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Thread: What happens when SSLP becomes more frustrating than good?

  1. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brodie Butland View Post
    Speaking for myself, I put on 30 lbs in about three months--and that was before Starting Strength (it was a cookie cutter bodybuilding program, and I didn't know how to squat or deadlift for shit). My secret was multiple chipotles a week, putting four slices of cheese on my daily vegetable stir fry, and drinking half a gallon of milk each day. It helped that I was 5'11" at 130 lbs--body was begging for food.
    Wow, 5'11, 130lbs. It's always nice to hear from people that are like me. I've managed to gain about 30lbs in the last 9yrs, lol. I've recently found that eating the amount required to gain a pound or two a week is damned hard. I fill up so quick.

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Proudestmonkeyt View Post
    Wow, 5'11, 130lbs. It's always nice to hear from people that are like me. I've managed to gain about 30lbs in the last 9yrs, lol. I've recently found that eating the amount required to gain a pound or two a week is damned hard. I fill up so quick.
    Yeah--I was a praying mantis. I don't even think I hit 130 lbs until college, and I stayed that way until I was 24. I'm now around 230, which means I've basically gained an entire petite woman. About 40 of those were post-SS. There's no way around it--you just have to force yourself to eat enough, and sometimes this takes a bit of planning. I can't eat a lot in one sitting--acid reflux and other digestive issues. (For the same reason, I can't deadlift less than two hours after finishing a meal.). So I still rely heavily on milk and protein shakes, and I have to eat on a certain schedule because I don't have the luxury of backloading everything if I'm behind on macros.

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Proudestmonkeyt View Post
    What did you eat to gain 20lbs in 4mo's? Btw, I was 143lbs when I was 28 at 6'1. Eating too little has always been my problem.
    I don't have much of an appetite, so eating 4100 cals/day is very difficult for me. I'm following TBAB for macros (To Be A Beast | Barbell Medicine), with a little more fat and a little less carbs than Jordan's template. I try to spread my macros across the day evenly. On a typical non-lifting day I do this:

    Breakfast - 2-2.5 oz granola + lactaid (lactose intolerant) with 4 oz of juice. 1-2 oz of some tasty cereal (loving Fruity Pebbles right now) + lactaid. 1-2 oz of dried mango. 50g whey protein.
    Lunch - Whatever left-overs I have in the fridge + 2-2.5 oz of granola/cereal + dried mango/candy/chocolate/nuts/seeds + whey protein as my macros need for that meal.
    Dinner - Whatever my wife makes for dinner + cereal/nuts/seeds + whey protein as my macros need.
    2nd Dinner - Costco Tamales/hashbrowns/breakfast tacos/whatever sounds tasty + cereal/nuts/seeds + whey protein as my macros need.

    As you can see, I eat a lot of the same things throughout the day. Right now I always have Cliff bars, pumpkin seeds, almonds, pistachios, tortilla chips, jasmine rice, bacon, sweet cereal, granola, dried mango, and chocolate on hand. Try to find things that you think are tasty and quick to make, and eat those once you start getting the full signal. I can always put down 2.2 oz of Fruity Pebbles and lactaid.

    If you are really struggling to eat, drink your calories instead. Drink milk/lactaid after every meal, like 2 cups. Try to get most of your calories from food if you can though. Also, be consistent with your calories and tracking them. Don't binge one day, feel awful, and then not eat enough the next day. Figure out what makes you feel sick/full. For me, I can't eat eggs, oatmeal, brown rice, and tons of wheat in one sitting (eg bagels + wheat cereal + toast) without feeling full/sick for hours on end. I try to eat breakfast at 9 (no appetite before 9...), lunch at 1, dinner at 5, and 2nd dinner at 9. Good spacing for meals.

    At your body weight, I'd shoot for 2lb/week of weight gain.

    EDIT - Hey Brodie, do you have a "I gained 100lbs, ask me how" t-shirt? I want one once I hit 230lb.
    Last edited by Aaron Montgomery; 04-29-2017 at 08:39 PM. Reason: typos

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brodie Butland View Post
    ...

    Don't let perfection be the enemy of the good. Figure out something that allows you to generally make long-term progress, and keep a positive outlook. This is a marathon, not a sprint. I started lifting with SS principles in 2011...I'll be squatting 400x4 tomorrow for my workset. I could look at my progress as being horrible...only a 240 lbs gain on the squat in over 5 years!? Or I could look at it as: I'm about to torch 400, motherfucker, and now that I've figured out a system that works, the all-time 415x4 PR is here in three weeks, with more to come.
    This is great advice. Progress is progress, and being consistent over long times means strength gains add up. Keep pushing ahead.

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brodie Butland View Post
    Yeah--I was a praying mantis. I don't even think I hit 130 lbs until college, and I stayed that way until I was 24. I'm now around 230, which means I've basically gained an entire petite woman. About 40 of those were post-SS. There's no way around it--you just have to force yourself to eat enough, and sometimes this takes a bit of planning. I can't eat a lot in one sitting--acid reflux and other digestive issues. (For the same reason, I can't deadlift less than two hours after finishing a meal.). So I still rely heavily on milk and protein shakes, and I have to eat on a certain schedule because I don't have the luxury of backloading everything if I'm behind on macros.
    Quote Originally Posted by Aaron Montgomery View Post
    I don't have much of an appetite, so eating 4100 cals/day is very difficult for me. I'm following TBAB for macros (To Be A Beast | Barbell Medicine), with a little more fat and a little less carbs than Jordan's template. I try to spread my macros across the day evenly. On a typical non-lifting day I do this:

    Breakfast - 2-2.5 oz granola + lactaid (lactose intolerant) with 4 oz of juice. 1-2 oz of some tasty cereal (loving Fruity Pebbles right now) + lactaid. 1-2 oz of dried mango. 50g whey protein.
    Lunch - Whatever left-overs I have in the fridge + 2-2.5 oz of granola/cereal + dried mango/candy/chocolate/nuts/seeds + whey protein as my macros need for that meal.
    Dinner - Whatever my wife makes for dinner + cereal/nuts/seeds + whey protein as my macros need.
    2nd Dinner - Costco Tamales/hashbrowns/breakfast tacos/whatever sounds tasty + cereal/nuts/seeds + whey protein as my macros need.

    As you can see, I eat a lot of the same things throughout the day. Right now I always have Cliff bars, pumpkin seeds, almonds, pistachios, tortilla chips, jasmine rice, bacon, sweet cereal, granola, dried mango, and chocolate on hand. Try to find things that you think are tasty and quick to make, and eat those once you start getting the full signal. I can always put down 2.2 oz of Fruity Pebbles and lactaid.

    If you are really struggling to eat, drink your calories instead. Drink milk/lactaid after every meal, like 2 cups. Try to get most of your calories from food if you can though. Also, be consistent with you calories and tracking them. Don't binge one day, feel awful, and then not eat enough the next day. Figure out what makes you feel sick/full. For me, I can't eat eggs, oatmeal, brown rice, and tons of wheat in one sitting (eg bagels + wheat cereal + toast) without feeling full/sick for hours on end. I try to eat breakfast at 9 (no appetite before 9...), lunch at 1, dinner at 5, and 2nd dinner at 9. Good spacing for meals.

    At your body weight, I'd shoot for 2lb/week of weight gain.

    EDIT - Hey Brodie, do you have a "I gained 100lbs, ask me how" t-shirt? I want one once I hit 230lb.
    Hey, thanks for the examples guys. Aaron, I especially appreciate the time you took to write out your day. I suppose eating enough shouldn't be a problem for me being a chef and all, but you'd be surprised how little you eat when you're around food all day working with it. I thankfully have a pretty ironclad stomach and have no allergies, so that's not the issue. The issue is mental. I prioritize other things over eating. The good thing is that if I focus and will myself to do it, I have plenty of stuff to put down my gullet. The problem I've had in the past is tracking everything. It's tough to count calories when myfitnesspal doesn't have half the shit you eat.

    Btw, Brodie, that's crazy. I can't comprehend what It's like gaining 100lbs.

  6. #26
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    It is very good advice, and I'm really grateful for it. Btw Chebass88, I'm from Jersey too.

  7. #27
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    I'm a 43 yr old father of 3 @ ages 3,6,9 . The 3 year old loves to bother us by getting in our bed every other night and kicks me in my back or taps my head seemingly every 5 mins. At 6'1 myself, you can add significant weight to your frame without being a fat slob. From experience, I was at 195 (looking back, I look rail thin now). Lifts were S 315x 1 for a grindy shit 1/2rep, B 225 x4 probably short ROM, DL Bent back 360x 1. Added 30 lbs in 6 months to frame and my lifts skyrocked with it. S 315 x10 full rom B 225x 10 DL 405 x3 straight back.

    Form refinement helped a lot too,but the caloric surplus/ weight gain made all the difference. Unlike you however, I have no problem with food, so eating 3500-4000 cals a day was a joy(lots of pizza and Ice cream). Stick to the weight gain plan others have suggested and it'll work wonders.

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by chrisza View Post
    I'm a 43 yr old father of 3 @ ages 3,6,9 . The 3 year old loves to bother us by getting in our bed every other night and kicks me in my back or taps my head seemingly every 5 mins. At 6'1 myself, you can add significant weight to your frame without being a fat slob. From experience, I was at 195 (looking back, I look rail thin now). Lifts were S 315x 1 for a grindy shit 1/2rep, B 225 x4 probably short ROM, DL Bent back 360x 1. Added 30 lbs in 6 months to frame and my lifts skyrocked with it. S 315 x10 full rom B 225x 10 DL 405 x3 straight back.

    Form refinement helped a lot too,but the caloric surplus/ weight gain made all the difference. Unlike you however, I have no problem with food, so eating 3500-4000 cals a day was a joy(lots of pizza and Ice cream). Stick to the weight gain plan others have suggested and it'll work wonders.
    Thank you for responding with your experience. I have made a concerted effort to stay full or at least satiated all day long and so far, for the three days that I have been at it so far, I have been able to stick to it. Unfortunately, I lost two pounds since I last weighed myself a couple weeks ago, so I'm down to 175. However, I do realize that weight gain is a long game, not a daily one. Hopefully, all the eating I'm doing will show something better next Monday. To make things easier, I'm not being picky about what I eat to a point of neurosis, but also not filling up on sugar. Other than that, it's open season.

    My form has improved as well and has made my squat more efficient. Going back yesterday after almost a month of nothing serious, I started over and did a work set of 155, 25lbs less than my PR. But It's cool, because my squat finally felt like it was right, and all I did was move the bar an inch further down my back. It was harder than I remember 155 being, but I figure that's because I'm doing it more right than wrong, and the new positioning will take time to strengthen.

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Proudestmonkeyt View Post
    Thank you for responding with your experience. I have made a concerted effort to stay full or at least satiated all day long and so far, for the three days that I have been at it so far, I have been able to stick to it. Unfortunately, I lost two pounds since I last weighed myself a couple weeks ago, so I'm down to 175. However, I do realize that weight gain is a long game, not a daily one. Hopefully, all the eating I'm doing will show something better next Monday. To make things easier, I'm not being picky about what I eat to a point of neurosis, but also not filling up on sugar. Other than that, it's open season.

    My form has improved as well and has made my squat more efficient. Going back yesterday after almost a month of nothing serious, I started over and did a work set of 155, 25lbs less than my PR. But It's cool, because my squat finally felt like it was right, and all I did was move the bar an inch further down my back. It was harder than I remember 155 being, but I figure that's because I'm doing it more right than wrong, and the new positioning will take time to strengthen.
    Good luck. Hope you stick with it to reap the benefits.

  10. #30
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    starting strength coach development program
    I've got two under 5, and yeah, you're needs are all of a sudden way down the list of priorities! Once you've dealt with keeping them more or less alive, fed and bathed, make spending time with your wife a priority - voice of experience here, that'll pay off greatly in reducing sudden mortality events in your sleep After all that, carve out some you-time where you can, but scale down your expectations for a while..

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