Hey Scott, hey guys!
First time posting, and to cover all important information, this is going to be a lengthy one.
The names Joe, 30y old dad, wanting to be a superhero for his daughter. Currently 172cm (5,6") and 64kg (141lb). Im pretty small and skinny-ish.
I was doing sports all my life, wrestling as a kid, MMA as a teenager, hitting the gym as an adult. So I always had that kinda base muscle tone once you start to workout.
My past
2007-2016 was mostly homeworkout, because all gyms were 60mins+ away.
I mostly did chest, biceps, back and triceps with the same weight, lol.
I never had many muscles, always light weight, but a good figure.
This is me before going to the gym https://imgur.com/a/S3zWEvK
I started going to the gym Nov 2016, doing a 4 day split, 2-3 times a week, yeah, pretty badly.
I also wanted to bulk at that time because I was sick of beeing skinny, and went from 128lb to 150lb, eating unhealthy food without tracking it (about 3000-3500kcal / day).
So, Nov 2017 I looked like this https://imgur.com/a/5ilVDVN
18% body fat to be exact.
I decided to start working out the right way, full body workout, 3 times a week, eating healthy 2750kcal, writing everything down.
I soon started to realize that the fat I have gained still is there, so I wanted to cut.
February 2018 I went from full body to a push pull program, 4 times a week, so I can train two days in a row. I ate (and still do) 2000kcal with 206g carbs, 52g fat and 174g protein. This is a calculated 350kcal deficit!
I am also doing HIIT training 2-3 times a week (20-30min).
Now I do look like this https://imgur.com/a/gaz8SOY
14% body fat.
Its not much of a difference, but I can see less fat in the mirror, also feel less fat.
My future
My goal is someday to be ofc more muscular, around that 150lb mark but not at 18% bodayfat, 10-12% would be fine.
My plan was to cut until im at 8-10%, so when I bulk back up (slowly this time), I will hit the 150lb at around 12% bodyfat, so that I dont need to do another cut.
Also I want to go PushPullLegs for bulking, always wanted to try that!
Now, many of my friends, gym fellows, other fitness maniacs at other forums tell me that I need to forget about the cut and start bulking right now.
When I asked why, they told me that
a) the last few percentages of cutting are going to take ages, wasted time they say because I will have to cut at the end of my bulk anyways
b) despite my age and experience, my body looks like untrained, my squatting (137lb), deadlifting (159lb) and benching (88lb) is way to low, beginner low, and beginners should bulk for some time and ignore the fat, and first build their strength before worrying about anything else
While I agree that my strength is not the highest, I think I can definitely crank up the numbers once Im in a caloric surplus again, currently at my deficit of 350kcal, when I put 10lb extra weight on, my form breaks down, i.e. not worth it.
My question
So, I dont mind taking it slow, cutting or bulking, my daughter is 2yrs old, so for me to fight off guys wanting to date her, I got plenty of time!
Would you recommend a slow bulk? Or is cutting til 10% bodyfat also an option.
Other people had me so confused because it seemed like bulking now is the right way, the only way, thats why Id like your opinion too.
Thank you, Ill be here for any criticism / questions.
I appreciate any answer given, I want to improve myself and therefor am willing to listen to your feedback and take your advice!