Mental stress or genetics limiting progress

[LuzTheBuz]

I’ve been on SS for about 3-3.5 months now (late training log), but I feel like I’m hitting plateaus too early with too light weight. I’m about to cut back for a second time and do 3x3 because I’m getting stuck, my main issue is it feels too early.

Following the end of this week:
BW - 187
SQ - 255 x 5,5,3
BP - 190 x 5,5,4
PR - 125 x 5,5,5
DL - 275 x 4.5(got to just touching lockout on last rep when grip gave, I'm still mad about it)
CL - 135 x 2 x 5

My main concern is stress affecting recovery. I’m attempting to force myself to eat and to sleep enough, often just feeling nauseous after either, and still I come into the gym feeling exhausted and hungry. Most attempts to gain weight ended in failure, so I've been hovering around 185. If I hit a plateau for the third time, should I just go to another program even if I chalk it up to stress affecting me too much? Should I tough it out with LP for a while longer? Any tips on dealing with stress while training?

Luz

[Mark Rippetoe]

A Clarification | Mark Rippetoe

The First Three Questions | Mark Rippetoe

[LuzTheBuz]

Ha, looks like I got rereading to do, I will make the time to do so.
For the questions though:
1. I'm resting between 3-4 mins between sets, enough to get my heart rate down plus some
2. Admittedly, the smallest jump available at my gym, which is only 5 pounds. I'll be sure to order some 1.25lbs plates
3. I've been trying to gain weight, I'm aiming to eat at least 4,000 calories a day of mostly meat and getting 9 hours of sleep a night. Stress from school makes eating weirdly difficult, but I eat anyways.

Whatever the case, I appreciate calling me on my bullshit Rip. I'll get back to studying.

[AndrewLewis]

You're not resting long enough. Are you actually timing your rest sets with a stopwatch (or phone app) or just guessing?

3. I've been trying to gain weight, I'm aiming to eat at least 4,000 calories a day of mostly meat and getting 9 hours of sleep a night. Stress from school makes eating weirdly difficult, but I eat anyways.

But are you actually gaining weight? That's the question. If you're "eating enough" but you aren't gaining weight, you aren't eating enough.

What's your height? How old are you?

[LuzTheBuz]

You're not resting long enough. Are you actually timing your rest sets with a stopwatch (or phone app) or just guessing?

But are you actually gaining weight? That's the question. If you're "eating enough" but you aren't gaining weight, you aren't eating enough.

What's your height? How old are you?

I'm using my phone to time my rest times, been using 2-3 mins all the way up to 250, which felt good, I guess 255 is just too much. I'll try 5 min rest time.

I've been stuck at 185 for too damn long, its frustrating. I would eat enough, get up 188, then a day would pass when I don't have the time to eat or the stress would (as hard as it is to explain) make me feel nauseous if I eat anything. I'd try at least try to eat something, a granola bar plus milk with some whey just to have something quickly. These are pretty uncommon cases though, maybe once or twice a week, otherwise I should be eating fine. I'll try to start making a eating journal or something. School is a bitch, but its the deal I got, which is why I was looking for programming advice as a work around school shit. Otherwise I'm a 6', 23 year old kid. I'm pretty worried if this is my prime, damn well shouldn't be.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I'm using my phone to time my rest times, been using 2-3 mins all the way up to 250, which felt good, I guess 255 is just too much. I'll try 5 min rest time.

I've been stuck at 185 for too damn long, its frustrating. I would eat enough, get up 188, then a day would pass when I don't have the time to eat or the stress would (as hard as it is to explain) make me feel nauseous if I eat anything. I'd try at least try to eat something, a granola bar plus milk with some whey just to have something quickly. These are pretty uncommon cases though, maybe once or twice a week, otherwise I should be eating fine. I'll try to start making a eating journal or something. School is a bitch, but its the deal I got, which is why I was looking for programming advice as a work around school shit. Otherwise I'm a 6', 23 year old kid. I'm pretty worried if this is my prime, damn well shouldn't be.

This is one pig-headed motherfucker.

[Nikola Blagojevic]

I'd try at least try to eat something, a granola bar plus milk with some whey just to have something quickly.

It takes an unwavering commitment to eat to the point of discomfort every time you sit down to eat. Eating until you feel a little sick, even. Every time you feel hungry, eat something. I got a lot of mileage out of having a few jars of peanut butter and some crackers in my desk drawer. Eating like this isn't fun, but it works.

[Matt James]

Ha, looks like I got rereading to do, I will make the time to do so.
For the questions though:
1. I'm resting between 3-4 mins between sets, enough to get my heart rate down plus some
2. Admittedly, the smallest jump available at my gym, which is only 5 pounds. I'll be sure to order some 1.25lbs plates
3. I've been trying to gain weight, I'm aiming to eat at least 4,000 calories a day of mostly meat and getting 9 hours of sleep a night. Stress from school makes eating weirdly difficult, but I eat anyways.

Whatever the case, I appreciate calling me on my bullshit Rip. I'll get back to studying.

Aiming for, and actually eating it, are two completely different things, but regardless, 4000 calories of "mostly meat" isn't really what you need for recovery. You need carbs. A lot of carbs. Track what you eat for a couple weeks, aim for 200g of protein, and 350 to 400g of carbs. Don't worry about the fats, you should get enough without trying unless you're actively trying to limit fats (which, don't. You need fats too). Once you get that actually dialed in you can figure out how many calories you actually need to gain weight. Set your rest timer for 7 minutes and see how that goes. Get some microplates. Hell, even a pair of batting weights would work.

[LuzTheBuz]

I'd use retarded motherfucker to explain myself. No one else at my gym does SS, so I decided to annoy you guys.

[AndrewLewis]

I'm using my phone to time my rest times, been using 2-3 mins all the way up to 250, which felt good, I guess 255 is just too much. I'll try 5 min rest time.

I've been stuck at 185 for too damn long, its frustrating. I would eat enough, get up 188, then a day would pass when I don't have the time to eat or the stress would (as hard as it is to explain) make me feel nauseous if I eat anything.

Eating is a part of the program. Imagine someone came to you and said "I'm not making progress, and I'm not sure why. I think it's because I'm not training consistently." So you ask "what makes you say that?" and they respond "well some weeks, I can only get in one workout, because I'm so busy and stressed. Other weeks, I can get two or three workouts in. Occasionally, I don't workout at all on a week." You would immediately understand that, while life does get stressful, if this person wants to make progress, they must plan a way to do three workouts (or at bare minimum two) a week.

This is no different. At 6' and 185lb on LP, you should be gaining at least 2lb a week for a while.

Eating is a skill like anything else. You need to find what works, incorporate that, try more stuff, incorporate that, but if you want to get stronger, you need to be eating enough to recover. So you need to be eating enough to gain weight.