Should I Cut or Bulk? (And How Fast Should I Lose Fat?)

Short answer: If your body fat is above roughly 25% (men) or 30% (women), or your waist is above 40 inches (men) or 35 inches (women), start with a cut. If you're below roughly 15% (men) or 20% (women), a lean bulk will likely build muscle faster. When cutting, aim to lose about 0.5–1% of your body weight per week.

By Will Cho, NSCA-CPT, CSCS · Austin, TX

Three ways to decide

None of these is perfect, so use more than one.

1. Body fat percentage (best of the three)

	Cut first	Bulk likely helps
Men	Above ~25%	Below ~15%
Women	Above ~30%	Below ~20%

Body fat percentage reflects health risk better than BMI, and researchers have argued for defining obesity by body fat percentage instead (Potter et al., 2024). Healthy ranges shift with age and ethnicity, so treat these as guidelines.

2. Waist measurements (easiest to track)

A waist circumference above 40 inches (men) or 35 inches (women), or a waist-to-hip ratio above 0.90 (men) or 0.85 (women), signals elevated health risk and a reason to cut first (World Health Organization, 2011; Kim et al., 2019). All you need is a tape measure.

3. BMI (quick, but crude)

BMI is weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared. A BMI of 25–29.9 is classified as overweight and 30+ as obese (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). Two big caveats:

• It ignores muscle. Lean, muscular people often get labeled "overweight."

• Risk thresholds differ by ethnicity and sex (Katzmarzyk et al., 2011).

How fast should you lose weight?

A good midpoint is about 0.5–1% of body weight per week, the range commonly recommended for lifters who want to keep muscle while dieting (Helms et al., 2014).

• Faster (toward 1%+ per week): fits people with more body fat or a firm deadline.

• Slower (toward 0.5% per week): fits leaner people and anyone who struggles with hunger. In one study of athletes, a slower rate of loss preserved more lean mass and strength than a faster one (Garthe et al., 2011).

The best rate is the one you can stick to. One of my clients loses a steady 0.5–1 lb per week on a flexible ~1,500-calorie target, with room to eat more when hunger demands it. Consistency beats an aggressive plan that collapses.

Whichever you choose, keep lifting

Resistance training during a cut helps preserve muscle, and during a bulk it's what turns extra calories into muscle rather than just fat.

Frequently asked questions

Can I build muscle and lose fat at the same time?Often yes, especially if you're newer to lifting or returning after time off. This "recomposition" is slower than a dedicated bulk for experienced lifters.

How big should a bulk be?Small. A modest surplus that produces slow, steady weight gain limits fat gain. Beginners can gain a little faster than experienced lifters, who build muscle more slowly.

I'm in between the ranges. Now what?Pick based on your goal and how you feel: a slow cut if you want to look leaner, a lean bulk if you want size and strength.

Related reading: How much protein per meal · Does intermittent fasting work? · How sleep affects muscle and fat loss

Want a training plan that works for cutting or bulking? Get Train Like Will 1.0 →

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References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Adult BMI categories. https://www.cdc.gov/bmi/adult-calculator/bmi-categories.html

Garthe, I., Raastad, T., Refsnes, P. E., Koivisto, A., & Sundgot-Borgen, J. (2011). Effect of two different weight-loss rates on body composition and strength and power-related performance in elite athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 21(2), 97–104. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.21.2.97

Helms, E. R., Aragon, A. A., & Fitschen, P. J. (2014). Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: Nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 11, 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-11-20

Katzmarzyk, P. T., Bray, G. A., Greenway, F. L., Johnson, W. D., Newton, R. L., Jr., Ravussin, E., Ryan, D. H., & Bouchard, C. (2011). Ethnic-specific BMI and waist circumference thresholds. Obesity, 19(6), 1272–1278. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2010.319

Kim, D., Hou, W., Wang, F., & Arcan, C. (2019). Factors affecting obesity and waist circumference among US adults. Preventing Chronic Disease, 16, 180220. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd16.180220

Potter, A. W., Chin, G. C., Looney, D. P., & Friedl, K. E. (2024). Defining overweight and obesity by percent body fat instead of body mass index. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgae341

World Health Organization. (2011). Waist circumference and waist-hip ratio: Report of a WHO expert consultation, Geneva, 8–11 December 2008. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/44583/