Cut then Bulk...but missing the info in between

[75 Dogs]

I've tried looking at a bunch of posts but can't quite find the answer.

Most likely going to do 1st cycle Test E 500mg/week. Already on TRT for a couple years, but before the cycle I wanted to cut BF from 14% to around 9%-10%.

But because I'm trying to fit this in between blood tests (so I don't get kicked off TRT by my doc) I will need to start in the next month and I would have to start around 11.5%-12% (aka, not the end of the world but a little short of my goal).

Here is the critical info I'm missing: After a cut, you don't instantly, immediately, start a bulk that week, do you? Adding a surplus of calories immediately is a recipe for fat gain, right? Wouldn't it be smarter to slowly add calories back weekly until you hit your bulk amount of calories?

I am under the impression adding back calories (reverse dieting) is the preferred method and allows you to get to the point you can do an effective clean bulk. But I don't know if it's a waste of a cycle if I spend the first 4 or 5 weeks adding calories back in, then spend the next 7 or 8 in a surplus.

tl;dr -

a) Do you need to add calories back in before a bulk, or start it immediately and not worry about that if you are on AAS?

b) If the objective is a clean bulk, is it a waste to spend the first third of a cycle reverse dieting, and the remainder bulking?

[Back In Black]

Do a search for the prime before cycling by Marcus.

[75 Dogs]

Do a search for the prime before cycling by Marcus.

The Prime explained before cycling..

Thank you, sounds related to my question and something I can use in the future, but I'm in the situation I'm in now and trying to figure out what to do given I already went a different direction. Priming seems to be something I hadn't seen before which is used to prep your body for gains.

Looks like it should be done in this order....
1) cut (amount of time as necessary)
2) get back to maintenance (this is the part my main question was about)
3) prime for 6-8 weeks at that maintenance level
4) go on cycle

After this, don't do cutting any more because you can just do priming.

"You can spring board out of a cutting diet into a cycle and see similar results the only problem is you would of altered your metabolism and you will probably increase in bf quickly due to your metabolism running slower."

So I'm in that situation near the end of an effective cut in preparation for a cycle, and looks like if I try to prime I will miss my current window for doing a cycle (won't have time for bloods to recover for doc). So I can either:

1) hop right on a cycle immediately after the cut at lean bulk calories amount, in which case I'll probably gain higher fat levels because my metabolism has slowed
2) gradually get back to maintenance to give my metabolism time to adjust and not gain as much fat, then hop on a lean bulk cycle
3) skip cycling, work out natty for 4 more months, spend two months priming and then hop on a cycle

My metabolism has probably changed from being in a caloric deficit. So it sounds like I should slowly introduce calories back in to get to maintenance no matter if I'm priming or going on the cycle, right? (essentially option #2 above)

All this is pointing back to that, but I haven't seen anyone explicitly state it. Want to make sure I understand and ask a question that may help someone else out in the future who has a similar question.

So it all boils down to this (answer seems obvious, but I'm not sure how AAS factors in): Should I get my calories back to maintenance level before hopping on a cycle, or can I spend the first few weeks on cycle going back to maintenance and the rest of it bulking?

Finally, sorry for all this typing and this frickin' novel. Writing it out and trying to see the different angles helps me organize my thoughts and understand better.

[ScotchGuard02]

The Prime explained before cycling..

Thank you, sounds related to my question and something I can use in the future, but I'm in the situation I'm in now and trying to figure out what to do given I already went a different direction. Priming seems to be something I hadn't seen before which is used to prep your body for gains.

Looks like it should be done in this order....
1) cut (amount of time as necessary)
2) get back to maintenance (this is the part my main question was about)
3) prime for 6-8 weeks at that maintenance level
4) go on cycle

After this, don't do cutting any more because you can just do priming.

"You can spring board out of a cutting diet into a cycle and see similar results the only problem is you would of altered your metabolism and you will probably increase in bf quickly due to your metabolism running slower."

So I'm in that situation near the end of an effective cut in preparation for a cycle, and looks like if I try to prime I will miss my current window for doing a cycle (won't have time for bloods to recover for doc). So I can either:

1) hop right on a cycle immediately after the cut at lean bulk calories amount, in which case I'll probably gain higher fat levels because my metabolism has slowed
2) gradually get back to maintenance to give my metabolism time to adjust and not gain as much fat, then hop on a lean bulk cycle
3) skip cycling, work out natty for 4 more months, spend two months priming and then hop on a cycle

My metabolism has probably changed from being in a caloric deficit. So it sounds like I should slowly introduce calories back in to get to maintenance no matter if I'm priming or going on the cycle, right? (essentially option #2 above) Essentially, you're doing the same as reversing out of a diet after a show. Last 4 to 6 is crunch diet time and the goal of the diet is to lean out as much as you can before the show. As soon as the show is done you must reverse out of the diet gradually or you'll run into all sorts of trouble.

All this is pointing back to that, but I haven't seen anyone explicitly state it. Want to make sure I understand and ask a question that may help someone else out in the future who has a similar question.

So it all boils down to this (answer seems obvious, but I'm not sure how AAS factors in): Should I get my calories back to maintenance level before hopping on a cycle, or can I spend the first few weeks on cycle going back to maintenance and the rest of it bulking?

Finally, sorry for all this typing and this frickin' novel. Writing it out and trying to see the different angles helps me organize my thoughts and understand better.

If you're coming out of a lean diet, add 10% more carbs per week until you're back to 30/30/40 in your macros. Say, your lean diet was 30% carbs, 15% fats, 55% protein. You slowly, I have to emphasize slowly, bring the %'s back to 30/30/40. If you decide to have a pizza party every night, you're gonna have insulin problems and your body can bloat like a balloon. I hope this answers your question. The goal is to maintain a steady insulin output and don't let it spike with carb binging.

[75 Dogs]

If you're coming out of a lean diet, add 10% more carbs per week until you're back to 30/30/40 in your macros. Say, your lean diet was 30% carbs, 15% fats, 55% protein. You slowly, I have to emphasize slowly, bring the %'s back to 30/30/40. If you decide to have a pizza party every night, you're gonna have insulin problems and your body can bloat like a balloon. I hope this answers your question. The goal is to maintain a steady insulin output and don't let it spike with carb binging.

Yes, makes sense. And THEN go on the cycle after I've done that, not while doing that... right?

[ScotchGuard02]

You can go on a cycle while you're dieting out. I don't see why that would be a problem, unless you're in a waiting period between cycles.

[75 Dogs]

You can go on a cycle while you're dieting out. I don't see why that would be a problem, unless you're in a waiting period between cycles.

I just figured you would only want to concentrate on one thing while on cycle. So like either getting ripped up or packing on muscle.

But you think it would be okay to still be dieting out the first few weeks and then lean bulk the rest of the time?

[75 Dogs]

I don't want to forget to add this is my first cycle (if you couldn't tell by the newbie questions) and already on TRT so I'm not in a waiting period to allow my body to recover.