Apekshjain

I’m a bit confused about where to begin. I’ve been following a bodybuilding program for the past two years. When I started, I weighed 95 kg. Over the next 9 months, I cut down to 78 kg, then bulked back up to 88 kg in about 6 months. I’ve been trying to cut again but seem to be stuck at 86 kg.

During my initial cut, I was eating around 1800 calories. While trying to gain, I bumped it up to about 2200. For the past 7–8 months, I’ve been eating around 2000 calories with about 130g of protein daily. I’ve noticed some loose skin hanging around my waist and chest, which was there even before I started this program.

Currently, my waistline measures 37 inches. Despite consistent training, I don’t feel much stronger. I'm starting to wonder if I might be dealing with some form of disordered eating.

Here’s a quick summary of my current lifts:

* Deadlift: 110 kg for 4 reps

* Squat: Still struggling

* Bench Press: 90 kg for 8 reps

* Overhead Press: 40 kg for 10 reps

I’m 29 now and approaching 30. My goals have changed—I want to become stronger. But I feel overwhelmed and confused, especially with all the conflicting information online (Instagram, in particular, doesn’t help).

My questions:

1. Do you think I might be dealing with an eating disorder?

2. I want to focus on strength—where should I begin, training-wise?

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I really appreciate your guidance.

Robert Santana

1) Yes

2) You are weak and underfed. 3000 calories and add weight to the bar.

Simple enough.

Jason Donaldson

Maybe this is a presumptuous hunch, Apeksh, but based on your user name, are you following a restricted diet for religious or cultural reasons, by any chance, especially in regards to your protein sources?

Apekshjain

I followed restricted diet as per the "bodybuilding program". But my food choice is restricted to vegetarian for religious reasons.

Robert Santana

Vegetarian is only going to take you so far. Vegan will take you one step from nowhere.

mzanassi85

My son started weight training in his high school, and we go to the gym together and lift occasionally, he tells me that his teacher has everyone in the class max once every two weeks and they do a wierd pyramid type program. Personally I dont like that and I feel its a good way to get the kids hurt doing what the teacher says, I've given him my copy of your book (but any parent will know getting a teen to read a book is usually like hearding cats.) for him to study and I've helped him develop good form on his lifts. When we go to the gym together we do your program the way its written, he likes it better than what he does at school and feels it'll make him stronger which I totally agree with.

Two lifts he is usually hesitant to do are squats and the OHP, he says they're uncomfortable or awkward to do, I tell him its normal and that his body will get used to it, is there anything else I can do to help him? Also looking for any advise in general about training teens, currently he doesnt do any sports but he really enjoys weight lifting.

Mark Rippetoe

First, if your son's health and injury status is important to you, you have to understand that there are about 10 coaches in the public schools of the United States of America who actually know what they're doing in the weight room. His odds are not good. Here's some reading for you:

Can You Put Your Kids on a Strength Training Program?

Why Your Kids Should Be Lifting Weights

Jared Hunt

My kid is an underweight freshman at a high school renowned for taking average athletes and making them into a championship caliber football team, building big strong guys, etc. I’ve been severely disappointed in the “program” they have them do, which consists of a lot of variety in the weight room (lots of trap bar and front squats, naturally) and a ton of cardio, in and out of season. Very little consideration seems to be given to sleep and food, judging by the schedule they have them on.

My assumption is they have built their reputation on taking overweight guys and getting them in relatively great shape by working the hell out of them. If it works for them, great, but they are leaving a lot of strength gains on the table and the underweight guys are SOL unless they can manage to gain weight in their little off-time.

Mark Rippetoe

And it really is a pointless discussion. You need to homeschool and get him away from these fools. I know there are problems with this, but I assure you there will be problems with leaving him there.

Sean Berry

Unless you have control of the program, this is truth. Their's is a shotgun approach and the athletes with the appropriate genetics succeed...with a large enough sample, you get enough outliers to be able to do this. The football part not withstanding - but if you win a few championships, it recruits itself.

Or he could come to the bustling metropolis of Chillicothe, Texas.

My son (n=1) has gone from 125lb 9th grader to a 195lb 10th grader with lifts going up correspondingly.