Hey guys, heres some picture of what I look like now...

originally, I got into jogging and healthy dieting last year...in Februrary of 2006, I was 220 pounds (at 6'2"). So I starting jogging a bit through the first half of the summer, and got down to 178, which I still weigh now. Through the second half of the summer, I just kinda forgot about exerscising... I was still eating semi-well, and jogged maybe once a week...so then college started up, and I've been going to the gym there pretty much 5 days a week...kinda mixing it up between cardio and weights, no real workout plan..but on days when I would lift weights, I would eat a Snickers Marathon Portein bar an hour before the gym, and immediately after. My goal is to achieve that proverbial chiseled body. As of now, I got plenty of flab, and my arms have almost no definition, especially my forearms, which look really wimpy now. So my question is, should I focus more on cardio (HIIT?) and lower my body fat (right now its about 20-21%, I would like to be about 10 or less someday), THEN try to bulk up? Or, should I keep doing what I've been doing, and just keep waiting for results?

Some other people might say differently... but I don't think it really matters either way if you bulk up first or cut first.

You said your goal is to get a chiseled awesome body... to get that will take years of hard work, and lots of bulking and cutting phases.

On the other hand... if you got down to 10% body fat you might be perfectly content just being nice and lean. Plus whatever muscle that you DO have will show up nicely.

I think it really comes down to how much muscle you want to have...

If it were me?

I'd cut first...

If I were you, i'd cut until my bf% was lower, then start bulking.

What's he going to cut? He has no muscle tone to speak of.

Slow and steady bulk. You look like you have no muscle to speak of. I'd work on adding consistent quality muscle and then worry about cutting way later down teh road.

Read the nutrition sticky as said above.

Google Westside for Skinny Bastards III

Agreed. 20% bf, if correct, means you would have to get down to about 155# to have 10% bf, which, for a 6'2" man, is ridiculous and probably is unhealthy, unless you want to look like him...

www.elbrasil.com/jpgfiles/lancearmstrong.jpg

Bulk first.

I agree with Evo, a calorie surplus and compound lifts will help you a massive amount. Cutting back more fat wouldn't really do much right now

I agree with the bulk first. No sense in cutting when you do not have much muscle to cut to. You will also get a lot leaner during the first few months of hard training anyhow.

Which brings me to -

Do not keep doing what you have been doing. Having no real plan is no way to gain muscle. Take some time and get yourself a basic schedule to adhere to. Then build an outline of a plan that you will do on each day of your schedule. You will have much better results with a plan, workouts will be easier to keep track of and progress as well.

Quote of the day!!! In regards to a training program -


"If it ain't broke, break it and make it better!!!

I'm not sure which side of the fence I fall on here. There is definitely a majority here who seem to be suggesting a bulk first but, I think their judgement is being clouded by what they would do in that position rather than what the OP wants to achieve. A chiselled look doesn't necessarily mean being big (although the OP did say his arms were 'wimpy')

My own intention was to cut first and then bulk but, as my physique has improved and muscle definition increased through cutting, I find myself less and less inclined to try that bulk as I am becoming happier and happier with my body. (I'm still not 100% decided though)

If it were me, I'd cut first but thats not to say I'm right....its just what I would do in your shoes.

Whichever way you choose to go, you need more of a plan and training schedule as what you're doing now sounds very hit and miss.

Best of luck.

The reason I said to cut first, because I am talking of personal experience. If I bulked at where he was, and started seeing some of the fat come back I'd suffer from depressive thoughts, and wonder if bulking was the right thing to do. If he cut now, and cut to where he was extremely lean like i was he will realize that no matter how hard he cuts theres nothing to cut to, and he will KNOW that bulking is his only option.

If he bulks know, sub counciously he might have doubts about what he could have achieved on a cut, he needs to see that first until he can bulk.

Sure, logically bulking is smarter, but meh.

..

thank you

but then again your when cut you probably had an amount of muscle mass. If he cuts now he will disappear ...besides to some extent bulking is necessary to build muscle

Well Slick, you certainly heard from both sides! That's what makes the forums so great, you get to hear all sorts of great opinions.

One thing I firmly agree on was what goergen1 said: don't stick with what you've been doing. You def need a plan for when you get into the gym. And like someone else said, 'you're starting from a good point' so really are starting from a nice spot!

Good luck!

I vote for cutting (though not necessarily 10% worth of bf!) and to get on a real FBW plan based around compound lifts.

Given no real muscle definition & "aimless" workout plans, I suspect that once you're in a proper nutrition and lifting program, you'd be someone who could achieve the "newbie" gains of building significant muscle strength while cutting at the same time. The best gains from this will come with about 6-8 weeks. After that, evaluate & most likely switch to bulking, no matter where the bf % is at.

So yeah, for now, I'd cut & get started on that program. You'll start to drop fat, look better, feel better & stronger, and build a comfort and confidence in your form on the "core" lifts, so that when you DO start to bulk, it'll be an easy transition.

In my opinion I think bulking is the best option. I agree with Phate when he says that you can suffer depressive thoughts when you see a bit of fat going on but if you educate yourself to a level where you know what to expect then I think that you can stop these ideas.

Bulking is easier than cutting in my personal experience and I always feel that it is better to bulk before you cut just because all the hard work in the cut phase looks so much better and seems so much more worth while when you finish.

It ultimately lies in your hands and as others have said this is the great thing about the forum, you hear it from all angles.

Good Luck with your endevours.