T Nation

Lean Bulk or Cut Fat? Skinny Fat Teenager

Beginners
#1

16 years at 69kg and about 16-17% BF, I’ve been lifting around a year but with no solid direction so i haven’t made very much long term progress in strength or physique.

Current lifts below:
DL- 95kg×3
Squat- 75x2
Bench- 55x9
Max pull-ups: 6 or 7 depending on the day

Right now maintenance for me is around 3000kcals, and Id say my diet/nutrition is very solid. Doing that whole ‘real food’ thing plus one cheat meal a week.

Very much considering going on SS to build up much more strength, but im worried about getting too fat and unfit. Should I start SS after I lean down?

1494330573080-1808615150.jpg2988×5312 3.01 MB

1494330490170192848080.jpg2988×5312 3.06 MB

#2

How long have you eaten this way?

SS doesn’t get you strong fast, it gets your proficient at the main movements fast.

I’d recommend doing 10x3 Waterbury

#3

Unless you have a need to get really skilled at a handful of lifts, don’t start SS at all. Get on a program with a variety of lifts and a variety of rep ranges, so you get big and strong across a broad spectrum. You are 16; you have zero need to specialize at this point in your training.

5/3/1, Juggernaut Method, Westside Barbell for Skinny Bastards, or any of the millions of programs posted on the articles here will do a fantastic job.

2 Likes
#4

I’m not really a fan of teenagers trying to cut unless they’re really heavy, which you’re not.

You’re not “skinny-fat,” you’re just untrained. It’s easily remedied.

I would try to get out of the mindset of thinking about thinks like maintenance level calories or any of those constraining things, and just try and eat good, nutritious foods with a decent serving of protein several times a day.

Your body is still growing, and reducing calories’ll starve it of the nutrients it needs to do so. Just try as healthy as you can and train hard. The physique will follow.

4 Likes
#5

Word! Plus the misery of having “one cheat meal” as a teenager - que terible!

1 Like
#6

You’re pretty slim, I would say keep lifting hard

#7

Thank you for this. After seeing your advice more than once and taking a while to think about things I think this is what i need to do! Wish me luck! Eating healthy and eating what I need, when I need

1 Like
#8

Compound Yogi’s nutrition advice with Pwnisher’s programming advice and you’re all set.

1 Like
#9

I was on 5/3/1 for quite a while, but I thought the progression was too slow considering there were newbie gains to be made. Dont the juggernaut method and wsb4sb also have relatively slow progressions as well?

#10

In all of the programs mentioned, progress is determined by the user; not the program. You should progress as fast as you possibly can while running it, assuming you are pushing yourself hard and not screwing up the program.

3 Likes