When to stop gaining weight

[marcf]

Greetings, Jordan. I've searched the forum for this, and there are some threads that are kinda related, most of them are really old (four or five years old), so I figured I'd ask.

At what point should a novice stop gaining weight? I'm 6'1" and I started the program in May at 222 pounds. I'm still on an LP and I now weigh about 234 pounds. I have no idea what my bodyfat is, but I would guess it's around 20-22%.

My current lifts are:

Squat: 320x3 (advanced novice programming)
Bench: 275x3 (advanced novice programming)
Press: 165x5 (still on normal LP)
Deadlift: 350x5 (still normal LP)
PC: 155 for triples before resetting because of my back

The reason why my numbers are so low despite my time doing the program is due to inuries: adductor strain, facet joint injury, elbow tendonitis (killed my bench progress), chronic intense hip flexor pain, and a bout of possible costochondritis or maybe just a very badly bruised rib. These either caused massive resets in my lifts, or time off from doing specific lifts to heal.

My biggest hurdle in increasing my numbers is injury and pain, not necessarily fatigue or failing a lift. All of my halted progress was from pain or injury and not from being unable to complete a rep due to lack of strength.

Would it behoove someone like me to continue gaining weight as my numbers continue going up? Or am I at an adequate enough bodyweight where I should try to maintain? In To Be A Beast, I'm probably what would be considered a Fluffy Novice, so the recommendation for that would be to maintain weight and possibly lose bodyfat. But is there harm in gaining another 5-7 pounds? Or would they be totally diminishing returns at this point (i.e. if I were to eventually stall my squat at 350 pounds, for example, is another 5-7 pounds bodyweight going to push that to 375-380 pounds)? I'm wondering if I should start cutting down on the Shake Shack burgers.

Thanks, man.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

There's no hard and fast answer here, but I usually give people 3-4 months for a true LP with accompanying rapid weight gain. After that, it's slower (if underweight to begin with) over time, maintenance, or even a cut. I don't think that BW is holding you back or keeping you from being less injured so it'd be hard to suggest you need to gain weight, you know?

There's no harm in gaining more weight acutely, per se', but it's not really making you any stronger yet.

[marcf]

There's no harm in gaining more weight acutely, per se', but it's not really making you any stronger yet.

Thanks for the input, Jordan. I suppose the most practical move here would be to maintain and not gain anymore weight so I don't have to buy new clothes, which is getting very pricy since I wear a suit to my job.

Now that I think about it, since I'm not underweight, it would also be hard to pinpoint when bodyweight is the limiting factor to strength gain. For an advanced lifter, it's obvious that moving up a weight class would increase strength some. But for an advanced novice or intermediate, programming variables to account for adequate volume, intensity and recovery are probably bigger concerns than strictly bodyweight.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

I agree. Turns out, this stuff can be complex

[SirIrb]

I agree. Turns out, this stuff can be complex

It has to be complex. You [points at Jordan] weigh, what?--about 200 lbs and not a lot of fat? And If I remember correct I saw you OHP 315 for a single in IG. Come on [shakes head] a 315 press. Talk about complex. Well, you give me something to shoot for. Im 215 and could maybe get a 120 lb OHP single.

Is this an instance where you have been lifting so long that you have far surpassed the LP, the Intermediate stage (where you had fat?) and are an advanced lifter that doesnt as much have to rely on gaining weight by any means necessary to get more strength [because: insert scientific reasoning]?

And I applaud your lift.

Steve

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

It has to be complex. You [points at Jordan] weigh, what?--about 200 lbs and not a lot of fat? And If I remember correct I saw you OHP 315 for a single in IG. Come on [shakes head] a 315 press. Talk about complex. Well, you give me something to shoot for. Im 215 and could maybe get a 120 lb OHP single.

Is this an instance where you have been lifting so long that you have far surpassed the LP, the Intermediate stage (where you had fat?) and are an advanced lifter that doesnt as much have to rely on gaining weight by any means necessary to get more strength [because: insert scientific reasoning]?

And I applaud your lift.

Steve

Ha! I did not press 315, but rather my best is 265. In any event, yes I have far surpassed those training stages but I would be incorrect to say that gaining weight would offer no strength benefits to me, because it would. I just am not motivated enough to do that.

[marcf]

Im 215 and could maybe get a 120 lb OHP single.

So, how do you press more? Press MORE.

[Serack]

It has to be complex. You [points at Jordan] weigh, what?--about 200 lbs and not a lot of fat? And If I remember correct I saw you OHP 315 for a single in IG. Come on [shakes head] a 315 press. Talk about complex. Well, you give me something to shoot for. Im 215 and could maybe get a 120 lb OHP single.

Steve

Beyond the typical advice of micro plates, the advice that helped me the most on my Press was buried in the comments of Jordan's 12 ways to skin the Texas Method blog post

Thanks Jordan, this is really helpful–the 4 day split looks like a great option for me with my schedule.
A couple questions:
1) Can you comment on the reasoning behind having the press 3×8 and then 3×3 rather than 5×5 and 1×5 (just curious!)
2) Do you have a suggestion for determining what starting weights to use for the 3×8 and 3×3 when all I know is my 3×5 max from S.S?

1) I think 3×8 is more manageable for getting in meaningful volume that you recover from vs the higher intensity of 5×5. And doing 3×3 allows for a bit more manageable progression overall when splitting up training like this IMO.
2) I wouldn’t use a percentage or anything- but rather just do sets of 8 up until something feels like you only have 2-3 reps left in the tank. That’d be your first set of 8.

I went from stalling at 122.5x3x5 to 155x3 in about 3 months with that advice.

It was really rewarding when a friend in the gym NOTICED the first time I wracked up 2 45's and did 3 sets of 3 at 135. Then 2 months later I was still progressing each week!

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

That's awesome!

[marcf]

Dang, I might try to deload a bit and do 3x8 and see how that works out. My press has been stuck at 165lbs and I've deloaded twice, tried switching to pyramiding triples (i.e. 145x3, 155x3, 145x3) and so on. Also, I might've just been lazy because I know that more volume is the way to go after LP on a lift, but I just wanted to keep going with triples and fahves.