Bulk Or Cut...Can't Decide!

[Farrar]

I can’t decide whether to cut or bulk!

I am 41 years old, 5’10” tall, 208 pounds @ 18% BF. I finished my 3rd cycle about 2 months ago, which was 500mg Test Enanthate, 450mg Deca, and 400mg of Equipose weekly for 12 weeks. I had planned, if cutting, to follow a diet of 10 calories per pound on a 55/20/25 split of protein, carbs, and fat. I am currently eating 6-7 times per day with 3 meals being shakes and the other being a mixture of tuna, green beans, and mayo stirred together. Supper is usually grilled chicken and green beans.

I like the comments about getting big but have always been overweight. I started weight training and AS in March of 2002 at 232 pounds and 32% BF. I had thought that if I decided to bulk, I would use 750-1000mg of Test and 400-600mg of Deca. Calories would be 20 per pound on a 55/20/25 split of protein, carbs, and fat. If I decide to cut, diet would be 10 calories per pound on a 55/20/25 split of protein, carbs, and fat. AS would be around 500mg of Test with 200mg of Deca. The ONLY reason for the Deca is to soothe my aching joints. I was told that 200mg is sufficient for this. I would also restart my cardio 5 days per week, 3 miles on an elliptical runner in the a.m. at a 9-minute per mile pace. Weight training either way is 1 part per week, 5 days per week. I’m in the gym about 75 minutes each day.

Here is a link to my “before” and “after” pictures. BE WARNED: My “after” picture is probably not as good as most of your “before” pictures. http://www.rareredrock.com/me.htm

Thanks for the advice,

Farrar

[Hyperlite]

I'd say cut bro, get down to 12% or lower and then bulk. AWSOME transformation, btw.....

[THE JUICE]

just bulk up bro. Bulk up all u can man and then cut up. Thats what i would do. Just try it that way and if u dont like the bulk after teh cycle u can always change the diet and cut up. I mean as in getting as big as u can and then cutting up, and if u dont like the size lets say 230 cut, maybe going to 220 lean and mean would be cool.

[Farrar]

Yeah, it's starting to feel good when folks say, "Man-your getting big! Give me some of what you are taking!" I am still in 34" jeans but I have some small love handles and a little fat in the tits and I am assuming to get that off, I'd really have to get the BF down low.

Thanks for the help guys!

Farrar

[Lmg2701]

Ok bro listen to me on this one. You don't want to bulk unless your BF% is at least 12%. You may bulk and put on more size but with more size also comes more fat ( at least usually). The more you put on the more you'll have to take off. You should DEFINITELY CUT. About looking big, when your ripped you'll give off the illusion that your bigger than you are. When I cut down for competition last year I started dieting at 200lbs. I got down to 161 lbs. I looked a lot bigger at 161 than I did at around 190. Weight is just a mental thing. As for looks when it comes to size it can all be about illusion. I have a friend who is a shredded 160 that looks like he weighs 175 or 180. At 18% you really need to cut bro. A good diet with some cardio and clen should do you wonders.

[DiamondBling]

18% is high. If you were to bulk u will get over 20%. It will be harder to cut when u are at that percentage. You will look better if you cut down to 10-12 than if you were big at 20% bro.

[Drenten]

I’m old-school when it comes to bulking (actually, I’m old-school with pretty much everything ), when I bulk I put on a lot of weight - both muscle and fat.

I wouldn’t start a bulk cycle unless my body fat is very low to begin with. If I started a bulk cycle at close to 20% BF, by the time the cycle was finished my BF would be so far out that it would take me forever to get back down to a reasonable BF.

I would definitely get the BF down first.

[Farrar]

Thanks guys-I definately plan to lower the body fat.

I have a question about nutrition that I need explained before starting this next cycle. I have read that in order to add muscle, one must eat above their BMR with mine being about 2269 and calories needed per day at about 3700. My plans are to continue to lower my body fat and hopefully gain SOME muscle in the process. It seems that my strategy has worked so far in that my weight over the last 6-8 months has remained unchanged while my BF has continued to fall. I have done this on a plan of 12 calories per pound on a 55/20/25 split of protein, carbs, and fat. But, for the last 2-3 months, neither weight nor BF has changed. So, I plan to consume only 10 calories per pound on the same split. If I am eating less calories than needed to maintain AND consuming about 300 grams of protein daily along with the help of say, Test, Fina, and Deca, what would be the results? I have a problem with bulking at my current BF because I have always been grossly overweight, until now, and the fat is hard for me to get off.

Is it possible, especially at my age, to make some gains in muscle, and lower the BF? I know it would be a tightrope-walk at best. Or, should I just accept that I would make little or no gains in muscle until I can get the BF down. I too have seen some pictures of a guy who was my height and exact weight that lost about 13 pounds down to 188 BUT looked much bigger even though he added little or no muscle.

Secondly, if one IS cutting seems as though the levels of AS could be reduced as one is just trying to preserve the muscle they already have. Correct or not? I would do Test at 500mg/wk, Fina at 50mg/EOD, and 200-300mg of Deca for joint relief.

Thanks,

Farrar