Classing lifting thread - Having trouble with weight-lifting. page 6

[Future_PB_Dr]

Kimchi, how fast are you able to gain muscle? I ate 4,000 calories per day for around two months on a 65% fat, 15% carb diet and couldn't put on even a pound of weight. In fact, I went from 175 to 172.

However, now my macro breakdown is around 50:25:25. I can already tell that I am putting on weight. I am back up to 175 already. Yes, I have noticed more stomach fat. My upper abs are still defined, but the lower ones are slowly being covered up. I don't mind this, though, if it's going to lead to substantial strength gains. Now that I know how to easily get rid of this fat when I begin cutting after a few months of bulking, it almost makes me laugh to see myself get a little fat .

I am no longer eating 4500-5000 on my training days. I am closer to 4000 on training days and 3500 on my off days. I know that someone suggested eating the same calories on rest days, but I chose to reduce it by 500 for financial reasons. Good food is expensive! Anyway, I have noticed weight gain already, nonetheless.

[RichMahogany]

Yeah, but aren't a lot of us screwed up from living for decades in the United States of Sugar?

Yes. And lifting heavy would tend to help to correct it. And eating VLC would tend to help to correct it (even if dietary carbohydrate wasn't strictly the cause, I still am convinced by the evidence that limiting it is a valuable tool for intervention).

But that's a different question than how to maximize muscle growth. You can try to walk the tightrope of gain muscle/lose fat, or you can prioritize one over the other.

If general health is all you're after, then do what you believe will correct any hormonal/metabolic dysfunctions. If you wanna "get swole," at all costs, eat tons of post-workout carbs and protein and drink a bunch of milk every day in addition to a hearty primal/paleo diet. Different goals, different prescriptions.

[Future_PB_Dr]

Okay, here's a little update:

Two weeks into shifting my macros to 50:30:20 (fat:carbrotein), I haven't gained a single pound. My daily average is just below 4,000 calories a day. I know I will get suggestions to eat more calories, but I don't understand why this would help? Even if I'm not eating enough to put on weight very quickly, how would eating 4,000 calories a day not at least help me put on weight slowly? The fact is that I am not putting on weight whatsoever.

This brings me to a question I have about weightlifting. I know SS isn't the optimal routine for hypertrophy, but I still want to use it for strength gains. However, would it be beneficial for me to do a more hypertrophy-driven routine (3x10) one day a week and SS the other two days. This week, I did SS on Monday (workout A) and Wednesday (workout B). Today, I did 3x10 of each exercise included in the SS routine, minus power-cleans, and adding in chin-ups. Has anyone had any experience with a regimen like this? Every time I have put on substantial weight and muscle mass in the past, it has been through a more hypertrophy oriented lifting program.

What are your thoughts?

[RichMahogany]

This brings me to a question I have about weightlifting. I know SS isn't the optimal routine for hypertrophy, but I still want to use it for strength gains. However, would it be beneficial for me to do a more hypertrophy-driven routine (3x10) one day a week and SS the other two days. This week, I did SS on Monday (workout A) and Wednesday (workout B). Today, I did 3x10 of each exercise included in the SS routine, minus power-cleans, and adding in chin-ups. Has anyone had any experience with a regimen like this? Every time I have put on substantial weight and muscle mass in the past, it has been through a more hypertrophy oriented lifting program.

What are your thoughts?

My thoughts are that if you're adding things to the Starting Strength program, it ceases to be the Starting Strength program. If you're a novice lifter, novice programming is appropriate whether you're attempting to get stronger or bigger (myofibrillar vs. sarcoplasmic hypertrophy). If you're not a novice lifter, novice programming is inappropriate whether you're attempting to get stronger or bigger.