Q: I don’t have a pull-up bar. Is it necessary? Is there a substitute or alternatives for pull ups?*
A: There truly are no subs for the elusive pull ups. It is an amazing compound exercise that creates overall strength, and gives you that coveted v-taper (aka coke bottle shape), as well as shaping the biceps quite nicely. As an added bonus, it even hits the abs if you keep that core tight throughout the move. If at all possible, include them in your strength routines. There are many pull up bar systems out there, and most of them will do the trick. There are the kind that you drill into your doorway, the kind that attaches to your door frame, the stand-alone apparatus, or even the assisted machines at the gym. If nothing else, there’s always a local park nearby, where you can stop and get your pull ups on once a week on the monkey bars.
With exception to the stand alone unit, or the assisted machine, most pull up bars can be found relatively cheap. I never fail to see one on a trip to my local Ross or Walmart, and they run right around $20. A relatively low cost for such a useful tool. However, if you’ve already invested as much $$ as you’re willing to invest in your home gym, there could be other options, depending on the equipment you have. One in particular could be if you have a bench press set up with a sturdy (preferably Olympic-sized) bar and rack. With something like this you could set the rack as high as possible and either bend your knees behind you in order to mimic the pullup motion, and pull til your hearts content. If you’re not “height challenged” as I am, and your legs are too long to put behind you, you can either put them straight in front of you (keeping your body upright just as it would be in a traditional pull up), or cross them (this will make the move much harder). Another obvious substitute would be to use the Lat Pull-down machine, if you have access to one. Because the Lat pull-down is not necessarily a one-for-one sub, make the most of it by pulling as heavy as you can handle. Your goal here would be to work up to pulling your body weight, and then beyond…
If you do not have access to any of those and still need an at-home substitute, we would look to exercises that work the same muscles. The pullover would then become your next option, using either the straight-arm or bent-arm variation. Also, any rowing motion would work the lats as well as the back in general.
*Q & A posts are excerpts from actual submitted emails from clients and fam. Have a question that you’d like to see addressed in Q & A or explained in a future article? Drop us a line below!
Q:How many weeks should you cut or bulk? I’m so confused as to how low and high I should go. How do I figure it out? I still have a lot of body fat on my thighs that I need to get rid of. I want to build my upper body but think I need to get rid of some of my fat first. Help! What do I do first?
A: When you’re first starting, your Bulk Cut Cycle length can be shorter, until you become more familiar/trusting in the process. I often suggest trying a month of each to start (alternating). As you become more comfortable with bulking, the longer time you can spend in it, the more progress you’ll see. Right now, I do it based on seasons. It’s more convenient for me to bulk during the holidays/cooler months, etc.. It’s much less “mental” for me then, LOL. So, my bulk runs 3-4 months, minimum, right now.
Cutting should be closely monitored and you should try your best not to undo your efforts from your bulk. That’s why I recommend alternating at first. During your cut keep protein levels consistent, cardio moderate (until close to the end), try to let the food do the work, and don’t slash the calories all at once. Give yourself wiggle room as you hit plateaus. My cut is usually during spring, never lasting more than my bulk in length (12-16 weeks is typical). I lose as slow as possible (~.5lb/wk), to prevent muscle loss.
During your bulk, take the opportunity to get your cals as high as possible, without overdoing it (200-300 cals over maintenance is a decent starting point). If you bulk for an extended period of time and find your body adapting to the higher calorie level, try raising them a bit higher to see how your body handles it. This will allow for a metabolism reset, allowing you to cut/maintain at higher levels than before. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to cut/maintain at more relaxed cal levels. Because you are lifting exceptionally heavy during your bulk (with lower reps) your body will be able to put those cals to proper use (vs having to budget them as when you’re in a deficit). A basic way of seeing how much you should eat during your bulk, to start, is to use the EM2WL calculator set to “gain muscle.” Women can gain a max of around .25lbs of muscle each week, so this will supply just the right amount of surplus to make sure minimal fat is gained. You can also use that as a reference for how long to bulk for (i.e. say you’re not willing to gain more than 5lbs, plan the bulk for ~10 wks/5lbs, whichever comes first). Even though it seems oxymoronic, because muscle takes up so much less space than fat, you can usually get quite far along in your bulk before the gain is noticeable. More women notice it on the scale before seeing the “gain” on their bodies. But the scale is usually enough to scare us, and make us wanna run, lol.
So, once familiar with the process, you may be better off bulking until you “feel” bulky (aka jeans get too tight, lol), then cutting a bit — and repeating as necessary. You’ll notice that the more you bulk, your cut doesn’t last as long as you planned, because most of the “weight” is muscle, and looks completely different (which is why the scale can’t determine your goals). I’m the same size as my previous “fat” weight, but about 5 sizes smaller, for reference.
Also, it’s perfectly acceptable to start your bulk before reaching “goal” weight. I did. I never have figured out what “goal” was. After so many bulk/cut cycles, my weight vs clothing size doesn’t even make sense anymore, lol.
Q: So I’ve been tossing around the idea of bulking to build muscle, and it’s got my mind spinning, lol.. That just seems crazy. Not there mentally yet… I have lost SO much weight, and the thought of putting on more just doesn’t sit right w/me yet, I guess. I know that you believe that you have to build muscle before you can cut/define it, but I honestly beg to differ, as I’ve never “bulked” and I know I see muscles. I’ve been doing most of the other things that you usually talk about: not starving myself (1800+ cals for deficit), lifting really heavy, moderate cardio here and there. And, because I’m still in a slight deficit, the scale keeps going down!
But most of all, I have gained so much definition…I would hate to lose what I have by going into a bulk…I am starting to get a headache with trying to figure out what I need to be doing. My goal is not so much the weight loss, as it is fitting back into my size 4 and looking toned, you know. I am almost there…I got on my smallest 6’s so I know I am a hair away from my 4 slacks…at that point, I just want to be cut you know what I mean. So, is there a loophole in your “eat at surplus to gain muscle” argument, or am I missing something/the exception to the rule?
Cutting w/higher cals + heavy lifting = amazing results
A: A bigger person actually carries a larger amount of muscle mass,* naturally (the bigger the person, the more muscle). This is due to the fact that regular everyday movements (i.e. getting up out of a chair, pushing yourself out of bed in the AM, picking up your child) are essentially strength training movements (squats, tricep press, deadlift/bicep curl) due to the extra mass on the frame adding “weight” to the movement. The problem is there also is an extremely high ratio of fat covering that muscle (as a person who has been “bulking” – eating at surplus/lifting in low reps with high weight– might develop some fat along with the muscle).
So because you started this journey at such a high weight, and have kept weight training in the mix, technically what you’ve been doing is “cutting.” You’re just doing it properly by eating right (1800 cals to lose is AWESOME, btw) and keeping heavy weight training involved. This is more ideal than the person that just slashes cals to the bare minimum, and ODs on cardio (who would plow through their muscle store a bit more quickly).
Keys to remember:
to build muscle (aka bulk) = eat at slight surplus, lower the reps, up the weights, cardio optional
to lose fat while maintaining/defining muscle (aka cut) = eat at a slight deficit, continuing to lift heavy, adding in cardio as needed
So what you’re doing now, is what I recommend for most people starting from a much higher weight. Eating just under maintenance, but still lifting heavy and consistently (cutting) until getting down to a more comfortable weight range (or until newbie gains cease), before beginning bulk/cut cycles. The exception to this is if a person has gone into starvation mode from starting this path on a “biggest loser” mission (hours of cardio/huge calorie deficit), and has hit a plateau. I would recommend that person to do a metabolism reset/mini bulk before resuming cutting at much a slower rate (less cardio/higher cals than before).
You’ll know when the time comes to bulk, when you’ve ceased getting any beginner gains. But, as long as you’re getting the definition, etc that you seek, you’re fine. It’s hard to describe until it happens, but you just know.
The exception to this, would be the completely sedentary obese person, who, do to non-movement has experienced extreme muscle atrophy.
Q: I’ve been spending a lot of time reading and thinking through my strategy…starting to really think about doing a metabolism reset or bulk, and cutting the cardio back. Then I start to question myself…like maybe I’m too heavy to start this process and am not at my weight loss goal. But, I really want to get the max benefit from my weight training. I’m OK with gaining a few lbs if the long-term result is good, but a little freaked out. I still am a ways from my weight loss goal. 20 to 30 lbs for sure. What do you think?
A: You’re honestly fine either way. I’ve actually had a couple people ask, so I’m gonna post what I said to the last person in the blog, because I think a lot of people are at a similar fork in the road. Of course each person has reached the road using slightly different methods, so the answer is kinda based on that…
If someone has been pretty sensible about it from the start, I usually tell them it’s OK to get down to their weight loss goal weight before starting bulk/cut cycles. But if not, I’ll usually recommend a metabolism reset, or at least maintenance eating for a while, while things straighten themselves out, before going back to the deficit.
If you know that you’ve participated in a little abuse to your body somewhere in there, then you may wanna give yourself a “time out.” Eat at maintenance or more for a while, and get all other things (cardio craziness, 1200 cals, anyone?) outta your system and under control before going back to a more sensible deficit/cut cycle. The time out can be uses as a “mini” bulk period, to give your body a purpose for the extra cals.
Ultimately the choice is yours, depending on what you’re mentally ready for. You really have to be mentally steady for doing a bulk or a reset. The benefits are numerous, but if you’re not ready, you’ll head for the hills before sticking around long enough to find out what they are.
Q: Seems like more and more people are “bulking,” I guess I’m wondering if I’m missing out on some hidden benefit of it. I get that it helps to put on muscle (muscle building), but I don’t think I would ever see the need for it in my life. What is the point of bulking? It almost seems like another yo-yo dieting trap. I mean, I guess I understand for a person that’s skinny, or at goal weight, but I’m a lot farther away from my goal than I’d like to be, and can’t imagine purposely putting on extra weight. What type of person (other than a bodybuilder, lol) should consider bulking or muscle building?
A: Bulking (eating above maintenance, while lifting heavy weights) can be beneficial to a variety of people, not just the skinny ones, lol. When I first began my “bulk/cut” cycles, I wasn’t at goal weight either (although I’d be the first to admit, that it may have been a lot easier if I was). But, learning the the benefits of it, and reaching a certain point in my weight loss, I decided to go ahead and go for it, for several reasons:
The most obvious benefit is to add muscle mass, since muscle building cannot take place in a caloric deficit.
Eating in a caloric deficit for a long period of time, or doing excessive cardio can begin to eat away at precious muscle mass – doing an occasional bulk, can help to rebuild any lost muscle.
Long term deficit eating can also lower BMR, eating more will help to raise it, as will adding more muscle. Most people come out of a bulk being able to lose weight at a higher cal level than they previously did, as their maintenance level has increased. (The longer the bulk, the more our body adjusts to higher cal levels = higher BMR…The longer the deficit, the more our bodies adjust to lower cal levels = lower BMR)
Bulking, or even just eating at maintenance, allows the mind and body to recover from the stresses of deficit eating, and gives a mental break to the person who has been dieting for a while.
Bulking can help whether you’re planning on competing in a fitness competition, want to look muscular/”ripped” when you get to your goal weight, have reached a plateau, or just want to increase your metabolism. Many people get burned out or reach plateaus after eating in a deficit for a long time. They reach a point where nothing is working, they can no longer safely reduce cals, or maybe they are just tired of surviving on so little cals. This is when a metabolism reset is usually done: where a person has to increase their cals, and stay there for a while, until the body readjusts to the higher cal level (thus, creating a new maintenance). Then they can start to lose at a higher cal level. Using this time to also bulk (add muscle while eating in the surplus) can make it a bit more purposeful for the person, rather than just eating more with no other goals (which can be a tough mental battle for a person who is trying to lose weight). It gives a new goal, to take the person’s mind off of “I’m trying to gain weight on purpose, am I insane?!” and gives those extra calories a job to do: build muscle. The building of muscle will also increase the ones metabolism, as the muscle continues to burn cals long after the reset has ended. Thus making the metabolism reset process dual purpose, and a little easier to stick to.
So a person that is not at goal weight can do smaller “mini” bulks along the way to help keep metabolism raised, and to add a little more muscle insurance to what will be seen as the fat is melted away (most women notoriously under-estimate the amount of muscle they carry). Bulking can also be used for the person that is reaching/at goal weight, but not getting the “cut” that they thought they’d have at goal. Since we can’t cut what isn’t there, this usually means that there is not enough muscle there to “tone.” Bulk/cut cycles allows the opportunity to build the muscle, then go back to “cutting,” repeating until the desired result is reached. For all parties involved, bulking can give that added benefit of a higher metabolism and maintenance level cals.
Q: So…it is like yo-yoing? I just can’t imagine purposely putting weight back on, when I’ve worked this hard to get it off! I just can’t wrap my head around this. It sounds crazy..
A: I would not recommend bulking to anyone that is not ready for it mentally, the same way I would not recommend it to an obese person (unless, they’ve been under-eating for a while & have gone into starvation mode, in which case a serious metabolism reset is needed). I always tell people that when it’s time to bulk, you’ll just “know.” It’s hard to describe it any other way. Just know what the benefits are, and give yourself enough time to grasp it mentally before diving in. The results are definitely well worth it, but you have to know why you’re doing it and what you’re in for. Bulk/cut is not like yo-yoing, because the “gain” part of yo-yoing is usually unplanned and out of control. The bulking process is planned, you give yourself boundaries, and because you’re adding muscle to your frame, the weight comes on in completely different proportions. Your body comes out looking better after every cut cycle, and you’re not killing yourself to get results that will just go by the wayside as soon as you eat “normal” again, due to the increased metabolism. A bulk is not about packing on the pounds, it is about packing on the muscle. Every move is planned, as precise as you allow it to be, and, when done with incredible precision, fat gain is minimal. Yo-yoing, usually leaves you in worse shape after each “round.” Bulk/cut is quite the opposite.
Are you adding an hour or more of cardio to your lifting days on TOP of every other day?
It’s perfectly fine to do some cardio when trying to lose weight. However, we wouldn’t recommend doing an hour of cardio on the same day as your weight workout. If you enjoy working out almost daily, then keep the cardio and weights separate. If you are doing full body workouts, only 3 days per week, cardio becomes your fill-in-the-gap option. If you only workout 3 days per week, then a short cardio session (if desired) after lifting, or later in the day is sufficient.
Including cardio is a personal preference. Some do fine with none, others can’t live without it. Do what you feel is best, but be sure to eat properly, and lift hard. Those are to the two most important things for you while you’re striving for fat loss. Adding cardio to your routine doesn’t produce near the results that adding lifting does. Keep your fat loss priorities in order: cardio for fun, weights to transform. And again, challenge yourself for best results. Whatever amount of reps are that you are supposed to be doing, you should not feel like you could just keep going forever. If you’re doing eight reps, you should be almost failing by seven, completely spent by nine. This will aid in the loose skin factor, if you have a lot of weight to lose.
Speaking of loose skin…
Another thing to consider, (though it will seem counterproductive at times because you just wanna get it over with!) is to lose weight as s.l.o.w.l.y as possible. This allows your skin enough time to adjust to the weight loss gradually at each level. This is also why we recommend not dropping calories too low. Ever notice how much extra skin Biggest Loser contestants have? That’s why. The loss just happens WAY too fast. Another example is one that every new mom notices. Her belly spends nine months expanding, and is suddenly deflated within hours. What is she left with? Skin, where a five to ten pound baby used to be. Since pregnancy is one area what we can’t avoid this, let’s take advantage of what we can control.
If you’re losing slowly, and building some muscle, it’ll help keep things tighter than if you just drop a ton of weight super fast. Also drink as much water as you possibly can, and get enough good fats/omegas — which will aid in keeping the elasticity in your skin as it adjusts.
A: There truly are no subs for the elusive pull ups. It is an amazing compound exercise that creates overall strength, and gives you that coveted v-taper (aka coke bottle shape), as well as shaping the biceps quite nicely. As an added bonus, it even hits the abs if you keep that core tight throughout the move. If at all possible, include them in your strength routines. There are many pull up bar systems out there, and most of them will do the trick. There are the kind that you drill into your doorway, the kind that attaches to your door frame, the stand-alone apparatus, or even the assisted machines at the gym. If nothing else, there’s always a local park nearby, where you can stop and get your pull ups on once a week on the monkey bars.
Are you adding an hour or more of cardio to your lifting days on TOP of every other day?
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