Should I cut?

[bridgetrw]

Hi everyone!
So I'm 5 ft 9in, 17yr female, 150 lbs. I go to the gym and weight train 4x a week and I do competitive dance 2x a week. I am currently "bulking" but I'm just trying to gain muscle while in a caloric surplus. I've noticed that I've gained a lot of weight (10lbs) within 4 months which just seems like a lot, and I'm holding it all in my mid section (yay) when I want it to go to legs (but I know you can't do that other than by lifting weights 😂). Anyways, I feel like I should start "cutting" and go in a caloric deficit as I'm having a lot of trouble coping with the weight gain in my midsection. I know that you are going to gain weight and fat during a bulk but it just looks like it's too much. I used the body fat percent calculator on here and it said I had 26%!!! Before the start of my bulk it was 20% and this just seems very excessive. Let me know your thoughts or other information you need to know!
Thank you!!

[LunaLifts]

The bf% on here isn't accurate, measurements are a piss poor way of determining body fat. It's not important to know exactly what it is anyway, the mirror will show you the changes in muscle, and fat. Most at home methods of testing are moderately to very off.

10lbs in 4 months is a little higher than it needs to be, 1-2lbs/month is the best way to keep fat gains to a minimum. You can't determine where weight goes by lifting either, you can focus your workout around certain muscle groups, but fat will still go where ever your tends to body store it. It'll come off when you cut anyway.

Ideally you want to bulk for at least six moths, since gaining muscle is a slow process,ad some is lost in cutting. You could bring down your surplus, and try to push through a bit longer. A lot of people get to the 3-4 month point, and get hesitant, and given that you only gained about 2lbs more than you would have in a more moderate surplus I don't think you've gained so much extra that you'd need to cut now. Learning to tolerate being uncomfortable is important, because it'll just happen next time.

[alice899]

Why are you in a rush to lose weight? Everything looks ok. Enjoy your healthy body!

[brolagani]

the ideal weight gain on a bulk is 0.5lbs a weeek, or roughly 250cals excess
For guys, the rule is bulk until 15% bf, cut, rinse, repeat... I'm not sure how it is for girls so I'd put the limit at about 24-25%
You didn't post a pic so there's no way for us to make a judgement. But the optimal cutting rate is 1% of total bodyweight a week.

Anyways what the **** do I now you probably have more muscle than me....srs