SCROLL THROUGH THE hashtag ‘cutting and bulking’ on TikTok and you will see thousands of videos showing off the before and after results of their weight cycling phases. Cutting and bulking is nothing new, with old school bodybuilders completing weight manipulation cycles to bulk up and then cut before competitions.
Semantics aside, cutting and bulking is essentially adjusting your nutrition (and sometimes your training) to either burn fat and get leaner, or gain weight by building muscle. Pretty simple, right? However, it can be confusing when terms like cutting and bulking are trending, with conflicting and sometimes potentially dangerous information circulating. We explain the pros and cons of cutting and bulking so that you can make an informed decision for yourself.
What Is cutting and bulking?
Cutting and bulking are two phases in a bodybuilding style eating regiment designed to build muscle (to bulk) and reduce body fat (to cut).
Both phases are cyclical, meaning individuals alternate between bulking and cutting to achieve their desired body composition. Typically, they aim to get as lean as possible for the ‘on-season’ and increase calories to add weight during the off-season. However, many non-competitive bodybuilders follow this trend, using the summer and winter months as an on-season and off-season, respectively.
Most information on cutting and bulking is anecdotal. However, a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research examined the dietary routines of bodybuilders competing in the Men’s Physique category. It analysed their diets during both the cutting and bulking phases to understand the rationale behind these practices.
The participants were interviewed towards the end of the bulking phases (10–12 weeks before their competition) and cutting phases (one week before their competition). Analysis, surprisingly, revealed a low carbohydrate intake during bulking, with a further decrease during cutting. Protein intake was reportedly well above current recommendations throughout the study.
The research also noted that dietary strategies used by bodybuilders in this study were partly consistent with evidence based practice, however most were considered extreme and lacked scientific support. From anecdotal knowledge in bodybuilding circles, we can assume that the cutting and bulking phases have some typical guidelines:
Bulking Phase
Goal: To gain muscle mass.
- Increase calorie intake, consuming more calories than the body needs (caloric surplus).
- High in protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The focus is on nutrient dense foods to support muscle growth.
- Sometimes lower in fibre to facilitate lower food volume, reducing feelings of fullness and therefore allow for a higher caloric intake.
- Heavy weightlifting to stimulate muscle growth, often combined with limited cardio to benefit health.
- This phase can last several months, depending on individual goals.
Cutting Phase:
Goal: Reduce body fat while maintaining muscle mass.
- Decrease calorie intake, consuming fewer calories than the body needs (caloric deficit).
- High in protein to preserve muscle mass, with reduced carbohydrates and fats. The focus is on low calorie foods.
- Sometimes higher in fibre to facilitate higher food volume, increasing feelings of fullness, therefore increasing sustainability of a lower caloric intake.
- Continued weightlifting to maintain muscle mass, often with increased cardio.
- This phase can also last several months, depending on the desired body fat reduction. However, some take part in ‘mini-cuts’ which are typically shorter in duration, lasting a few weeks or less.
Should you Bulk or Cut?
Whether you should bulk or cut depends on your current health, body composition, time constraints, training goals and preferences. Some prefer to organise cutting and bulking with their training phases or even seasons of the year (see: winter bulk). But really it depends on what is going to be sustainable for you and your current lifestyle.
What is body recomposition?
Body recomposition means to not necessarily go into a calorie deficit or calorie surplus with your nutrition, but aim for close to maintenance and train in a progressive way to gain muscle. The results are usually a slight decrease in body fat and increase in muscle mass, therefore a ‘recomposition’ of your physique. It is especially accessible to those who are new to resistance training, or coming back from a long break, who are more likely to see greater advancements in muscle mass.
What is ‘dirty bulking’?
‘Dirty bulking’ as opposed to ‘clean bulking’ refers to predominantly eating food that is low in nutritional value and high in calories with the aim of gaining weight. ‘Clean bulking’ would mean focusing exclusively on foods that are high in nutritional value with the aim of gaining weight.
‘Dirty bulking’ could involve eating in a calorie surplus with foods like crisps, cakes, pizza, etc. People tend to choose these foods because they taste good and don’t fill us up as quickly, leading to a higher calorie intake. However, evidence indicates that larger calorie surpluses are no more beneficial for gaining muscle than more moderate ones
A study published in Sports Medicine aimed to determine the effects of different levels of energy surplus on muscle mass, strength, and body fat gain in participants. Participants were assigned to either maintain their calorie intake or consume a calorie surplus of 5% or 15%. The researchers found no significant differences in muscle gain or strength between the groups. The high surplus group had a more significant increase in fat mass gain compared to the maintenance group. The moderate surplus group showed a slight increase in fat mass compared to the maintenance group. Meaning, a moderate surplus is sufficient for gaining muscle and strength, while negating excessive fat gain from bulking.
As always, it’s best to focus on foods that are more nutritionally dense. If you’re struggling to eat more when eating more healthful choices, try to include foods that are lower in fibre. For more guidance on how to gain weight healthily, you can read our weight gain guide here.
How to work out your maintenance calories
If you are planning on counting calories to achieve your physique goals, the first place to start is your maintenance calories. There are many methods of calculating these, two of the most popular are:
- Mifflin-St Jeor equation for Men: (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) + 5
- Harris Benedict equation for Men: BMR = 66.5 + (13.75 x weight in kilos) + (5 x height in cm) – (6.75 x age in years)
How many calories should I eat to gain muscle?
When it comes to gaining muscle, eating more calories than you burn (creating a calorie surplus) is necessary, as supported by evidence published by Frontiers. Using your maintenance calories from the equation above:
For most trainees, to gain muscle, being in a consistent surplus of about 200-400 calories will be plenty.
Talk to your general practitioner, nutritionist or dietician about how much and how quickly you should gain weight. Knowing this information will help you better calculate your calorie goals.
How many calories should I eat to lose fat
In order to lose body fat, you must consume fewer calories than you burn a day, this is referred to as a calorie deficit or energy deficit. Using your maintenance calories from the equation above:
To lose 200g to 450g a week, aim for a deficit of 250 to 500 calories a day.
Who should avoid cutting and bulking?
Weight cycling is not suitable for everyone, and it’s important to be aware of the risks so that you can make an informed decision. Those who have a history of disordered eating or body dysmorphia should avoid weight cycling. This is due to the disordered eating patterns and an over preoccupation with food and exercise that weight cycling can cause. Even for those who don’t have a history of disordered eating, care should be taken when adjusting your nutrition without supervision from a professional.
While the method of manipulating your nutrition has its place, when completed without enough nutritional knowledge or experience, cutting and bulking can have some negative side effects. The results of a study published in Eating and Weight Disorders found that engagement in bulk and cut cycles was associated with more severe eating disorder and muscle dysmorphia symptoms among the participants.
For this reason it’s important to speak to your healthcare provider or enlist the help of a nutritionist or dietician before making changes to your diet.
This article originally appeared on Men’s Health UK.
Related:
New research finds bulking with high calories not necessary for building muscle
5 Early Warning Signs You’re Not Building Muscle, And What To Do About It
