The bulk or cut app: a clear verdict from your own photos
r/BulkOrCut gets dozens of posts a day asking strangers this. Here’s a better way.
Short answer
ProgressLens is the bulk or cut app: every AI Progress Report ends with one verdict, cut, lean bulk, recomp or maintain, based on your estimated body fat, your recent weight trend, your goal and your training experience. It adds a weekly rate (for example, lose 0.3–0.5 kg a week) and roughly how many weeks to your target. The same inputs always give the same verdict.
How the verdict is decided
The verdict comes from fixed rules, the same ones as our free bulk or cut calculator, so it can’t flip from one run to the next. Roughly:
| Body fat (men / women) | Usual verdict |
|---|---|
| 20%+ / 30%+ | Cut |
| 15–20% / 25–30% | Cut, or recomp if you’re new to lifting |
| Under 15% / under 25% | Lean bulk, or recomp if you’re new to lifting |
| Happy where you are (goal: maintain) | Maintain |
Your goal and experience shift those lines: a beginner can recomp from a higher body fat; an advanced lifter usually needs a clearer bulk or cut.
Your progress reportWhere you are
16–18%
Estimated body fat · medium confidence
- From photos: 15–19%
- From tape measurements: 17.2%
What changed
Weight −3.1 lbWaist −0.8 in
- Waist: more defined
- Abs: more defined
- Shoulders: unchanged
Is it working
On track
Your waist is shrinking faster than your arms and shoulders: mostly fat loss.
What to do next
Cut
- Lose 0.7–1.1 lb a week
- About 12 weeks to around 12% body fat
- Next check-in in about two weeks, in the same place and light.
Estimates from your photos and measurements, not a medical assessment.
How fast to go
Cuts aim for about 0.5–1% of bodyweight a week; lean bulks for about 0.25–0.5% a week for most people, slower if you’re experienced. The report shows the range in your units and how many weeks to your target at your recent pace.
Why not just ask Reddit or ChatGPT?
Strangers and chatbots see one photo, in one light, with no history. ProgressLens sees your matched photos, your waist and weight trend, and your goal, and gives the same answer for the same data.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Will it tell me whether to bulk or cut?
Yes. Every Progress Report ends with one verdict, cut, lean bulk, recomp or maintain, based on your estimated body fat, your recent weight trend, your goal and your training experience, with a weekly rate and roughly how many weeks to your target.
Should I bulk or cut if I’m skinny fat?
Usually recomp or a short cut first, then a lean bulk. Read skinny fat: bulk or cut?
Is there a free bulk or cut calculator?
Yes: the bulk or cut calculator uses the same rules. The app adds a body-fat estimate from your photos and tracks it over time.
How accurate is the body-fat estimate?
It’s an estimate, shown as a range with a confidence level, not a lab test. ProgressLens combines what the AI sees in your photos with the US Navy tape-measure formula and your own history, so the number doesn’t jump around from one photo to the next. The same photos always give the same result. Use it to follow your trend.