
YOU’VE BEEN IN A CALORIC DEFICIT TOO LONG Related: How to Eat When You’re Not Working Out This is because protein forms the basis of our muscles, and is required in order to repair and build our muscles after we’ve applied stress to them through weight training.Īs well, adequate protein in our diet will ensure that we not only build more muscle, but preserve the muscle that we already have. Related Article: What Cardio Should You Do When Bulking? (3 Options)Ĭonsuming a diet high in protein is necessary to build muscle.

The best way to achieve this is through lifting weights and progressively increasing the amount of volume and intensity being used. Resistance training, or applying stress to your muscles, provides the necessary stimulus for growth. In order to produce muscle growth, we need a stimulus.


Typically those who find they are skinny fat have no, or a very short, history of building muscle. Related: read our article on 16 healthy bulking foods The next points cover a few ways this can be achieved. So in order to avoid being skinny fat, you’ll want to ensure you prioritize building muscle. As well, the more muscle mass you have, the more energy you expend (and fat you burn) even at rest. Simply put, the more muscle mass you have, the lower your body fat percentage is going to be. Related Article: Bulking After A Long Cut: 8 Tips For A Successful Bulk You’ve been in a caloric deficit for too long There are a number of things that can lead to being skinny fat, either independently or all together: In order to understand whether you should cut or bulk first, you need to understand what causes a skinny fat physique. Through extensive experience and research, I have figured out what the best approach is to achieve this. Stay in a surplus for a minimum of 4 months and then begin a slow, gradual cut.Īs a nutritionist, I have seen a number of cases where people are skinny fat, wanting to build muscle without gaining body fat in order to achieve a lean physique. A 10% caloric surplus is optimal to build muscle while ensuring you don’t put on a lot of excess body fat. So, should you cut or bulk first if you are skinny fat? You should bulk first if you are skinny fat.

To look leaner, you need muscle which is commonly associated with a bulk, but you also want less body fat, which is associated with a cut. When you find yourself in this situation and your ultimate goal is to look leaner, it’s difficult to know whether or not you should cut or bulk first. ‘Skinny fat’ is a situation where your scale weight may indicate that you are lean, or ‘skinny,’ but your actual body fat percentage might reflect otherwise.
