You're 19. Take advantage of the fact that you're still swimming in hormones, add 1000 calories a day, and make the most of your training.
I’ve been lifting for about 4 years. I have only been on a serious strength program for about two years though. I am coming back from an ACL surgery, so my lower body lifts are lagging behind compared to my upper. I am at a crossroads because I don’t know if I should keep gaining weight while trying to get stronger, or try to shed some fat. I’m only 5’ 8” so I look pretty bulky already at 180lbs.
Stats:
5’ 8”
180lbs
19 years old
Bench: 250 x 3
Press 155 x 3
Squat: 275 x 5
Deadlift 325 x 5
Eating around 3000 - 3500 calories a day, I also have a manual labor job with long hours.
For my upper body lifts I’m running the 4 day texas method. For the squat and deadlift I have been running LP after coming back from the knee surgery. All my lifts are stuck, I’m not able to add weight to the bar anymore. My body weight has been stuck for the past few weeks as well. Should I keep gaining weight to drive progress? Would it be a mistake to try and cut weight now? Should I make some changes to programming? Legs have always been a weak point for me and I want to get my squat and deadlift up. It is very easy for me to eat a surplus when I want to but I fear gaining too much weight being a short guy.
You're 19. Take advantage of the fact that you're still swimming in hormones, add 1000 calories a day, and make the most of your training.
At your age If you want to get really strong than yes eat more
You are moderately strong now, but if you take advantage of your age you can build muscle mass Now that you will never be able to gain 10 years from now
That mass will benefit you your entire life You don’t get another shot at being late teens early twenties
Let's take a step back here. You say you're doing TM for your upper body lifts; however, your squat and deadlift are being progressed linearly. Give us some details about what that actually means. What increment of weight increase are you doing for each lift? What does your week look like? Are you taking a light day mid-week for the squat? How many days a week are you deadlifting? What are your rest times between sets like?
Finally, can you post videos of your lifts?
I had been doing novice progression on my squats until I got to a 3x5 275 Squat. At this point my form was getting compromised and the reps were very grindy. I then backed off the weight 20% and went to a HML for my squat adding 5lbs per week Until I got back to 275 for 5. I am deadlifting twice a week trying to add 5lbs a session for one set of five but that is stuck now. My upper body lifts are also stuck, I am no longer able to add 2.5 lbs a week.
Here is what my program looks like.
Monday:
Intensity Bench 2x3 @90%
Volume Press 5x5 @75%
Weighted dips 3x8
Weighted chins 5x5
Tuesday:
Volume Squat 5x5 @ 90% of 5rm
Deadlift 1x5
Rows 3x8
Thursday:
Intensity press 2x3 @ 90%
Volume bench 5x5 @75%
Weighted dips 3x8
Weighted chins 5x5
Friday:
Squat 2x5 @ 80% Monday’s weight
Deadlift 1x5
Rows 3x8
Sunday:
Work up to a 5rm on squat.
Any program advice is greatly appreciated as I am stalling out here not making much progress. I will start eating more because I know I’m not eating enough currently.
Here is my 3x5 275 squat
Squat side view - YouTube
Squat back view - YouTube
Here is my bench:
250 x 3 bench - YouTube
Deadlift (was supposed to get 5 but got 3)
330 x 3 deadlift - YouTube
Have at it, Satch.
Hey John - your concerns are valid for sure. Even though the best way to drive strength and growth is through excellent recovery- plenty of food and sleep - it is counter to everything public opinion has told us. Fuck public opinion. Take a look at the video of my talk at the SSC coaches conference. - no need to go any further than 30 seconds in. I took the eat and recovery to the extreme - as an old guy late 40’s. I was clocking in at around 325 there. I eventually got to 360. I was becoming crazy strong. But - we’ll - GUT. I’m now down to 289 having lost 55+pounds since Memorial Day. Yes, Memorial Day of 2020. My point? I’ve got crunched ankles and legs I wouldn’t wish on anyone, I’m now 52 - can’t run, can’t do any real plyo or impact conditioning. Just lift faster and walk. And smart choices in the kitchen. Why am I telling you all this? Not to pat myself on the back by any means; but instead to let you see that if a fat old fart like me can shed nearly 60 lbs in 2 months just by pushing away from the table - hell, at your age you can’t eat enough if you train balls to the wall. Don’t fear the belly. Embrace it. Get STRONG!
Well, your rear quarter squats are high; however, the rear view squats at least appear deep enough, as if they were loaded less than the other video.
You've got an issue with keeping your knees out on the turn around. They have to be shoved out way harder than what you're doing now. Those shoes aren't doing you any favors. Look at the later reps; see how you're riding on the outside of the soles? I think your stance is probably OK, maybe play with bringing it in just a touch.
Hips are just slightly leading your knees. Your back needs to be held in place better, overall. You start the movement by extending your low back instead of leaning over. Back angle is thus too vertical to start, then it adjusts so that you stay in balance. See where your back angle is at the bottom? That's where it has to be at the start of the movement. Then you lead with your chest out of the bottom instead of driving your ass up vertically. There's a fair amount to clear up here and I believe that's what's contributing to your "stalling." The little errors are now compounding to the point where they are contributing more and more to an inefficient movement.
Regarding your bench, this is a bad angle. We can't see your feet or where the bar is really coming down on your chest. I will say that the Ken Fantano(?) style active leg drive might not necessarily be helping you. I would focus on getting your arch and legs set and making the whole system rigid and stable.
Deadlift video is also bad. We can't see your feet and where the bar is in relation to them. This was never going to be a set of 5 because you had already decided to do three before the first one went up. You didn't even attempt 4 or 5.
I'll say that you need to be far less jerky in setting your back and initiating the movement. Your back comes unlocked as you start the pull after having snapped it into position. Hear that clang when you start the pull? There's lots of slack to be taken out of the bar still.
Regarding your programming, I'm questioning the extra stuff like the dips and chins together on Monday and Thursday with the pressing movements. Also, deadlifts and rows together on the same day don't seem like a good idea. You should definitely ditch the Sunday session. I smell an excess stress/insufficient recovery situation. The question you have to ask yourself is if the additional work you're doing is keeping up with increasing in weight on the main lifts or if the main lifts are suffering. In your case it seems like it might be the later.
There's technique work to be done, most definitely, necessitating some weight coming off the bar. Not much, but just enough to hammer out the flaws discussed above.
The four-day setup is a time issue? This can be cleaned up relatively easily. Just stick to the four main lifts and add just chins on pressing days. I like an alternate four-day setup where squats and presses are performed one day with deadlifts and bench presses the next and then alternating. You can structure both a linear increase in weight each session, or progress weekly. Plus, you spread the mental stress out.
Where are you and might you be able to get some live coaching?
Thanks for the input and helping keep me accountable. I just bought my first pair of weightlifting shoes so hopefully those will help with my squat. My schedule is packed right now so it would be hard for me to get coached. I’m in northwest mo.