Bulking vs Cutting - When to Gain Muscle or Lose Fat

Bulking vs Cutting - What Should You Be Doing?

If you’re training consistently, you’ve probably heard of bulking and cutting.

What Is Bulking?

Bulking involves eating in a calorie surplus to build muscle.

What Is Cutting?

Cutting involves eating in a calorie deficit to lose fat while maintaining muscle.

What Research Suggests

A controlled surplus leads to better muscle gain, while a moderate deficit helps preserve muscle during fat loss (Helms et al., 2014).

Which One Should You Choose?

• Beginner → focus on building muscle
• Higher body fat → start with a cut
• Intermediate → alternate phases

Common Mistakes

• Bulking too aggressively → excess fat gain
• Cutting too hard → muscle loss
• Switching phases too often

Consistency Is Key

Your routine should feel sustainable. Having go-to outfits like oversized hoodies and gym-ready joggers helps maintain consistency whether you’re bulking or cutting.

To summarise

Choose your phase based on your goal - and commit to it long enough to see results.