54 year old male trying to decide whether to bulk or cut. Like most, I could afford to eat better. I workout between 3-5 times per week. Looking for health recommendations from others of a similar age. Definitely not a 20-30 year old anymore but happy with my current health. Just looking to improve myself. Thanks.
amgym19
:
Jefit has added a new option in addition to bulk, cut, or maintain. Now we can set our profile to Build Strength. Seems to me that if we are relatively happy with the current size and shape of our body, this is the way to go.
I wish they had this option all along, because that's always been my goal with lifting.
mike.hombach
:
Cutting and bulking are simply structured approaches to prioritising body composition. Before choosing a direction, you need to be honest about your primary goal.
If your focus is aesthetics, start by determining how lean you actually want to be. Visible abs typically appear around 15% body fat or lower. If that’s not essential, 17–18% is still a very healthy range as long as you maintain solid muscle mass and cardiovascular fitness (e.g., VO₂max).
If strength is your primary objective, you will usually accept a slightly higher body fat level, often up to 20–21%. The additional mass improves bracing and stability under heavy loads. That’s also the path I’m currently taking: about 19% body fat at 102 kg, 178 cm, age 50.
The main point: you can move in any direction you choose — classic bodybuilding, CrossFit, powerlifting, or a hybrid — even well into your 50s. The simple fact that you are consistently working on your body already means you are gaining health.
pseb
:
51 here. Personally I try to keep BF at <20%. Not much into big bulk or cut myself. I eat as healthy as possible without being obsessed with tracking. My goal is really health and positive mindset. Feeling good about myself and confidence are my markers. You’re doing great! Best of luck.
Carphill007
:
Some good advice here already that I agree with. I’m soon to be 46 and am currently in the second phase of my first ever bulk, after cutting for most of the prior year. Periodisation is important whichever you choose and you can plan to do both so order becomes slightly less important when you figure it that way. I was ~40% BF originally so clearly needed to cut. I stopped at around 15-17% BF and after maintaining for a while I decided to bulk around 4kg max. Rather than have BF goal for my bulk, I decided I didn’t ever again want to lose sight of my abs. I’ve cleaned bulked pretty well and whilst am not as lean as I was, I look fit and healthy still. I will cut again in the new year and will aim this time for around 12% BF I think.
ChainPlayer
:
Well, I don't think gaining muscles obviously increases fat percentage in your body, even if 1000 men will instantly tell you otherwise. It's a matter of eating habits and your personal comfort zone. However, gaining muscle is a long term game.
Cutting on the contrary is easy if you do it slowly but steady and the best of it - you can have some first visible results in only 2-3 months. I did that this Summer. I used to have very light(!) hunger all the time, I had a daily calorie deficit of about 200-300. To achieve that I just used to walk 1,5 hour every day, did some easy cycling sessions (on top of the workouts) and ate a lot of vegetables instead of bread, mainly carrots, lots of carrots. :) No sugar, no baked goods, no snacs, - easy, I have never ate them anyway, but I even have limited fruits. A couple of coffe cups during the day helps you to deal with hunger too.
carlosfromspain
:
You have to think about what are your personal goals first. We are the same age and at our age I personally prioritize health, being fit, and longevity/healthspan so that means a healthy bodyfat percentage is a priority over muscle gain.
So first is to achieve and maintain aprox 15% bodyfat (or 20% even if 15% requires too much sacrifice), and muscle gain would have to done slowly with a small caloric surplus to avoid putting on fat. And not forgetting to add some type of cardio to the weight training even if the cardio is a smaller percentage of the total training, but overall health abd fitness is the priority.
Also I dont believe big bulks and cut cycles are healthy physically, or psychologically because it can lead or worsen body dysmorphia or eating disorders.
But that is just my recommendations based what goals I think are important, others can have different ones equally respectable 👍🏻
salmong
:
First, you need to determine your fat percentage. After that, you have to decide whether that's too high for your standards or if you wouldn't mind it getting higher in case you decide to bulk. In return, you gain more muscle.
All of this, the mirror can also reveal to you and you can decide by looking at your appearance in it.
So, if you don't mind gaining some more fat alongside gaining more muscle, keep on bulking. Otherwise, go on the cut to expose your muscle gains further.
Personally, I don't like bulking because I don't like to carry lots of fat on my frame. Even if that means I have to leave some muscle behind.
The decision is solely yours, and there is no right or wrong. 😉
24 comments
I wish they had this option all along, because that's always been my goal with lifting.
If your focus is aesthetics, start by determining how lean you actually want to be. Visible abs typically appear around 15% body fat or lower. If that’s not essential, 17–18% is still a very healthy range as long as you maintain solid muscle mass and cardiovascular fitness (e.g., VO₂max).
If strength is your primary objective, you will usually accept a slightly higher body fat level, often up to 20–21%. The additional mass improves bracing and stability under heavy loads. That’s also the path I’m currently taking: about 19% body fat at 102 kg, 178 cm, age 50.
The main point: you can move in any direction you choose — classic bodybuilding, CrossFit, powerlifting, or a hybrid — even well into your 50s. The simple fact that you are consistently working on your body already means you are gaining health.
Cutting on the contrary is easy if you do it slowly but steady and the best of it - you can have some first visible results in only 2-3 months. I did that this Summer. I used to have very light(!) hunger all the time, I had a daily calorie deficit of about 200-300. To achieve that I just used to walk 1,5 hour every day, did some easy cycling sessions (on top of the workouts) and ate a lot of vegetables instead of bread, mainly carrots, lots of carrots. :) No sugar, no baked goods, no snacs, - easy, I have never ate them anyway, but I even have limited fruits. A couple of coffe cups during the day helps you to deal with hunger too.
So first is to achieve and maintain aprox 15% bodyfat (or 20% even if 15% requires too much sacrifice), and muscle gain would have to done slowly with a small caloric surplus to avoid putting on fat. And not forgetting to add some type of cardio to the weight training even if the cardio is a smaller percentage of the total training, but overall health abd fitness is the priority.
Also I dont believe big bulks and cut cycles are healthy physically, or psychologically because it can lead or worsen body dysmorphia or eating disorders.
But that is just my recommendations based what goals I think are important, others can have different ones equally respectable 👍🏻
All of this, the mirror can also reveal to you and you can decide by looking at your appearance in it.
So, if you don't mind gaining some more fat alongside gaining more muscle, keep on bulking. Otherwise, go on the cut to expose your muscle gains further.
Personally, I don't like bulking because I don't like to carry lots of fat on my frame. Even if that means I have to leave some muscle behind.
The decision is solely yours, and there is no right or wrong. 😉