I have just starting lifting weights and doing cardio..how do I know if I should bulk up or cut. right now im 5'11'' 180lbs with a good amount of fat on me and also i have love handles. I dont want to lose anymore weight, i just want to lose all the fat on me and at the same time get some muscle tone. Now, when people decide to bulk up, what does that mean? are they lowering reps/sets, but raising the weight? and to cut, is it the opposite, higher reps/sets lower weight??? Im so lost with all this crap. Can somebody please give me a good workout routine.

The difference between cutting and bulking is diet and cardio, you lift the same either way.

Cutting-more cardio, less calories.
Bulking-less cardio, more calories, ~double everything you eat for cutting.

Lift heavy in both phases.

I would suggest cutting first if you don't like your fat, you will lose weight yes, thats what happens when you "tone up". You reduce fat to reveal muscle.

I have just starting lifting weights im 5'11'' 180lbs with a good amount of fat on me and also i have love handles. Can somebody please give me a good workout routine.

Cut. No higher reps or lower weight-myth. You don't change anything. You build muscle, no matter if you are getting rid of fat or doing it because you are skinny fat. You should get down to say 165-170 then bulk.

Cardio will burn calories but you can adjust your diet and get same results. You won't gain much muscle from it at all. When you leave it off during a cut or bulk, it reliefs your body of stress and allows better recovery from exercise.

I suggest HIT, it is effiecient and effective. Others have found success from max-ot and body for life. Starting out it is nice to follow a program that is spelled out in detail. So you always have written instructions to refer to.

So, when people say to use higher reps and lower weight to cut..that is not accurate? Basically i should just continue to do the same routine I have been doing but do more cardio and monitor my food intake. I do 3-4 exercises per body part, 3 sets of 8-12 reps..does that sound ok?

Hi vdcking24, welcome to the forum.

It sounds as if you have a lot to learn. To begin, I suggest you start reading A LOT about the difference between bulking and cutting and different fitness theories in general. A good place to start is the stickies at the top of the fat loss and weight/strength forums titled “nutrition for weight loss” and "A beginner’s guide to bulking."

Also – and you’ve probably heard this before – but only focus on one goal at a time. That is, either focus on fat loss (cutting), or only focus on building muscle (bulking) as it’s nearly impossible to do both at the same time. Which goal to choose is up to you, but a majority of people focus on reducing their body fat before bulking.

Many people find fitness confusing because they focus on too many details at once. If you start by educating yourself on basic training and nutrition principals I can guarantee you’ll have a more successful program. Education is paramount to you reaching your goals.

Thanks for your question, keep us posted with your progress.

Why do just one?

You're new to lifting, you're body sounds like it could use some muscle. I say do both at the same time.

Is it impossible? Not at all, especially for newbs. Figure out what a good calorie range for your daily intake is; I'd guess around 2200-2500 calories/day and start lifting intensely and do cardio too if you have the time for it.

Personally, I recommend you spend about a month doing a full body routine, 3 times per week. Upper body twice and lower body once. Then after that go into a split routine using either a pre-planned routine or one you come up with.

Regardless of what you decide, lift heavy and lift intense. Cardio is far less important and should have far less stress placed on it. However, still try to get it in when you can.