Should I continue to cut or start bulking?

[beq1991]

I’m 6’2 and weigh 195 lb. I’ve been cutting for about a month and a half, eating at a deficit of 500 calories, and have lost 7 or 8 lb. I would love to start bulking again, but have love handles that I’m trying to get rid of. The fat around my back is the only reason why I haven’t started bulking again.

Pic: https://i.imgur.com/5Xw08fY.jpg

[Heisman2]

Kind of hard to tell without a pic from the front but if you have love handles and want to get rid of them you need to keep cutting.

[beq1991]

My profile picture is a recent picture from the front.

[Vandeman17]

unless a person is decently overweight or already has a good amount of muscle, I generally always lean towards at least maintenance or very slow bulk. I feel like too many people are too quick to cut to get rid of fat and lose quality time to be adding muscle, even if it comes at the expense of adding a small amount more fat.

[Anthony21]

Try cutting for another month and see where you're at at that point.

[AdamWW]

Sir, haven't you posted this kind of thread topic before? https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=177288651

[Heisman2]

My profile picture is a recent picture from the front.

Oh, I don't see love handles then. You could bulk if you wanted to.

[beq1991]

Oh, I don't see love handles then. You could bulk if you wanted to.

I was looking at my back. For some reason it doesn't look like I have a lot of fat from the front, but I see fat around my lower back. I was trying to get tighter around that area.

[Heisman2]

I was looking at my back. For some reason it doesn't look like I have a lot of fat from the front, but I see fat around my lower back. I was trying to get tighter around that area.

A lot of people store more fat in their lower back.

It's up to you. If you want to lose that fat you need to cut. If you want to bulk for a long time and then cut when you have more muscle that is fine.

[AdamWW]

OP... I think you need to start listening to the advice in this thread the others you've posted in the last 3 weeks asking the same thing over and over.

Make whatever decision makes YOU happy..

[CommitmentRulz]

OP, I'm not trying to be mean. What workout are you following? Your upper body is not very wide - I think that adds to the illusion of large (what you feel like are) love handles.

Specifically, what is your (upper) back workout?

[beq1991]

OP, I'm not trying to be mean. What workout are you following? Your upper body is not very wide - I think that adds to the illusion of large (what you feel like are) love handles.

Specifically, what is your (upper) back workout?

I've been following the Fierce 5 Upper/Lower routine.

Basically, the upper days look like this:

Upper A:
Bench 3x5
Incline Bench 3x8
Lat Pulldowns 3x8 (any grip)
Bent Over Rows 3x8
Curls 3x10/Reverse Flies 3x12 Superset

Upper B:
OHP 3x5
Flies 3x10
Pullups 3x8
Pendlay Rows 3x8
Face Pulls 3x12/Tricep pressdowns 3x10 Superset

[beq1991]

OP, I'm not trying to be mean. What workout are you following? Your upper body is not very wide - I think that adds to the illusion of large (what you feel like are) love handles.

Specifically, what is your (upper) back workout?

My upper body may not be very wide, but wouldn’t the best approach be to cut the fat in my lower back area first before adding muscle mass? I don’t see how a wide back could get rid of the love handles look

[hardyboysare]

My upper body may not be very wide, but wouldn’t the best approach be to cut the fat in my lower back area first before adding muscle mass? I don’t see how a wide back could get rid of the love handles look

It wouldn't but it would make it look less noticeable visually to the eye therefore you wouldn't care as you would be more V shaped. For example on this guy:-



As you can see he does still have some lower back fat but obviously it doesn't even look noticeable. He isn't super lean just has more mass to make the illusion of leanness.

[beq1991]

It wouldn't but it would make it look less noticeable visually to the eye therefore you wouldn't care as you would be more V shaped. For example on this guy:-



As you can see he does still have some lower back fat but obviously it doesn't even look noticeable. He isn't super lean just has more mass to make the illusion of leanness.

See, I’ve tried to get a wider back like that for ages and nothing has seemed to work. I feel like my body fat percentage is too high to keep bulking, but I don’t really enjoy the cutting phase. I just see a bunch of fat around my midsection that needs to be burned before I can bulk again

[Heisman2]

See, I’ve tried to get a wider back like that for ages and nothing has seemed to work. I feel like my body fat percentage is too high to keep bulking, but I don’t really enjoy the cutting phase. I just see a bunch of fat around my midsection that needs to be burned before I can bulk again

Then keep cutting. You've lost 7-8 pounds in 1.5 months; that is good progress. Cut for another 2-3 months if you must to feel happy and then bulk sensibly and you'll never need to do a longer cut again.