End of LP or eat more?

[MAD9692]

After a certain point more calories means more body fat.

Definitely. However during the NLP this is the fastest possible way someone can gain strength & size. Why would anyone cut this already small window shorter by the fear of gaining some additional body fat?

The OP looks to have made decent progress already why not have him pull 405 for 5 in just a couple of months simply by eating more cheeseburgers and Mexican food? Why switch to more complicated (slower) programming?

Again, everything you are saying about macros and managing the fat gain, etc. I'm sure makes sense for competitors and intermediate/advanced lifters...but for novices why are macros/ body fat even a concern?

[DaveJF]

For the last few years, I've kept fairly detailed logs of this stuff. Looking back, every time my progress* either falters or regresses (and/or nagging injuries start to flare), it coincides with periods of even slightly lower calories and a slight dip in BW. The inverse also holds -- go figure. Just 10 lbs of BW seems to make a big difference for me, especially for upper-body lifts. That might be significant for you b/c I'm built like you.. 5'6, 195 (was up to 210, down to 170 a few years back). 5-10 lbs can go a long way for shorter dudes in my experience.

YMMV b/c I'm 55 y/o, so I can't eat the calories or gain the weight you probably can w/o other stuff starting to go wrong. That said, in your shoes I'd take an incremental approach like Robert suggested until you're sure LP has truly been run-out and then continue to make sure to eat enough to recover after LP. Do what you prudently can to build the muscle now and diet off the fat later, IMHO.

*: "Progress" is pretty much lack of regression at this point.

[Robert Santana]

Definitely. However during the NLP this is the fastest possible way someone can gain strength & size. Why would anyone cut this already small window shorter by the fear of gaining some additional body fat?

The OP looks to have made decent progress already why not have him pull 405 for 5 in just a couple of months simply by eating more cheeseburgers and Mexican food? Why switch to more complicated (slower) programming?

Again, everything you are saying about macros and managing the fat gain, etc. I'm sure makes sense for competitors and intermediate/advanced lifters...but for novices why are macros/ body fat even a concern?

His waistline is pushing 40" and given the loads that he is lifting I don't think it's 40" of muscle abdominal muscle mass. Additional fat gain may make 405 x 5 more difficult not less.

[MAD9692]

His waistline is pushing 40" and given the loads that he is lifting I don't think it's 40" of muscle abdominal muscle mass. Additional fat gain may make 405 x 5 more difficult not less.

So eating less calories and moving to more complicated programming is the faster way to get to 405 x 5?

[Jason Cross]

MAD9296 you have successfully hijacked my thread. Reynolds article is great, and I actually used it to get out of this recent hump. But don't give yourself credit, because I read it long before you posted the suggestion. BTW is it that fucking hard to link an article?

His waistline is pushing 40" and given the loads that he is lifting I don't think it's 40" of muscle abdominal muscle mass. Additional fat gain may make 405 x 5 more difficult not less.

Bruh you callin me fat?

This is precisely the reason I have used Robert's articles in the sticky section, Cody Miller's article about linear calorie progression, and objective measurements like tracking my macros, calories, waist measurement, and strength progress to produce results without becoming a bag of marshmallows as MAD9296 thinks is fashionable judging by his fast food nutrition philosophy. Starting weight of 195 with a 41.5" waist. Currently at 210 with a 39.5" waist. I am squatting 355x5. I am doing this right.

[MAD9692]

Sorry dude...definitely didn't mean to hijack your thread...my apologies.

[Robert Santana]

So eating less calories and moving to more complicated programming is the faster way to get to 405 x 5?

Eating less calories works when the reduction is supplemented by excessive fat stores. Also covered in Rip’s classic papers.

[Robert Santana]

MAD9296 you have successfully hijacked my thread. Reynolds article is great, and I actually used it to get out of this recent hump. But don't give yourself credit, because I read it long before you posted the suggestion. BTW is it that fucking hard to link an article?



Bruh you callin me fat?

This is precisely the reason I have used Robert's articles in the sticky section, Cody Miller's article about linear calorie progression, and objective measurements like tracking my macros, calories, waist measurement, and strength progress to produce results without becoming a bag of marshmallows as MAD9296 thinks is fashionable judging by his fast food nutrition philosophy. Starting weight of 195 with a 41.5" waist. Currently at 210 with a 39.5" waist. I am squatting 355x5. I am doing this right.

You have done The Program (DTP) my friend