Bulking Vs Cutting- Which Is Best for Muscle Growth? [A Complete Guide]

Bulking vs Cutting—How to get started?

Everyone wants to look muscular and ripped. These two workout phases determine how you are going to look.

However, the most difficult hurdle to cross is what to do first.

Bodybuilders and athletes tend to bulk up and later enter the cutting phase to prepare for a competition. An average person doesn’t require cutting or bulking.

Here’s a bit of detail

• Bulking – includes a calorie surplus diet to gain muscle during the offseason. The goal is to look muscular.
• Cutting – involves a calorie-deficient diet to trim flabs and muscle usually during the competition season. The goal is to rip off muscles for perfectly developed abs.

For top performance, the leading bodybuilders involve these workouts routine to meet their goals. An average person doesn’t need them.

Today, we’ve discussed everything about bulking and the cutting cycle.

Let’s start with beginners’ needs…

Bulking and Cutting for Beginners

When it comes to cutting and bulking, beginners shouldn’t focus on drastic results. Usually, bodybuilders and athletes have separate time for cutting after bulking.

There is no predetermined time for cutting vs bulking in general. In a six-week time, one weight lifter or bodybuilder focuses on adding 10 to 30 pounds.

However, the plan and the ultimate goal for each individual vary depending on their initial weight and other factors.

This includes the differences in

• Body types
• Genetics
• Metabolisms
• Potential health imbalances (insulin, hormone, etc.)

Plus, your diet and lifestyle. This plays a determining role in the final fat-muscle ratio in your body.

When it comes to entering bulking cycle, there are various ways to do it… This includes

• Clean bulk – relying on a healthy food diet, eating “clean”
• Dirty bulk – having anything you want, junk or processed foods
• Fast bulk – working quickly to bulk up
• Lean bulk – eating to remain lean while trying to bulk up in muscle
• Permabulk – nonstop bulking without switching to the cutting phase
• Slow bulk – slow bulking over time

For proper bulking, it is necessary to go slow and clean. It is challenging to determine the end bulk-up.

Thus, it is advisable to go slow and gain over time.

It is more important to rely on a healthy diet than consuming anything. This limits the amount of body fat during the bulking cycle.

In fact, the amount of body fat and muscle has vital importance on the end results. Have a glance over the science behind cutting and bulking.

How do Bulking and Cutting Affect the Body? 

People often misunderstand bulking phase as the eating phase, but it involves workouts as well.

For some, this means more workouts than usual. In contrast, for others, it means a less restrictive and demanding schedule.

Again, bulking vs cutting vs shredding is more individualized according to person and goals.

In muscle building cycle, your body has to grow the size of each muscle cell. For this goal, the satellite cells combine with muscle fibers to provide nuclei to the muscle cells.

The more nuclei, the greater muscle hypertrophy.

More nuclei = greater muscle hypertrophy (growth).

While you are gaining muscles, you are gaining fat as well. As body fat elevates, the number of fat cells increases in your body.

And when you enter the cutting phase, the number of fat cells doesn’t go down. This creates a huge problem during the cutting cycle.

Obviously, this makes it harder to lose body fat. On the other hand, some struggle with the low-calorie diet during a cutting cycle.

Some completely disturb the cutting phase, if they are on dirty bulking.

For these factors and others, may think that cutting and bulking is a myth.

Most believe you don’t necessarily need to know how to cut after bulking. Instead, some experts recommend doing both at the same time.

Bulking and Cutting at the Same Time

Yes, you can cut and bulk at the same. Particularly, it is suitable for beginners.

It is the answer to the question, what’s best—bulking then cutting or cutting then bulking?

First, keep these factors in your head, when getting results on both phases…

• The muscle loss rate would differ from the fat loss rate
• You can’t replace the amount of muscle as you lose fat
• Fat loss will be faster than muscle gain

If you want sustainable fitness results, it is necessary to have proper timelines with goals. Usually, it takes months to jack up even five pounds of muscle.

In general, people prefer bulking and then cutting. While others prefer doing them at the same time as they think it offers better results.

We recommend you enter the bulking vs cutting phases smartly to reach your goals.

Bulking vs Cutting In Females

Women can achieve maximum advantages from bulking and cutting, depending on their goals.

For most females, bulking season is harder than cutting season. Obviously, societal pressure plays a determining role.

It doesn’t matter what your body type and shape is you are ought to the thin. Also, females are much more critical of their figure and body fat.

For women, it is important to rely on clean bulking.

There is no alternative to bulk up without gaining some fat. However, a healthier diet minimizes your fat storage.

Also, men gain muscle fast and easily compared to women. This is mainly because of higher testosterone levels. So, bulking phase for females tends to last longer than anticipation.

Having enough time for muscle gain before cutting helps you get through the bulking season. While in cutting season, you are going to lose some muscles along with fat for toning abs.

After discussing Bulking vs Cutting in females, let’s have comprehensive readings of the diet required to be followed.

Bulking and Cutting Diet

Whether you are bulking or cutting, your diet differs according to your fitness goals.

Regardless of your final goal, your diet should involve adequate protein to support your final goals.

With age, humans naturally lose skeletal muscle protein. Also, it occurs due to inactivity, when the muscle atrophies begin to break down.

To prevent these issues and boost muscle growth, it is important to include more protein in the diet.

Certainly, this is why experts recommend high-protein post-workout drinks.

For a very long time, whey protein has been the go-to option to support muscle repairs and regeneration.

Bulking Diet

For getting more muscle and the least fat, it is necessary you go for clean bulk for best results.

Generally, beginners have the advantages to gain bigger muscles faster than pros. Still, don’t expect to gain more than a pound of lean muscle a month. For a seasoned lifter, the amount is even lesser.

Usually, while bulking up, people end up eating too many calories adding too much body fat than muscles. It is better to have an initial understanding of the number of additional calories to intake.

The knowledge of minimum allowed calories gives you a starting point. Also, it is what will fulfill your varying energy requirements.

Typically, you have to take 250 – 500 additional calories during a bulking cycle. The basic is to start from the bottom line and afterward reach the upper end.

During Bulking Diet, make sure

• Taking sufficient protein to rebuild your muscles and boost growth
• Have adequate carbs and fat to deliver your energy
• Don’t fail to recall fueling appropriately post-workout
• Get adequate sleep to aid muscle recovery and rebuild

Cutting Diet

As in bulking, you require to eat clean in the cutting cycle as well.

Your diet switches to calorie-deficient mode, while you need to make sure your macros remain in check. So, you don’t encounter an energy crash.

Keep your fat intake more up to 30% of your entire diet. This helps keep your hormone level in control, while your body utilizes body fat as fuel.

Also, ensure your carbs and protein intake are in the good zone as in the bulking cycle.

Obviously, in this workout mode, you have to keep your body fueled so that it delivers desirable results.

Your improper calorie-deficient diet can cause

• Nausea
• Faint
• Injuries during workout
• Reduce testosterone levels
• Lead to energy imbalance
• Affect metabolism

These were the keys to a bodybuilding diet plan for cutting and bulking. Either case involves concern for the right diet.

What matters most is bulking vs cutting calories, so make sure to have a detailed tailored diet plan through your nutritionist or trainer.

Bulking vs Cutting Workout Plan

Your workout routine varies according to your cycle. Comparatively, your diet plays a vital role. However, without working out properly, you can’t bulk or cut.

It is exercises that help your build muscle and help you cut flabs to provide the final results.

We will look at the Bulking and Cutting Workout Plan…

Bulking Workout Plan

During the bulking phase, you have to focus more on weight lifting than cardio.

Of course, the ultimate goals are to jack up mega muscle mass. Also, you can take benefit of the body fat you are adding to the muscle.

Indeed, the chances of more muscle building are higher with more body fat, than lower body fat.

Obviously, you are putting your time and efforts to get results not to end up failing. Thus, involve enough numbers of reps and sets.

Cardio shouldn’t be your main concern. This doesn’t mean you should overshadow it.

Cardio limits body fat increase, while you are concentrating on strength training to measure bulking.

Still, think about changing between steady-state cardio and HIIT.  HIIT requires lesser time and provides better results. At least perform 2 days a week for cardio.

Women who are new should consider a beginner’s bodybuilding program than the general one in the fitness world.

Regardless of your weekly workout plan, make sure to rest for a full day. This is necessary for muscle recovery and growth.

Your bulking workout plan should include

• At least 3 days of weightlifting
• Rigorous workouts
• Preference Weight lifting over cardio
• Adequate numbers of reps and sets
• Perform cardio twice a week
• Rest for a whole day

Cutting Workout Plan

Your workout plan changes completely along with your diet, once you enter the cutting cycle.

Later, you had an entire focus on lifting to jack up muscles and gain strength. Now, it’s time to cut down all the unnecessary flabs.

So, your cutting workout plan relies more on cardio and less on weight lifting. Also, go for lighter weights and more rest on weight-lifting days. Don’t have more than 3 days for weight lifting.

For cardio, you have to spend 3 to 5 days depending on the target fat loss. HIIT cardio will offer better results than steady-state training.

Why HIIT is better than steady-state cardio

• It is more challenging
• Requires lesser time
• Increases resting metabolic rate for longer periods of time
• Burns more calories than in steady-state cardio
• Provides better results

On top of that, HIIT increases your testosterone level. Ultimately, it helps in bulking muscles even while you are cutting.

If you prefer steady-state cardio, make sure it is present each week in your workout calendar.

Your diet and workout plans should be different than others. It should rely on your goals and your physical specification for better results.

• Begin with a realistic timeline and focus on specific body fat areas.
• Target no more than 1% of body weight. Realistically, a half percent is more desirable.
• Keep in your mind, cutting takes a longer time than bulking. Particularly, if you had jacked up more fats during a bulking cycle.

Besides, bulking vs cutting workout plans, other factors have crucial roles underplay. Next, we’ve shared essential points related to bulking season vs cutting season.

Bulking vs Cutting – Things to Consider Before

If you are ready to achieve your fitness goals using bulking vs cutting season, you need to look at other aspects as well.

#1: Food Is Fuel

Relying on healthier food options fuels your body appropriately in both cycles to help get results.

A cheat day is permissible. However, dirty bulking isn’t preferable. It may help you bulk up quickly, but it ends up getting more fat in your body.

Thus, it makes it harder to achieve cutting goals. In either cycle, it is important to fuel your body with healthier options.

#2: Appetite While Cutting

When switching from bulking to cutting, your calorie-surplus diet changes to a calorie-deficient diet.

The reduction in calories makes it harder to transit. Thus, be prepared beforehand, you enter the cutting season.

Involving appetite-suppressing foods or filling foods, helps you go with the excessive appetite.

#3: Ready to Face Mental and Physical Challenges

Cutting and bulking aren’t just about physical changes. In fact, these can make you go through a turmoil of mental and emotional challenges as well.

Your body requires much time to adapt to the new model as you change things.

So, be kind to yourself and give yourself sufficient time to go through them.

#4: Plan, Plan, Plan

Whether bulking or cutting, you are to spend months of your life on these fitness goals.

Thus, the only way to achieve your goals is by planning. Have a properly planned diet that you can comply with in the long run.

Also, have a properly planned workout routine you are comfortable with. Also, keep bringing variation in your workouts to avoid boredom.

#5: Inspiration and Motivation Matter

Inspiration keeps you motivated. And motivation is necessary for long-term fitness goals. Thus, google fitness quotes, and paste them around your place, walls, desk, and in your room.

This will help you keep your motivation up and also help in sticking with your goals. Also, start listening to your favorite podcast in your free time for additional motivation.

If you want to bulk or cut, the only way to achieve the result is by going through it.

One of the helpful ways is to find an accountability partner, who can keep checking your progress and keeps providing an extra shot of motivation.

Supplements for Bulking and Cutting

The phase of bulking and cutting both require dedication, balanced caloric intake as well as fulfilled nutritional goods.

But sometimes due to being consistently active in the gym, the bulking or cutting phase diet missed the platter of nutrients.

Therefore, in order to keep the overall nutritional intake in check, fitness enthusiasts opt for a supplement to balance out it.

1: D-Bal Max – Supplement for Bulking

D-Bal Max is one of the popular supplements that most bodybuilders mentioned about. They assure that it’s the perfect Dianabol alternative that mimics all the positive sides of the steroid without negatively impacting health. 

The combination of natural ingredients makes it perfect to boost protein synthesis, increase nitrogen retention, and promote muscle growth.

As per Dbal Max reviews, the supplement is the anabolic kickstart that helps skinny people to gain weight and supports bulking cycle.  Dbal max photos shared by users will provide you with the relevant information that you need to know to decide whether the muscle booster is effective or not. 

The manufacturer ensures the effectiveness to help athletes and bodybuilders gain muscle mass and strength.

Some of the key benefits of incorporating D-Bal Max in the diet include:

• D-⁠Bal Max lets you lift more weight and repeat more reps
• Support natural growth hormone release
• Burn fat incredibly
• Elevated Energy
• Reduced Muscle Soreness
• Increased Metabolism

These are some of the adhering benefits users will attain by incorporating D-Bal Max with an active diet and workout routine. Also, being a safe and legit dbol alternative, D-Bal Max reaps all of its benefits like accelerated muscle growth, increased strength⁠, and optimized recovery⁠.

Plus, unlike Dianabol, you don’t need any prescription to buy this supplement to enhance your gains.

So, what are you waiting for, start your journey with one of the best supplements for bulking. 

Not just in bulking phase but to get enhanced edges you also need to employ cutting supplements too. 

2: Instant Knockout – Best Cutting Supplement

Cutting is a phase where an individual wants to shed excess fat from the body while preserving muscle mass.

Instant Knockout does the exact same by enhancing the process of thermogenesis.

The product is specially formulated to help MMA fighters and boxers quickly burn fat right after their off-season. With giving a kick-start to your sluggish metabolism Instant Knockout has a lot to promise. 

The approach of natural ingredients and speedy results makes it a one-stop solution to get firm and sculptured shoulders.

Awesome and flawless ‘six pack’ is no more a dream with Instant Knockout.

Some of the added benefits Instant Knockout offer for cutting include:

• Boosted Metabolism
• Elevated energy
• Preserves muscle mass
• Raises metabolism 
• Enhances fat oxidation process
• Promote Thermogenesis 
• Burn off Fat 

Every capsule of Instant Knockout delivers a perfect combo of ultra-powerful fat-burning heavyweights.

The manufacturer promises users to get ripped and defined arms along with shredded and carved legs to own a well-sculpted physique. 

The optimal dosage of each and every ingredient and scientifically proven formula makes it a safe and natural approach to give a try.

Even, the before and after reviews of trusted users reveal the benefits of this top-notch fat-cutting formula. To reap all the benefits sometimes users get confused about Instant Knockout where to buy so we suggest visit to their official page to get authentic deals. 

This is all about the supplements you can prefer to get bulking and cutting for better results.

Final Thoughts

Everyone wonders the same. However, both workout phases have their own importance. Also, it’s impossible to deny that the rage between Lean vs Bulky muscles is not new.  

Both body type and physique have a separate fan base and individual groups follow up with their respective zone. 

Well, cutting and bulking are mainly determining decisions for pro weightlifters and bodybuilders. Specifically, when they are to participate in some events and competitions.

In general, cutting and bulking don’t have bigger importance for the average fitness level. Thus, experts recommend doing both at the same time.

However, while cutting zone individuals have to be more cautious about their caloric intake and their workout regime. And, for bulking the added calorie along with supplements to grow muscle like insane is also needed. 

Just make sure your diet and workout plans are in the right place to get ample results.