| Hey there, The old-line approach to bulking and cutting goes like this: “Eat big to get big” until you look like someone who orders entire menus, and then “shred hard to get hard” until you'd rather crap in your hands and clap than eat another plate of tilapia and asparagus. There are better ways to get swole, and one is the “mini-cut and mini-bulk” approach. Here, you alternate between shorter periods of calorie abundance and restriction, and this allows you to steadily gain muscle and strength while staying relatively lean. Consequently, you’re generally happier with your physique and always within striking distance of “very lean,” should you want to go there. Here’s how to do it: 1. Get lean before you begin with this strategy. Men should start around 10-to-12 percent body fat and women around 20-to-24 percent. 2. Start with a mini-bulk by maintaining a moderate calorie surplus of 10-to-15 percent for 12-to-16 weeks. During this period, your body weight should rise by about 0.25-to-1 percent per week, and people further from their genetic limit of muscularity should aim for the higher end of this range, and people closer to their limit should use the lower end. If you find that you’re gaining weight too quickly, you’re eating too much, and if you’re not gaining quickly enough, you’re eating too little. 3. After 3-to-4 months of bulking, do a mini-cut by maintaining a moderate calorie deficit of 20-to-25 percent for 4-to-8 weeks. During this period, your body weight should fall by about 0.5-to-1 percent per week, and people further from their genetic limit of muscularity should aim for the higher end of this range, and people closer to their limit should use the lower end. If you find that you’re losing weight too quickly, you’re eating too little, and if you’re not losing quickly enough, you’re eating too much. Also: If you’ve read articles, watched videos, and listened to podcasts but still aren’t sure exactly how to put all the pieces together... ...or maybe you know what to do but are struggling to stay on track... ...and if you'd rather have an expert take you by the hand and just give you everything you need to build your best body ever... ...check out my VIP one-on-one coaching service: ⇒ https://legionathletics.com/coaching We’ve helped over three thousand men and women of all ages and abilities reach their fitness goals faster than they ever thought possible, and chances are we can do the same for you. Go for it! Mike | 
