Mini cut time? Pics inside

[livindagym]

https://imgur.com/a/7Z0q8PL

https://imgur.com/a/5JJ4lL0


1st photo is end of my cut (december 21)

Next photos are recent (may 22)


167lbs to 173 lbs

Not sure if any of it is muscle i cant really tell. In january i increased cals slowly and ran a couple strength routines and just finished Canditos 6 week strength program. Strength is slightly up in a couple lifts but nothing major. Plan is to move to a more hypertrophy focused routine after this week or two deload but curious would it benefit me any to do a mini cut at this point?

[xsquid99]

If the amount of fat you're carrying bothers you then do a cut, if not then carry on.

[MrCarrot]

If you only gained 6 pounds then I would carry on bulking, because otherwise I suspect in 6 weeks time you'll just be back to where you started. Or if you cut for less than 6 weeks it won't achieve very much at all. That's my opinion anyway.

[EiFit91]

https://imgur.com/a/7Z0q8PL

https://imgur.com/a/5JJ4lL0


1st photo is end of my cut (december 21)

Next photos are recent (may 22)


167lbs to 173 lbs

Not sure if any of it is muscle i cant really tell. In january i increased cals slowly and ran a couple strength routines and just finished Canditos 6 week strength program. Strength is slightly up in a couple lifts but nothing major. Plan is to move to a more hypertrophy focused routine after this week or two deload but curious would it benefit me any to do a mini cut at this point?

No need to cut yet IMO

[livindagym]

If you only gained 6 pounds then I would carry on bulking, because otherwise I suspect in 6 weeks time you'll just be back to where you started. Or if you cut for less than 6 weeks it won't achieve very much at all. That's my opinion anyway.

Gotcha. Yea just sorta surprised at how much my abs have faded after just 6 pounds and eating the moderate amount of cals im eating each day.

[Tommy W.]

Gotcha. Yea just sorta surprised at how much my abs have faded after just 6 pounds and eating the moderate amount of cals im eating each day.

If you’re afraid of losing your abs for awhile you’ll never put on any size.

[faithbrah]

If you’re afraid of losing your abs for awhile you’ll never put on any size.

can't you just bulk and cut in the 10-16% range without losing your abs? that's what i'm going to do from now on... way too many bulks ended @ +20% and resulted in a long ass cut lol

[Tommy W.]

can't you just bulk and cut in the 10-16% range without losing your abs? that's what i'm going to do from now on... way too many bulks ended @ +20% and resulted in a long ass cut lol

Not sure if you'll have abs at 16%

[sunsean]

can't you just bulk and cut in the 10-16% range without losing your abs? that's what i'm going to do from now on... way too many bulks ended @ +20% and resulted in a long ass cut lol

This is what I always tell myself but then go overboard. You have to bulk really slowly (lean bulk) otherwise you don't have enough time to really add much mass before having to cut. I tend to use all my willpower and self-control during the cutting phase and then just go to town while bulking lol.

Not sure if you'll have abs at 16%

Shredded? Definitely not. But I can still see a clear outline/4 pack at mid-high teen percentages. If I really can't see any hint of abs, I'm well into the 20s. Probably has a lot to do with how developed you are and genetics etc.

Also OP: I may be wrong but it looks like you're flexing in the first photo and not in the second. This, plus lighting/angles etc can make the pic look more different than they really are. You sill look lean in the second photo, just abs aren't popping.

[Tommy W.]

But I can still see a clear outline/4 pack at mid-high teen percentages.

Lucky bastard

[sunsean]

Lucky bastard

Just saw this - meh, having a soft 4 pack ain't nothing to brag about lol. When I say I see a clear outline, I mean I can see the shape of my top 4 abs but believe me it's soft, not like popping out. I gotta get it down like everyone else to really notice them.