Bulking and Cutting, Done Properly
How to build muscle and reveal it, without the common mistakes
Bulking builds muscle by eating in a surplus. Cutting reveals it by losing fat in a deficit. Done well, they are simple. Done badly, you gain too much fat or lose hard-won muscle. Here is how to get both right.
The basics
Bulking
- Eat above maintenance to build muscle
- Best when you already train hard and want to grow
- Expect small, steady weight gain
Cutting
- Eat below maintenance to lose fat
- Best after a bulk, when you have muscle to reveal
- Aim to keep the muscle you built
Bulking well
- Aim for a modest surplus of 200 to 500 kcal a day, gaining about 0.5 to 1 lb a week (1 to 1.4 lb is a good sweet spot).
- Choose nutrient-dense food, not junk. Aggressive "dirty" bulking just adds fat and makes cutting harder.
- Keep protein high (1.4 to 2.0 g per kg) and keep progressing your training.
- Slow down if your waist grows faster than your shoulders, or you cannot tell muscle from fat.
Cutting well
- Keep the deficit moderate, around 500 kcal a day, losing 0.5 to 1% of body weight a week.
- Longer, gentler cuts protect muscle better than crash diets.
- Push protein higher, 2.3 to 3.1 g per kg of lean mass, to hold onto muscle.
- Keep lifting. Resistance training preserves muscle, while too much cardio can burn it.
- Adjust as you go, since your metabolic rate falls as you lose weight.
Refeed days
On a cut, a planned higher-carbohydrate day (a 300 to 800 kcal surplus, once or twice a week) can restore glycogen, support hormones like leptin, and lift your mood. Keep it planned, though, an unplanned blowout can wipe out a week of deficit.
This leaflet is general nutritional guidance for education only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and it does not replace advice from your GP or a registered dietitian. Always check with a qualified professional before making significant changes, particularly if you have a health condition, are pregnant, or take medication.