Lost 40 Pounds, Now Bulk or Cut? Photo Inside

I want to gain muscle but also lose fat. I cut down and lost 40lbs but gained little to no strength. Should I bulk up and gain some strength/muscle or would that make me put on too much fat?

Do you want to be bigger or do you want to be smaller?

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I want more muscle mass but don’t want the fat. In general, I’d like to be bigger but have some definition on my abs.

I believe, you will find, that 100% of people would like to be both more muscular AND leaner.

But at this present moment in time, of those two, which one is the most important to you?

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This is not surprising, but you’re still big enough you should be able to improve.
What are you doing training-wise?

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First of all: congratulations. Thats no small feat.

But i really question why you are asking other people what your goal should be. If i stopped you on the street to ask you for directions, but didn’t mention where it was i wanted to go, what would your reaction be?

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If you want to look good on a short timeline, losing fat is the ticket. If you have a few years you could go about it a few different ways.

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Probably to be leaner. I won’t look great but I could always bulk up after I get a leaner body without the stress of getting fat

I’m doing Fierce 5 Intermediate program.

Sounds like cutting would help you achieve your goals.

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I’d keep cutting until you’re content with your level of lean-ness, then consider a slight caloric surplus to meet your strength/hypertrophy goals.

No sense in slapping on muscle that’s going to be covered in a layer of fat if your goals are aesthetics IMO.

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How long have you been doing this?

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Congratulations on your weight loss! How long did it take you to lose the weight? It’s normal that you didn’t gain any strength during this time. I don’t think bulking up to gain strength is your answer especially after you put in the hard work to lose 40lbs. Your body is going through a transition and needs to get used to your new “normal”… if you’re happy with your current body composition then you can shift your focus onto strength and that doesn’t mean you need to pack on a lot of extra weight. Your nutrition will be a very important piece of the puzzle here!

Again, congrats on the weight loss… Great job!

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Picture says you still have a lot of fat to lose so my vote is on cutting.

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I think you should add more muscle before cutting