Why Business is just like building muscles

It’s about how a muscle-building concept can be perfectly applied to business.

One of my partners, Elias, used this analogy, and it hit home, especially as I went from 60 kg to 72 kg during my own personal training journey.

In muscle-building, there’s a Bulk-Cut cycle.

You bulk up first, focusing on gaining muscle (and yes, a bit of fat), and then you cut back to get leaner and more defined.

Business works the same way.

When you’re in the “bulking” phase of business, you’re focused on growth—generating leads, boosting sales, and creating offers.

It’s all about pushing your business to the next level.

Just like when you start hitting the gym, the gains come slowly at first. You might acquire 100 leads on Day 1, then 110, then 120 as you keep pushing.

As you progress, you’re bulking up your funnel and scaling revenue.

But here’s the catch.

You’ll hit diminishing returns if you stay in bulk mode too long.

Profits shrink, growth feels harder, and without balance, the business can get weighed down by inefficiencies and unnecessary costs.

That’s where the “cutting” phase comes in.

Once revenue is flowing, you shift focus—cutting costs, eliminating waste, and tightening up operations.

You zero in on efficiency, keeping only the essentials.

And after that phase, you bulk again—but this time, you’re stronger and ready for the next level of growth.

Some businesses, though, get stuck in bulk mode, thinking that constant growth is the only path forward.

But if you don’t know when to cut back and streamline, burnout and inefficiency can catch up fast.

So here’s some food for thought:

What phase are you in right now?

Are you bulking—pushing for leads, sales, and expansion?

Or is it time to cut—focusing on efficiency, margins, and operations?

Recognizing your business’s current season is crucial for long-term success.

Right now, I’m personally in the cutting phase. Thanks to brand equity built up throughout the year, I’m still getting a ton of leads from referrals.

But I’m focused on running lean, ensuring maximum efficiency.

Take a moment today to evaluate your current phase.

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If you’re expanding, consider:

What are your goals?

How are you getting more leads?

How are you getting more sales?

If you’re contracting, consider:

How are you improving efficiency?

How do you improve margins?

How can you decrease your operational costs?

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I hope this food for thought of the day helps you.

To your success,

Bryan Ang