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

[TecHNooB]

So in the past ~3-4 months, I went from 160 to 178. This was after going from 175 to 160. Needless to say, this time around, I'm a little less pudge and a lot more muscle. However, my abs continue to fade as time goes on T__T; Admittedly, I don't pay attention too closely to the exact calories I eat (I only count protein, not carbs), so some of that fat is deserved. Anyways, how do you decide when it's time to cut? And how fat are you before doing so? ^_^

 

[StageLeft]

Everyone has a personal limit of fatness before the shame forces them to lose it. In my case it has been in the teens for the past few years. teens bodyfat % and then I'll get my ass in gear agian.

 

[TecHNooB]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Everyone has a personal limit of fatness before the shame forces them to lose it. In my case it has been in the teens for the past few years. teens bodyfat % and then I'll get my ass in gear agian.

I must be approaching my shame limit haha~

 

[Finns14]

Its all personal choice, just remember you won't get any bigger once you go into your cut so as long as you are happy with how much muscle you have then go ahead and start cutting. Your going to have to decrease you caloric intake, and start watching carbs more carefully and increase your cardio. Its not that bad and the results will be worth it.

 

[brikis98]

gaining some fat while bulking is almost inevitable, but how much you're willing to tolerate is completely up to you. A few things worth considering:

1. Most obvious one is appearance. If you don't like what you see in the mirror, it's time to cut.
2. Athletic performance. Carrying extra weight around can affect your performance in sports (e.g. can't run as fast or as far) and to a slightly lesser extent, weight lifting (exercises involving body weight actually get harder).
3. Even day to day to day tasks can be impacted. Even if you are a lot stronger, carrying an extra 50lbs of muscle/fat is a lot of extra work for your heart, legs, lungs, etc.
4. Health reasons. Too much fat can be an indicator of poor health, negatively affecting your cardiovascular system.

In your case, probably only #1 really applies, so if you're starting to worry about your looks, consider cutting. Many people use a zig-zag pattern when lifting: alternating periods of bulking with periods of cutting every 8 weeks or so. I would recommend gradually easing into a cut, rather than a sudden lifestyle change. Monitor what you eat a little more, slowly cut back the calories/carbs a bit, keep the protein intake high. That alone may curb the extra fat without having to do a more hard core diet. Just keep in mind that during a cut, it's significantly harder to progress in your lifts. However, as long as you keep lifting heavy, you can at least prevent yourself from losing any muscle.

 

[KoolDrew]

When you're too fat for your liking.

Most people set a high and a low BF goal. Say between 10-15%. So when you reach 15%, it's time to cut. When you reach 10%, it's time to bulk.

 

[tidehigh]

i think its time when beach time begins. so, depending on your climate...