This was because I got too fat in the first place and then lost muscle while trying to lose fat due to cutting after bulking the wrong way. In order to lose fat, I had to be in a caloric deficit for an extended period of time, which unfortunately contributed to me losing muscle mass.Īfter completing one such bulking and cutting cycle, I realized that I looked exactly the same as when I started it. When I first began my fitness journey, I found myself unintentionally bulking for too long which resulted in excess fat gain. The last thing you want is to lose muscle after putting so much effort into building it in the first place. This can be difficult because cutting for too long or too aggressively can lead to muscle loss. AdvertisementsĪs a result, they need to be in a fat loss phase for a longer period of time. The main challenge when cutting after bulking is that most people put on too much fat during their bulking phase. Common Challenge When Cutting After Bulking But then again, following this approach you might be limiting your muscle growth potential. Recommended Reading: Clean Bulk vs Dirty Bulk – Which One is Best to Gain Muscle?įurthermore, if you choose to eat at maintenance or a very small calorie surplus, in order words “maintain” you may not need to cut at all. If you follow the lean bulk diet approach, you would not need to cut as long and frequent as with a dirty bulking diet. If you do not cut, you will likely become overweight and/or obese.Īnother reason to cut is so that your muscles will be more visible. The main reason to cut after bulking is to get rid of the body fat you accumulated while bulking. Doing this the right way helps you ensure continuous progress. Bulking for a certain amount of time, then cutting for some period of time. From there, you would alternate between the two processes.On the other hand, if you have put on a significant amount of muscle but lost visibility in your abdominal area, you could transition into a cut. For example, you could consider cutting if got to a single-digit body fat percentage. Then, once you have made sufficient progress you would switch to another phase.While cutting usually takes 3 -5 months, depending on your body fat percentage, bulking typically lasts around 4 – 6 months, as it is much more difficult to gain muscle than lose fat. Once you’ve made your decision, you would then bulk or cut (depending on your decision) for an appropriate amount of time.If you’re not sure which one is right for you, check out this guide on whether you should bulk or cut if you are skinny fat. Choose whether to bulk or cut, depending on your current physique.The process of bulking and cutting can be a little confusing, so let’s start with the basics. This fat loss phase is usually done while lifting weights to maintain muscle and doing some cardio to burn additional calories throughout the day. You eat fewer calories than your body needs in order to lose body fat. The cutting phase is the opposite of the bulking phase.
During this phase, you should be lifting weights and focus on getting stronger in order to increase muscle growth. What is Bulkingīulking is the phase where you eat more calories than your body needs in order to gain muscle. There are two main phases in bodybuilding: bulking and cutting.
Step by Step Guide to Cutting After Bulking.Common Challenge When Cutting After Bulking.I’ll walk through the entire process step-by-step so that you can lose body fat with confidence! Advertisements This guide will help you avoid this common mistake. Most people who bulk don’t think about how they’ll cut afterwards, which often leads to them losing more lean muscle mass than necessary. Cutting after bulking is a tough process that requires patience and care if you want to make sure that you lose body fat while preserving as much muscle mass as possible.
You’ve been following a bulking and cutting cycle, and the time has come to cut.