Am I overthinking eating more?

[SmokeyStrong]

Condensed version right away: I’ve gained a lot of weight, 165-210 at 6’2, still small for starting strength standards, I know, but I have been skinny my whole life with no prior training or sports experience and started off weak (and still am, but not as much as before). Although I’ve gotten stronger and broken past plateaus I have had in the past, I’m now stalling again, and on lifts that are still very light, warm up weights for you guys, and I feel like too light to stall on for my new bodyweight, considering how many people my height and weight I see and read about that can lift so much more than I can. I’m wondering if I really do just need to gain more bodyweight or is there something more to it? Am I overthinking things and just need to gain more bodyweight, or is stalling at this level of bodyweight and plate-weight more likely form issues?

I was lifting for over a year before this and stalling a lot, would reset and build back up. I started off very weak and after building up was plateauing on 150 lb bench press for a while. I used to say if I could break past 150 Bench I would know I’m finally on the right path because I just couldn’t get it. I finally got it, but would stall again a little more down the road on slightly higher weights. I did this too many times and realized I wasn’t doing things correctly. I started filming myself and realized my form was crap on all the lifts and maybe starting to slack on eating. The last couple of months I reset and have really been working on my form and eating correctly and building back up.


Now, I stalled for the second time this week trying to get 175 lb bench press, and although I hit my 275 lb deadlift it was a freaking grind. I hit 122.5 for press this week and it felt better then ever in the past, and next week I’ll be going for pr. My squat is still very low as I realized I had had a lot of work to do on form (cutting depth, staying in my hips and bending over) but I’ve built back up to my old plateau and will be going for my pr next week.

The first 3 questions (The First Three Questions | Mark Rippetoe) would tell me that since I’m stalling on my bench, and since my rest-time and sleep are on point, that I need to eat more. Do you think this is correct for my situation? I am eating over 4000 calories every day and around 230 grams protein.


I have read you say that at my height I should be around 240ish, but that’s also at the level where people are lifting real heavy weights. I always planned to gain more weight, but I also thought I would at least be benching my bodyweight before I started gaining even more, and I see and read about so many people my height and weight that are lifting so much more than I am. Do some people just need to be at a heavier bodyweight than others to lift similar weights? Will it be a case of if I gain even more bodyweight, then I will start increasing my lifts much more in a compounding way and can then keep increasing strength on the program while maintaining at the new gained bodyweight, or am I going to have to continuously keep adding bodyweight and never really bench my body weight?




Thanks a lot for the help, I really appreciate it.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Sounds like a personal training consult is in order.

[Maybach]

At weights less than 300 pounds on any lifts, it is very unlikely the weights beating you up is the problem.

30 pounds is a lot to gain. I would be surprised if it came really easily if you've been as light as 165, and if you didn't add a whole shitload of weight to your lifts.

[BigNaz42]

Pizza. Pancakes. Protein Shakes.

[jwbucha]

Condensed version right away: I’ve gained a lot of weight, 165-210 at 6’2, still small for starting strength standards, I know, but I have been skinny my whole life with no prior training or sports experience and started off weak (and still am, but not as much as before). Although I’ve gotten stronger and broken past plateaus I have had in the past, I’m now stalling again, and on lifts that are still very light, warm up weights for you guys, and I feel like too light to stall on for my new bodyweight, considering how many people my height and weight I see and read about that can lift so much more than I can. I’m wondering if I really do just need to gain more bodyweight or is there something more to it? Am I overthinking things and just need to gain more bodyweight, or is stalling at this level of bodyweight and plate-weight more likely form issues?

I was lifting for over a year before this and stalling a lot, would reset and build back up. I started off very weak and after building up was plateauing on 150 lb bench press for a while. I used to say if I could break past 150 Bench I would know I’m finally on the right path because I just couldn’t get it. I finally got it, but would stall again a little more down the road on slightly higher weights. I did this too many times and realized I wasn’t doing things correctly. I started filming myself and realized my form was crap on all the lifts and maybe starting to slack on eating. The last couple of months I reset and have really been working on my form and eating correctly and building back up.


Now, I stalled for the second time this week trying to get 175 lb bench press, and although I hit my 275 lb deadlift it was a freaking grind. I hit 122.5 for press this week and it felt better then ever in the past, and next week I’ll be going for pr. My squat is still very low as I realized I had had a lot of work to do on form (cutting depth, staying in my hips and bending over) but I’ve built back up to my old plateau and will be going for my pr next week.

The first 3 questions (The First Three Questions | Mark Rippetoe) would tell me that since I’m stalling on my bench, and since my rest-time and sleep are on point, that I need to eat more. Do you think this is correct for my situation? I am eating over 4000 calories every day and around 230 grams protein.


I have read you say that at my height I should be around 240ish, but that’s also at the level where people are lifting real heavy weights. I always planned to gain more weight, but I also thought I would at least be benching my bodyweight before I started gaining even more, and I see and read about so many people my height and weight that are lifting so much more than I am. Do some people just need to be at a heavier bodyweight than others to lift similar weights? Will it be a case of if I gain even more bodyweight, then I will start increasing my lifts much more in a compounding way and can then keep increasing strength on the program while maintaining at the new gained bodyweight, or am I going to have to continuously keep adding bodyweight and never really bench my body weight?




Thanks a lot for the help, I really appreciate it.

Get yourself to a SS Gym if possible. My progress was getting stagnant at home. Showing up three times a week and having a coach tell you what the weight should be, demanding correct form, and having a gym full of people doing the same and also watching you lift is a game changer. Not to mention you get to meet some really cool and strong people.

[Griffin727]

Condensed version right away: I’ve gained a lot of weight, 165-210 at 6’2, still small for starting strength standards, I know, but I have been skinny my whole life with no prior training or sports experience and started off weak (and still am, but not as much as before). Although I’ve gotten stronger and broken past plateaus I have had in the past, I’m now stalling again, and on lifts that are still very light, warm up weights for you guys, and I feel like too light to stall on for my new bodyweight, considering how many people my height and weight I see and read about that can lift so much more than I can. I’m wondering if I really do just need to gain more bodyweight or is there something more to it? Am I overthinking things and just need to gain more bodyweight, or is stalling at this level of bodyweight and plate-weight more likely form issues?

I was lifting for over a year before this and stalling a lot, would reset and build back up. I started off very weak and after building up was plateauing on 150 lb bench press for a while. I used to say if I could break past 150 Bench I would know I’m finally on the right path because I just couldn’t get it. I finally got it, but would stall again a little more down the road on slightly higher weights. I did this too many times and realized I wasn’t doing things correctly. I started filming myself and realized my form was crap on all the lifts and maybe starting to slack on eating. The last couple of months I reset and have really been working on my form and eating correctly and building back up.


Now, I stalled for the second time this week trying to get 175 lb bench press, and although I hit my 275 lb deadlift it was a freaking grind. I hit 122.5 for press this week and it felt better then ever in the past, and next week I’ll be going for pr. My squat is still very low as I realized I had had a lot of work to do on form (cutting depth, staying in my hips and bending over) but I’ve built back up to my old plateau and will be going for my pr next week.

The first 3 questions (The First Three Questions | Mark Rippetoe) would tell me that since I’m stalling on my bench, and since my rest-time and sleep are on point, that I need to eat more. Do you think this is correct for my situation? I am eating over 4000 calories every day and around 230 grams protein.


I have read you say that at my height I should be around 240ish, but that’s also at the level where people are lifting real heavy weights. I always planned to gain more weight, but I also thought I would at least be benching my bodyweight before I started gaining even more, and I see and read about so many people my height and weight that are lifting so much more than I am. Do some people just need to be at a heavier bodyweight than others to lift similar weights? Will it be a case of if I gain even more bodyweight, then I will start increasing my lifts much more in a compounding way and can then keep increasing strength on the program while maintaining at the new gained bodyweight, or am I going to have to continuously keep adding bodyweight and never really bench my body weight?




Thanks a lot for the help, I really appreciate it.

Questions,
How long have you been training not exercise?
How many times have you ran the starting strength program?
Also do you have the practical programing book?

[Rod J]

One thing you might want to do is just track macronutrients, namely protein and carbs. Protein has 4 cal/g and so do carbs. You’re probably getting enough fats unless you only eat lean proteins, but focus on those first. Nutritirional Linear Progression, if you will. A good target for protein is 200 and a good target for carbs is 400

[Mark Rippetoe]

A better target for protein is 300.

[Jason Donaldson]

A better target for protein is 300.

Smokey, you and I are very different in training phase, lift numbers, height, and bodyweight (I'm pretty sure we could pair up to go as a semicolon for Halloween...), but I can definitely say that I absolutely get a distinct difference in my progress between shooting for 250 g of protein a day and going for 300. If I need it in my circumstances, you should definitely listen to Rip on this one.

[SmokeyStrong]

Smokey, you and I are very different in training phase, lift numbers, height, and bodyweight (I'm pretty sure we could pair up to go as a semicolon for Halloween...), but I can definitely say that I absolutely get a distinct difference in my progress between shooting for 250 g of protein a day and going for 300. If I need it in my circumstances, you should definitely listen to Rip on this one.

I’m going to start getting even more protein and continue working on my form. Thank you guys for the help, I appreciate it.