Opinions: Should I gain or diet?

For the first time in a long time Im able to make a real run in the gym. I have been posting alot here about training and such. I just turned 30 and it seems my hardgainer troubles are no more. In fact not only can I keep eating but Im gaining weight at will almost. Not to be rediculous here, im about 5.6 and 150 pds. I have gained almost 20 pounds in the last year(I was sick). Heres the problem, I have gained some fat, about 20%. SO while Im seeing great muscle gains I get scared and slow down the eating to keep my BF in check. I have a bottle of mag10, tribex and M that Im going to take soon and I know I need to eat big. Is there any way to minimize the fat intake? Realistically I would like to hover around 155/15% by the summer. I have added cardio twice a week but its slow. What do you guys think? Some people tell me that I should just eat everything and gain while it last and worry about the fat later. Some people tell me just to keep my protein high and I can gain muscle with low calories but I know its one or the other… Help me out guys. I’ve only been in the gym for a month and a half so Im waiting for my first plateau to hit the mag10. I also have some Methoxy which I may double dose after my tribex/M cycle.

It depends on your goals. I know guys that want to be big or strong and don’t care that they look like fat slobs. If your goal is to LOOK decent, you have to get rid of that fat. Period. Your muscles under the fat will only make you look worse. The fat loss is going to take you plenty of time, first to lose it and then to maintain the loss. Put aside 4-6 weeks for serious fat loss and 2 weeks to maintain it before transitioning to any growth phase. Save your supplements for the mass phase, the Mag-10 while while gaining and the M + Tribex afterward. Don’t be an idiot and send the calories through the roof during your gaining stage. If you want to go the fat slob route, ignore all this, eat like a pig and take whatever supplements you want whenever you want.

Your muscles and physique will look better and bigger with lower bodyfat also, regardless.

You do need to get that 20% down. It is only ~ 7 weeks until Memorial Day and beach season for many of us. Joel Marion has a Cheaters/EDT article in the forum right now that sounds very promising for fat loss and muscle maintanance or gain. It sounds like you think it’s some kind of muscle gaining wave that you need to ride right now, or you’ll miss out totally. It’s more likely that you just know what you’re doing now and can switch between gaining and cutting phases at will.

Cut before you bulk.

John Berardi’s recommendation is that you save the bulking for when you are already under 12 percent bodyfat. I agree.

And as elveneyes said, you always look bigger when you have more definition rather than just being fat and bulky.

Dan Duchaine said that you should automatically start cutting once you bf% hits 12%.

I agree w/ everyone. I think higher your BF%, more fat you gain as you “bulk”. I’m assuming that you don’t wnat your BF% any higher.

Start cutting down dude. You’ll then be able to see what you really look like under there.


There’s loads of threads on exactly this question- do a search. SRS

You guys are the best. I do not want my bf% any higher. I will save my supps and hit the cardio to get that bf% down. I dont want to be a slob : )

I’ll let you guys know how it goes.