Good Gains and Bad Gains

[sefmoc]

I'm in need of some good advice and guidance as I am desperetly trying to make the gains I desire.

I'm 27 6'1 and of the endomorph body type, I'd have previously have described my body before as skinny-fat as everything apart from my gut was skinny. I started the rippetoe programme to increase strnegth and size and changed my diet and in four months I went from:

Squat - 40kg to 110kg
Deadlift - 60kg to 115kg
Bench Press - 40kg to 62.5kg
Military Press - 30kg to 47.5kg
Pendlay Rows - 40kg to 55kg
Curls - 12.5kg to 17.5kg
Skullcrushers - 12.5kg to 17.5kg

Also my weight increased from 202lbs to 206lbs
Chest - 39 inches to 41 inches
Thighs - 23 inches to 24 inches
Calfs - 14 inches to 15 inches
Neck - 15 to 15.5
Back - 18 to 20
Biceps - 13.5 to 14.5
Waist - 36 to 37.5
Triceps - 12.2 to 13
Forearms - 10.5 to 11

I am extremely happy with the results and I have definatly got bigger however I'm not happy with the amount of fat that I have put on around my waist. People have commented that I have got bigger but a few have mentioned that I have got 'fatter' I know I've got some nice friends. I couldn't understand as I have kept a log and kept to a clean diet. Here is an example of a day

6am - Oats with honey and full fat milk

10.30am - Protein shake and Banana

1.00pm - Tin of Tuna with Broccoli and tomatoes

5.00pm - Protein Shake with Banana and Almonds

8.00pm - Post workout shake and 2 salmon steaks with rice and potatoes

11.00pm - Protein Shake and peanut butter sandwich before bed.

This including the size of the portions give me 3400 calories which is what I needed to build the muscle but I wasn't intending to put on fat.

I have not done any cardio as I was told that it would have a major effect on me building muscle and I did not want to regress on my weight lifting. I have hit a plateau on my rippetoe programme and I'm 2 weeks into my 5x5 routine.

If anyone has any advice on how to build the muscle and lose the fat or any critiques on my routine or diet please let me know I'd be most grateful. I'm aspiring to achieve the physique of a bodybuilder and I have aquired a passion for lifting weights so I will work at anything and work hard to achieve this goal.

[sefmoc]

Anyone?

[r_graz]

What's with all the shakes? You'd be better off getting most of your calories from real food.

I'm confused how people could think you're getting fatter when you've only gained 4 lbs in 4 months. That's a pretty slow rate of weight gain to be getting fat.

[sefmoc]

I'm confused how people could think you're getting fatter when you've only gained 4 lbs in 4 months. That's a pretty slow rate of weight gain to be getting fat.

I agree it doesn't sound like a lot however my waist got bigger and a lot of my trousers no longer fit and my gut seems visibly bigger. I was told on the nutrtion thread that doing a 4 week bulk and 2 week cut would work. And your right I do need to get more real food in my diet. On a non workout day i usually have three protein shakes not four if that makes a difference?

[r_graz]

I agree it doesn't sound like a lot however my waist got bigger and a lot of my trousers no longer fit and my gut seems visibly bigger. I was told on the nutrtion thread that doing a 4 week bulk and 2 week cut would work. And your right I do need to get more real food in my diet. On a non workout day i usually have three protein shakes not four if that makes a difference?

I just don't think you need all those shakes to get in enough calories and protein. Post workout they're helpful to get protein and carbs in quickly, but in general food and milk are better choices.

Bear in mind also that development of the core from squatting and deadlifting can also make the waist bigger. It would be easier to judge if you had an idea of your actual body fat % before you started and after. It may not have gone up as much as you think.

[juve07]

I'm in need of some good advice and guidance as I am desperetly trying to make the gains I desire.

I'm 27 6'1 and of the endomorph body type, I'd have previously have described my body before as skinny-fat as everything apart from my gut was skinny. I started the rippetoe programme to increase strnegth and size and changed my diet and in four months I went from:

Squat - 40kg to 110kg
Deadlift - 60kg to 115kg
Bench Press - 40kg to 62.5kg
Military Press - 30kg to 47.5kg
Pendlay Rows - 40kg to 55kg
Curls - 12.5kg to 17.5kg
Skullcrushers - 12.5kg to 17.5kg

Also my weight increased from 202lbs to 206lbs
Chest - 39 inches to 41 inches
Thighs - 23 inches to 24 inches
Calfs - 14 inches to 15 inches
Neck - 15 to 15.5
Back - 18 to 20
Biceps - 13.5 to 14.5
Waist - 36 to 37.5
Triceps - 12.2 to 13
Forearms - 10.5 to 11

I am extremely happy with the results and I have definatly got bigger however I'm not happy with the amount of fat that I have put on around my waist. People have commented that I have got bigger but a few have mentioned that I have got 'fatter' I know I've got some nice friends. I couldn't understand as I have kept a log and kept to a clean diet. Here is an example of a day

6am - Oats with honey and full fat milk

10.30am - Protein shake and Banana

1.00pm - Tin of Tuna with Broccoli and tomatoes

5.00pm - Protein Shake with Banana and Almonds

8.00pm - Post workout shake and 2 salmon steaks with rice and potatoes

11.00pm - Protein Shake and peanut butter sandwich before bed.

This including the size of the portions give me 3400 calories which is what I needed to build the muscle but I wasn't intending to put on fat.

I have not done any cardio as I was told that it would have a major effect on me building muscle and I did not want to regress on my weight lifting. I have hit a plateau on my rippetoe programme and I'm 2 weeks into my 5x5 routine.

If anyone has any advice on how to build the muscle and lose the fat or any critiques on my routine or diet please let me know I'd be most grateful. I'm aspiring to achieve the physique of a bodybuilder and I have aquired a passion for lifting weights so I will work at anything and work hard to achieve this goal.

Look into Iron Addicts simple power based routine. It will allow you to continue to gain strength, while adding in some higher rep work (not too high, 8's to be exact). He is also an advocate of low intensity cardio such as slow incline walking and light bike riding 6 days per week. This should help with burning fat. For me, squatting 3 times per week is not do-able. I have terrible recovery, so I opt for splits where there is more time between the two lifts but I know others can go all out all the time and seemingly never hit a wall.

[sefmoc]

I had a question abpout 5x5 if anyone could be kind enough to answer. On rippetoes on all sets I felt like I was pushing my maximum and I could understand why my body was getting stronger to adjust to the weight. However on 5x5 only the last set is heavy and works me how does this differ but give the same results as rippetoe?