Skinny fat - cut or bulk?

[usadmybad]

Hi all,

I'm 27 years old, 6'1 male and I weigh 182lbs. My BF% is currently approximately 22%. I do not look fat but I do have a bit of a gut. I am pretty much a newbie at the gym, I am focusing on compound movements at the moment and just getting my numbers up. Numbers are:

120lbs bench press x5 reps
154lbs squat x5 reps
240lbs deadlift x5 reps
88lbs OHP x5 reps

I've always been fairly athletic playing sports so my body doesn't 'look' skinny fat, I look fairly lean just with a little bit of a tummy which I want to get rid of. My legs however are extremely skinny and my weakest area.

My question is, should I be focusing on cutting? Bulking even more? Or maintenance?

If I continue to eat at maintenance but increase my lifts will my BF% go down naturally?

Thanks, Harry

[AdamWW]

I would recommend a mild deficit, which will allow you to lean out while you still gain muscle because you're a newbie.

Yes, as you gain muscle the BF% will drop naturally, but you'll probably be happier with what you see if you lean out some at the same time.

Maintenance would be OK, too, but I think dropping some fat at the same time might motivate you more, followed by a bulk.

But either is an option.

[usadmybad]

I would recommend a mild deficit, which will allow you to lean out while you still gain muscle because you're a newbie.

Yes, as you gain muscle the BF% will drop naturally, but you'll probably be happier with what you see if you lean out some at the same time.

Maintenance would be OK, too, but I think dropping some fat at the same time might motivate you more, followed by a bulk.

But either is an option.

Thanks Adam, appreciate it.

[snailsrus]

Cut, you got room to grow and lean out. Your lifts can go up a lot, for 182 they are just beginner level

[xsquid99]

Yeah, you have some room to cut with a mild deficit. Yeah you might feel skinny and small when the weight starts coming off but as mentioned as a novice lifter you should be able to progress and get stronger even while in a deficit. You'll probably need to shed around 12-15 lbs of fat, if you do it right you'll be done in about 3 months and then you can reverse course and go into a lean bulk from there.

[1MANU]

Post a pic.

[Mrpb]

Hi all,

I'm 27 years old, 6'1 male and I weigh 182lbs. My BF% is currently approximately 22%.

Small deficit. Keep in mind you can still gain muscle while you lose fat. All you need to do is continue to get stronger on a good lifting program.