Cutting for awhile now... time to lean bulk?

[Zelqui]

Hey all. Attached are some pics.

I've been cutting for 5 1/2 months now, and I've gone from 194 lbs to 163.5 lbs at a height of 5'11". I was stupid and dirty bulked way too ****in hard and have definitely paid the price with a long cut.

My lifts are as follows (from start of cut to right now):

Squat: 255 3x5 -> 245 3x5
Bench: 175 3x5 -> 170 3x5
Deadlift: 350 1x5 -> 335 1x5

Thankfully, I haven't lost a whole lot of strength over this long cut. However, I'm now trying to figure out what I should do and when I should start to do a slow, lean bulk. How much longer should I cut for (if I even should keep cutting)? What would you estimate my BF% to be at now?

TLDR; 5'11" 194 lbs -> 163.5 lbs over 5 1/2 months of cutting after dirty bulk (learned my lesson), haven't lost much strength in lifts (can see above). Trying to figure out when I should start to lean bulk!

[nemLifts]

Since you're already on a cut, I'd take it down to sub 12%. Hard to tell what you're at right now with no other pictures for comparison

[Zelqui]

Since you're already on a cut, I'd take it down to sub 12%. Hard to tell what you're at right now with no other pictures for comparison

I have this one picture of me from the very beginning of my cut that I'll attach to this reply. Definitely was a bit of a fat **** rofl. I wonder what BF % I was at at the start of the cut, and whereI'm at now?

[macho8oh8]

I have this one picture of me from the very beginning of my cut that I'll attach to this reply. Definitely was a bit of a fat **** rofl. I wonder what BF % I was at at the start of the cut, and whereI'm at now?

Aye nice transformation! , but I think you could cut little bit more for 1-2 weeks max and then try lean bulk but it is up to you if you’re happy with that bf percentage, still can lean bulk.

[Tommy W.]

It generally not necessary to go sub 12% before going into a mass adding phase however a lot depends on the mirror as everyone holds their fat differently plus sometimes getting leaner than 12 can take waaay too much effort and it ends up being time that could have been better spent adding muscle

[Daniel1836]

Hey man, just curious are you doing 5 reps on all sets? If so you're training like a powerlifter. Hypertrophy zone is more 8-12.

[Tommy W.]

Hey man, just curious are you doing 5 reps on all sets? If so you're training like a powerlifter. Hypertrophy zone is more 8-12.

hypertrophy zone is incorporating all rep ranges

[LMS62]

hypertrophy zone is incorporating all rep ranges

^This.

[Tommy W.]

^This.

Correct. Guys leave so much on the table working in 1 rep range. You may not Get much of a pump in the lower ranges however incorporating that range will put well need stress on a muscle and higher reps also to stimulate the often forgotten type 1 fibers.