I'm continuing my long, slow bulk. But, in order to stretch this bulking phase out as long as I can, as productively as I can, I'm incorporating 4 week mini cuts every 4-6 months. This week marks the start of my first mini cut. It's the first time I'm in a calorie deficit since my 12 week cut ended in early July.

These mini cuts are simple. The goal is to keep me relatively lean so I'm able to productively gain muscle while minimizing fat gain.

I will reassess as needed, but long bulking phases with brief mini cuts sprinkled in seems to be the agreed upon approach by those more knowledgeable than myself.

Building muscle is a long, slow process. You need to spend a significant amount of time in a surplus to maximize muscle gain.

However, if you spend too much time in a surplus, without any maintenance phases or short "mini cuts" dabbled in here and there, you run the risk of gaining more fat and less muscle as the bulk goes on.

So, if you want to get more jacked without getting significantly – or disgustingly – more fat, do 4-6 week mini cuts for every 4-6 months of bulking.

Don't expect to lose a bunch of weight on these mini cuts. You might lose 2-5 pounds, but the idea is not to be shredded, but rather to better manage the long bulk.

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