Should You Cut Or Bulk First? – The Definitive Guide

You stand in front of the mirror. You aren't posing. You aren't picking yourself apart. Just trying to determine what you want to do next. Do I want to build more muscle or should I cut down? It isn't a dramatic moment. It is just a quiet one. But quietness can last a long time.

You scroll through transformation posts. You hear contradictory suggestions and advice. "You should cut first so you can see the muscle" or "you should bulk first so you have muscle to show". You sit somewhere in the middle, thinking, "what is right for me right now"? 

This isn't solely about appearance or how you want to look. This is how you feel inside of your body. In your clothes. Energy levels. Considering the phase of cutting or bulking is all about the direction that is most aligned to your goals, your metabolism, and your mindset.

If you associate to an unproductive phase (cutting or bulking) at the wrong time, then progress eludes you. When progress eludes, motivation wanes.

So, let's unpack the two phases of cutting and bulking, not with hype, not with formulas, but with clarity.

Also Read: Top Tips For Effective Bulking

First, Understand Your Starting Point

Before you bulk or cut, you'll need to be aware of where you're starting out. Not just physically - mentally, emotionally, and behaviourally as well.

Ask yourself:

• What is my body composition now?  

Are you carrying more fat than you would like? Do you feel lean - but lacking muscle definition? Are you somewhere in between, unsure of what "normal" is for your frame?

• How do I feel in my workouts?  

Are you lifting heavy and recovering well? Or do you feel more flat and tired, not fuelled enough? Are you missing out on sessions because your energy is low?

• What is my current relationship with food?  

Are you eating mindfully with balance and intention? Or are you tracking or restricting, binging, or emotional eating?  Do you have guilt around meals - or are you feeling free?

• Am I mentally prepared for a surplus or a deficit?

Because they both require disciplines, just in different ways. Cutting is restraint - bulking is trust. Are you ready to commit to either one?

This is not about perfection; this is about self-awareness. The more clearly you see your starting place, the more confidently you'll be able to decide on what your next phase should be. And the better chance you will have of sticking to it.

Also Read: How to Use Creatine For Cutting Vs Bulking?

Cut First: When You Need Clarity

Cutting isn’t all about being lean. It's about working to resetting your metabolism, insulin sensitivity and realizing there is a physique beneath all that fat.

It's about removing the noise, fat, inflammation, lethargy, so you can move, train and recover with far more precision.

Cut First If:

• You’re above 18 - 20% body fat (Men) or 25 - 30% (Women).
• You feel inflamed, fatigued, or sluggish and metabolically "stuck".
• You want to improve your health markers before you build.
• You have been bulking long, or you are feeling "soft", bloated.

Benefits of cutting

• Faster visual changes that boost motivation.
• Easier to track lean gains when bulking later.
• Improved hormonal balance, appetite regulation, and sleep quality.
• Cardiovascular health and joint comfort.

What to look out for: Cutting too aggressively can be a backfire because it often leads to fatigue, mood swings, poor recovery and potentially even muscle loss. Don't just reduce calories. Prioritize protein, resistance training, and sleep.

Pro Tip: Take a moderate deficit (15-20%) and be sure to monitor biofeedback on a weekly basis. Sleep, mood, libido, and training performance should also be monitored as these are your real markers of progress, not just scale weight.

Also Read: Bulking Vs Cutting – What’s The Difference?

Bulk First: When You’re Ready to Build

Bulking is not about eating anything and everything. It is about growth—feeding your body in order to acquire strength, shape and metabolic flexibility.

It is a phase where you train hard, recover fully and fuel generously. Not stupidly. Intentionally.

You should bulk if:

• You are lean and lack muscle mass
• You have been cutting for months and feel flat or weak
• You want to improve strength and training performance
• You are mentally prepared to watch the scale go up (and understand why)

Pros to bulking: • You will see muscle growth and strength gains • You will have greater energy and intensity in your workouts too • Your hormonal health (testosterone and thyroid) will improve for sure • Your mood, sleep quality and lifespan will all improve and so on.

What to avoid: No "dirty bulking". Don't overlook the potential to eat junk food under the guise of bulking. You want to be in a clean surplus, respectively, with whole foods, sensible portions, and an adequate training volume to accompany the increased intake.

Here's a pro tip: Aiming for a 250-500 calorie surplus is ideal, and tracking for lean mass gain month to month by progress pictures, strength gain indicators and waist measurements is important too. Don't rely entirely on the scale as the indicator of success; it serves as one of many tools.

Also Read: Which Is Better For Bulking – BCAA or Creatine?

Not Sure? Recomp May Be Your Answer

If you happen to be somewhere in the middle, with moderate fat but also lacking muscles, then body recomposition could be your best choice. It is slower but subtler. But it works. Especially if you are a novice, de-conditioned athlete, or somebody who prefers sustainability over speed, people who want to possibly gain muscle without gaining fat.

Recomp requires:

• A high protein intake (1.6-2.2g/kg of bodyweight)
• Training with progressive overload
• Sleep, stress management and consistency
• Faith and patience to ride the process out

Pro tip: Don’t worry about the scale. Focus on how your body feels and performs. Recomp is a long game, and one that favours consistency.

Also Read: Can I Take Both Mass Gainer & Whey Protein?

Still Confused? Try This:

Ask yourself: How do I want to feel in eight weeks? Stronger? Leaner? More energy? Whatever that feels like to you will dictate your phase.

Then ask: What phase most excites me right now? Motivation matters. If you are dreading a cut, you will sabotage the diet. If you are scared of a bulk, you will under eat and stall.

Choose the phase that is most in sync physiologically and psychologically with you. That is where progress lives. That is where the transformation happens.

The phase you choose today is the home you will live in tomorrow. Choose wisely. Train like it matters.

Progress does not come from guessing; it comes from choosing. So, choose your phase, and commit to it as if it matters. Because it does...

Also Read: Should You Take Mass Gainer Everyday?

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