Building Muscle And Cutting

by Joey Montoya
(Gilbert, AZ)

Question: Should I burn fat and lower my body fat percentage first, or build muscle and then cut?

I am a 14 year old male, 5"9 and 195 pounds. I have been working out for about a year now, taking no supplements and originally weighed in at about 210.

I have not started lifting weights in fear that it will stunt my growth but have been doing daily cardio.

I try to eat plenty of protein and a balanced amount of fat and carbs but find it difficult to keep a calorie deficit.

I feel I have lost muscle mass in my cutting down process, and I still have fat to burn and muscle to build, but I am not sure whether to build muscle first or slim down in preparation to build. And I'm also not sure on how to cut down fastest and most effectively for my age, weight etc.

Answer: There appears to be a misconception. Let's break this down:

Bulking is mostly fat gain. You don't have to do a bulk phase and then do a cutting phase... That's what guys do who set their bodies under harsh restrictions and then end up binging because they can't take it anymore.

So this is pretty simple actually; Build muscle and burn fat at the same time. How do you do that? Eat until you are satisfied, eat healthy, move often, and watch your progress in the mirror.