Obesity + Starting Strength

[doleod]

Hello, my name is Chad. I searched the forum for something similar but most of my search results are from individuals who are in much better shape. I've recently purchased the Starting Strength v3 'and have been doing my homework to start getting stronger. I am a 34 year old male, 5' 11" tall, and I currently weigh 380 lbs. So yes extremely (about 200lbs) overweight. I also have a very sedentary job and am a complete newb at training.

I started my fitness journey back in July at 445 lbs with a ketogenic diet and cardio and so far it has worked fairly well. However I would like to transition to a strength training program.

I can squat without a barbell. When I start though even with an empty 45lb bar, I feel that either I am balancing my bodyweight properly and losing balance over the mid-foot on the bar, or vice versa. My excess weight also seems to be an issue with getting into a proper position for deadlifts.

I would rather not train myself incorrectly and have to relearn everything later. Should I forgo barbell training and continue with strictly cardio until I reach a less obtrusive body shape? Suck it up and get some barbell training? Or split the baby and combine cardio with bodyweight/gym machine strength training exercises until I can handle the bar better?

[Jenni]

I vote get training. fwiw
Even online coaching. If you do the lifts correctly the only issue should be possibly squat depth. Which will come with weight loss.
Also you don't know what you're supposed to weigh yet. You may very well end up at 5'11" being a good 240 fully formed and that might be perfectly fine. Muscle doesn't take the same space as fat, you'll shift composition and possibly find your goal weight isn't usually as low as you think it is. When I started I thought my goal weight should be 135. Ha! Nope. Not unless I want to look like the Cryptkeeper.

Be sure you are on your heels. I noticed body weight squats tend to enable being on one's toes. That was my experience anyway, ymmv.

[skid]

It's hard to get a feel/balance for squats with an empty bar, at least that's my experience. If you can, try a little weight on the bar, and it should help you keep your balance better. Another cue is to try to grip the floor like an eagle's talons with your toes and heel.

[skid]

Should have also mentioned to possibly get some weightlifting shoes. The flat soles and metatarsal straps contribute to keeping your balance.

[Les Hahn]

It's hard to get a feel/balance for squats with an empty bar, at least that's my experience. If you can, try a little weight on the bar, and it should help you keep your balance better. Another cue is to try to grip the floor like an eagle's talons with your toes and heel.

Yeah, for bigger guys this is an issue. My first set with a 55# bar is never balanced right. I weigh 346 right now. But when I throw a plate on for my next set (145), I start to hit the pocket better. I probably start to feel about right with 235 (the next jump) on the bar.

[doleod]

Thank you for all of the great responses. It seems that most here are in favor of keeping at it and possibly getting a coach. What about stomach getting in the way of squat/DL movement? Generally I have trouble with that at the bottom of the squat or start of the DL. I started widening my stance to allow more room, would you say go full sumo stance (I'd say 1.5x shoulder width) at least for the time being till my stomach shrinks?

[Emil Andersen]

Have you read this?

Starting Strength for the Obese Trainee | Nick Klemetson

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

Hi Chad,

Should I forgo barbell training and continue with strictly cardio until I reach a less obtrusive body shape?

there is a discussion going on in another section which might be of interest to you:

Lose weight before starting?


Hope this helps,

IPB

[Dalton Clark]

Generally, the only limiting factor to weight training at a non-ideal body weight, as Jenni and Les alluded to, is range of motion. If you live near a Starting Strength coach, a single 1 hour session will allow you to determine if your body shape is going to require modifications. There are plenty of them. A coach is incredibly useful in this particular situation. Starting Strength Online Coaching is also really high quality and pretty easy to use. As long as you clean up the diet situation and train (likely including some form of conditioning work), it won't be long until you can perform the program as prescribed. Also, Starting Strength coaches are some of the most non-judgemental and helpful people on the planet. Sure, Rip has a character to uphold as being aggressive, snarky, and sarcastic, but the entire community generally just wants to help others get to where they want to be.

On the tangent of squatting with an unloaded bar. . . .yeah I know very few people who have proper form with just the bar even if they are relatively lean. I'm 5'10", 220 pounds and I don't feel that my squat form is decent until over 225.

[doleod]

@Dalton: I live in WV and I don't see any on SSCA : Coaching, just Pittsburgh, Maryland, and VA. Perhaps I could do a few sessions with the one in Pittsburgh. That would be about 2 hours each way. Otherwise I'd have to do Online coaching.

@Andersen & IlPrincipeBrutto: I did not find either of those links of my searches, thank you. They seem very helpful.