Continue cutting or start bulking?

[JayGrxxn]

Pictures are in profile.
Some back ground information. I was 175lbs and bulked up to 230lbs in about 9 months or so. I was just following strength gains and bulked until I couldn't see my junk. I went from 195 to 295 on bench, 275 to 395 on squats, 335 to 450 on sldl, ect.

I ended up cutting longer than I did bulking. I am currently in my 10th month of cutting and am down to 195lbs. My goal weight would be 185lbs, but I am so tired of cutting. Getting down to 185 would mean I would be cutting for a year straight. I originally wanted to see my abs, but that goal seems far away.

Tell me what you all think I should do. Keep cutting, or continue bulking?

[xsquid99]

There are no photos on your profile.

Age? Height?

[JayGrxxn]

I guess the pictures didn't upload fast enough. They are in the progress section. I am 22 years old and 6' tall.

[xsquid99]

Definitely keep cutting, you're over 20% BF. You've witnessed first hand the results of dirty bulking, better to reset now than to add more fat and have to revisit the problem again later.

[JayGrxxn]

Should I cut until I see abs or until my goal weight of 185?

I only expect 185 because I started my bulk at 175lbs lean.

[xsquid99]

If you're currently at 195 like you said then you have a ways to go still, probably another 20 lbs, then you can re-evaluate.

Aim for a calorie deficit that has you losing 1-2 lbs per week and you can be there in another 90 days.

Remember, even if you do everything perfectly the best you can hope for is around 2 lbs per month of muscle gain, so the fact that you put on 55 lbs in 9 months means that even under optimal conditions with good nutrition and strength training programming only 18 lbs or so would be muscle and the rest is fat - but the more likely scenario is you added 40-50 lbs of fat.

[JayGrxxn]

If I stall in my weight loss, do i just decrease calories by another 500? Im eating 2600 calories a day and im stalled at 193. I was 193.6 last week and lost 1/4" on my waist only. I feel that 2600 calories is pretty low for maintenance calories at 190lbs despite working out and doing cardio 5 days a week.

[xsquid99]

If I stall in my weight loss, do i just decrease calories by another 500? Im eating 2600 calories a day and im stalled at 193. I was 193.6 last week and lost 1/4" on my waist only. I feel that 2600 calories is pretty low for maintenance calories at 190lbs despite working out and doing cardio 5 days a week.

2600 is not low. I'm 217 and cutting on 2400, and I work out 6 days a week, its all relative to the person though.

Drop by 300 cals a day if you're not currently losing.

[JayGrxxn]

Would decreasing calories by 100 every week be wise? I'm eating 2300 calories after decreasing from 2500 calories because of stalling, and it seems to have started fat loss again. I think I lost a pound half way through the week but I'll make sure on Monday.

Currently 6ft 190lbs 13% bf, I estimated about 9-10 weeks left to cut down to my goal bodyweight and bodyfat(180lbs 10%bf). I was planning on cutting 100 calories a week and over the course of 9 weeks go from 2300 to 1500 calories a day.

[LuckyAH]

Out of curiosity, what are your lifts on the big three now that you are 190?

[JayGrxxn]

Out of curiosity, what are your lifts on the big three now that you are 190?

Bench went down from 295x3 to 275
Squat went down from 395x3 to 335
Deadlift went from 455 to 405

Lifts suffered a lot. Some of it dropped due to dropping intensity like an idiot, some from cutting for months without a break. Squat and deadlift dropped most of all because I lost leverage I think. My fat stomach and thighs helped me get out of the bottom of the squat. No excuses though, I just got weaker.

[JayGrxxn]

Looking for a response to my question.