Advanced and Intermediate Eating

[tzanghi]

How much do the advanced and intermediate lifters eat? There seems to be great emphasis on eating for novices, but I don't necessarily hear the same for/from intermediate and advanced lifters. Do you guys eat whatever your appetite desires, or do you try to eat everything in sight?

[Patrick]

How much do the advanced and intermediate lifters eat? There seems to be great emphasis on eating for novices, but I don't necessarily hear the same for/from intermediate and advanced lifters. Do you guys eat whatever your appetite desires, or do you try to eat everything in sight?

I think the emphasis on eating for beginners is because most of them don't appreciate how much food you need. Once you're intermediate or advanced, you are probably wise enough to know that if you stop eating you'll stop growing, maybe stop progressing, and start shrinking. I'm at a higher weight now than I was at the beginning and I eat more to support it. I'd bet everyone is in that same boat.

[tzanghi]

I think the emphasis on eating for beginners is because most of them don't appreciate how much food you need. Once you're intermediate or advanced, you are probably wise enough to know that if you stop eating you'll stop growing, maybe stop progressing, and start shrinking. I'm at a higher weight now than I was at the beginning and I eat more to support it. I'd bet everyone is in that same boat.

Thanks for the answer. This was my original assumption, but I've started looking at advanced and intermediate logs, and none of them seem to display the same desire or urgency for weight gain as novices. Maybe I'm just looking at a bad sample.

[Bazza20]

Thanks for the answer. This was my original assumption, but I've started looking at advanced and intermediate logs, and none of them seem to display the same desire or urgency for weight gain as novices. Maybe I'm just looking at a bad sample.

Probably because a lot of them have already gotten pretty fat from the GOMAD and see food diets pushed on them from they were novices.

[forgeforth]

I think caloric requirements in general are vastly overstated at the novice stage. Novices at any weight range do not require 7,000 calories or anywhere close to that level, unless of course you believe the stress a 3x5 program done three times per week is creating such a demand. I'm not saying don't eat monstrous quantities of food--just make sure this sort of diet is in line with your goals, which, in this case, is getting bigger and stronger in the shortest amount of time.

My only bit of advice regarding weight gain at the intermediate level is the following: if you're going to do the Texas Method, I recommend that you bulk or gain weight gradually while on this protocol. In other words, this program fits in really well with a bulking regimen. If you run a program like TM while in a deficit or at maintenance your lifts are more likely to stall and recovery may become an issue after volume day. Ideally this sort of intermediate program can last you a year. IMO, this is where a large part of your weight gain should occur, at the rate of 2-4 pounds per month over the course of a year. If you break that down daily, you'll notice that only a modest caloric surplus is required (that is, if you want to minimize fat gains). Unfortunately, I've come across a lot of guys on the internet who want to lose weight after the novice stage because they put on a lot of fat. For me, the absolute last thing I want to do at this stage is go on a 3-5 month diet. All things being equal, I highly recommend TM for anyone interested in getting stronger and more muscular over the course of a year.

[LeonidasfromSparta]

Thanks for the answer. This was my original assumption, but I've started looking at advanced and intermediate logs, and none of them seem to display the same desire or urgency for weight gain as novices. Maybe I'm just looking at a bad sample.

As you go into the intermediate stage, gains slow down compared to the novice stage. So the rate of bw gain accommodates this new environment. On his article on t-nation, Rip suggests a 20 lbs bw gain OVER A YEAR for an average trainee doing TM, and I think that is a good rule of thumb. Probably 1/2 of that will be fat, and 1/2 lean body mass.
As you become an intermediate you understand the importance of consistency in eating, and understand your body better, so no you don't eat everything in sight.

[GHK]

I have to watch my food like a hawk as I can swing 2kgs in a week. 3 weeks ago 91kg then last night 94kg and I am trying to diet down while increase my total. Last looked, In Oct I was 87kg before hitting the progamme, now 94. And its a mixture of lean and belly.

[cannibal.horse]

I count calories. I estimate mine as an ordinary sedimentary male because I'm not stupid enough to think that squatting 200kg, sitting on my ass for 5 minutes and squatting it again burns many calories.

I get 1g of protein per LLB and fudge fats/carbs a little so long as neither is too low.

Wish i did this from the start.