On the opposite end of the spectrum are people who eliminate all carbohydrates and very nearly all food during the cutting phase. Upping your calorie intake with fatty, sugary foods is terrible for your overall health and it also robs your body of the nutrients it needs to build muscles and power through tough workouts. The bulking phase also needs to include targeted strength and resistance training that will build muscle mass and the cutting phase has to be structured so that your body fat percentage goes down but your muscle gains don’t disappear.įar too many people think the caloric surplus needed in the bulking phase requires them to ingest junk food and chug dairy. The human body needs the extra energy for hypertrophy and, as always, a caloric deficit is the only way to lose weight.īut bulking and cutting are much more complicated than calorie counting alone. Very generally speaking, you need a caloric surplus when you’re bulking and a caloric deficit when you’re cutting. The most obvious change between these two phases is your energy intake. ( Note: Want our elite trainers to help you through your bulking and cutting phases? Start your Fitplan free trial today!)īulking vs. If you want a lean body and ripped muscles, this guide is for you. But whatever your situation, there are some surefire ways to maximize your muscle gain and fat loss through bulking and cutting.

It depends on your body type and fitness level. Understanding when to cut and when to bulk is tricky. People aiming for a bodybuilder physique can’t get there by monitoring calories alone. Bulking and cutting work in tandem and each affects how successful the other is. It might sound simple but there’s a lot of room for error.

For the greatest muscle gain and lowest body fat percentage, you have to master the art of alternating between cutting for weight loss and bulking with targeted strength training. Shredding body fat and building muscle mass are the main goals but aiming for both simultaneously aren’t going to yield the best possible results. Body recomposition is a delicate balancing act.

Advantages of bulking and cutting