Should I bulk or cut?

[Chunnnky]

Some guys here would ask you to figure your tdee. I don't do that. Once you figure what it takes to make your body run and maintain then it's just math. I would reduce your daily caloric intake by 500 calories Ed. See were your at in a couple weeks. As long as you are loosing 1-2 lbs EW you are moving in the right direction. Make sure you are eating greens several times Ed and don't count those calories either. Use them to give you the feeling of being full. They are negative calories and will help you loose weight as well

Sure thanks for your help, I will be back after 2 weeks

[gbrice75]

I am around 16% bf right now right?
Ahhh I am really stressing, cause of my chest, it is not gonna be enough if I start to cut now

My inner chest is really weak look at the space in between

Start your cut now. How much size do you really think you'll be able to add to your chest within such a short timeframe? I'd bet any changes would be negligible.

Also bear in mind that the separation you're concerned over probably has more to do with genetics as they pertain to your pectoral shape and inserts. While growing your pecs may 'close the gap' to some degree, you may never achieve the look you have in mind, as we cannot change our muscle shape, or how/where they insert.

[Chunnnky]

yeah i will start my cut nw? btw do I have enough mass for the physique competition?

[Chunnnky]

its a teen competition btw aged 14-18

[Back In Black]

Physique isn't about mass and if you are up against 14 year olds it's highly unlikely they will outmuscle you anyway.

Great hair, that's what you'll need.

[Khazima]

the problem is i need to cut for the competition. I am not standing on stage like a pile of lard

The whole point of the post is to say don't do the show lmao, of course you need to cut to compete, and with competing comes the consequences especially at a young age.

If you really want to cut i'd say cut to 12ish % then bulk back up and make gains until your older. Cutting to really low bodyfats at any age has negative affects on your hormones and organs as well as other things like mood/sex drive, at a younger age this is magnified and now you're starving yourself (that's what cutting is, starving you body to force it to lose fat) including starving your organs and testicles and potentially hindering their growth/development.

[Back In Black]

The whole point of the post is to say don't do the show lmao, of course you need to cut to compete, and with competing comes the consequences especially at a young age.

If you really want to cut i'd say cut to 12ish % then bulk back up and make gains until your older. Cutting to really low bodyfats at any age has negative affects on your hormones and organs as well as other things like mood/sex drive, at a younger age this is magnified and now you're starving yourself (that's what cutting is, starving you body to force it to lose fat) including starving your organs and testicles and potentially hindering their growth/development.

With all due respect he is talking about one show. And doing it naturally. And doing physique so he doesn't need to much below 10%. Even if he gets to 8% he will be there for a matter of weeks.

[Khazima]

With all due respect he is talking about one show. And doing it naturally. And doing physique so he doesn't need to much below 10%. Even if he gets to 8% he will be there for a matter of weeks.

That's true, but why would you want to do only one show when your physique is unlikely to place, + the risks of such a drastic cut so young. No offence OP but that's how i feel.

I'm 19 (during my last cut, 20 now) and decided to cut my weight loss goals short because of the extended length of the cut, i didn't want to go past 10 weeks + furthering my deficit. I felt quite significant changes in mood and sex drive, pretty clear indicators my hormones weren't functioning the way they intended, then when i got back into a surplus i've been breaking out with acne since.

But BIB is right i may have an over-biased view on the negative effects of competing especially for physique, do what you will with your base of knowledge and the sound advice you've been given in the thread.

[Chunnnky]

no offence taken, its just a teen show, and my height cat I would probably be competing with 14-16 years old, so well there might be a chance I would place.
Anyway on the topic of being natural, I am not taking any gear right now, but I am just wondering if your hpta is shut down, will it recover fully after the cycle? just curious

[gbrice75]

that's what cutting is, starving you body to force it to lose fat) including starving your organs and testicles and potentially hindering their growth/development.

Woah - I wouldn't go that far. Nobody should be starving themselves. One can safely and effectively reduce bodyfat without any repercussions you mention. Even very low bodyfat levels ( < 5%) can be achieved safely - albeit unsustainable for very long. We don't need a board of fatties petrified to cut because they read your post!

[Khazima]

Woah - I wouldn't go that far. Nobody should be starving themselves. One can safely and effectively reduce bodyfat without any repercussions you mention. Even very low bodyfat levels ( < 5%) can be achieved safely - albeit unsustainable for very long. We don't need a board of fatties petrified to cut because they read your post!

Haha well obesity has the same consequences on your internals as cutting to extremely low BF%, so i hope people at 15% wanting to get to 5% read it and reconsider.

The side effects of being in a deficit are not so prevalent with fully developed individuals, being a teen your entire body is still growing (including organs and testicles) so not giving them sufficient nutrients can be harmful. That's why it's advised for teens to either recomp or be in a (small) surplus unless they're already obese, in which case being obese is more harmful than being in a moderate deficit.