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What % BF should I stop "cutting" at?

C0rk

C0rk

Member
This is probably more of a subjective question but...

I'm currently on the following routine:

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where I'm simply trying to look good. I'm @ 17% BF and am 1 week into a 4 week diet (may prolong to 6 weeks) wear I'm trying to lose fat.

At what point would it be more beneficial to start my first "bulk" ever? Should I simply wait until I'm happy with what I see in the mirror? I'm mainly worried that I'm neglecting putting on the lean muscle it would take to make my chest bigger, my traps stand out, and simply build up overall strength, so that there may be a point where losing weight would hinder, rather than help, the overall cause of building a better body.
 
Really theres no good answer. Whats your goal looks/bodyfat/strength etc wise? You have to look at building a better body as a long term commitment, so although possibly loosing fat down to where you have the overall look you want may hinder in the short term you adding muscle, in the long term it won't matter (as from the looks of it, you could be done with fat loss in the span of just 2-3 months)
 
Definitely a subjective question, and like Easy said it depends on your goals. If you want to look cut for summer/the beach, you might want to try and get down to 10%, but like you said that might take a while and you might not have the muscle to show off. Perhaps cut down to 13 or 14% and try and recomp; you can stay at the bf % and not put on fat while adding muscle if you're careful.
 
I saw this thread:

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and I'm even more concerned about my current weight-loss routine. I would love to look like that 15% pic, at least for now, but I know if I lost 2% more BF (which is approx 4 more lbs), I wouldn't be close to looking like that, due to the difference in muscle mass between myself and the guy in the picture.

In theory, if I were to meet my goal of 160 lbs, at least maintaining my current lean muscle, I would be around 13.4% BF. Perhaps once I take new pics then, I'll have a better idea...
 
Steveoph said:
Definitely a subjective question, and like Easy said it depends on your goals. If you want to look cut for summer/the beach, you might want to try and get down to 10%, but like you said that might take a while and you might not have the muscle to show off. Perhaps cut down to 13 or 14% and try and recomp; you can stay at the bf % and not put on fat while adding muscle if you're careful.
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Recomp?

I should probably do a search of the forums for that term, but if you still have a sec, can you explain what that is? Is it simply adding LBM w/o adding fat?
 
see the trick is, you can @ 2lbs a week get to that bodyfat goal (maybe) in just 2 months. I'm guessing that guy has about 20-30lbs of muscle over you, which could take 2 years to add. So its better to reach the lean point, and then be better able to evaluate it all.

I kind of think from your pictures you may be a little higher than what you got, maybe 19%. Either way, 10lbs from now you will get a much better idea of it. Also interesting is that you will look bigger as you get into the lower bodyfat levels, even tho you are actually smaller. The increased definition also increases visual contrast from area to area, so you may be surprised
 
recomp is "recomposing" - basic goal being to add lean mass at more or less the same rate you are loosing fat. so to stay at or near the same scale weight, while improving your bf %
 
C0rk said:
Recomp?

I should probably do a search of the forums for that term, but if you still have a sec, can you explain what that is? Is it simply adding LBM w/o adding fat?
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Recomp refers to the act of building lean mass and losing fat simultaneously. If you are new to body building then there is a good chance you can recomp without too much trouble because beginners tend to put on LBM (lean body mass) pretty easily for the first few weeks of training.
 
EasyEJL said:
see the trick is, you can @ 2lbs a week I kind of think from your pictures you may be a little higher than what you got, maybe 19%. Either way, 10lbs from now you will get a much better idea of it. Also interesting is that you will look bigger as you get into the lower bodyfat levels, even tho you are actually smaller. The increased definition also increases visual contrast from area to area, so you may be surprised
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If you read my daily log, you'll see that I thought I was actually @ 25%. I was surprised when:

a) The trainer's guess, when I first walked it, was that I was 17%
b) The hand-grip impedance thing said 16.9%
c) The 3-point caliper measurements said I was 17%

I was actually kind of disappointed because I was hoping I was higher, if only because it would be easier to lose, haha.
 
So perhaps it is better for me to "recomp" instead of cut?

I wouldn't say I'm a beginner, meaning I'm not a noob to a weight room. I'm just very inconsistent, going to the gym 3x week for a few months, then not going @ all, back and forth. Still, I think the fact that my BF is moderately high, coupled with my lack of strength (compared to my all-time peaks) would mean that I could probably do both @ a time (ie recomp)

Thoughts on this idea?

Also, I haven't done a search on a recomp yet, but my initial thoughts on a routine change would be change the circuit training to a more traditional workout and up the carbs (ie add oats/whole wheat) in the diet.
 
really the fat amount you are looking to loose is so low, i'd do that first. Seriously its not too hard to dump 10lbs in 4 weeks with 9+ of it being fat and less than a pound of muscle.

concentrating on recomping will slow down how long it takes to get to abs visible. If you were at 25 or 30%, recomping makes some more sense as its a long journey either way.

if you get to the leanness and definition you want first, when you start to try and bulk you will be MUCH better able to tell the difference of when you are starting to add fat instead of muscle. At 10% bodyfat, gaining 2 lbs of muscle with 1 pound of fat would make a noticeable definition difference for the worse, at your current bodyfat you wouldn't be able to tell for sure (as the definition isn't that high).
 
EasyEJL said:
really the fat amount you are looking to loose is so low, i'd do that first.

if you get to the leanness and definition you want first, when you start to try and bulk you will be MUCH better able to tell the difference of when you are starting to add fat instead of muscle.
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Ah, very logical. Reps to you my man.
 
I wish I could have said the same :) When I started, I was around 45% bodyfat... so I had a lot more to loose. over a year later, i'm somewhere close to where you are bodyfat wise. its a lot of work.
 
EasyEJL said:
I wish I could have said the same :) When I started, I was around 45% bodyfat... so I had a lot more to loose. over a year later, i'm somewhere close to where you are bodyfat wise. its a lot of work.
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Congratz on your success. That is something to be proud of.
 
liftbig74 said:
is there any easy way to find out your body fat %?
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By yourself with no equipment...no.

With someone else, a set of calipers, and a formula you could find via google? Probably.

Your gym might even do it for you...I'm lucky enough to have a corporate fitness center, so we have trainers that can use the calipers on you as well as the nifty impedance gadget...
 
liftbig74 said:
Are there any websites where you can enter info and get an answer anywhere close to your bf%
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I repeat:

C0rk said:
By yourself with no equipment...no.
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There are all sorts of BMI calculators on the web, that are really bad when it comes to guessing how much BF you have, but feel free to google away until you find one.

You need more than just height and weight to figure out your BF %. That's why they all suck.
 
C0rk said:
I repeat:



There are all sorts of BMI calculators on the web, that are really bad when it comes to guessing how much BF you have, but feel free to google away until you find one.

You need more than just height and weight to figure out your BF %. That's why they all suck.
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Thanks, I wasn't doubting your answer, I was just wondering if I could get an answer anywhere near right spending any money. I guess not. Thanks for saving me alot of time trying to find out an unacurate answer
 
yeah, you can get a set of calipers even at GNC for under $20, and at least that gives you an idea, within maybe 2-4%. honestly even the trainers have that much variation with their expensive ones :)
 
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