Cut or bulk?

[jasonlawson94]

So I've just started going the gym again, I've been on and off for the most of my adult life, I'm 25 now.

I feel like I've never had any real direction which leads to me quitting and bailing the gym again.

My ideal body is the classic Spartan look (like every one else) but I don't know if I should cut my body fat or bulk for size first.

I'm 6ft2 and weigh 12st 4lbs. I'm the classic fat skinny guy.

Any advice possible would be very appreciated

[hardyboysare]

So I've just started going the gym again, I've been on and off for the most of my adult life, I'm 25 now.

I feel like I've never had any real direction which leads to me quitting and bailing the gym again.

My ideal body is the classic Spartan look (like every one else) but I don't know if I should cut my body fat or bulk for size first.

I'm 6ft2 and weigh 12st 4lbs. I'm the classic fat skinny guy.

Any advice possible would be very appreciated

Post a pic for more advice.

I would guess building more muscle as I am 6ft 2 and you are lighter then me and when I cut down and I feel quite small and thin when I cut down.

[TheWokeOne]

Do neither, just eat lots of protein, vegetables, fruits and grains. Get enough calories to maintain your weight, and focus on your core lifts. Do a program like starting strength or 5/3/1. You're likely not strong enough to cut or bulk, so just focus on your sleep and diet. work hard at the gym and in 5 or so years you'll be huge.

[hardyboysare]

Do neither, just eat lots of protein, vegetables, fruits and grains. Get enough calories to maintain your weight, and focus on your core lifts. Do a program like starting strength or 5/3/1. You're likely not strong enough to cut or bulk, so just focus on your sleep and diet. work hard at the gym and in 5 or so years you'll be huge.

This can work but is very slow progress I would rather judge by images before suggesting a recomp/ maintenance style workout. Not to mention if he wishes to gain muscle weight he will need to bulk.

[grubman]

Not to mention if he wishes to gain muscle weight he will need to bulk.

Yep...if OP is getting serious (going to hit the gym with real dedication, consistancy, and effort), the first 6 months is the best time to eat in a reasonable surplus, as he stands to make the quickest gains during this time. Chances are, there will be some recomp anyway, and as the muscles grow that little bit of fat he’s talking about will most likely be reduced in the process.

EDIT: just to clarify, OP...”bulking” doesn’t mean eating everything in site...it means calculating your TDEE, eating 300-500 extra calories a day, accurately counting your macros and calories ALWAYS , and eating generally healthy choices for the better percentage of your diet.

[CommitmentRulz]

Post acouple of pics. 6' 2" 172 pounds sounds awfully light. My guess is you need to add significant muscle.

[TheWokeOne]

This can work but is very slow progress I would rather judge by images before suggesting a recomp/ maintenance style workout. Not to mention if he wishes to gain muscle weight he will need to bulk.

true but it's guaranteed to work.

[TheUnderdog83]

true but it's guaranteed to work.

Eating at maintenance can never guarantee someone will get “huge”

[hardyboysare]

true but it's guaranteed to work.

Only if you are willing to spend months if not years seeing little progress either way. I am never against this form of training and it works as science has shown however we as humans want to see results now and it has been suggested that overeating does cause more muscle (no science has fully supported it just cause and relation stuff). However if you want to go from 170lbs to 180lbs with more muscle you will need to eat more.

A second note on maintenance style training is that people just don't stick to it long enough, drop outs for fat loss is massive and that is the quickest body composition possible, muscle building is even higher as it takes months to notice anything. Then maintenance training god that is years to look different after the beginner stage passes by so the drop out rate must be even higher.

But I do take that the most important thing you can do is weight training and progress on your lifts no matter if its in calorie surplus, deficit or maintenance, although I think most agree lean bulking for muscle building and moderate deficit for cutting is the best way to see results.