Optimizing eating for SS progression

[Smidgey86]

I'm a completely marginal athlete, and very much just a recreational strength trainer. I have one of the worst genetic profiles ever encountered on this planet when it comes to genetic potential.

If you want to learn "the secret", those answers have to come from those that are better than me, and virtually all SSCs are significantly stronger than I am. Truth is, we all know the secret.....linear progression with basic barbell exercises and paying attention to recovery (eating enough, sleeping enough, and refraining from silly bullshit that keeps us from getting stronger).

The only thing that may somewhat set me apart from others is I find the prospect of someone being stronger than me absolutely repugnant. I push myself to get stronger out of a deep hatred for myself and out of a strong moral aversion to allowing someone to be stronger than me.

How long did it take you to achieve those numbers?

[Will Morris]

How long did it take you to achieve those numbers?

I started training this way about 6 years ago.

[Aaron Montgomery]

I started training this way about 6 years ago.

Doing the math, that means you started at my age, 30. I'll be ecstatic if I can hit 5/4/3/2 within the next couple years. Guessing bumping my weight up from 185lb at 6'1" to ~230lb would go a long way in helping with that.

[crookedfinger]

Doing the math, that means you started at my age, 30. I'll be ecstatic if I can hit 5/4/3/2 within the next couple years. Guessing bumping my weight up from 185lb at 6'1" to ~230lb would go a long way in helping with that.

Yes. And assuming you are decently healthy, 5/4/3/2 should be the bare minimum of expectations.

[Will Morris]

Doing the math, that means you started at my age, 30. I'll be ecstatic if I can hit 5/4/3/2 within the next couple years. Guessing bumping my weight up from 185lb at 6'1" to ~230lb would go a long way in helping with that.

I'd be interested in seeing how much my lifting would change if I could get my bodyweight up to something north of starving to death, but I've got some pretty serious barriers to eating enough to grow. By conservative estimates, I'm probably 40# lighter than I should be to even start to consider myself serious about lifting.

[Mark Rippetoe]

You'd be a scary fucker at 200. I don't know that your peers could tolerate it.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

You'd be a scary fucker at 200. I don't know that your peers could tolerate it.

I'd move up a weight class, that's for sure.

[Aaron Montgomery]

I'd be interested in seeing how much my lifting would change if I could get my bodyweight up to something north of starving to death, but I've got some pretty serious barriers to eating enough to grow. By conservative estimates, I'm probably 40# lighter than I should be to even start to consider myself serious about lifting.

I'll take the bait. What are considered serious barriers to eating enough?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Chewing, swallowing, digesting, shitting. Will has problems with the latter two.

[Will Morris]

I'll take the bait. What are considered serious barriers to eating enough?

Imagine the distal end of your gastroesophageal junction being roughly the size of a drinking straw and completely surrounded with scar tissue. Then imagine having to force food through that opening but if it doesn't go, you just throw it right back up. If you've been lucky enough to eat a decent amount, then just go ahead and coat whatever you just ate in your own blood because that's what is coming up. Small bites and plenty of milk and / or beer keeps me going.