How do you decide when it's time to Cut?

[Protobuilder]

BULK GONE BAD -- How do YOU decide when to Cut?

Calling all fatasses . . . when do you decide you've bulked long enough and it's time to cut? Do you go by waist measurements? Bodyfat assessments? Mirror? Set deadline (e.g., 4 weeks bulk, 2 weeks cut)?

I've seen it tossed around (OK, only by Animal Invader, but still) that you should bulk to 15%, then cut back to 10-12% and repeat. Anybody follow that guideline? If not, do you use other numbers? When do you feel "too fat" and go back to cutting?

I've been discussing the "ideal" bulk/cut cycle length w/ another member here and we've both gotten burned by "bulks gone bad," LoL, and now decided shorter bulk cycles and shorter cut cycles are in order.

What do you guys do?

 

[anotherbutters]

Just don't bulk so fast next time. It's not a race. You're only going to be able to build so much muscle in a week, so there's little point in putting on significantly more weight per week than that.

 

[Introspective]

I decide it's time to cut when i'm feeling dumm and slow, and my gut is like santa clause after eating all those christmas pies. I'm gunna start cutting round about now, HST starting monday i think

 

[BiggT]

I don't try to think of my training in 'bulking' and 'cutting' phases, to me that has always been a recipe for taking 2 steps forward, 2 steps back, then repeating. In other words, a big circle.

What I do is basically overeat with mostly clean foods. Lean meats/fish/chicken, lots of veggies and salads, complex carbs, and olive oil and peanut butter to up cals when needed. In terms of sugars, the only kind I get for the most part are with milk, fruit, white rice, and potatoes, and the occasional post-workout Gatorade. If I go out to eat, I don't give birth is the waitress gives me a hard roll or something, if I were a BB pre-contest I could, but seriously, it won't kill you otherwise.

If I start seeing my stomach get bigger, I cut out the olive oil or lay off the peanut butter. Sometimes, I swap white rice for brown, stuff like that. I eat a good amount of pizza once a week, but that doesn't do anything, it's once a week.

As long as I feel fast and my blood fats/blood pressure are at normal levels or below, then I am fine. I really don't get "Fat" per se unless I deserve it by eating ice cream and shit.

 

[BiggT]

As a side note, the last time I really tried to get leaner was last Summer, I bottomed out around 225 in July. All I did was eliminate the white rice and potatoes, I cut back milk to about a quart a day, and layed off the olive oil and peanut butter. I added an AM session of Olympic lifting circuits and drills, and I was able to drop close to 25lbs. I probably ate fries with a meal once a week, pizza once a week, but again, that is small shit, unless you're a precontest BB, don't sweat the small stuff, it is what you do the other 90% of the time that matters.

 

[Tweakle]

I dont plan on going over 12% again this lifetime, the amount of time I have had to spend in a cal restricted state to burn off the bodyfat has made the bulking over xmas totally counterproductive.

I'll be using the 2 week overfeed, 4 weeks maintenence method when I'm done dieting... 2 weeks to spike an anabolic response without overspill into fat storage.

One thing to remember, it's all personal.. some guys (early 20's, fast metabolisms, meso/ectos) may be able to drop huge amounts of fat very quickly and bulk without too much bf deposition, but you probably cant drop fat as painlessly as them more on = more to lose

 

[silver_shadow]

As a side note, the last time I really tried to get leaner was last Summer, I bottomed out around 225 in July. All I did was eliminate the white rice and potatoes, I cut back milk to about a quart a day, and layed off the olive oil and peanut butter. I added an AM session of Olympic lifting circuits and drills, and I was able to drop close to 25lbs. I probably ate fries with a meal once a week, pizza once a week, but again, that is small shit, unless you're a precontest BB, don't sweat the small stuff, it is what you do the other 90% of the time that matters.

do you add some other form of protein to replace the milk? what is it usually?

 

[BiggT]

do you add some other form of protein to replace the milk? what is it usually?

I drink more shakes w/ water, but I have no idea how much protein I get in a day, I don't count, but it's safe to say it's more than I need, so when I cut back to a quart a day, plus all the meats and fish, plus the shakes, I am still only cutting back 3/4 of a gallon of milk, and still probably getting plenty more protein than I need anyway. I really don't worry about it.

 

[oso0690]

I've never cut before, been on a straight bulk lol. though i'm only 15 and have been doing this for only a year..i don't plan on cutting until i'm probably 17-19 because of all the muscle i can easily get (from what i've been reading everywhere young people have crazy hormones to pack on mass).

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Hey, the animals don't mind.

AB got it, as far as I'm concerned - go slower. The body will only add mass so quickly. Unless you're me, then there's no limit to greatness.

Seriously though, tone down the overeating and when you start to look too unappealing for your tastes, cut down. It's really a personal thing, nothing's ideal.

Look at some of the big boys out there - fat asses, but they can deal with it.