Waist over 40” - game over?

[Timmy]

Hi Robert,

I’ve done starting strength on and off for a few years now due to - frankly - not being anywhere near disciplined enough.

I have always had the “skinny fat” look going on. At the moment my gut is 41”. I’m 6’0 and 220lbs at 33 years old.

I recently started up again, but just as I did, I discovered some sobering facts from reading your articles (and others):

1. I can’t run the program on a deficit.

2. I can’t allow my waist size to exceed 40” for health reasons and this is more important than my overall body fat percentage.

Since my gut is already over 40” does this basically mean I can’t do the program? If so, is there anything you are able to recommend doing instead?

Thanks in advance.

[Robert Santana]

Thanks for posting. How strong are you?

[Timmy]

Thanks for posting. How strong are you?

Thanks for the response!

Since I only just started back, my current lifts (completing all sets as per SSLP) are (in kg):

Squat 107.5
Bench 70
Press 47.5
Power clean 60
Deadlift 130

My PRs from my previous outing of SSLP were a fair bit more than this. Not sure if that’s relevant.

I thought about it a bit more since my original post and I guess that, since my waist is at 41”, I’m not massively over the line and maybe a recomp would be doable - is that a fair assessment?

[jfsully]

it is possible to make decent progress without gaining waist size. I'm a 48yo guy, 5'7" and weighed about 178 at beginning of LP, with a waist circumference about 42. At end of LP, I weighed 190 lbs, waist circumference now 40.

I am pretty sure I could have progressed my lifts on LP for a few more weeks at least if I had been willing to eat more and gain more weight. I decided to move to intermediate programming, and have continued making progress on all lifts, with body weight steady at 190. I still have more gut than I would like, but have definitely added some LBM and am feeling better and stronger than ever.

IMO, you should go for the LP, and when you get to a stall, assess your progress, your body habitus, and decide what to do then.

[Robert Santana]

Thanks for the response!

Since I only just started back, my current lifts (completing all sets as per SSLP) are (in kg):

Squat 107.5
Bench 70
Press 47.5
Power clean 60
Deadlift 130

My PRs from my previous outing of SSLP were a fair bit more than this. Not sure if that’s relevant.

I thought about it a bit more since my original post and I guess that, since my waist is at 41”, I’m not massively over the line and maybe a recomp would be doable - is that a fair assessment?

You can certainly make gains while losing abdominal fat but you may not exceed your previous PRs until more food is available (What were they?). If you want to lose more fat then keep your fat intake as low as you can and keep protein as carbohydrate as high as you can while creating a calorie deficit.

[David Sanders]

Hey coach!! Is there a there a threshold for fat that you recommend staying ABOVE?

[Timmy]

You can certainly make gains while losing abdominal fat but you may not exceed your previous PRs until more food is available (What were they?). If you want to lose more fat then keep your fat intake as low as you can and keep protein as carbohydrate as high as you can while creating a calorie deficit.

Thanks!

Squat was 135, deadlift was 155, bench was 85 and I think power clean was 70 and press was 55. I’ve always sucked with upper body lifts but I was progressing reasonably at that point and only stopped due to being “Busy(TM)”, so I could have taken it a little bit further at the point when I stopped.

[Robert Santana]

Hey coach!! Is there a there a threshold for fat that you recommend staying ABOVE?

As long as you are above 20-30 g you are probably fine especially if you are starting at a higher body fat. In fact, you could theoretically go lower but are unlikely to comply with that hence why I even bother giving a range. Plenty of research on very low fat diets out there in obese and overweight populations. Compliance is the issue and they are not meant to be followed long-term.

[Robert Santana]

Thanks!

Squat was 135, deadlift was 155, bench was 85 and I think power clean was 70 and press was 55. I’ve always sucked with upper body lifts but I was progressing reasonably at that point and only stopped due to being “Busy(TM)”, so I could have taken it a little bit further at the point when I stopped.

Not awful numbers by any means. Cut your fat intake down, then your carbs, lose as much as you can without getting weaker and then when you do get weaker go ahead and scale back up and get stronger.

[Timmy]

Not awful numbers by any means. Cut your fat intake down, then your carbs, lose as much as you can without getting weaker and then when you do get weaker go ahead and scale back up and get stronger.

Thanks, will give it a go!