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Is it possible to bulk up but lose my gut at the same time?

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psteng19

Diamond Member
I'm a slender guy (ectomorph by nature) and I've been trying to put on some pounds for the past year or so.
I've been doing fairly well, went from 130 to about 147-150 lbs currently (5'8") following a regimen of lifting 3-4 days a week and eating everything in sight.
I've packed on a bit of muscle, but at the same time gained a slight gut.

I'm still trying to gain muscle mass (to a lean 155ish), but would like to get my 6-pack back.
I've avoided cardio because I've heard that it will negate my bulking. Is there any truth to that?

As for my diet, I will be eating healthier and leaner with smaller meals spread throughout the day.
 
you are trying to do 2 opposite things at once. it IS possible to lose body fat while gaining muscle, but you will get much better results if you do one then the other.
 
So in other words, I have to bulk, then cut :disgust:

In the process of cutting, I'll probably lose some mass/weight.
So if I'm trying to maintain a weight of around 155, I should probably bulk to 160, then start cutting?
 
Originally posted by: purbeast0
you are trying to do 2 opposite things at once. it IS possible to lose body fat while gaining muscle, but you will get much better results if you do one then the other.
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purbeast0 is obviously right. however he does say you will get better results to do one, then the other. However it isn't impossible to do both. You won't "bulk up" so much trying to lose fat, but you can continue to get stronger and and some muscle mass while cutting fat. I've done both at the same time before but mostly because 1) I was just starting out so it's easy to add muscle and still slim down and 2) I was 20-22 years old. It is much harder when you are almost 30.
 
Originally posted by: TheNinja
Originally posted by: purbeast0
you are trying to do 2 opposite things at once. it IS possible to lose body fat while gaining muscle, but you will get much better results if you do one then the other.
Click to expand...

purbeast0 is obviously right. however he does say you will get better results to do one, then the other. However it isn't impossible to do both. You won't "bulk up" so much trying to lose fat, but you can continue to get stronger and and some muscle mass while cutting fat. I've done both at the same time before but mostly because 1) I was just starting out so it's easy to add muscle and still slim down and 2) I was 20-22 years old. It is much harder when you are almost 30.
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Heh yah.

When I first started lifting back in college, I was really skinny but I was ripped. I gained muscle and strength and I was getting very very lean.

The thing is, had I known what I was doing and cycled instead, my end results after 2 semesters would have been much better than they were.

Once I tried cycling, I definitely see more results than when I tried to do both at the same time.

Also like you, I did it when I first started lifting because my knowledge was very limited at that time. I was working out wrong for probably 2-3 years before I started actually doing it properly and saw so much more of gains when I did it properly.

And pstend, yes you WILL lose some mass when you cut. that is just a fact of life. I'm cutting now and have lost probably 8 or so lbs, and I would say some of that has to be muscle. But the thing is, since I'm losing fat, the muscle definition shows more giving the more cut look, so the tradeoff is worth it IMO. also, my strength hasn't gone down at all since I've started cutting and some strength has gone up. As long as I don't start losing strength in my exercises, I will continue to cut through the summer time. But if I start to lose my strength, then I will stop trying to cut.
 
Everyone else pretty much nailed it. Absolute beginners, those with exceptional genetics, and drug users are probably the only ones who will have much luck building significant amounts of muscle while simultaneously losing a noticeable amount of bodyfat.

Most people would be much better served by picking one goal and sticking to it for a period of time. You will gain some fat while bulking, and you will probably lose some muscle while cutting. They key is to not go too far over your maintenance calories when bulking, and to not go too far under them when cutting. This will minimize the fat gained when bulking, and the muscle lost when cutting. Having a strict diet helps as well.

You have to be very patient. Body recomposition takes months and even years to see measureable results.
 
Originally posted by: SVT Cobra
The not doing cardio thing is the stupidest thing you have ever heard.
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lol, agreed. Heck, I'm probably around 10% bodyfat and I still do cardio even though I'm purely trying to gain weight. It helps with overall health anyways.
 
I've done at least three times in the past. went from 155 to 170lbs in a year. I was lean to begin with. I ended up at 175 a little more defined than when I started, and obviously with more muscle. I can't speak to whether or not going on bulk/cut cycles work better since I've never tried it. Over the past seven years I've periodically gotten out of shape, and started working out again. I always lift and run, bike, or play bball. I stop if I get to 170 usually, and if I'm not as lean as I want to be I continue with cardio and clean up my diet or ease off on lifting. I don't want to look like a meathead (I'm 5'11").
 
Just bulk but eat right and everything. Your body will look a lot better already. Fat/sugar are detrimental to both your energy and your body's shape in general.

If you're really fat now then you might just have to cut for awhile beforehand. Otherwise you can kinda just ease into it slowly. That's just my experience. Obviously you're not fat at all, really all you need to do now is eat the right things, assuming you aren't already (which I'd guess may be the reason why you have a gut). I've never been able to keep up being perfectly fit so I just do something I can keep up with, which is eating reasonably well even if I have a slight gut, at least there's bulk underneath. 😛
 
Originally posted by: KingGheedora
I've done at least three times in the past. went from 155 to 170lbs in a year. I was lean to begin with. I ended up at 175 a little more defined than when I started, and obviously with more muscle. I can't speak to whether or not going on bulk/cut cycles work better since I've never tried it. Over the past seven years I've periodically gotten out of shape, and started working out again. I always lift and run, bike, or play bball. I stop if I get to 170 usually, and if I'm not as lean as I want to be I continue with cardio and clean up my diet or ease off on lifting. I don't want to look like a meathead (I'm 5'11").
Click to expand...

Don't worry you won't. Muscle isn't built by accident.
 
Trying to do both is slow going and not as effective, plus the lack of results may be discouraging and cause you fall of the wagon completely. And you should continue lifting when you cut, to help hang on to some of your muscle.

Cardio only negates your bulk in the sense that it burns calories and reduces what can get laid down as muscle/fat. You can easily eat more to compensate, while getting the benefits of cardiovascular exercise.

diet down to ~10% BF
bulk to ~15% BF
repeat

Text
 
Originally posted by: Special K
Originally posted by: KingGheedora
I've done at least three times in the past. went from 155 to 170lbs in a year. I was lean to begin with. I ended up at 175 a little more defined than when I started, and obviously with more muscle. I can't speak to whether or not going on bulk/cut cycles work better since I've never tried it. Over the past seven years I've periodically gotten out of shape, and started working out again. I always lift and run, bike, or play bball. I stop if I get to 170 usually, and if I'm not as lean as I want to be I continue with cardio and clean up my diet or ease off on lifting. I don't want to look like a meathead (I'm 5'11").
Click to expand...

Don't worry you won't. Muscle isn't built by accident.
Click to expand...

I know I won't, because I stop lifting, and clean up my diet once I get to 170.
 
Originally posted by: KingGheedora
Originally posted by: Special K
Originally posted by: KingGheedora
I've done at least three times in the past. went from 155 to 170lbs in a year. I was lean to begin with. I ended up at 175 a little more defined than when I started, and obviously with more muscle. I can't speak to whether or not going on bulk/cut cycles work better since I've never tried it. Over the past seven years I've periodically gotten out of shape, and started working out again. I always lift and run, bike, or play bball. I stop if I get to 170 usually, and if I'm not as lean as I want to be I continue with cardio and clean up my diet or ease off on lifting. I don't want to look like a meathead (I'm 5'11").
Click to expand...

Don't worry you won't. Muscle isn't built by accident.
Click to expand...

I know I won't, because I stop lifting, and clean up my diet once I get to 170.
Click to expand...

Well I'm not sure what you consider a "meathead", but I'm just saying people don't get to look like the pro bodybuilders by accident.

You just made it sound like you would wake up looking like that one day if you weren't careful about your diet, and I was pointing out that it takes years of dedication and most likely drug use to attain a physique like that. Most people's genetics won't allow them to look like that no matter what they do.

Sorry for the rant, it just bugs me when people don't want to lift or eat more because they are afraid of getting "too big", which just does not happen by accident. If you don't strongly desire to get big, then you won't, end of story.

</rant>
 
Originally posted by: Special K
Originally posted by: KingGheedora
Originally posted by: Special K
Originally posted by: KingGheedora
I've done at least three times in the past. went from 155 to 170lbs in a year. I was lean to begin with. I ended up at 175 a little more defined than when I started, and obviously with more muscle. I can't speak to whether or not going on bulk/cut cycles work better since I've never tried it. Over the past seven years I've periodically gotten out of shape, and started working out again. I always lift and run, bike, or play bball. I stop if I get to 170 usually, and if I'm not as lean as I want to be I continue with cardio and clean up my diet or ease off on lifting. I don't want to look like a meathead (I'm 5'11").
Click to expand...

Don't worry you won't. Muscle isn't built by accident.
Click to expand...

I know I won't, because I stop lifting, and clean up my diet once I get to 170.
Click to expand...

Well I'm not sure what you consider a "meathead", but I'm just saying people don't get to look like the pro bodybuilders by accident.

You just made it sound like you would wake up looking like that one day if you weren't careful about your diet, and I was pointing out that it takes years of dedication and most likely drug use to attain a physique like that. Most people's genetics won't allow them to look like that no matter what they do.

Sorry for the rant, it just bugs me when people don't want to lift or eat more because they are afraid of getting "too big", which just does not happen by accident. If you don't strongly desire to get big, then you won't, end of story.

</rant>
Click to expand...

you are exactly right. i think when most people say "i don't lift heavy b/c I don't want to get too big" or say "i stop lifting when I get xxx lbs b/c I don't want to be huge" are either just lazy and they are trying to convince themselves that it is OK if they don't lift weights, or they have no clue what it really takes to "get huge".
 
Originally posted by: KingGheedora
Originally posted by: Special K
Originally posted by: KingGheedora
I've done at least three times in the past. went from 155 to 170lbs in a year. I was lean to begin with. I ended up at 175 a little more defined than when I started, and obviously with more muscle. I can't speak to whether or not going on bulk/cut cycles work better since I've never tried it. Over the past seven years I've periodically gotten out of shape, and started working out again. I always lift and run, bike, or play bball. I stop if I get to 170 usually, and if I'm not as lean as I want to be I continue with cardio and clean up my diet or ease off on lifting. I don't want to look like a meathead (I'm 5'11").
Click to expand...

Don't worry you won't. Muscle isn't built by accident.
Click to expand...

I know I won't, because I stop lifting, and clean up my diet once I get to 170.
Click to expand...

Haha, ok. 170 at 5'11" is pretty far from what would be considered a "meathead".
 
Isn't muscle loss when losing weight a sign of a protein deficiency. As long as your protein intake matches what you need, you should be able to do both at the same time. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, or hell, ask a nutritionist.
 
Originally posted by: SVT Cobra
The not doing cardio thing is the stupidest thing you have ever heard.
Click to expand...

No doubt.

Originally posted by: Special K
You have to be very patient. Body recomposition takes months and even years to see measureable results.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:*100

Originally posted by: KingGheedora
I know I won't, because I stop lifting, and clean up my diet once I get to 170.
Click to expand...

No. You clean up your diet and keep lifting/training once you reach your ideal weight. That keeps you lean and mean. The "meatheads" are the guys who stopped training. Otherwise, unless you got some wierd genetic trait, you're not gonna end up looking like a pro bodybuilder by accident, like SpecialK said.
 
Originally posted by: skace
Isn't muscle loss when losing weight a sign of a protein deficiency. As long as your protein intake matches what you need, you should be able to do both at the same time. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, or hell, ask a nutritionist.
Click to expand...

It's not that simple. When your body is in a caloric deficit, it may still decide to pull energy from your muscles even if you are getting sufficient protein. Keeping the protein intake high helps, but it's not going to completely eliminate the possibility of your body using muscle as energy.

The best things you can do during a cut are keeping the protein intake high and making gradual reductions in overall calories. Avoid sudden drops and avoid going too far below your maintenance. Some people also like to throw in a "refeed" day in which they will eat at or above maintenance for a single day.
 
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