Do I Need To Bulk Or Cut?

[will369]

Apologies for the new thread, other one was going slightly off topic

Age 29
Height 5,11
Weight 76kg

Hi Guys,

Please see the below pictures of me, and then below that what I would like to achieve.



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As you can see I want a lean body, with slight muscle, I do not want to get BIG.

My main question today is what do I have to do to achieve that body? I know it may take me a good year or 2 of hard work.

I am not sure if I need to be bulking, and then cutting.

Or just be in a calorie deficit?

I will post my current diet

Breakfast

Overnight oats
Oats
1 banana
blueberries
Protein milk
1 scoop of whey protein

1 slice of brown bread with peanut butter

cup of tea


Morning snack

Protein shake with water (1 scoop of whey protein)
Protein brownie
Mixed nuts

Lunch

1 chicken breast and mexican rice
fruit

Dinner

A few typical meals....

Chicken with veg and rice
White Fish with veg and rice
Steak with veg and rice

The only veg I seem to have is broccoli.

Tuna jacket potato with beans

3 litres of water throughout the day

Evening snack

4x eggs with 1 slice of brown bread

I am roughly eating 2,500 calories a day

Getting 6-7 hours sleep a night


Due to COVID-19 my gym is currently closed. I have 12kg dumbbells at home.

I have been doing workouts from home, 30 mins long, 6x a week, and cardio 4x a week.

If I am being perfectly honest I have been doing arms a lot more then anything else.


For the last 6 weeks I have been told to try and be in a calorie deficit as I wanted to lose 2lbs a week. But I am now questioning that.

2 things I am worried about

1. If I do need to bulk, how much more food will I need to be eating? As I am worried about cost.

2. How long will I need to be bulking for? Roughly? I am very conscious of my body and my lose confidence If I am putting on weight, but I have to keep saying to myself it will be worth it.

Another question I also have, if it can be answered....

I am ALWAYS tired. Could it be my diet? Not getting enough iron in my diet?

tbh, I am getting up at 4:30am for work, that might be why!

Work 5:30pm to 1pm.

I am getting roughly 7 hours sleep a night.

9 hours on my days off.

But to achieve the body in the pics above, please advise what I need to do.

Many Thanks

 

[Greedy Ben]

Re: diet if you are worried about cost stop buying 'protein milk' 'protein brownied' and whey protein.
Just stick to meat, fish and eggs.

You need to be doing more than 30mins too for training.

What do you do for weights and cardio at present?

 

[Sjundea]

Re: diet if you are worried about cost stop buying 'protein milk' 'protein brownied' and whey protein.
Just stick to meat, fish and eggs.

You need to be doing more than 30mins too for training.

What do you do for weights and cardio at present?

I admire you for advising but we gave this guy a lot of great advice before. I hate to say it but I think any recommendations will fall on deaf ears.

 

[JusJamin]

You're not super skinny, so I wouldn't worry about bulking, you're not super fat so I wouldn't bother with cutting.

Train as hard as you can each time, as long as you can. Cut the shit, stop being a bitch when it comes to the reps and just do it till you can't. 30mins is a warm up and no doubt your 4x8 is half assed.

Continue what you're eating and just train harder. If you see no improvement, then train harder than that until you do.

 

[Proteinbrah]

4 eggs 1 toast

Dat you ken

 

[Proteinbrah]

I admire you for advising but we gave this guy a lot of great advice before. I hate to say it but I think any recommendations will fall on deaf ears.

This

Fucker doesn’t listen

 

[smallfry]

You said it yourself your too self conscious to bulk to that isn't an option as you’ll sack it off as soon as you feel “fat” So diet until you are lean.

You’ll need a calorie deficit and a decent progressive lifting programme. (Upper lower, PPL etc)

All the info is out there with a little time and research. Google TDEE calculator and that will give you your starting calories estimate. Adjust as the weeks go on. It’s a process and requires commitment.

If you wanna be spoon fed what to eat by the gram and how to train. Hire a decent coach

 

[Richard Dick]

Lol, "not wanting to put on much much muscle" whilst the photos are like peak natty.

 

[Proteinbrah]

You certainly don’t need to be in a deficit ffs

 

[pooley1810]

Diet isn't bad and I dont think you need to drop below 2500cals so that means your training must be lacking
Obvs right now you are limited so cant expect much progress but you are doing the right thing by getting something done with the kit you've got
Make sure you make every session count when back in the gym
As ben said ditch the protein milk and brownie they are just gimmicks and poor quality protein
You're likely tired coz you get up at 4.30am and train almost every day
Listen to your body, if you need to rest or afternoon nap then do it

 

[Richard Dick]

12kg dumbells are going to do fuck all, in your shoes I'd pick a push up variation and do four sets to near failure and one set to absolute failure, then a pull up variation, same idea. Then find the heaviest thing in your house you can sling over your shoulders or cradle in your arms and do squats, use a wheel off your car if necessary.

 

[pooley1810]

12kg dumbells are going to do fuck all, in your shoes I'd pick a push up variation and do four sets to near failure and one set to absolute failure, then a pull up variation, same idea. Then find the heaviest thing in your house you can sling over your shoulders or cradle in your arms and do squats, use a wheel off your car if necessary.

Could do a decent shoulders and arms workout with 12kgs tbf
That's about it though
Push ups from all angles for chest
Pull ups for back
Bar dips are awesome for hitting loads of muscle groups
Add in what you said for legs and got a decent full body home workout

 

[will369]

Diet isn't bad and I dont think you need to drop below 2500cals so that means your training must be lacking
Obvs right now you are limited so cant expect much progress but you are doing the right thing by getting something done with the kit you've got
Make sure you make every session count when back in the gym
As ben said ditch the protein milk and brownie they are just gimmicks and poor quality protein
You're likely tired coz you get up at 4.30am and train almost every day
Listen to your body, if you need to rest or afternoon nap then do it

Thanks.

So basically carry on the way I am, eat clean, be in a calorie deficit? But most importantly, train HARD?

 

[will369]

4 eggs 1 toast

Dat you ken

What?

 

[will369]

Re: diet if you are worried about cost stop buying 'protein milk' 'protein brownied' and whey protein.
Just stick to meat, fish and eggs.

You need to be doing more than 30mins too for training.

What do you do for weights and cardio at present?

Hi mate,

tbh as no gyms are open my routine is all over the place.

So day I done 4 sets of 12 reps of shoulder press

3 sets of 12 reps of bicep curls

3 sets of 12 reps of hammer curls

1:30sec plank

3km run