I simply cannot eat enough to put on weight... What am I doing wrong?

[gbullock32]

My only gripe against fierce 5 novice is I don't see any benefit to only working out three days out of the week. Shouldn't I be focusing on volume? Shouldn't I be hitting each muscle group 2-3 times per week in order for it to grow?

No need, not for a natural trainee, your body needs rest s well to grow properly.

[AdamWW]

My only gripe against fierce 5 novice is I don't see any benefit to only working out three days out of the week. Shouldn't I be focusing on volume? Shouldn't I be hitting each muscle group 2-3 times per week in order for it to grow?

There’s a difference between the amount of volume you can do and the maximum effective and recoverable dose.

If you just throw in ‘junk volume’, it does nothing to help you. I could workout for 5 hours a day just doing push-ups until my arms fall off and that’s a ton of volume... doesn’t mean it’s causing any growth

Fierce 5 novice does hit all your muscle groups 2 times a week...

Stop putting the cart before the horse... this is how beginners should train, it’s been proven time and time again...

[cooledwhip]

There’s a difference between the amount of volume you can do and the maximum effective and recoverable dose.

If you just throw in ‘junk volume’, it does nothing to help you. I could workout for 5 hours a day just doing push-ups until my arms fall off and that’s a ton of volume... doesn’t mean it’s causing any growth

Fierce 5 novice does hit all your muscle groups 2 times a week...

Stop putting the cart before the horse... this is how beginners should train, it’s been proven time and time again...

Bro.. Isn't my rest days from my chest the leg day and back biceps day?? That makes no sense.

I understand your point. But my question is this:

Am i still a beginner given my prior training history? I lifted solidly doing PPL for a whole year... Put on 15 pounds. Lifted inconsistently for a year, now I'm here and have been training seriously for 2-3 months... Why should I be doing this beginner routine?

[CommitmentRulz]

Why should I be doing this beginner routine?

What do you bench, squat and deadlift (at how many reps per set)?

[AdamWW]

What do you bench, squat and deadlift (at how many reps per set)?

This.

OP, it doesn't matter if you 'gained 15 pounds'.

I could do nothing all day and eat cake batter and gain 15 pounds... it doesn't mean you gained 15lb of MUSCLE nor does it mean you gained as quickly as you could have otherwise.



You don't seem to understand that you want to START from a point of doing as little volume as possible while still hitting an effective volume so that, over time, you can RAMP UP volume during mesocycles...

If you just JUMP IN and do PPL with all this volume, where do you go from here? You'll never actually build the BASE strength that will support your growth in later years. Plenty of people make that mistake, and they never reach their goals.

Look you can do whatever you feel like... you've heard all our advice, and it's ALL been similar... yet you consistently try and fight against it.

If all you want to do is confirm your own bias/opinion, then look elsewhere.

[xsquid99]

Shouldn't I be hitting each muscle group 2-3 times per week in order for it to grow?

Me thinks you haven't really read the Fierce 5 program, because that's basically exactly what it does. It literally has you hitting your legs and doing a pressing movement and a pulling movement 2-3x per week.

[Mrpb]

Bro.. Isn't my rest days from my chest the leg day and back biceps day?? That makes no sense.

False. Bench pressing will tax your CNS while you're also using your shoulders, core and even your biceps a little. Squats will tax your CNS, core and lots of other muscles. Pull ups will also use your core, triceps etc. There's a lot of overlap.

Am i still a beginner given my prior training history? I lifted solidly doing PPL for a whole year...

Depends. Tell us your lifts please. Bench, squat, deadlift. For example bench 5 reps 180 lb.

[faithbrah]

based on the information and knowledge in this thread, you're most likely still a beginner

but like the poster above said, post your lifts

[cooledwhip]

based on the information and knowledge in this thread, you're most likely still a beginner

but like the poster above said, post your lifts

I used to deadlift two plates but I stopped because I have lower back issues and it's too risky for an injury. (haven't had one yet luckily).I was able to do 3 x 4 two plates. Squat is a plate and 25 pounds. Squat : 5 x 4 plate and 25. Bench is a 3x5 with a plate.

Sorry it's just cognitive dissonance. I've heard x all my life and now you guys are telling me Y. I don't understand the concept of "START from a point of doing as little volume as possible while still hitting an effective volume so that, over time, you can RAMP UP volume during mesocycles"

I AM listening now though and will be changing my routine per your guys advice. I looked at Fierce 5, is it possible to swap out squat for something else? My concern is having two heavy compounds on the same day is that too taxing?

the 15 pounds I gained is a mixture of fat and muscle. I bulked up from a twig. I have noticeable muscle mass on my upper torso but I know what you mean by people saying they gained mass and ended up just becoming a chub lol.

[cooledwhip]

False. Bench pressing will tax your CNS while you're also using your shoulders, core and even your biceps a little. Squats will tax your CNS, core and lots of other muscles. Pull ups will also use your core, triceps etc. There's a lot of overlap.



Depends. Tell us your lifts please. Bench, squat, deadlift. For example bench 5 reps 180 lb.

Ok you're right.. Are there any plans for someone my age that would allow me to lift every day? I want to harness the max capability of my muscle growth. I'm in early 20's so I should be able to put on tons of muscle quick.

[faithbrah]

I used to deadlift two plates but I stopped because I have lower back issues and it's too risky for an injury. (haven't had one yet luckily).I was able to do 3 x 4 two plates. Squat is a plate and 25 pounds. Squat : 5 x 4 plate and 25. Bench is a 3x5 with a plate.

yeah those are beginner numbers. maybe not "first time gym" numbers, but not close to intermediate either

Ok you're right.. Are there any plans for someone my age that would allow me to lift every day? I want to harness the max capability of my muscle growth. I'm in early 20's so I should be able to put on tons of muscle quick.

man... i'm pretty sure that full body 3x/week is close to your max capability at this point. even if it's not, that doesn't mean you need to do it 7x/week

[paulinkansas]

Try the "Dog Food Diet." I gained about 15 pounds of lean body mass on it in 4 months, but ended up in the hospitals ICU.

What's the "Dog Food Diet"? You just fill your pockets with a quality dry dog food like Pedigree or Purina One and munch on it throughout the day. The dog food has a proper mix of protein, fat and complex carbs to put on muscular weight with a minimal amount of fat. It's nutritionally complete.

Now you are probably thinking there are some toxins or vitamin deficiencies in the dog food which made me end up in the ICU. That is far from true. It is nutritionally complete, like I mentioned earlier. I got hit by a car when I was sitting in the street licking my balls.

[CommitmentRulz]

My concern is having two heavy compounds on the same day is that too taxing?

Are there any plans for someone my age that would allow me to lift every day? I want to harness the max capability of my muscle growth.

Dude...

[cooledwhip]

Try the "Dog Food Diet." I gained about 15 pounds of lean body mass on it in 4 months, but ended up in the hospitals ICU.

What's the "Dog Food Diet"? You just fill your pockets with a quality dry dog food like Pedigree or Purina One and munch on it throughout the day. The dog food has a proper mix of protein, fat and complex carbs to put on muscular weight with a minimal amount of fat. It's nutritionally complete.

Now you are probably thinking there are some toxins or vitamin deficiencies in the dog food which made me end up in the ICU. That is far from true. It is nutritionally complete, like I mentioned earlier. I got hit by a car when I was sitting in the street licking my balls.

Purina one is cat food bro.. and dont lick ur balls

[TolerantLactose]

I AM listening now though and will be changing my routine per your guys advice. I looked at Fierce 5, is it possible to swap out squat for something else? My concern is having two heavy compounds on the same day is that too taxing?

As a novice, I had little issue with squatting 275lb for 3x5 and deadlifting 355lb x5 for the very next set (no warm up) at 145lb bw. To be fair, that was towards the end of my progression before I switched programming.

[cooledwhip]

Dude...

Dude what?? Bro do you want to help or be a dick... What kind of unneccesary post reply is just "Dude..."

[TolerantLactose]

Dude what?? Bro do you want to help or be a dick... What kind of unneccesary post reply is just "Dude..."

Can't complain about something being too taxing while asking for the most taxing program imaginable.

[CommitmentRulz]

Dude what?? Bro do you want to help or be a dick... What kind of unneccesary post reply is just "Dude..."

You are all over the place. Concerned that two compound lifts are too much, but want to lift 7 days a week, for up to 2 hours a day. You've gotten TONS of good advice in this thread - ALL HE SAME ADVICE - but you just seem to want to do your own thing. Fine. Just stop asking for advice you are going to ignore.

We see this a lot. Eventually if you keep asking, someone will stumble along and agree with you. You'll ignore all the advice you've received in this thread and latch on the the SOLE advice you really want to hear. Good luck in your lifting goals of 2021.

[AdamWW]

Ok you're right.. Are there any plans for someone my age that would allow me to lift every day? I want to harness the max capability of my muscle growth. I'm in early 20's so I should be able to put on tons of muscle quick.

Are you this bad with reading comprehension? Are you just intentionally ignoring what we’re saying?

[cooledwhip]

You are all over the place. Concerned that two compound lifts are too much, but want to lift 7 days a week, for up to 2 hours a day. You've gotten TONS of good advice in this thread - ALL HE SAME ADVICE - but you just seem to want to do your own thing. Fine. Just stop asking for advice you are going to ignore.

We see this a lot. Eventually if you keep asking, someone will stumble along and agree with you. You'll ignore all the advice you've received in this thread and latch on the the SOLE advice you really want to hear. Good luck in your lifting goals of 2021.

I also haven't been in this realm as long as you guys have. For you guys it's basic information but for me it's hard to believe because of all the other information I've been told.

Now it's making a bit more sense. So even if I do back one day and then chest the next day I'm still engaging core and some other smaller muscles right?

I'm not trying to be stubborn. My reason for ignoring your guys advice is just stemming from anxiety. I have anxiety about if I only work out three days a week that i will either lose muscle, not put muscle on at a good rate, or get fat.. But you guys are saying that won't happen if I do the fierce 5 routine?

[cooledwhip]

Are you this bad with reading comprehension? Are you just intentionally ignoring what we’re saying?

Sorry. You guys are right and have been doing this a lot longer than I have. I'm just anxious I'll get fat or won't put on muscle as fast as I'd like. I am gonna take a week off starting today and then start a new routine next week. Is Fierce 5 solid the way it is or can I do some modifications? I'd prefer not to squat because of my lower back issues. Or if I do can I switch it for smith machine squat?

[AdamWW]

Sorry. You guys are right and have been doing this a lot longer than I have. I'm just anxious I'll get fat or won't put on muscle as fast as I'd like. I am gonna take a week off starting today and then start a new routine next week. Is Fierce 5 solid the way it is or can I do some modifications? I'd prefer not to squat because of my lower back issues. Or if I do can I switch it for smith machine squat?

Why would you be worried about gaining fat? Just don’t stuff yourself silly... people don’t get fat overnight or because they don’t lift every day, people get fat because they habitually and chronically overeat calories....

If squats hurt you, then yes, if it’s absolutely necessary you can do things like front squats, hack squats, etc, but barbell squats are much better for building base strength.

Split squats are also a very good movement.

But what I would ask is this: are you performing squats with proper form and depth?

[Mrpb]

Someone fill me in please, how many pounds is this? "Bench is a 3x5 with a plate."

[cooledwhip]

Why would you be worried about gaining fat? Just don’t stuff yourself silly... people don’t get fat overnight or because they don’t lift every day, people get fat because they habitually and chronically overeat calories....

If squats hurt you, then yes, if it’s absolutely necessary you can do things like front squats, hack squats, etc, but barbell squats are much better for building base strength.

Split squats are also a very good movement.

But what I would ask is this: are you performing squats with proper form and depth?

Ok. I am continually overeating calories BC im bulking now though.

I can do BB squats just absolutely no more than two plates or anything super heavy.

And yes I am very very particular on form over weight. I only do 10 LB weights for shoulders bc I don't wanna hurt anything.

I asked a personal trainer friend of mine about this fierce 5 routine and he said it's just not enough volume?

[TolerantLactose]

Someone fill me in please, how many pounds is this? "Bench is a 3x5 with a plate."

135lb

You Euros with your metric plates.

[AdamWW]

Ok. I am continually overeating calories BC im bulking now though.

I can do BB squats just absolutely no more than two plates or anything super heavy.

And yes I am very very particular on form over weight. I only do 10 LB weights for shoulders bc I don't wanna hurt anything.

I asked a personal trainer friend of mine about this fierce 5 routine and he said it's just not enough volume?

Ask your personal trainer to provide studies which show it isn’t enough volume, because we have many many studies confirming the basic principles it lays out. Your trainer is trying to make you FEEL like you’re working hard by training longer... it’s a more marketable way for them to sell training sessions.

Your lifting numbers are all over the place... you use 10lb for shoulders, and you squat what you deadlift?

[paulinkansas]

Coolwhip. Lifting is like learning. For example, a typical person isn't going to pick up a nuclear physics textbook and learn from it. First they need to learn how to add and subtract, then multiply and divide, then learn geometry and algebra, then calculus and linear programming, statistics, etc. Then they can study nuclear physics. You are trying to do calculus, but should studying multiplication and division instead. I hope that makes sense, I tend to be abstract in my cognitive processes.

[TolerantLactose]

I asked a personal trainer friend of mine about this fierce 5 routine and he said it's just not enough volume?

Listen to the advice here or your friend and be done with it.

[Mrpb]

Ok. Thank you. Do you think my routine is too much or needs correction? I started lifting two years ago my freshman year of college. Lifted seriously whole freshman year and put on a decent amount of size. My entire sophomore year I took off from the gym basically because I was a degenerate and partied a lot. Now I'm kinda restarting this third year of mine. So I'm not a total noob but I'm not a pro.

Dude. You started lifting 2 years ago and your 5rm bench press is 135 lb. You're still a beginner. What you're currently doing isn't working well.

Try Fierce 5 for 3 months as it's prescribed. I bet you'll be bench pressing your body weight or more for 5 reps.

[CommitmentRulz]

I'm just anxious I'll get fat

With a thread titled "I simply cannot eat enough to put on weight... What am I doing wrong?"Again, all over the place.

As TolerantLactose said "Listen to the advice here or your friend and be done with it."