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Thread: Ideal rate of weight gain during SS?

  1. #1
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    Default Ideal rate of weight gain during SS?

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    Hello, does anyone have advice on how much weight I should aim to gain while running SS? I read Rip's article that suggested a gain of ~10 pounds over the first 2-3 weeks, but am unsure how much it should go up moving forward. Should I aim for 2 pounds per week? More? Less?

    I'm 5'9", 159 pounds in the morning (started SS 3 weeks ago at 150 pounds). So far, no stalls on any lifts. I just switched to phase 2 this past week and started learning to power clean. My progress on the lifts over the past 3 weeks is below.

    Squat: 65-130
    Bench: 85-110
    Deads: 135-215
    Press: 65-90
    Pw Clean: still learning form

    If it makes a difference, I have previously lifted, but not consistently with dieting since 2016.

    Thanks you!

  2. #2
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    Are you tracking your macros?

  3. #3
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    Yes, I log all of my meals in MFP, although every other day I might end up with a meal that I only count the calories for (gf/family cooking). Although I haven't been aiming for any particular split.

    Yesterday I got 136/525/118 f/c/p. Typically protein is 30-40g higher and carbs are the sane amount lower.

    I was originally doing 3.5k calories per week, but just yesterday switched to 4k calories per week since I only gained 1 pound over the past week. Unsure if this was the right decision.

  4. #4
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    Keep the fat and carb right there and bump that protein closer to 200 g/d. You should be gaining ~1-2 lb per week in the first month or two then that should slow down. Just don't skip or sandbag workouts or make large jumps on upper body unless you want to gain mostly fat.

  5. #5
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    I would worry more about keeping your gains going. I would shift from using your scale to using your tape measure. As long as you are making your lifts, recovering well, and your waist isn't growing then you are doing great. Putting on weight is not the objective, it's the by product of carrying more muscle.

  6. #6
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    Understood about the increase in protein and 1-2lb per week for the first 2 months.

    What do you mean by that last sentence about not skipping workouts to gain on upper body? Are you just saying to make sure I consistently do all exercises, eg that I don't neglect bench/press for Squats/deads?

  7. #7
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    I meant don't attempt to add 5 lb to every workout indefinitely on the bench press and the press. Don't skip your chin ups and pulldowns and most importantly do not sandbag your deadlift (which it looks like you have not been).

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Santana View Post
    You should be gaining ~1-2 lb per week in the first month or two then that should slow down.
    What rationale is being used here?

  9. #9
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    Ah okay, so when bench/press become more difficult to add weight to, I can switch to micro-loading smaller weights to continue LP instead of giving up/deloading

    I haven't been doing chins / pulldowns so far (I've been following this page Starting Strength Training Programs and am on Phase 2). Would you recommend adding them in earlier? Or still wait until phase 3, when I stop being able to add 10 to deads every other session?

  10. #10
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    starting strength coach development program
    Quote Originally Posted by MrTambourineMan View Post
    What rationale is being used here?
    Rather obvious given the website that you are on.

    Quote Originally Posted by antonioc View Post
    Ah okay, so when bench/press become more difficult to add weight to, I can switch to micro-loading smaller weights to continue LP instead of giving up/deloading

    I haven't been doing chins / pulldowns so far (I've been following this page Starting Strength Training Programs and am on Phase 2). Would you recommend adding them in earlier? Or still wait until phase 3, when I stop being able to add 10 to deads every other session?
    You certainly could just do not skip them when you do and microload them when it becomes necessary.

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