Overcoming Skinny Fat: Should You Bulk or Cut First for a Leaner, Muscular Physique?
I share my insights and strategies how I overcome my skinny fat body to build a leaner and muscular physique.
If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and noticed that, despite being slim, your stomach is still soft and flabby, you’re likely dealing with a skinny fat stomach.
Having a skinny body but fat stomach is one of the most frustrating body types to have because you don’t look overweight, but you lack muscle mass and still carry excess fat around your waistline and belly.
I used to be skinny fat myself. I was stuck in a cycle of trying to lose weight with endless cardio and crash dieting, only to look even softer. It took me a few years to realize that the solution wasn’t just about losing fat—it was about building muscle too.
So the big question is: should you bulk or cut first? Let’s break it down.
What Is Skinny Fat?
The term skinny fat refers to people who appear slim in clothes but have a high body fat percentage and low muscle mass. This often results in a soft, undefined body shape rather than a lean, toned physique.
Common Causes of Skinny Fat:
According to American Sports and Fitness Association, there are a few things that causes a skinny fat condition.
Lack of strength training—not lifting weights leads to muscle loss.
Too much cardio—excessive cardio without resistance training can make the body burn muscle along with fat.
Poor diet—low protein intake and too many processed carbs can promote fat storage.
Sedentary lifestyle—lack of movement leads to muscle atrophy and fat accumulation.
Many people who are skinny fat focus only on weight loss. However, without building muscle, fat loss alone just makes them look smaller but still soft and undefined.
Sometimes, it makes them look unwell too. Some of them have sunken cheeks, skinny limbs, poor posture, and saggy tired-looking eyes.
Risk of Skinny Fat
Being "skinny fat" means you might look slim but have a high body fat percentage and low muscle mass. T
his hidden fat, especially around your organs, can increase the risk of developing serious health issues like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure according to Healthline.com.
So, even if the scales look good, it's important to focus on building muscle and maintaining a healthy lifestyle to reduce these risks.
Skinny Fat Stomach: Why It’s Hard to Fix
A skinny fat stomach is tough to deal with because most fat loss strategies don’t work well for this body type. Here’s why:
If you only cut calories and do cardio, you’ll lose weight, but you won’t gain muscle, leaving you looking weak and flat.
If you bulk aggressively, you’ll just gain more fat, especially around your stomach.
If you do nothing, you stay stuck in the same soft, undefined shape.
Most of the time, it messes with your mind. You’d be thinking that you’re really stuck between having small arms and legs, and your belly fat isn’t going anywhere.
I know exactly how frustrating that feels.
The key to fixing a skinny fat stomach is body recomposition, where you lose fat and build muscle at the same time. But should you bulk or cut first? Let’s find out.
Should You Bulk or Cut First If You’re Skinny Fat?
The answer depends on your current body fat percentage.
“Whether you should bulk or cut first depends on your current body fat percentage. If you’re above 20% body fat (men) or 30% (women), you should start by cutting.”
1. Cut First If Your Body Fat Is High
If you’re above 20% body fat (men) or 30% (women), you should start by cutting.
How to Cut as a Skinny Fat Person:
Calorie deficit: Eat 300-500 kcal less than your maintenance level.
High protein diet: Consume at least 1.6-2.2g of protein per kg of body weight to maintain muscle.
Strength training: Lift weights 3-5 times a week, focusing on progressive overload.
Minimal cardio: Stick to walking or short HIIT sessions to preserve muscle.
2. Lean Bulk If Your Body Fat Is Lower
If you’re below 20% body fat (men) or 30% (women), you can start a lean bulk to gain muscle.
How to Lean Bulk as a Skinny Fat Person:
Small calorie surplus: Eat 200-300 kcal above maintenance.
Strength training: Focus on progressive overload—increase weights and reps over time.
Protein intake: Stay at 2.0-2.2g of protein per kg of body weight.
Avoid “dirty bulking”: Eating too many excess calories will just add fat, not muscle.
3. If You’re Unsure, Recomp
If you’re not sure whether to bulk or cut, aim for body recomposition by eating at maintenance calories while prioritizing strength training and high protein intake.
How to Plan A Meal For Skinny Fat People
When it comes to planning a meal for someone with a "skinny fat" body type, the focus should be on building lean muscle while reducing excess body fat.
The key is to create a balanced approach to both your calorie intake and macronutrient distribution—proteins, carbs, and fats—so that your body has the fuel it needs to build muscle while not storing excess fat.
The first step in planning any meal is figuring out how many calories you should be eating.
For a skinny fat person, this will vary based on your current body composition and activity level.
Using Calorie Counting & Food Log App
To start, you need to calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which is the number of calories you burn each day, including your workouts and daily activity.
Here’s a good TDEE calculator available for free.
To create a calorie deficit for fat loss or a surplus for muscle building, you should either cut or add around 300-500 calories to your TDEE.
I am a big advocate of keeping things simple.
If you’d like to focus on calorie counting and specific measurements, which is quite hard to do sustainably, then you can use a powerful free app like Myfitnesspal.
I used it before and find it quite troublesome to log in the food for every meal.
Now I focus on simplicity and I still get good results.
A simple strategy I use to estimate your portion sizes without tracking every bite is the hand portion method.
For example, your palm represents a portion of protein, your fist equals a serving of vegetables, a cupped hand is your carb serving, and a thumb-sized portion is for fats like oils or butter.
Using Hand Portion Method
Each part of your hand represents a different food group, which makes it easy to estimate how much of each macronutrient you should be eating per meal. The best part is that it's simple, requires no extra tools, and can be done anywhere.
Know your baseline
Track your current food intake by taking photos for 3-5 days using hand portions (without changing anything). Take note of:
How many palms of protein per meal?
How many cupped hands of carbs per meal?
How many thumbs of fats per meal?
How many fists of veggies per meal?
Observe your weight for 1 week:
If weight stays the same, you're eating at maintenance (roughly your TDEE or baseline).
If weight goes up, you're in a surplus.
If weight goes down, you’re already in a deficit.
Measuring food portion
Protein:
Portion size: The size of your palm (without your fingers)
Examples: Chicken breast, lean beef, fish, tofu, eggs, or legumes.
Carbohydrates:
Portion size: The size of your cupped hands.
Examples: Brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, whole-wheat pasta, oats, or starchy vegetables.
Fats:
Portion size: The size of your thumb.
Examples: Olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, nut butter, or fatty fish like salmon.
Vegetables:
Portion size: The size of your fist
Examples: Leafy greens, broccoli, spinach, zucchini, bell peppers, or carrots.
Ensuring you are not lacking of important nutrients
While losing weight, it is normal to reduce the intake of important nutrients such as protein, vitamins, and minerals. All of which are important for health and bodily functions.
Without these nutrients, you will feel weak, tired, and your immune system will not be stable to fight off common infection like flu.
To ensure this does not happen:
Prioritise protein: Aim for a palm-sized portion of protein (lean meats, fish, eggs, tofu, legumes) per meal.
If you eat only 2 meals a day (e.g., intermittent fasting), increase each portion to 2 palm-sized servings per meal.
If you have 4 meals a day, you can keep it to 1 palm per meal for even distribution.Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to get essential vitamins and minerals. Include 2 fist-sized portion of vegetables per meal to support your immune system.
If eating fewer meals, increase the portion accordingly.Consider supplementing with multivitamins if your diet lacks certain nutrients.
Stay hydrated, as water plays a crucial role in digestion, energy levels, and overall well-being
Adjust for Your Goals
Once you confirm your starting portion (which keeps you at maintenance), simply reduce portions slightly:
Option 1: Reduce Carbs → Remove 1/2 cupped hand of carbs from 2 meals (-150 kcal).
Option 2: Reduce Fats → Remove 1 thumb of fats per day (-100 kcal).
Option 3: Reduce Both → Cut 1/2 thumb of fats & 1/2 cupped carbs (-300 kcal total).
Protein and veggies portion stays the same.
Unless: Increase protein and veggie portion by one portion size if you feel hungry after a meal.
This way, you don’t need to count calories—just tweak portions based on your results!
Try this adjusted portion for 2-4 weeks, track your progress, and adjust again if needed.
The Best Workout Plan to Get Rid of a Skinny Fat Stomach
According to a 2024 meta-analysis, which is a research method that systematically combines and analyzes data from multiple studies on a specific topic to provide a more comprehensive and robust conclusion than any single study could achieve, the most effective way to transform a skinny-fat body is through strength training.
Here’s how to structure your workouts:
Focus on Compound Movements
These exercises recruit multiple muscle groups and help you build strength and definition:
For chest workout, do these exercises:
Barbell bench press (4 sets of 8-12 reps)
Dumbbell bench press (3 sets of 10 reps)
Incline bench press (3 sets of 10 reps)
For leg workout, do these exercises:
Barbell back squat (4 sets of 8-12 reps)
Goblet squat (3 sets of 10-15 reps)
Dumbbell split squat (3 sets of 10 reps per leg)
For lower back workouts, do these exercises:
Conventional deadlift (4 sets of 6-8 reps)
Romanian deadlift (3 sets of 10 reps)
Stiff-leg deadlift (3 sets of 8 reps)
For mid and upper back workouts, do these exercises:
Pull-ups (assisted if needed) (3 sets of 8-12 reps)
Barbell rows (3 sets of 10 reps)
Dumbbell single-arm rows (3 sets of 10 reps per arm)
For shoulder workout, do these exercises:
Barbell overhead press (4 sets of 8-12 reps)
Seated dumbbell shoulder press (3 sets of 10 reps)
Arnold press (3 sets of 10 reps)
Recommended Sessions and Sets Per Week
For optimal muscle growth, aim to do a full body routine 3 times a week and 6-12 sets per muscle group per week if you are a beginner.
For intermediate and advanced people, go for 4-5 sessions a week on a upper/lower split or Push-Pull-Leg split and aim to do 12 - 20 sets per muscle group a week.
It is recommended to do at least 2-3 different exercises for each muscle group in one session.
By doing more than one exercise per muscle group, you ensure that you target various parts of a muscle, promoting balanced growth and strength as stated in this 2020 research paper.
In short:
Beginners: 2-3 full-body sessions per week. 6-12 sets per muscle group per week.
Intermediate: 4-5 sessions, using an upper/lower split or push/pull/legs. 12-20 sets per muscle group per week.
Rest Time In Between Sets
Rest intervals between sets significantly influence training outcomes, affecting factors like strength development, muscle hypertrophy, and recovery.
From traditional text books and articles that I’ve read, they’ve come to conclusion that:
Shorter rest periods, such as 30 to 90 seconds, are often recommended for promoting muscle growth (hypertrophy).
Longer rest intervals, typically 3 to 5 minutes, may be more beneficial for maximizing strength gains, as they allow for greater recovery between sets.
It's important to tailor rest durations to your specific training goals and individual needs.
I can’t find any latst study that prove this concept wrong, though. For myself, I used to depend on counter.
But when I am fatigue after a long day at work, I give myself longer periods of rest time in between sets so that I can still still do each set with a safe and proper form.
Limit Cardio
Too much cardio, especially long or intense sessions, can hinder muscle growth by depleting energy reserves needed for muscle repair and recovery.
Excessive cardio increases cortisol levels, a stress hormone that promotes muscle breakdown and interferes with muscle-building hormones like testosterone.
It also shifts muscle fibers from fast-twitch (for strength) to slow-twitch fibers (for endurance), limiting muscle size and strength.
“Too much cardio depletes energy storage for muscle growth. This slows muscle development, as muscles need time to recover and grow.”
Additionally, excessive cardio can increase recovery time, leaving less time for strength training. This slows muscle development, as muscles need time to recover and grow.
The energy systems required for cardio and strength training are different, and too much cardio can prioritize endurance over muscle growth, reducing your ability to build muscle.
If you're looking to keep your heart healthy without sacrificing muscle growth, try doing 2-3 short HIIT sessions or incline walking. A quick 20-30 minute HIIT workout can help burn fat and boost your cardiovascular fitness, all without overloading your recovery.
Core Training for a Tighter Stomach
Incorporating exercises like planks, hanging leg raises, and ab rollouts can help sculpt and strengthen the muscles of the core. However, without addressing overall body fat through a comprehensive fitness and nutrition plan, these exercises alone won't lead to a flatter stomach.
I would still suggest doing abs exercises as having strong core and ab muscles does more than producing well-defined abs.
Having a strong core helps provide stability and mobility while doing other exercises which help to prevent injuries.
Example of beginner full-body 3x a week routine
Each workout targets multiple muscle groups to ensure balanced development.
Aim for proper form, controlled reps, and consistency. You'll also incorporate some core work and limit cardio to optimise your results.
Workout A: Full Body (Day 1)
Barbell Back Squat – 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Focus on full range of motion and controlled movement. Rest 90-120 seconds between sets.Conventional Deadlift – 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Keep your back neutral and focus on pushing through the heels. Rest 90-120 seconds between sets.Barbell Bench Press – 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Lower the bar slowly to your chest, keeping your elbows at around 45 degrees. Rest 90-120 seconds between sets.Pull-ups (Assisted if needed) – 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Focus on full control during both the pull and lower phases. Rest 90 seconds between sets.Barbell Rows – 3 sets of 10 reps
Keep your back straight and pull towards your lower ribs. Rest 90 seconds between sets.Core Work (Plank) – 3 sets of 30-45 seconds
Maintain a neutral spine and engage your core. Rest 60 seconds between sets.
Workout B: Full Body (Day 2)
Goblet Squat – 3 sets of 10-15 reps
Keep your chest up and squat deep to engage your glutes and quads. Rest 60-90 seconds between sets.Romanian Deadlift – 3 sets of 10 reps
Focus on hinging from the hips and engaging your hamstrings. Rest 90 seconds between sets.Dumbbell Bench Press – 3 sets of 10 reps
Keep a slight arch in your back, press the weights up and down with control. Rest 90 seconds between sets.Dumbbell Single-arm Rows – 3 sets of 10 reps per arm
Keep your torso stable and row the dumbbell to your hip. Rest 90 seconds between sets.Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press – 3 sets of 10 reps
Keep your core tight as you press the dumbbells overhead. Rest 90 seconds between sets.Core Work (Russian Twists) – 3 sets of 15-20 twists per side
Keep your core tight and avoid swinging the weight. Rest 60 seconds between sets.
Workout C: Full Body (Day 3)
Bulgarian Split Squat – 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
Focus on a controlled lowering phase and keep your chest upright. Rest 60-90 seconds between sets.Trap Bar Deadlift – 3 sets of 8 reps
Stand tall, push through your heels, and maintain a neutral spine. Rest 90 seconds between sets.Incline Bench Press – 3 sets of 10 reps
Lower the bar slowly to your chest, focusing on squeezing your chest at the top. Rest 90 seconds between sets.Pull-ups (Assisted if needed) – 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Maintain a full range of motion. Rest 90 seconds between sets.Arnold Press – 3 sets of 10 reps
Rotate your hands as you press the weights overhead, engaging your shoulders fully. Rest 90 seconds between sets.Core Work (Leg Raises) – 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Engage your lower abs as you lift your legs, keeping your back flat on the ground. Rest 60 seconds between sets.
Weekly Schedule:
Monday: Workout A
Wednesday: Workout B
Friday: Workout C
Additional Tips:
Rest Time: Make sure to rest for about 90-120 seconds between sets for strength-based exercises, and about 60-90 seconds for accessory movements.
Progressive Overload: As you become stronger, gradually increase the weight or reps for each exercise to continue progressing.
Cardio: Keep cardio to a minimum. Stick to 2-3 sessions of short HIIT or incline walking throughout the week to avoid interfering with muscle growth.
This routine, combined with consistency and proper nutrition, will help you build a solid foundation of strength and muscle. Enjoy the journey!
Final Thoughts
Skinny fat is a mix of low muscle and high fat, and fixing a skinny fat stomach requires strength training, not just weight loss. If your body fat is high, start with a cut; if it's lower, lean bulk.
Consistency is key—body recomposition takes time.
If you're struggling with a skinny fat stomach, the best time to start fixing it is now. Whether you want to cut, bulk, or recomp, pick a plan and commit to it for at least 3-6 months to see real, lasting changes.
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