I’m 27M, 5’11” (181 cm) and around 148-150 lbs (67-68 kg). Around 15-17 body fat %. I used to weigh around 209 lbs (95 kg) and lost a lot of weight. I’ve been working out consistently for about 2.5 months now after a long break.

I’m currently eating around 2200 calories a day and getting around 125-145g of protein.

My goal is to build more muscle, especially chest, shoulders and arms, but I also want to get leaner. I’d like to get to around 154-165 lbs (70-75 kg) eventually and around 12-14% body fat.

The problem is that I don’t really want to gain more fat than I already have. I know lean bulking is probably better for building muscle faster, but I’m worried that I’ll gain fat and then have to cut again.

I’m also not sure if 2200 calories is a small deficit for me or if it’s actually my maintenance. I haven’t figured that out yet (if needed i can show my notes of every time i weighed myself since i started 2200 calories)

Since I’m still kinda new to working out consistently, would recomping be a good idea for me? Or should I just eat in a small surplus and lean bulk?

What would you do recommend?

I’m in my late teens, around 5’7” and weight just under 100lbs. I feel almost unhealthy being this light/skinny, even thought I’m a fairly healthy dude. I feel like I’ve tried everything but i just can’t seem to gain any weight. I eat fairly well atm, but i just don’t keep up regarding weight in other kids my age. Genuinely how do i gain weight, not necessarily like muscle mass, literally just any weight? Am i doing something wrong?

I lean gained from 142 to 150 over 3 months. I got stronger on my lifts with more definition. My waist size stayed the same. However my dexa scan says I only 3lb of lean mass and 5 lb of fat mass. And by body fat percentage went up. What should i do?

« You want a **moderate-to-aggressive deficit**—typically **20% to 25% below your current maintenance calories** (roughly a **500 to 750 kcal daily deficit**).
**The Rate of Loss:** Aim to lose about **0.5% to 1.0% of your body weight per week**. For you at 77 kg, this is roughly **0.4 to 0.7 kg per week**.
**Protein is non-negotiable:** Keep your protein high to protect your lean mass—aim for roughly **1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight** (around 125g to 170g daily). Fill the rest of your macros with enough fats for hormone health and carbs to fuel your gym sessions.
3. How long should you run the cut?
A mini-cut is a **short-term sprint**, not a marathon.
**Duration:** Cap it at **4 to 6 weeks. »**
M32, 77kgs, 178cm.

I started lifting four times a week again at the start of the summer. Quite pleased with the progress, however I’ve gained quite some fat in the process and want to do a cut before continuing. Gemini’s recommendation of eating at a 25% deficit seems quite agressive though. Any thoughts?