Thread: Cut or bulk

So I started skinny fat and started training (properly) about a year ago. Been completely disciplined following progressive overload and eating to grow. I'm carrying excess fat as I decided to focus on muscle growth first rather than cut as I had nothing to cut too. I'm deciding whether to carry on bulking for another 6 month to get more muscle on or whether I would look decent enough to cut now? I'm currently 198lbs and think if I dropped to about 170 then that would put me at about 12 percent bf? Correct me if I'm wrong. Or should I keep slowly bulking to 210lbs and then I could maybe cut to 180lbs from then. My question isn't whether I'm carrying excess fat, it is whether I should look at the bigger picture and continue gaining muscle because I would not be happy if I'm going to cut and look skinny at the end of it. Current lifts are 190lbs bench x5, back squat 270 x5, ohp 135 x 5 , good mornings 250 x 8.
Current pics
http://imgur.com/a/kaTD3S3

Originally Posted by EiFit91

If you don't want to cut you can focus on muscle growth, but I don't think it's necessary to overfeed at your size. You could probably progress on maintenance calories as well.

It's just a guessing game at this point where you would end up at 12%, but for most people it's going to be lower than their initial estimate. I think you will look decent after a cut, you have good mass on your shoulders and back. Whether you will personally be happy is a different question though...

Thanks for the reply mate I appreciate it. You've got me leaning towards a cut to be honest and finding out how much lbm I actually do have. It's the mind f**k of cutting where I'll see myself getting smaller and I'll doubt my decision lol. As for your comment on my shoulders and back, that means a lot because ive put an emphasis on them (especially my back) and they're the exercises I'm strongest on so it means it has paid off

Originally Posted by EiFit91

One possible compromise may be to do a slow recomp, just losing very slowly to the point of almost not noticing you are in a deficit. I am currently doing that as I struggle with maintaining anything else than a small deficit these days... the drawback is that it will take a lot more time than cutting.

I think that's what I'll do. I'll start in a very small deficit and see if I can still add to my lifts. If I can't I'll make the deficit slightly bigger and just try maintain my lifts. You've got great definition in your back by the way mate