Bulking vs cutting: everything you need to know!

“Should I cut or bulk?” is one of the questions fitness beginners ask most often. In other words: build muscle mass or lower your body fat percentage. Ultimately, the goal of both is to increase and keep your muscle mass, so that you train towards a nicely defined body. But when do you start a bulk, and when do you start a cut? To get the most success, we put the two head to head in this article!

WHAT IS BULKING?

Bulking is a period in which you eat more calories than you burn. The aim is to gain weight and then build muscle by training intensively. During a lean bulk you eat only a small calorie surplus, so you don't gain too much fat. That can be a drawback if you later want to get lean again, or in other words, cut.

WHAT IS CUTTING?

Cutting is a phase in which you create a calorie deficit. It means you eat fewer calories than you burn in order to lose fat. The aim during the cut is to maximise the retention of lean mass, keep your muscles and reduce body fat. During this process you shouldn't overdo the calorie deficit, because then there is a big risk that you lose too much of the muscle mass you built while bulking.

THE PROS AND CONS OF BULKING AND CUTTING

To be well prepared for this fitness method, we've listed the pros and cons of bulking vs cutting for you below:

WHEN SHOULD YOU CUT OR BULK?

Bulking is a process for building muscle, and during cutting you want to keep the muscle you've built as much as possible. But how do you know whether you should cut or bulk? On the one hand, that depends on the person, but the fitness world does have a guideline. Based on your body fat percentage, you can train and eat in a targeted way.

For men: if your body fat percentage is between 11 and 18%, you can start a bulk. Women can best start a bulk when their body fat percentage is below 24%. Next, you need to work out your calorie needs. On the internet you'll find all kinds of handy calculators that can help you with this. Then eat 10 to 20% above your calorie needs. Take a look at our bulk meals! They are perfectly matched to this sports goal. If you gain a maximum of half a kilo per week, your bulk stays healthy. Not gaining at all? Then eat slightly more calories, but don't overdo it, because you don't want to gain too much fat mass.

From a body fat percentage of 15% for men and 24% for women, you can start your cut phase. The aim of cutting is to reduce fat mass while keeping as much muscle mass as possible. So don't eat too little, as that will also cost you muscle mass. We recommend eating 200 to 500 calories below your calorie needs. Protein is food for your muscles, so make sure your meals are high in protein. In our cut meals you'll find the right balance between macronutrients, which guarantees success during cutting!