Strong lifts officially has me lifting my heaviest.

[tackett]

so happy.

Today I can say I'm lifting heavier than I have ever before thanks to BB.com and strong lifts. What I'm doing now is peanuts for this place. But it's a big deal to me. If anyone is wondering about SL, do it. You won't regret it.

My current best is:
205 5x1 deads
115 5x5 overhead press
140 squat 5x5
125 bench 5x5
125 row 5x5

I'm 6'6 and currently 275. My weight shot up from 250 when I started. I need to cut some but I'll take care of it when I feel like my lifts are respectable.

Thanks for all the help guys and gals!

[Jbizzlechizzle]

so happy.

Today I can say I'm lifting heavier than I have ever before thanks to BB.com and strong lifts. What I'm doing now is peanuts for this place. But it's a big deal to me. If anyone is wondering about SL, do it. You won't regret it.

My current best is:
205 5x1 deads
115 5x5 overhead press
140 squat 5x5
125 bench 5x5
125 row 5x5

I'm 6'6 and currently 275. My weight shot up from 250 when I started. I need to cut some but I'll take care of it when I feel like my lifts are respectable.

Thanks for all the help guys and gals!

Congrats on your progress and keep at it. You've got a long way to go with your newbie gains, so enjoy the ride. Get yourself in a caloric deficit and lose that extra weight. Iifym is easy to do and will get you results if you keep yourself accountable.

[mirroroferised]

Awesome man, congrats.

[DSUP]

Congrats on your progress and keep at it. You've got a long way to go with your newbie gains, so enjoy the ride. Get yourself in a caloric deficit and lose that extra weight. Iifym is easy to do and will get you results if you keep yourself accountable.

On spread

[DocHoss]

Congratulations! Nothing better than seeing gains and progress. This is the start of a great journey

On spread

got him for ya

[tackett]

What are the chances I'll stall out eating a deficit?

I was already struggling hard with the overhead today. I barely made it through all 5 sets.

Just curious. Not arguing at all. If u all say cut, I'll cut.

I was debating on doing a Keto since that's easier for me to follow.

And what about paleo brah!?

Jk.

[Flounderbout]

At 275 you shouldn't stall for a long time on your present numbers even on a diet. There really is no need to be putting on more weight I suspect. Equally there is no need to go on an extreme deficit - be patient.
Cutting carbs out however will cause you to stall quicker.
Paleo is utter drivel.

[Got2Squat]

Everyone has their opinion on which diet is "the best" or "drivel". The fact is, the best diet is the one that allows compliance on your part. I'm not claiming any diet is perfect, but Paleo is certainly far from the worst and perhaps one of the better choices. If nothing else, it will certainly give you a very high protein intake which is going to be very important in strength training on a caloric deficit. As far as losing weight, that is your choice. If you want to continue to gain strength as fast as possible with no regards to any other health metric, gaining weight will certainly help you get stronger faster. You are the only one who can determine if this is what you want to do. If aesthetics or overall good health hold any importance to you, then this might not be the best option. Many overweight trainees can gain a lot of strength while maintaining weight. If you decided to cut some weight I would definitely focus on getting plenty of protein, and consider supplementing with BCAA's to support muscle growth and strength gains(pre and post workout and between meals). Good luck and good job so far!

As far as your press, it is VERY strong compared to your other lifts. Start microloading with 1-2.5 lb jumps and keep progressing on the other lifts.

[Flounderbout]

Everyone has their opinion on which diet is "the best" or "drivel".

This may be true*. On the other hand there are some diets the theory for which is objectively and scientifically reasonable, and others which are not. If you want to follow an exclusionary diet with very low carbs, treat yourself. Though you are likely to stall on any strength program faster if you are carb starved (YMMV).
But don't follow a "paleo" diet because of anything that anyone claims about cavemen's eating habits, because that narrative is, objectively and scientifically, drivel.

Edit: * actually, its not true. I have no opinion on which the "best" diet is. Any diet which provides sufficient protein and puts you in calorie deficit is just fine. Within that broad church there are infinite options to choose from.

[JungleBoots]

congrats -

Im on SL as well - started late January weighing in at 243.6 - now Im down to 219.5#, about 25# short of my goal weight.

Squat - 265
BP -155
Pendlay Row - 175
OHP, which is now the push press -140
DL 255

I agree, this program works, its easy to follow and you will see gains and progress. I'm starting to feel major fatigue now, but my weight is lower -- when I was heavier and the weight lighter, I was banging this out in 45 minutes. Now that I added in weighted sets in addition to empty bar warmups and take more time between sets to recover, the workout is climbing to 1:15-1:20 on average.

At SOME point, I know I'll have to go to 3X5, but Im fighting that tooth and nail.

That said, Im taking in around 190g of protein a day - is that too high?

[Flounderbout]

congrats -

Im on SL as well - started late January weighing in at 243.6 - now Im down to 219.5#, about 25# short of my goal weight.

Squat - 265
BP -155
Pendlay Row - 175
OHP, which is now the push press -140
DL 255

I agree, this program works, its easy to follow and you will see gains and progress. I'm starting to feel major fatigue now, but my weight is lower -- when I was heavier and the weight lighter, I was banging this out in 45 minutes. Now that I added in weighted sets in addition to empty bar warmups and take more time between sets to recover, the workout is climbing to 1:15-1:20 on average.

At SOME point, I know I'll have to go to 3X5, but Im fighting that tooth and nail.

That said, Im taking in around 190g of protein a day - is that too high?

Those are some great numbers to have achieved on a diet - great weight loss too. You are right to stick with it as long as you possibly can. You will never get these gains any time again, and nearly everyone regrets not sticking with it for longer when they get seduced by some intermediate/advanced program too early.

190g sounds just fine. It is certainly not too low, and you have been steadily losing weight. That is all you need to know IMO.

[JungleBoots]

Thanks. I'm addicted to SL - people who knew me at 300# are amazed at the weight loss and on more than one occasion was asked if I was using steroids. No joke! When I say no, just protein, vitamins and recently creatine for recovery and energy, they all want to know more about it.

Those are some great numbers to have achieved on a diet - great weight loss too. You are right to stick with it as long as you possibly can. You will never get these gains any time again, and nearly everyone regrets not ticking with it for longer when they get seduced by some intermediate/advanced program too early.

190g sounds just fine. It is certainly not too low, and you have been steadily losing weight. That is all you need to know IMO.

[RT1957]

I'm gonna chime in on Paleo....I ran it for about 6 months when I first got back into getting in shape. I never saw it as a "low carb" diet because I always had 40 grams of carbs & protein each with every meal. The difference being I got my carbs from eating a ton of veggies and piece of fruit with just about every meal. The simple sugars in fruit don't react like a candy bar. They still need to go through the digestion process and they also include fiber vitamins and all sort of good stuff for our bodies.....would I ever run it again....no but there are some mis-guided ways of thought about it....

I can tell you I was never hungry because it allows for as much meat, veggies and fruit as you can honk down....It was also easy for me because rice, potatoes and grains are probably my least favorite foods while I'm a protein hound and I like veggies....so it worked for me....and I still carry over a lot of that to how I eat now except I like my dairy and the occasional potato.

Honestly if you look at it and you look at a cutting diet from the 60's or 70's BB'ers there's not much difference

OP good work keep it up

[olyw8lifter]

Nice work, OP!! Keep it going!!!

[thelojones]

You can make tons of strength gains on a caloric deficit... up to the point where you stop making them I think you have a long way to go before you reach that plateau where you have to increase your calories to increase your strength.

All the lifts in my sig were on a calorie deficit.

What are your goals?

And great work!

[EjnarKolinkar]

What are the chances I'll stall out eating a deficit?

I was already struggling hard with the overhead today. I barely made it through all 5 sets.

Just curious. Not arguing at all. If u all say cut, I'll cut.

I was debating on doing a Keto since that's easier for me to follow.

And what about paleo brah!?

Jk.

No way of knowing really.

If it bothers you eat at maintenece, or a little below.

Nobody can yell you what you want. But losing 50-60 pounds when you are done might be annoying.

Up to you really man, weigh it out and see what you would prefer.

[Greginto]

What are the chances I'll stall out eating a deficit?

I was already struggling hard with the overhead today. I barely made it through all 5 sets.

Just curious. Not arguing at all. If u all say cut, I'll cut.

I was debating on doing a Keto since that's easier for me to follow.

And what about paleo brah!?

Jk.

I don't think you'll stall too much.

[CerebralZen]

so happy.

Today I can say I'm lifting heavier than I have ever before thanks to BB.com and strong lifts. What I'm doing now is peanuts for this place. But it's a big deal to me. If anyone is wondering about SL, do it. You won't regret it.

My current best is:
205 5x1 deads
115 5x5 overhead press
140 squat 5x5
125 bench 5x5
125 row 5x5

I'm 6'6 and currently 275. My weight shot up from 250 when I started. I need to cut some but I'll take care of it when I feel like my lifts are respectable.

Thanks for all the help guys and gals!

Great work! The ultimate race is YOU vs YOU.

[tackett]

Thanks for all the feedback.

I was joking about the paleo. I tried it before and just couldn't do it. The only "diet" I've been able to follow has been a cyclic Keto.

I think I'm just going to lower my intake and see where that gets me. The weight gain has been on purpose, I've been trying to eat everything in sight just out of fear of stalling.

Speaking of which, I really struggled on my last overhead sets and barely made it through. Which I think has more to do with form than it does nutrition. I need to vid my sets and post them like I did the squats so I can fix it if form is indeed the problem.

As far as my scale weight goes. When I was married 5 yrs ago I weighed 222, but that was ignorant of any lifting and done purely on a hardcore Keto and cardio. Even at that weight I don't feel I was super thin even at my height. Formless? Yeah probably, fat man? I don't think.

So I think I'll stop the bulk for a while, eat a deficit and lay off the beer and junk. Then work on improving the form of some of my lifts and see where that gets me. I have a feeling I'll have to deload my overheads soon.

How does that sound as a plan?

[cory2731]

solid training program...congrats!

[chriswatton66]

I have been doing an old Reg Park strength program for the past couple of weeks, as a change from my 6 day per week, 3 day split routine. Am loving it:

Squats - 5x5
Bench Press - 5x5
Power Clean - 8x2
Barbell Press - 5x5
Barbell Curls - 5x5
Deadlifts - 3x5

Have just done two personal bests today - I managed two complete reps with 115kg for Bench Press, and finally got to 160kg for Deadlift!

And today is my first anniversary of starting down this diet and training path, so doubly happy!