# Aragon's "Culking"



## kyoun1e (Apr 5, 2009)

More on this "slow bulk" thing...a continuation from my other thread...

I started reading up on Lyle's UD2 diet and somehow ran into this guy Aragon and his idea of "culking." (And coincidently, he's a big fan of Lyle McDonald).

Anyone have any more specific info on his culking idea?

It seems to me that because there is such a focus on short-term results by professionals that maybe this cutting and bulking thing possibly has gotten out of hand...and if you have patience, you can achieve both lean mass gains and fat loss.

From a roundtable:

"A Aragon: This question carries the implication that all bodybuilders must undergo separate phases. This really only applies to my clients in formal competition, where specific phases are unavoidable. For non-competitors, and even competitors to a modified degree, I prefer the ???culking??? approach. This is a tongue-in-cheek term I coined which basically fuses the whole cutting & bulking cycle in to one slow, steady, refinement of the physique in terms of both size AND leanness. This is entirely possible to achieve, but the timeline is generally a period of years rather than months. In the purest sense, culking is a perpetual process that???s linear for the most part. The typical cycle scenario is spending half the year looking like a bloated mess, and the other half looking decent to drawn. At fleeting points for only a few weeks (or days) at a time, they look great. That doesn???t sit too well with me. "


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## P-funk (Apr 5, 2009)

Alan Aragon writes some really great stuff.

I have never heard of his "culking" method, but it sounds like it may be centered around using some short phases of bulking followed by cutting, which is a good way to approach it.

patrick


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## kyoun1e (Apr 6, 2009)

This sounds more reasonable than the normal bulking and cutting cycles I keep reading about.

In this way, you can try and stay on the path of a lean bulk by periodically doing some quick cuts to nibble away at any unwanted fat gains.

Has anyone tried this?

I'd be curious to undertand how effective this has worked for folks and how much they cut their calories on such a plan?

Seems a lot less strict than UD2 as well which seems to have you cutting and bulking during any given week.

Thanks.

KY


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## CG (Apr 6, 2009)

Hmm.. Culking.. Kinda sounds temp??ing, then again I've been wondering why all along my cut I have made strength and size gains (slowly bus surely) while visibly losing BF..


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## kyoun1e (Apr 6, 2009)

Eat less, lose fat...and gain strength and size?

Think you've found the holy grail of lifting.

KY


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## CG (Apr 6, 2009)

Yeah, I guess its partially to blame on my total lack of even a decent base before beginning my cut.. I went from ex college athlete (aka softey marshmallow man) to pretty agressive cut, with no actual time to bulk or get in the swing of things.. Idk


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## Hench (Apr 7, 2009)

Why when the words 'cut' and 'bulk' are mentioned do people always imagine the extremes of each?

I havent heard of 'culking' before, but when you get a chance to read lyles work, he in no way suggests that you spend half the year as a bloated mess.


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## kyoun1e (Apr 7, 2009)

Good question.

It seems to me that bulking AND cutting should be integrated together as part of your overall program.

KY


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## Hench (Apr 7, 2009)

kyoun1e said:


> Good question.
> 
> It seems to me that bulking AND cutting should be integrated together as part of your overall program. *UD2.0*
> 
> KY



Personally, I am a student, and while I try my hardest (and my diet is normally pretty damm good) I just wouldnt be able to stick to the requirements of UD2. So I bulk then cut, however not for long periods of time.

 Since Jan 08 I have gone: Cut 2 months, Bulk 3 months, Cut 3 months, Bulk 3 months, Cut 4 months and just about to start a three month bulk before cutting for most of summer. Im pretty lean at the min (<10%) so as long as I track closely over the next three month I should be able to get pretty shredded over the summer. 

Anyway, enough about me, just thought I would show you how I lay out my training. I enjoy being lean, and you partition calories better when you lean, women like it better when you lean ect. ect. Therefore I never bulk for 6-8 months at a time, prefering shorter cycles of each.


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## T_man (Apr 7, 2009)

I know lots of black dudes (its always the black dudes, right?) who have gained, and I'm not kidding, atleast 35lbs of LEAN mass in a year with no bulking phase. The guy I have in mind plays for Liverpool FC youth team atm (he's 16) and he's HUGE and he gained that size and strength so rapidly that I don't know how he did it. He's ultra-lean, aroud the 6-7% bf area and has never gone above 8% yet managed to get so much muscle.

Another guy as well has NEVER EVER had a gram of fat on his body, has always had a 6 pack but yet has grown the most out of the people who he trains with.

What gives??


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