Bulking vs Cutting for Women: Should You Bulk or Cut First?
If you’re a woman starting out in bodybuilding, the terms “bulking” and “cutting” can feel overwhelming. Should you bulk first to build muscle, or cut first to get lean? The truth is, it depends on your starting point, goals, and the look you want to achieve. In this beginner’s guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know to decide which phase is right for you.
So you don’t make the mistake of trying to do both at the same time, and not ever looking much different…
What is Bulking?
Bulking is a phase dedicated to building muscle. During this phase, you eat in a structured calorie surplus to fuel growth.
Goal: Build muscle mass
Nutrition: Eat more calories than maintenance, prioritise protein, usually with high carbs and moderate fats.
Training: Focus on progressive overload and hypertrophy
It’s normal to gain a little fat while bulking, but the payoff is more muscle, which gives your body shape and curves that last.
It’s a temporary discomfort for a long term reward. You’ll lose the fat later, but keep the muscle. However, it is important to do this phase properly, in a controlled way - so you can minimise fat gain as much as possible (this is where a lot of people go wrong!)
What is Cutting?
Cutting is the opposite: a fat loss phase designed to reveal the muscle you’ve built. You’ll eat in a calorie deficit while maintaining strength training to preserve muscle.
Goal: Reduce body fat while keeping muscle
Nutrition: Fewer calories than maintenance, high protein to protect muscle
Training: Strength training remains the priority, with optional cardio to increase energy output
Cutting is a short term phase to reveal the results of your hard work in the bulk.
Should Women Bulk or Cut First?
Your starting point matters when deciding which phase to do first:
If you have more body fat: Start with a cut. You’ll feel leaner, healthier, and set yourself up for a more efficient bulk later.
If you’re already relatively lean but lack muscle: Start with a bulk to build that foundation. Muscle shapes and sculpts your physique.
If you’re somewhere in the middle: Consider your goals and what excites you most - building strength and size, or leaning out.
If you’re brand new to training: You can float around maintenance and recomp (build muscle + lose fat the same time). But eventually, the newbie gains will wear off and you’ll have to choose 1 direction to go in.
The Big Picture: Why Both Phases Matter
Both bulking and cutting are essential to building a strong, sculpted physique. You can’t reveal muscles without first building them, and you won’t see the results of your bulk if you never cut down to reveal your hard work.
Patience is key. Muscle building takes time (more than you think) and cutting requires strategy to maintain the muscle you’ve built. Every phase feeds into the next, so whichever you start with, you’ll eventually cycle through both to create the strong, lean & feminine physique you want.
Final Thoughts
There’s no one size fits all answer to whether women should bulk or cut first. Your choice should reflect your starting point, your goals, and what motivates you. The most important thing is to commit to the phase you choose long enough to actually see results, be realistic about your starting point, follow a structured plan, and eat for results.
Want more guidance on building your dream physique?
I help women like you get strong, lean, and confident with tailored coaching and strategies that actually work. Hit the button below to learn more about coaching options.
With love,
Coach Sandra xx