starting strength gym
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11

Thread: How quickly do diet changes affect strength gains?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Rippened
    Posts
    8,874

    Default How quickly do diet changes affect strength gains?

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
    • starting strength seminar jume 2024
    • starting strength seminar august 2024
    I wanted to find out from some others who have done the SS program as a novice:

    Say you stalled, and then increased your caloric intake, how soon did you notice strengh gains pick up again? Or, vice-versa, if you cut back too much - how quickly did gains begin to taper (if at all)? Weeks? Days?

    I'm just starting, and as I go I'm sure I'll have to make dietery modifications, so I wanted to get an idea of how long I should wait after, for example, a calorie increase in order to gague if it was enough - I hope that makes sense?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    1,225

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mikeylikey View Post
    Say you stalled, and then increased your caloric intake, how soon did you notice strengh gains pick up again? Or, vice-versa, if you cut back too much - how quickly did gains begin to taper (if at all)? Weeks? Days?
    Depends on the amount of the caloric deficit/excess, where you are in your progression and your current bodyweight. A huge caloric deficit can fuck up your next workout, whereas a small deficit might go unnoticed for a week. I always found it took at least a couple of days to notice any changes from a caloric excess - again, depending on the excess. A slight caloric excess might be completely unnoticable, whereas a massive excess might be noticeable the next workout.

    A skinny guy will get fucked more quickly with a caloric deficit than a fat guy. Also, at the beginning of your progression you can get away with some days where you undereat/undersleep. At the end of your progression, if you so much as think about recovery issues you will stall.
    Last edited by PVC; 05-24-2010 at 12:49 PM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Rippened
    Posts
    8,874

    Default

    FYI:
    Me:
    Age 26
    Complete rank novice.
    5'10"
    185# (soft but not fat)
    34" waist (see not fat)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    66

    Default

    As a beginner, I notice my diet impacting my lifts from workout to workout. When I get a half gallon of milk in me before lifting, I do a hell of a lot better.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    San Diego, CA USA
    Posts
    163

    Default

    I agree with PVC, good info there. Don't worry about it too much, since everyone is different and you'll have to tweak your diet as you progress.

    If you stall during your novice progression due to a lack of food intake, you should be able to remedy that situation very quickly.

    IMO, Dave's experience is likely due to a psychological effect, as opposed to a nutritional one. I'm not discounting it in any way, but I think it's worth noting that a half gallon of milk pre-workout isn't necessary from a nutritional perspective.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    66

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by cervicornis View Post
    I agree with PVC, good info there. Don't worry about it too much, since everyone is different and you'll have to tweak your diet as you progress.

    If you stall during your novice progression due to a lack of food intake, you should be able to remedy that situation very quickly.

    IMO, Dave's experience is likely due to a psychological effect, as opposed to a nutritional one. I'm not discounting it in any way, but I think it's worth noting that a half gallon of milk pre-workout isn't necessary from a nutritional perspective.

    You may very well be right, but I'll take a psychological affect if it works just as well

    Should also note that it isn't a half gallon as a pre workout meal...just a half gallon throughout the day before I lift.

    Even still though, as a beginner, I notice from workout to workout my diet affecting my lifts. If I eat like a horse, I will hit the next higher weight. If I don't, I won't.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    San Diego, CA USA
    Posts
    163

    Default

    Understood. I formed a mental image of a dude chugging a carton of milk and then squatting 5 minutes later. I tried that once, I nearly puked.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    St. Thomas, Ontario
    Posts
    4,277

    Default

    When I started, and still, if I don't eat immediately before the gym, I crash hard after squats. I nearly fell asleep on the bench between sets one day. The only difference was that I didn't have my manditory peanut butter on toast before working out.

    If i have slowly let things slide and I can't recover, two days of eating like a champ will sort it out for me.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    66

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by cervicornis View Post
    Understood. I formed a mental image of a dude chugging a carton of milk and then squatting 5 minutes later. I tried that once, I nearly puked.
    Definitely a bad idea. If I'm in a crunch before lifting then I opt for a couple double cheeseburgers though.

    Though that causes other problems. Farting on your third rep of DL's is really distracting.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Posts
    732

    Default

    starting strength coach development program
    Some people can pull it off. I can stomach a glass of milk spread out throughout my workout, but usually i just eat before and have water throughout my workout. Gary talked about once how he was feeling like shit doing his squats. Started drinking a carton of milk between sets and he breezed through his workout.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •