Once you get into the fitness industry, you will hear the terms 'bulking' and 'cutting' very often. They refer to two different phases of a health and fitness program with different goals.
Bulking is all about eating more to build muscle while cutting is about eating less to lose fat while keeping your gains. While these strategies are fairly common, you may wonder about the bulking and cutting and whether they're even necessary. Both bulking and cutting have their own benefits, and it's important to understand them both in order to reach your fitness goals.
In this blog, we will discuss bulking and cutting and how to do it right.
Table Of Contents
- Cut Body vs Bulk Body: Meaning And Differences
- What Are The Benefits Of Bulking And Cutting?
- How Do I Know If I Should Bulk or Cut?
- Dietitian’s Recommendation
- The Final Say
- FAQs
- References
Cut Body vs Bulk Body: Meaning And Differences
Before learning the difference between the two, let us first understand what bulking and cutting are:
What Is Bulking?
A bulking routine involves increasing muscle mass and gaining weight. This is achieved by being in a caloric surplus, allowing you to build muscles by increasing weight. It involves eating a high-calorie, high-protein diet along with a rigorous training program. The key to bulking up is consuming more calories than you burn daily.
You can try these home workouts to gain weight.
What Is Cutting?
A cutting routine involves reducing body fat to reveal muscle definition as much as possible. This is achieved by reducing calorie intake while maintaining or increasing protein intake to preserve muscle mass. The ultimate goal is to achieve a low body fat percentage while maintaining a high level of muscle mass, which can be difficult to achieve without proper nutrition and exercise. Many people on a cut take additional supplements to meet their nutritional needs that aren't being met due to low-calorie intake.
Try this fat-loss workout plan.
Bulking vs. Cutting: What's The Difference?
Bulking refers to temporarily maintaining a calorie surplus in order to increase body weight. Bulkers usually adjust their macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats) and focus on training to maximise muscle gain while minimising fat. However, some fat gain is unavoidable during this phase.
Cutting means temporarily restricting your calories in order to lose weight. People who cut typically optimise their macros and training to ensure that most of the weight they only lose is fat. However, some muscle loss when cutting is inevitable.
A "cut" body is all about being lean with visible muscles and low body fat. A "bulk" body, on the other hand, is more muscular but may have some extra fat due to eating in a calorie surplus. So, cut bodies are leaner, while bulk bodies are bigger and more muscular.
In short, bulking is for muscle gain, and cutting is for fat loss.
Also Read: Implement 7 Health And Fitness Tips For Weight Loss Results!
What Are The Benefits Of Bulking vs Cutting
Here are the pros of both bulking and cutting:
Pros Of Bulking | |
| Bulking is often considered one of the best methods for increasing muscle mass and strength. | |
| 1. Increased Muscle Mass |
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| 2. Improves Strength |
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| 3. Improved Physical Appearance |
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| 4. Increases Testosterone |
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| 5. Improves Metabolism |
|
Pros Of Cutting | |
| Cutting is essential when a person has reached their ideal muscle mass, and all that's left to do is shed the excess fat to reveal those muscles. | |
| 1. Low Body Fat |
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| 2. Defined Muscles |
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| 3. Benefits of athletic performance |
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| 4. Improves health |
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| 5. Faster results |
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How Do I Know If I Should Bulk or Cut?
The best way to check and decide whether to bulk or cut is to consider your body fat percentage and your goals:
1. Body Fat Percentage
- If you are a man with more than 15% body fat or a woman with more than 25%, you should cut.
- If you are a man with less than 10% body fat or a woman with less than 20% body fat, bulking may be better for you.
- With the help of this blog, you can calculate your fat or lean body mass.
2. Goals
- If you want to gain muscle and strength, even if it means gaining some fat, you should bulk.
- If you want to lose fat while maintaining muscle, you should cut.
3. Progress
- Many people bulk and cut consecutively.
- If you've been bulking and have made good progress with muscle growth, it might be time to focus on cutting to show off that muscle definition.
- On the other hand, if you're still looking to put on muscle, bulking might go on longer.
Dietitian’s Recommendation
Bulking and cutting are two complementary strategies that bodybuilders and athletes often use, one after the other, to gain muscle and then lose the fat gained during bulking.
No matter what stage you are in, proper nutrition, consistent training, adequate rest, and the right mindset are critical to success. A bulking diet includes nutrient- and calorie-dense foods and strength training to promote muscle growth. Wheras a cutting diet focuses on nutrient-dense, lower-calorie foods that stimulate fat loss, along with cardio as well as strength training.
So, whichever phase you’re in, your diet plays an important role!
Dt. Lavina Chauhan
The Final Say
Both bulking and cutting have their place in a well-rounded fitness journey. The key is to approach each stage strategically, with clear goals and a solid plan. Remember that progress takes time and you won't see results overnight, and that consistency is key, whether you're bulking or cutting.
Your choice between bulking and cutting should be in line with your current body composition, overall health and fitness goals. It is often beneficial to cycle between periods of bulking, cutting and maintenance for long-term progress.
FAQs
1. Which is stronger, bulk or cut?
Bulking is better for building muscle, which will make you stronger. Cutting, on the other hand, helps you lose fat and show off that muscle, but it can also make you slightly weaker due to calorie cutting.
2. When should I focus on bulking, and when should I focus on cutting?
You should focus on bulking when you're aiming to build muscle mass and strength. On the other hand, focus on cutting when you want to reduce body fat and reveal muscle definition.
References
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bulking-vs-cutting#bottom-line
- https://www.nike.com/in/a/bulking-vs-cutting-benefits
- https://247fitness.co/blog/what-is-bulking-cutting
- https://www.fit19.com/blog/bulking-vs-cutting
- https://scitron.com/blogs/blog/bulk-body-vs-lean-body-which-is-right-for-you?srsltid=AfmBOorl5xrGprMARVSzLyW3hVCKoW_Cq09PY7gSsp04hAeL3Z0vvoUc
- https://drvaidyas.com/blogs/fitness/bulk-vs-cut?srsltid=AfmBOopD432lnmzTroYq8MO3cr6CR6vec9UBakL-NP-PlOxFFX88xnvd
- https://legionathletics.com/cut-or-bulk/?srsltid=AfmBOopADVjV6vHrpqGQ8txyQIuegC-XC5Uao0jx5mPmZMY52jr7Z3MA
- https://alphaprogression.com/en/blog/bulking-or-cutting
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