How do you know if you should cut or bulk? Assume a starting point of 20 lbs extra body fat but not much muscle

>>76382159 (OP)
starting point? you are starting?

you 100% should not bulk.. cut down see what you look like in decent shape, add some muscle and dedicate yourself to this.. i've browsed forums and threads too much to see a new lifter bulk off the bat and do it terribly or lose faith after 3-4 months and they just wind up being fat in the end.

just clean up the diet and find a basic program then check back in 3-4 months

Nigga just lift and eat healthy for the first months like the nigger above suggests, this is coming from someone who did the full retard bulk at ages 17-19 with zero regrets

This sounds familiar

cut till you see leanness + abs
bulk when you see those

I just bulk until I start to hate the way I look. Usually ends up around 5'11 190 for me.

>>76382159 (OP)
do you see your abs without flexing?
no?
then you're fat

>>76383434
Calm down greg

>>76383386
How would you fix this?

>>76382159 (OP)
realistically almost nobody "should" bulk. Of course if your goal is powerlifting and no weight limit then i guess go for it, but anyone whose goal is to "look good" should generally cut.

If you think you have 20lbs of extra bodyfat, you probably have actually atleast 40lbs if not more until you would be lean enough to have abs. when you start loosing your abs, your bulk has gone too far. Most people (like 99,99999%) have never even seen their abs. People are generally 25-30% bodyfat and there is no reason to go above 15% if you are interested in building muscle and looking good. almost everybody should go on a 6 month cut at minimum and even that would usually not be enough because you never just perfectly execute it.

ideally you should cut to 10-12%, then bulk till 14-15% and rinse and repeat. And this "cycle" should not be done in 1-2 months, your bulk from 10% to 15% should and could last for 1-2 years. then when you are ready to get shredded again, you cut for few months and your back to visible abs.

t. 12 years of lifting

>>76384194
I’m going to use your post as an actual game plan. Will report back in one year. Thank you

>>76383386
Lanky weak twinks aids patient cope

>>76384194
Do you think I should/could bulk? I’d really love to develop my chest because it’s gotta be my weakest point.

>>76385015

Unironically just 'maintain' and focus more on chest work
If your other muscles are this developed and your chest is so far behind its likely genetics unless you literally didn't do any chestwork

>>76385045
Don’t fall for the tits meme, anon. You will look 100% better that everyone else even in clothes.

>>76382159 (OP)
Are you unhappy with how fat you look? Cut.
Do you not look too fat and you want to grow muscle? Bulk.
That simple.

>>76385196
>>76385198
Thanks, I guess that’s what I will do. I had a really bad technique for a long time because I didn’t really understand how chest muscles work and I would never retract my shoulder blades etc.

>>76382159 (OP)
Is bulking above 20% bf overdoing it?

>>76383447
>>76383434
He's right though. They don't have to be chiseled while you're relaxed but if you can't see the outline of your abs without flexing than your fat.

>>76386986
>>76383434
>>76383447
>>76384194
I'm flexing in this pic at 5'6 140lbs but I still feel like I'm fat because I can see the fat rolls when I sit down and lovehandles, losing weight at this point is really hard because I need to eat a whooping 1200cal diet on top of lifting and doing cardio 6x/week.

I'm pretty sure I'd need to be around 55-60kg so another 10-15lbs loss to be completely shredded and not have to flex my abs for it to show.

>>76382159 (OP)
If you can’t see your muscle insertions when flexing you need to cut