ARC guide
Bulk vs Cut vs Recomp
Pick a path from your goal, training experience, recent weight trend, and whether you will accept gaining weight.
Direct answer
A cut is a planned deficit. A lean gain is a small surplus. A recomp is roughly maintenance while you try to improve composition. ARC chooses a path to consider from your answers — not from a required body-fat percentage or a photo.
Key takeaway
The useful question is not “which is best.” It is “which constraint am I actually willing to live with for the next block.”
What each path is
Cut: scale down, keep protein and training, use a moderate deficit. Lean gain: scale up slowly, keep protein and progressive training. Recomp: hold the scale near the same number and let training plus protein do slower composition work.
Beginners can often recomp productively. People who refuse any scale increase and want fat loss should usually cut. People who want size and accept a gain should usually lean gain.
What ARC will not do
It will not ask for body photos. It will not lock a recommendation to a body-fat percentage. Optional body-composition language is context only.
Example
An intermediate lifter who wants both fat loss and muscle, is not comfortable gaining, and has been slowly gaining weight: the tool will usually suggest a cut, with recomp as the alternative if they would rather stabilize first.
Common mistake
Calling a large surplus a “lean bulk,” or calling a crash diet a “cut.” The labels only help if the calorie direction matches them.
Use the ARC tool
Run the numbers instead of guessing from the article alone.
How ARC treats this
- The decision tool is a rules-based planner. It explains why it chose a path and always offers an alternative.