't available. For a beginner, doing things like push ups, squats (one legged even), lunges, pull ups (you can find a pull up bar at any playground or a tree branch and whatnot) and such is plenty to get and stay in shape. Very impressive physiques have been built using nothing but bodyweight exercises. You can get a ton of ideas about different exercises from youtube. You'd be surprised at how many ways there are to train your body even outside of the gym.

I have definitely been looking into bodyweight exercises and will be researching routines etc. nearer the time of me moving away. Once again, thank you for your advice.

[andredias966]

You could go either way.

Usually I'd recommend folks to focus on building some muscle for the first few months otherwise there's really nothing to show underneath all the fat. However, in your case I can totally see how starting with a couple of months of fat loss focus wouldn't be a bad idea either. Get those man boobs smaller and that waistline a bit tighter and then move on to building some solid muscle.

So it's up to you. It's always up to you. There's really no massive benefit from starting with one approach over the other. As a beginner you'll also be able to enjoy some muscle gain even as you burn fat, or some fat loss as you build muscle. Which makes the choice even less of a head scratcher.

So ask yourself. Would you rather get a bit more beefy so that there's some muscle to give shape to your body and extra strength to make you feel tougher? Or would you prefer to obtain a more "normal", skinnier body first and move on to beefiness later?

Ultimately, the end goal - a lean, muscular body (I assume) - is roughly the same distance away regardless.

Hey, first of all sorry OP to get into your post, but I really don't know how else to contact this guy and he sounds like he knows what he is talking about.
Anyway, Hi @ArchangelEST I'm currently 19 around 170lbs, 6'0 and I really need help. I don't know if I should keep cutting or just start bulking slowly. My goal is to reach a 6-pack asap.
I'll post a few photos of myself and hopefully you can help me with both macros I would need and say if I should bulk or cut. Anyway I have a pretty active job but only work 3 times a week, and go to the gym 3 days a week aswell (Not on the days I have to work)

[unplugged]

You could go either way.

Usually I'd recommend folks to focus on building some muscle for the first few months otherwise there's really nothing to show underneath all the fat. However, in your case I can totally see how starting with a couple of months of fat loss focus wouldn't be a bad idea either. Get those man boobs smaller and that waistline a bit tighter and then move on to building some solid muscle.

So it's up to you. It's always up to you. There's really no massive benefit from starting with one approach over the other. As a beginner you'll also be able to enjoy some muscle gain even as you burn fat, or some fat loss as you build muscle. Which makes the choice even less of a head scratcher.

So ask yourself. Would you rather get a bit more beefy so that there's some muscle to give shape to your body and extra strength to make you feel tougher? Or would you prefer to obtain a more "normal", skinnier body first and move on to beefiness later?

Ultimately, the end goal - a lean, muscular body (I assume) - is roughly the same distance away regardless.

I would say a cut would be a better option for him to start seeing as how he has considerable fat. As he is a beginner, he should also be able to add some lbm in a deficit temporarily as well as long as he adheres to sound and intense training principles of compounds. To the poster above me, I would recommend starting your own thread as first it's not polite to hijack someone elses and second you would get more responses.

[Mrpb]

Its taken alot of time for me to post this as im not comfortable with the way i look and this is one of the main reasons i have started weight training.
Starting off with some background, i am 18, 5ft9 and i weigh 172lbs. All the way through school i was the short fat kid in class but as ive grown taller i dont look 'as fat' as i used to be when wearing clothes. However, i still know that underneath i am still that same chubby kid. I have been to the doctors to ask if gyno could be a possibilty of my excessive chest fat but after a quick check up i was told there is no breast tissue in my chest.
Now to the issue at hand. I have started fierce 5 and i am currently eating at maintenance which has been a relative success. Yet, i am now in a situation where i am going to start counting calories but i don't know if i should aim to put on muscle at this stage or to lose this fat first. All advice is much appreciated.
Current pics - imgur. com/a/1hr7K

Cut. No question.

Lose ~1 pound per week while making progress on a good program like Fierce 5 Novice routine.

As a beginner with high body fat you're an excellent candidate for gaining muscle while you lose fat.

Hey, first of all sorry OP to get into your post, but I really don't know how else to contact this guy and he sounds like he knows what he is talking about.
Anyway, Hi @ArchangelEST I'm currently 19 around 170lbs, 6'0 and I really need help. I don't know if I should keep cutting or just start bulking slowly. My goal is to reach a 6-pack asap.
I'll post a few photos of myself and hopefully you can help me with both macros I would need and say if I should bulk or cut. Anyway I have a pretty active job but only work 3 times a week, and go to the gym 3 days a week aswell (Not on the days I have to work)

You need to slow bulk in order to build muscle first. Gain ~1-2 pounds per month. You're not in a position to bulk faster, if you do you'll get too fat too soon.

Follow a good lifting program like Fierce 5 Novice routine.

If you bulk at ~1-2 pounds per month you should be able to stay at the same body fat.