Quote: (09-23-2017 03:34 PM)Batman_ Wrote:
TQuote: (09-23-2017 02:11 PM)Vaun Wrote:
Its obviously a very popular intermediate/advanced program with the Starting Strength crowd.
I am a big proponent of Starting Strength, and currently doing a novice program now, mixed in with some shorter met cons and running/cardio workouts on off days. My warm up includes chins, GHD raises, push ups, etc. My cardio days are mostly met con type stuff; jump roping, versa climber, outdoor sports. I am doing Starting Strength 3x per week, squat, press, DL, for 3x5. I expect to be back to a 900lb. total when I am done with it in 10 weeks. Roughly 5 days per week, with the two non-lift cardio days.
For food; make sure you supplement with protein powder. Casein at night is my go to, and whey during the day. Only go the Filet O Fish route if you dont care about the extra fat that comes with it. I did this... its very hard to take off if you are over 30. You will gain muscle though, the more you eat, of all macros, not just protein. Im inclined to believe, from past personal experience, that when you over feed all macros protein/carbs/fat, as opposed to just protein, you will gain more muscle and get stronger faster, than just relying on protein and trying to keep your diet really clean. Again, just personal experience. If you dont care about the excess fat to get big and strong, get your Big Mac and White Castle on. Your nutrition could be a huge factor in your plateau. Post your diet here. Often times people dont eat enough.
If you've done the program and truly hit a plateau as an intermediate(check your lift numbers that you are an actual intermediate based on how much you lift), I would try Madcow, the Texas Method, or any of the Bill Starr programs that supplement Starting Strength. I would also post to the Starting Strength forum with your questions.
I've done Stronglifts a few times and I've hit plateaus over and over and over again. When I started lifting seriously about 2 years ago I was still pretty weak and even now I'm only 180lbs at 6'. I have struggled to gain strength because it is very difficult for me to eat enough food to gain any weight. I eat a lot of ground beef, eggs, chicken breasts, salmon, mussels, tuna, walnuts, lots of dairy and lots of fats (I even eat all the grease when I cook bacon or ground beef, and use lots of mayo/butter with most meals), generally eat less than 100g of carbs a day (usually under 50g) while staying away from soda and anything with added sugar, and I try to eat spinach/kale/broccoli at least a few times a week as well.
I wouldn't say I eat super clean but I definitely am restricting my ability to gain weight by the way I eat. It's confusing to me that eating more carbs would result in muscle mass gain, but at this point it might be necessary if i'm going to gain weight period, because a high fat diet is too satiating to be able to eat enough to actually gain weight. The problem is that I really hate most carbs (such as rice or noodles), and they make me feel like shit.
The higher carbs theory, as told by most coaches in powerlifting(Rippetoe, Louie Simmons, etc), is that your body requires many different types of fuel to grow. Glycogen(energy) from carbs, protein and fat for muscle growth. You use up your glycogen when you lift, and you use up your protein when you recover. Without refueling properly, you will get stuck.
The reason you see so much on the internet written about "lifting low carb", is frankly because most people are fat, and dont want to be fat anymore. So most people are trying to lose weight, that is their main/only goal. Even most lifters on the internet.
Your goal is a lot different than that. If your goal is to increase your lifts, you have to eat.
You could be under-eating based on your numbers, and at your height and weight, I would guess you look really lean. This is where your goals come into play. Whats your number one goal? Get bigger and stronger? Just get slightly stronger? Do you like your body size, or want to grow it with muscle? This is where you have to answer that first before you decide. But most people would probably kill for your leanness now, and frankly most men want that look.
I would start with making sure you are getting enough protein. You should try to get at least 200grams of protein per day. Start with two scoops of Casein at night before bed. Maybe throw in a few scoops of whey during the day.
Since you are good about tracking your food, during this program I think you should try upping your carbs at least to your bodyweight per day(180gr/day), or 150 if you want to try baby steps. Supplementation is the easiest way to do this, if you dont want to pig out. I like the powder After Burner, for post workout, which combines carbs, protein, bcaa, amino's, etc, in one drink. It will probably bump your carbs up to these levels.
100grams of Protein a day for a guy your size is really fat loss levels. And when you lose fat, you also lose muscle, there is no way of getting around that, despite any product/youtube video. Try upping your carbs and supplementing.