Simple cutting/bulking question

So here's the deal, I want to weigh 185 with about 7% BF. Right now I am at 185 with about 16% BF. What I wanted to know is, would it be better for me to first cut down and then bulk or to bulk up and then cut?

 

wow i have the exact same goal and virtually the same stats. im about 5'9". i tried bulking for a bit. my midsections really flabby now, tho i did get a bit bigger. i figured you can go thru a cycle. bulk, cut. bulk, cut. so thats what im trying.

 

I think it works Carbs, Protein then fat.

So I would recommend getting down on the fat first.

 

I think it would be better to control your weight with your intake of carbs.


Try to maintain your intake of healthy fat at a constant good level.

 

Eat every 2.5 hours. Once i started doing this my weight remained the same but my waistlline went down by severl inches.. I carry around a homemade trail mix of nuts and rasins and sometimes i just take a meal replacement shake. I strenght train about 10 times a month mostly with compound movements but a few isolation (big armsi is a great deterrent to street fights so the holy than thou powerlifters need to open their mind a bit). I ride an airdyne stationary bike for about 20 minutes after the workout in like a circuit form. I'm not even that strict with the diet at least 2 days a week i go nutz and my fat is still coming off and my weight is still going up. MMA training 4-6x a month at the dojo and baby MMA workouts in my apartment daily by myself. Yikes what a rant. Good luck. Give it a few weeks to start working. One day you'll look in the mirror and all the sudden be like damn i no longer have tits! (Although 16% not really that bad.)

 

for a powerlifting contest right?

 

Of course







Actually its for MMA.

 

Erm, yeah...except that carbs don't make you fat. Excess calories do.

This is unnecessary as well.

It would most likely be easier to gain weight first, cut fat secondly.

 

If its powerlifting you are after, don't worry about bf% since that is not your concenr. Your concern is not to lose strength.

 

If I were you I would hit the weights hard whilst focusing on compound movements like squats and deads (especially squats), eat slightly more than your maintenance, cut out a lot of isolation exercises, while giving yourself plenty of rest. In theory it would be a bulk, but a very minimal one. Just my two cents.

 

i wouldnt worry about bulking or cutting, it will likely harm performance. lift heavy and run and you should start looking like you want to.

 

I'm not exactly an expert in ths field, but I'm pretty sure that is way wrong. At least the carbs part.

 

no,no,no! carbs are good for you! they dont make you fat!

 

Protein certainly doesn't make you fat.

Protein can't be stored as fat.

 

Alright well I am actually doing this so I can be at the weight I want for MMA. So thats why I want my bf% down. Also I am thankfull for the responses, but no one has answered my question yet. Which woucl be better to do first, bulk then cut or cut then bulk? I already know what I will doing for bulking and cutting, I just wanted to get some opinions on what I should do first, bulk or cut.

 

just remember anything in excess needed to build muscle will turn into fat no matter what macronutrient

 

This would be the correct answer.

 

No. I'm right. And I'm positive of it.

False statement.

It's been answered at least twice in this thread that I can see.

 

It's not really a false statement as it is. Protein is not stored as fat. fat is stored as fat. Protein may be turned into fat for energy storage (when caloric surplus is present), but to my knowledge this is NOT storing protein and it won't be changed back. Somebody back be up on this.

 

Well if nothing else, it's a side effect of carb intake. Certain carbs can cuase a spike in insulin levels which in turn causes the increased storage of fat. Beyond that, the more carbs you take in, over time, the higher your resistance to insulin is. So eventually your body produces more insulin which in turn causes more fat to be stored. Not all type of carbs do this though. Beyond that, if carbs are not used they are just converted to fat if I remember correctly.