Bulking And Cutting For Women
Jul 20th, 2024 - 21 mins
The method of bulking and cutting is most commonly used in bodybuilding, and for good reason, it is a tried, tested and proven method to help bodybuilders time their approach to building muscle and cutting body fat in time for their show.
If you’ve heard the term bulking and cutting around the fitness industry, but you’re not really sure what it is, or how to do it for yourself; keep reading. In this guide we’re going to look at the fundamentals of women bulking and cutting with a view to help get you started if you think it’s right for you.
For the cut to the chase kinda girl, check out The Fat Loss Formula, this will guide you through the entire process.
Contents
While women bulking (aka, gaining weight) may seem like an alien concept to some, it is an ever increasing trend as more women are turning to weightlifting in a bid to alter their physique. You don’t have to be a seasoned bodybuilder to reap the benefits, you just have to know how to do it. Proceed with caution and an open mind, because done incorrectly, you could end up on yet another dieting merry-go-round.
Understanding Bulking and Cutting
At Lipstick Lifters we get a lot of questions about bulking and cutting, mostly the cutting phase, which is understandable since many women want to understand how they can reduce their body fat. However, what we need you to understand is that there is no use in cutting if you haven’t been bulking.
The entire purpose of the cut is to reveal the lean muscle you build in your bulking phase, no amount of cutting will reveal lean muscle you haven’t built. It’s a cycle, first you bulk, THEN you cut.
As mentioned above, you don’t have to be a competitive bodybuilder to use this method. Women in weightlifting have a number of reasons for their interest and active role in the sport. These include, but are not limited to:
Strength
Power
Aesthetics
Skill
Functional strength
Lose fat
Gain muscle
Feel empowered
Look after their mental health
Any one of the above reasons can benefit from this cycle. However, bulking and cutting is most commonly used for the purpose of aesthetics and mostly in bodybuilding.
Women Intentionally Gaining Weight? – Is That Really A Thing?
Yes. It absolutely is a thing. For some women, when the number on the scale goes up, it is cause for celebration. In fact, there are a lot of women who get a kick out of knowing they have gained weight.
What is this weird and wonderful world I am describing? – This is the world of weightlifting. A world where bulking and cutting for women is fundamental to aesthetic success.
Understand that women in weightlifting are not defining themselves on bodyweight, (unless of course, they are bound by competition rules).
Also, be mindful of the fact that while women bulking do indeed actively seek an increase in body weight, what they are fundamentally looking for, is an increase in muscle mass. We know that from a physical perspective; 5lbs of lean muscle does not appear on the body in the same way that 5lbs of fat does. Therefore, the extra weight results in a firmer, leaner, more “compact” appearance.
Is bulking and cutting suitable for women?
Of course, why wouldn’t it be? Bulking and cutting for women needs more publicity than it is currently getting. If you want to build and reveal a lean, well defined physique, you are the perfect candidate for adopting this method.
This is one of the best and most efficient ways to get aesthetic results. Just because it’s mainly the boys talking about it, doesn’t mean you can’t be one of the leading ladies using this method.
Let’s get into the detail…
What Is Bulking?
This is the part where you lift heavy and eat in a calorie surplus with the intention of packing on as much muscle mass as possible. The calorie surplus gives you the energy to lift more and recover faster, allowing you to build muscle as fast as possible.
Understand that naturally during this process, there will be some fat gain too. This is generally not a concern during the bulking phase, because the extra unwanted fat will easily be taken care of in the cutting phase; more on that later.
For women who are actively trying to gain weight, this is a good way to go about it, because you can bulk confidently knowing that the weight you are gaining is mostly of the good kind.
Bulking can be a bit of a mind fu#k for some women, since we are conditioned to desire a smaller – lighter frame. However, once you understand how this entire process works, you will see that it is essential for long term aesthetic success.
The bulking process has been covered in more detail in this article: Bulking For Women - The Ultimate Guide
For a quick bulking workout see: The Mass Builder or our Intermediate Bodybuilding Workout Pack or consider our Muscle Growth Workout Plans.
What is cutting?
Cutting is the process of losing ‘cutting’ fat. And this is done primarily through your diet.
When you enter your cutting phase, you switch into a calorie deficit. Here you also focus your training on more direct fat burning exercises; i.e. lower weights with higher reps and more cardio. Although excessive cardio is not necessary.
As mentioned above, fat will be gained alongside the muscle during a bulking phase. This is completely normal when using the bulking and cutting method, so try not to be put off by this.
Take note! The most important part of the cutting phase is your diet. See Macros Explained.
Keep in mind that this is a slow and steady process, nothing will change overnight, and there is a process of trial and error. But when you find the right balance the results will speak for themselves.
The cutting process has been covered in more detail in this article: Cutting For Women - The Ultimate Guide
For a cutting workout see: Fat Loss For Beginners, the 7 Day Cut, or consider our Fat Blaster Workout Plans.
Bulking and Cutting For Female Bodybuilders
This process for competitive female bodybuilders is strategically timed to make sure they are at the very peak of their cut when it’s time to get on stage and show off all their hard work. For this reason it is necessary to plan backwards from the show date to ensure there is enough time.
Everyone's bulking and cutting phase needs a different amount of time, when you have a competition ahead of you it’s advisable to work with a coach who can work this out with you, otherwise you risk not being stage ready when you need to be.
Bulking and Cutting For Everyone Else
If you’re not competing you have much more freedom, this is especially beneficial if you have never worked this cycle before. Nobody will be able to predict how your body will respond to the process. We can all perform the exact same workout, follow the exact same diet, for the exact same amount of time and have very different outcomes. With that in mind we want to stress that you should pay close attention to how your body responds in each phase.
Allow yourself a roughly estimated amount of time for each phase. Keep it simple, say something like 3-6 months bulking and then into a 2-4 month cut. Monitor your progress in both phases and pay attention to how your body responds.
This is not a “one and done” process, so don’t be concerned if after a 4 month cut you’re still some way from your desired outcome. It is advisable at this point to go into a maintenance phase for some time, this will help you avoid quickly putting back all the fat you lost in your cut. You could try reverse dieting, or if you want a clear guide of how to manage the entire process, check out the Fat Loss Formula.
After you have been in the maintenance phase for some time, you can start bulking again in preparation for your next cut. The goal is to repeatedly make progress each time you complete this cycle. What progress are you making? You’re building more lean muscle which in turn helps you burn fat at a faster rate and build a strong and lean physique.
Common Misconceptions About Bulking and Cutting For Women
You’ll get bulky
Building lean muscle, particularly for women, is no easy feat, Most women who have been conditioned to eat few calories and perform excessive cardio will be coming into this on the back foot. Diet culture has women eating and exercising in such a way that promotes muscle wastage. It takes time to bounce back from this, but it is possible.
The point is; you’re not going to get too bulky by accident. It is very difficult to get to that stage, it takes time and consistent effort. Since you will be working this in cycles and paying close attention to your outcomes, you are in complete control in terms of how far you take this.
You need someone to write you a nutrition plan
Be very careful about who you take diet advice from, there are many personal trainers and coaches, online and in person, handing out some very questionable meal plans and diet advice when they are not qualified or informed enough to do so. Please note that this is not about passing criticism on anyone, the majority do believe that they are doing the right thing. But here is what we want to bring to your attention…
Just because a particular eating plan worked for them and a few of their clients, doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you or even be good for you.
What you put in your body doesn’t just impact weight loss or weight gain, it impacts your long term physical and mental health, which is far more important than losing a few pounds of fat. This is why qualifications on this matter are required. Would you consume medicine given to you from an unqualified pharmacist? We hope not.
For that reason, Lipstick Lifters does not provide meal plans, nor do we give any personalised diet advice. We will never tell you what to eat, we will only ever make suggestions and provide as much information as we can to help you make the right decisions for you.
We suggest that you build 80-90% of your diet around real whole foods. Eliminate all processed foods from your everyday diet, you can still have them occasionally, but on a day to day basis you should be consuming foods prepared from fresh whole ingredients.
You can use our Macro Calculator as a guide for your daily caloric requirements, but remember it is just a guide. What we want you to be able to see when following the Macro Diet for a short period is how to balance your meals. When you follow this process, using whole food ingredients for every meal, you will quickly see that you can still enjoy wholesome meals. Not to mention how much better you will feel physically and mentally when you eat better.
You must starve yourself and do excessive cardio to cut
This is not true, and as mentioned above, when you prioritise the quality of your daily calories you will soon see that you can eat more food and still lose fat.
Whole foods are more satiating, so by default you will find yourself consuming less calories in the long run.
On the matter of cardio, yes it’s an excellent “calorie burner”, but that doesn’t mean “fat burning”. When you use the method of bulking and cutting, fat loss comes from a combination of the increased metabolism you gain from having the additional lean muscle and your diet.
Bulking makes you gain fat
This is actually somewhat true, but when you understand the process in its entirety, you will see that it’s not a bad thing.
To build muscle at a faster rate you need to lift heavy, to lift heavy you need to eat a calorie surplus in order to fuel your lifts and recover faster. To lose fat you need to be in a calorie deficit and include more cardio; which can lead to some muscle wastage. This is expected and part of the process.
The reason these two phases are best worked separately is because they are complete opposites.
What you need to keep in mind is that any excess fat you gain in your bulk will be taken care of in your cut.
Bulking is just lifting weights
Bulking and simply lifting weights are not the same.
When you are bulking you are training and eating in such a way that you want to gain mass fast. You achieve this by lifting much heavier and with a more strategic rep/set range than you would normally.
It is not recommended to lift with bulking intensity all the time, you should do this in phases. The same applies to your diet, you are eating in a surplus during this phase because that’s what gives you the strength to lift more. When you’re not exerting yourself so much, you don’t need the calorie surplus.
Think of it like the difference between “training” and “exercising”... Exercising can be simply walking, running, swimming… This is good for your cardiovascular health, but it’s not training in the sense that you’re actively working towards making noticeable changes to your physique.
Assuming you only need to do this once
As mentioned above, this is not a “one and done” process. It’s a cyclical process and that’s what makes it such a powerful method. Because the more you understand and work this process, the more likely you will be able to sustain your results.
You are 100% in control of how far you take this. Consider each phase a building block… you build as much muscle as you can, then you diet back a bit to see what you’re left with. Now you can learn from what you just did. Notice any muscle groups you need to work on some more, notice how your diet went, decide what you want to do differently and then start the cycle again at a later date.
Excess body weight is a bad thing
First of all, weight and body fat are not the same thing. How much a person weighs is not necessarily a reflection of how much body fat they carry. Pound for pound, lean muscle takes up less space in the body than the same weight in body fat,
But let’s say, on the flip side, that you are someone with excess body weight and a considerable amount of that is fat. Is that a bad thing? When it comes to weightlifting; not necessarily.
An individual with a higher body weight will generally be able to lift/move more overall weight. And by lifting heavier, she builds muscle faster. When she builds muscle faster she is speeding up her metabolism preparing it for more efficient fat loss in her cut. So in some ways, the bigger woman is at a slight advantage.
Some smaller women just can’t get any bigger
For women on the smaller side, less interested in fat loss and more interested in building muscle, you may find yourself thinking you just can’t get any bigger. That’s not true.
Bodybuilding is an entire sport committed to building a physique. Once you understand the fundamentals of bodybuilding, you will understand that most people who commit to this process do get bigger. This is achieved through bulking; a calorie surplus and lifting heavy.
Like all things worth having, it takes time and consistent effort. If you fit this description, start your bulking process asap.
Workout Plans For Your Bulking and Cutting Phases
The way you lift when you bulk is not the same as when you cut. So you need to be able to adapt your training method accordingly. There isn’t one single workout or even method that we can give you, there are a number of ways you can approach each stage when it comes to your workout plans.
As a general rule of thumb;
In your bulking phase you want to lift high volume with fewer reps. And in your cutting phase you should aim for lower volume and higher reps.
The above is a very general overview, as mentioned, there are many ways to approach each phase, they all come with experience and experience comes from doing.
Our primary goal at Lipstick Lifters is to teach women gym independence, so we have a number of both free and paid resources to help you. These are linked below:
Sign Up For Free Workout Plans
Bodybuilding Exercises For Women
A Simple Guide To Pyramid Sets
Squat, Deadlift & Bench; The Power Trio
Beginners Bodybuilding Workout
Intermediate Bodybuilding Workout
Bulking and Cutting Diet Tips
As mentioned above, Lipstick LIfters does not provide diet plans. We can offer you some general tips that can help you to make food choices that will support your performance in weightlifting:
Eat whole foods 80-90% of the time
Prioritise your protein and good fat sources
Don’t demonise carbs, but don’t base your entire meal around a carb source Try to eat the bulk of your carbs before your workouts or immediately after
Avoid pre packaged foods labeled “low fat” or “high protein”
Get your protein from real whole foods mostly animal protein
Fat is not the enemy, eat good fats these include animal fats
Never drop your caloric intake below 1200 calories, use our Macro Calculator as a guideline to how many daily calories you should be aiming for in each phase
Monitor and adjust your diet regularly so you can understand how your body responds
Don’t stop working on this, if you want long term results you need to take long term action
How Your Body Composition Changes When You Bulk and Cut
The purpose of bulking and cutting is not just to “lose weight” or even just to lose body fat. This is about changing your entire body composition. You do that by adding lean muscle and taking away excess body fat.
What you’re aiming for with this method, whether you know it or not, is to build a physique that is strong, resilient and efficient. You will also benefit from a faster metabolism. Think of it as your body running like a freshly oiled machine.
In order to achieve this you need to have more lean muscle and less body fat. You do not turn one into the other, you build more muscle and you burn body fat, they are two different things. Even if you go the other way, you do not turn the muscle to fat, you gain fat and your muscle starts to waste away and become seemingly softer because it’s not being utilised in the same way.
Maintenance
At some point in the process you will want to maintain your current weight/physique. For most, this isn’t necessarily the end point, it’s usually a midpoint. In bodybuilding, where this method is used the most, there is always more “building” to do. For that reason, we still consider maintenance a “phase” even if this particular phase goes on for an extended period of time.
When you are in maintenance you are eating according to your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and you are lifting in your mid range.
The purpose of the maintenance phase isn’t just to maintain your current body composition, it also helps to stabilise your metabolism. It is an opportunity for your body to recover from the extremities of bulking and cutting, this phase is crucial for recovery and long term sustainable results.
Reverse Dieting
People who are worried about gaining weight too quickly after their cut, or anyone who has been cutting for an extended period, may want to consider reverse dieting.
This has been covered in detail on our reverse diet calculator page. Which, as the name suggests, also includes a calculator.
Bulking and Cutting FAQ’s
How long should I bulk and cut for?
This really depends on where you are starting from.
For an absolute beginner we recommend you start with a 6 month bulk before you consider going into a cutting phase.
When you decide to cut, plan for 2-3 months, but also play it by ear because this too depends on your starting point.
If you don’t have much body fat to lose you won’t need to be in the cutting phase for very long, it will just be a matter of trimming back the additional fat you gained in your bulk.
On the flipside, if you have a lot of body fat to lose, you may need to stay in the cutting phase for longer, but not necessarily until you lose all the fat you want to lose, it may benefit you to drop a bit, maintain, and then go back into the cycle. Why? Because the more lean muscle you build the more efficiently your body will burn fat longer term.
More experienced lifters can start with a 3 month bulk followed by their cut. Same as above applies if you have less or more body fat to lose.
Isn’t this yo-yo dieting?
No. yo-yo dieting is going on a diet and then coming off the diet, on repeat, with no real direction.
With bulking and cutting you have clear direction, you now know from reading this article that it is a process that needs to be followed in its entirety, including maintenance.
What is “clean” and “dirty” bulking?
You may see or hear terms such as ‘dirty bulk’, ‘clean bulk’ or ‘lean bulk’. ‘Dirty bulking’ refers to consuming a calorie surplus in highly calorific (usually unhealthy) foods.
The ‘clean’ and ‘lean bulking’ terms are referring to the idea of bulking on healthy foods, in a bid to bulk without gaining too much additional body fat.
Women bulking tend to be attracted to the idea of clean bulking, but be mindful that this concept of not gaining any fat in a bulk is extremely difficult to achieve. Because it all boils down to calories, and the fact remains that in order to ‘bulk’, you need to be in a calorie surplus, in order to ‘cut’, you need to be in a deficit. You can’t be in both at the same time!!
You could set your calories somewhere in between and mix up your workouts, but understand that this isn’t ideal and will heavily delay your results.
The bulking and cutting method exists as it does because it has been tried, tested and proven to be the most efficient way to get results. This isn't something we invented, bodybuilders have been using this method for decades. We are just here to share this information with you.
What if I do want to dirty bulk
Women bulking need to be mindful when ‘dirty bulking’ (assuming of course, that it is the intention is to cut afterwards). The fact remains; men have an easier time cutting body fat than women do, they also have an easier time building muscle. Genetics are a douche for that, but we must work with what we have. ‘Dirty bulking’ is used as a method to gain weight fast. From a man’s perspective, or a woman seeking fast weight gain, this is ideal. A woman who intends to cut afterwards should proceed with caution.
Remember that the purpose of bulking is to pack on the muscle. As women, we naturally build muscle at a slower rate than men do. So you need to be prepared to play the slow game.
Don’t be afraid of a little weight gain, embrace it and understand that it is all part of your bigger picture.
As soon as you prove to yourself that you can drop fat efficiently, with the correct methods, you’ll lose the weight gain worry.
Shouldn’t You Lose Weight First And Then Build Muscle?
No.
No.
and No!
Too many women are adopting this very outdated advice. If anyone tells you to ‘lose weight and then tone’ block your ears, scream and run away!
This is the kind of advice that makes things harder for women.
Let’s be real; the odds are already against you, since you don’t produce enough testosterone to build muscle thick and fast, and as a woman you will naturally hold more body fat. With that in mind, why would you want to move yourself further away from your goal?
The fact is; it is easier to build muscle when you are carrying extra weight. Those additional pounds are extremely precious in the bulking world. You can lose as much ‘weight’ as you want, but if you haven’t done the ‘building’ work prior to the weight loss, you won’t have much lean muscle to show for it and it will be harder for you to build it from this point. Not impossible, just harder.
Weightlifting is the only way to alter your physique and body composition. Yes. The only way.
Also, consider that traditional weight loss methods (restrictive diet and excessive cardio), will eat into the muscle stores you already have. So by adopting the ‘lose weight and then tone’ method, you actually cause muscle wastage and you will go backwards.
Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Bulking And Cutting Conclusion
As previously mentioned; the reason bulking and cutting are used together in a cycle is because it has proven to be one of the most efficient methods to achieve aesthetic results.
The best way to approach this is to keep it simple. For a comprehensive guide, see The Fat Loss Formula.
Get your head around the idea that you’re in this for the long haul, and that you’ll use this method more than once. Chances are, you’ll use this method multiple times.
Remember, if you want to reveal lean muscle; the bulking must come first.
Once you have bulked for your desired length of time; drop back on the heavy lifting, reduce your calories and up the cardio to ‘trim the fat’.
What you are left with after the cutting phase, is all the beautiful lean muscle that you built during your bulking phase.
The best and simplest way to approach your diet in this process, if you don’t have anyone giving you a good meal plan, is to track your calories and macro-nutrients. See; Macros Explained.
Remember that all the cutting in the world won’t reveal a physique you haven’t built, therefore it is necessary to use workout plans that build lean muscle first and fast.
Need New Workouts?
Learn as you lift…
There is only so much “theory” you can consume. If you want to really learn, you need to lift. You need to put yourself out there and do the exercises, feel the muscles working and monitor the results. It all boils down to experience, and that is what I want to help you get through Lipstick Lifters.
Your gym independence is our success.
Free resources
Our exercise pages have a wealth of information for you to consume at your own pace. It’s not an exhaustive list, but if you take the time, there is more than enough information there to get you started.
Free workout plans; don’t forget we have free workout plans available in our Members Zone portal for everyone. These alone are enough to see you through at least the next 6-8 weeks, if you’re resourceful you can make them last up to 12 weeks.
Remember, this is about gaining experience, you can fine tune your personal goals once you have a solid foundation of lifting experience behind you.
Paid resources
If you’re looking to level up, check out what’s available for paid subscribers inside our Members Zone portal here.
Through Members Zone you can become completely gym independent for the same price as a single personal training session and some change.
It’s up to you to decide if you want to face the learning curve so you can do it yourself, or continue to pay someone else to do it for you. - There is no right or wrong option, it all boils down to what you want for yourself.
This article was originally published in 2021 most recently updated in April 2024.
related articles
High Protein Diet: Build Muscle, Burn Fat, Feel Great
Apr 14th, 2025
What Is Progressive Overload & Why Do You Need It?
Mar 21st, 2025
Women's Fit Model Division Bodybuilding
Feb 16th, 2025
Negative Sets Explained
Feb 6th, 2025
How To Create Your Own Women’s Bodybuilding Split
Feb 2nd, 2025
Powerlifting Vs Bodybuilding: What’s The Difference?
Feb 1st, 2025
Giant Sets: Push Your Limits for Maximum Results
Jan 28th, 2025
Bikini Bodybuilding Workout Plan
Jan 26th, 2025
Drop Sets Explained: Why, When & How To Use Them
Jan 24th, 2025
Triceps Exercises For Women - Banish Bingo Wings
Nov 11th, 2024