TBAB - Skinny Novice: Measured

[Aaron Montgomery]

Hey Jordan, I've been following your TBAB advice for the Skinny Novice the last few months. I'm 6'1", 30, and transitioned from SSLP to HLM about 5 weeks ago. I've gone from 172lb in January (~15% bf, 35" waist) to 198lb (~20% bf, 38.25" waist), on 4200 cals/day now. Making PR's on squat (300x3), bench (190x5) and deadlift (365x1) every week. I don't compete or play any sports.

You wrote in TBAB that you think getting your body fat above 20% is too high. What should my approach be right now if my long-term goal is to hold ~230lb at around 15% body fat? Is it best to bulk to ~22% body fat and cut to 15% for the foreseeable future? Or should I just keep on adding 2lb/month till I can't make weekly gains on HLM anymore? Besides getting a big belly, are there negative health/training consequences to staying above 20% body fat for a while, given that I've been well below that percentage most of my life?

Thanks Jordan!

PS - Interesting podcast on "Should Kids Be Strength Training?". As a parent of four, I've never understand why other parents are deathly afraid of their kids touching weights that aren't pink, but are perfectly fine with karate, taekwondo, football, etc. Almost everyone I know who played high school football or basketball has serious knee and/or back issues to this day. Even soccer will get you concussions.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Your approach should be to change your goal, since it is not possible to do that. Additionally 230lbs @ 15% BF would be monstrously huge. Really.

I would keep gaining weight unless you have a compelling reason not to right now.

[Aaron Montgomery]

Your approach should be to change your goal, since it is not possible to do that. Additionally 230lbs @ 15% BF would be monstrously huge. Really.

I would keep gaining weight unless you have a compelling reason not to right now.

Alright Jordan, thanks for busting my bubble. Figured I'd shoot for the moon and hit a light post. Guess I'll have to settle for a fat 230...

[Maties Hofstede]

185 cm at 105 kg. That monstruous? I dont hAve a clear picture what bf levels look like but....
Or do you mean in light of his starting weight?
Not disputing any here, just trying to understand )

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

At 15% body fat and that ht/wt, that's bigger than anyone who has ever posted on this board. Ever.

[MattJ.D.]

Put it this way, Klokov is 185 cm and 105kg in competition (when he competed)

[Aaron Montgomery]

Body fat% aside, how much lean body mass should the average 6'1" dude be able to hold without using anabolics?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Body fat% aside, how much lean body mass should the average 6'1" dude be able to hold without using anabolics?

Given the heterogeneity of the human condition, this isn't really possible to say without much more retrospective data on the individual. I don't think it really affects management either, so I'd defer looking at this for now.

[Manimal]

"Making PR's on squat (300x3), bench (190x5) and deadlift (365x1) every week"

Greatest decision I ever made was listen. Focus on getting to numbers at least 1.5x that over the next few months while managing your intake, you will find that the rest of it just comes. Except abs man, ungoal that shit asap.

[Chris McCarthy]

Put it this way, Klokov is 185 cm and 105kg in competition (when he competed)

I'd say he was under 15% a lot of the time and was more commonly 110 - 115 walking around, so that isn't a perfect comparison...but it's pretty good.