Tanner Stage 3 - Possible to build muscle

[BellyDownArmbar]

Hi, Jordan. I'm thinking of starting SS on Tuesday. I'm 5'3, 136 lbs at about 20 - 22% body fat. Here's the thing: I'm only at Tanner Stage 3. I've heard Rip say before that a linear progression should not be attempted until Tanner Stage 4. Will I be able to build muscle mass and strength, or will I have to wait a while?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Hi, Jordan. I'm thinking of starting SS on Tuesday. I'm 5'3, 136 lbs at about 20 - 22% body fat. Here's the thing: I'm only at Tanner Stage 3. I've heard Rip say before that a linear progression should not be attempted until Tanner Stage 4. Will I be able to build muscle mass and strength, or will I have to wait a while?

How do you know you're at Tanner Stage 3? How old are you?

[BellyDownArmbar]

15, but my voice hasn't even b roken. Like, not even a crack.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Yea LP is going to be tough, but you can learn the lifts> perform them perfectly> add weight as you can.

[BellyDownArmbar]

Yea LP is going to be tough, but you can learn the lifts> perform them perfectly> add weight as you can.

So if i just add weight when I can, when I do get older, will I be still able to do a good linear progression?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

So if i just add weight when I can, when I do get older, will I be still able to do a good linear progression?

I think what you're asking is if you start training now will you be not be able to run LP as successfully than if you waited to train. To that my response is "you're asking the wrong question."

Most likely, if you train now your LP may be shortened a tad because resets won't be as productive since you'd likely already develop good technique and work capacity. Don't confuse this with being "weaker' or "stronger", as almost assuredly you'd be stronger at the end of your LP if you started training now than if you wait until later. Many lifters started training very early, ran some sort of LP as they could, and got brutally strong (see Russian and Chinese WL programs) instead of waiting longer to train.

[BellyDownArmbar]

I think what you're asking is if you start training now will you be not be able to run LP as successfully than if you waited to train. To that my response is "you're asking the wrong question."

Most likely, if you train now your LP may be shortened a tad because resets won't be as productive since you'd likely already develop good technique and work capacity. Don't confuse this with being "weaker' or "stronger", as almost assuredly you'd be stronger at the end of your LP if you started training now than if you wait until later. Many lifters started training very early, ran some sort of LP as they could, and got brutally strong (see Russian and Chinese WL programs) instead of waiting longer to train.

It's more about gaining muscle - will I still be able to make the rapid novice gains when I do get old enough?

[vanslix]

So if i just add weight when I can, when I do get older, will I be still able to do a good linear progression?

You're planting a mighty oak. It's better to have started that acorn 10 years ago than it is to have planted it 5 years ago. Not a perfect analogy but I think you get the point. I wish I knew what you did when I was 15...25....35. You're in the right place and good luck!

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

It's more about gaining muscle - will I still be able to make the rapid novice gains when I do get old enough?

If you're still a novice, sure. You'll be stronger at any age henceforward. Basically, I would stop worrying about how well novice progression is going to work later and instead, worry about how strong you'd be if you started training now vs later...the answer is obvious (same thing for size).

[idlehands]

I started training well before tanner stage 3. You know what happened? I got stronger. I got 'most improved' in gym that year too.