Always bulk if you are close to or below 8% or 17% body fat for men or women, respectively. Always cut if you are close to or above 18% or 28% body fat for men or women, respectively. If between 8-18% (men) or 17-28% (women), you can choose either, depending on how lean you want to be in 2-3 months' time.
Generally speaking the cutoff body fat percent for bulking is about 15-16% for males and around 22-23% for females. This means that if you are above these body fat levels you should cut (lose fat), and if you are under, you should bulk.
In terms of overall numbers, you should probably stop the bulk when you've gained 10--15% of your bodyweight compared to your starting point. This can be increased or decreased depending on your starting point and your desired level of leanness at the end of the bulk.
Body fat percentage Experience level Body fat percentage: A good rule of thumb is to start bulking when you're at a relatively low body fat percentage. For men, this is typically around 10% or below, and for women, it's around 20% or below. This will help you gain muscle mass with minimal fat gain.
A good rule of thumb is to stop bulking before your waist circumference swells to 36 inches. The NIH recommends keeping your waist circumference under 40 inches (study). The idea is to make sure we aren't accumulating too much visceral fat around our organs.
Another way to calculate your fat intake when bulking is using your bodyweight. The general recommendations are 0.5 – 2g of fats per kg of bodyweight. For our 80kg example, that would be anywhere from 40 – 160g of fats. Essentially, you wouldn't want to go below or above that range.
Underneath 20% would be the point you would no longer be able to visually see extra fat around the hip region. To give a exact percentage would be hard as everyone is different and we all store fat differently. Somewhere between 15 and 20 % depending on the person will ensure love handles are not visible in men.
At 10% body fat, a man is just above his essential body fat level. At this body composition you will see muscle striations and definition, six pack abs, and look athletic and fit. However, you may not see as much vascularity as you would in single digit body fat levels.
You should aim for a body fat percentage of around 10-15% for males and 23-30% for females to maximize muscle growth while minimizing fat gain. Staying within this range allows for the most efficient bulking without compromising strength or energy levels.
When you should stop bulking is more dependent on body fat percentage than length of time. As a general rule, men should wrap up the bulk between 15-20% body fat. For women, the 23-28% body fat mark is a good place to stop the bulk and begin cutting. There are some body cues you should also be mindful of.
15-17% body fat: At this level muscles are still visible. Abs, legs, and arms have definition. There is some separation between muscles there is also some vascularity. Women don't have as much curvature in hips and buttocks because of the low body fat level.
Gaining muscle and losing fat simultaneously is a process known as body recomposition. And while this is not an easy process to undertake—especially since these two goals are different physiological processes—it is one that can be accomplished with consistency and perseverance.
The recommended ranges for healthy men are between 10-20% body fat, and for women, the ranges are 18-28%. If your body fat exceeds these ranges, but you have a normal weight when you stand on the scale, you may be skinny fat.
The body fat percentage needed to see your pack of abdominal muscles falls somewhere around 14 to 20% for women and 6 to 13% for men. However, the ideal body fat percentage for abs can look slightly different per person, depending on how you carry weight, where you typically store fat, and your fitness routine.
However, for adults 20 years of age and older, a BMI : below 18.5 is considered underweight. 18.5 to 24.9 is considered a healthy weight. 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight.
🤔From 30% To 15% Body Fat | How Much Time? 🔑Short answer: Between 20-40 weeks (5 to 10 months) for most people that fully commit. The exact timeframe depends on your goals and past experiences with fat loss. If you just want to maintain muscle, you can push a bit harder and realistically get it done in 5-6 months.
There are other terms for this, such as build mode, but bulking is a common term for this caloric surplus. Dirty bulking is when an individual is in a caloric surplus to build muscle (build mode). However, the individual is eating foods that are carb dense, unhealthy, and ultra-processed out of convenience.
Most experts think the appropriate body fat range for beginning a bulk or cut should be between 10-15% for men and 20-25% for women. This range is ideal as it provides enough energy to build muscle while allowing for visible definition. Once you hit the upper end of the range, start cutting.
18 – 20% Body Fat
At 18 – 20%, you can still see strong ab muscles, but the six pack may not be as defined. While there's usually a small amount fat on the hips, thighs and butt, it's not very noticeable. Some women reaching for higher levels of fitness prefer this look because it retains some curves.
Vascularity is enhanced by extremely low body fat (usually below 10%) and low retained water, as well as the muscle engorgement ("pump") and venous distension accentuated by the vigorous flexing and potentially hazardous Valsalva effect which characterize competitive posing.
For men, the ideal fat mass should be between 12% and 20%.
Excess fat mass leads to weight gain, which is associated with real health risks. Abernathy and Black in their study Healthy body weights: an alternative perspective, found that the percentage of fat mass within a certain range reduces the risk of disease.
Male Body Fat Percentage: 15% – 19%
This is more of a lean look, with less muscle striations and vascularity. The definition on muscles goes down and there is not a clear separation between them. Most vascularity is gone, but some can still be seen on the arms.
You should bulk first if you are skinny fat. A 10% caloric surplus is optimal to build muscle while ensuring you don't put on a lot of excess body fat. Stay in a surplus for a minimum of 4 months and then begin a slow, gradual cut.
Short of liposuction or another cosmetic procedure, there's no way to "spot reduce" love handles away. But reaching and maintaining a weight that's healthy for you and increasing your muscle mass with exercise can help get rid of love handles while improving your overall health.