Stronglifts 5x5 - scared to fatten up...

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  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
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    www.leangains.com

    DEFINITELY something to consider.

    Ture dat, I have been looking into this for a couple weeks, and getting a ton of info, I posted regarding it yesterday, just joined the IF group this a few seconds ago.. Looking to start in next couple weeks, just need to get some more info, re: macros, cas, etc. and TRAINING, interms of optimal training.

    Found out by BF is 23%, want to get to 15% or so. IF looks very doable IMHO!!

    If you keep a healthy calorie deficit and manage your macros well you'll be fine. You should experience some good body re-composition and possibly add a little muscle mass. The key here is that you'll drop BF% and increase strength. The Leangains approach isn't bad but I don't know how easy it is to maintain long-term. I use it more often if I ended-up having a bad diet day and way overate the night before. Then I'll go lift in a fasted-state and not eat for the period specified after I lift. It helps a little. I didn't notice any significant difference in doing doing the short fasted periods versus maintaining a healthy calorie deficit and eating good pre and post workout nutrition on a consistent basis. You'll have to try it and see for yourself.
  • scottywor
    scottywor Posts: 140 Member
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    www.leangains.com

    DEFINITELY something to consider.

    Ture dat, I have been looking into this for a couple weeks, and getting a ton of info, I posted regarding it yesterday, just joined the IF group this a few seconds ago.. Looking to start in next couple weeks, just need to get some more info, re: macros, cas, etc. and TRAINING, interms of optimal training.

    Found out by BF is 23%, want to get to 15% or so. IF looks very doable IMHO!!

    If you keep a healthy calorie deficit and manage your macros well you'll be fine. You should experience some good body re-composition and possibly add a little muscle mass. The key here is that you'll drop BF% and increase strength. The Leangains approach isn't bad but I don't know how easy it is to maintain long-term. I use it more often if I ended-up having a bad diet day and way overate the night before. Then I'll go lift in a fasted-state and not eat for the period specified after I lift. It helps a little. I didn't notice any significant difference in doing doing the short fasted periods versus maintaining a healthy calorie deficit and eating good pre and post workout nutrition on a consistent basis. You'll have to try it and see for yourself.

    Cool, def gonna give it a shot.... BUT...

    As an alternative to IF (if i choose to keep pluggin away with what im doing atm)Im curiouswhat is the dividing line between a healthy deficit and a unhealthy? In terms of muscle maintenance. I would think 20-25% is fine (almost 1.5lbs per week), would going below that, say 30-35% or above (over a 1.5 to almost 2), "daily" would be more extreme, and therfore more detrimental for muscle maintenance in the end? I would think. Unless You were to cycle.

    Now that Im way off topic for this post...

    My training atm is total body - 3sets 10 reps fo each, in this order...

    Squat
    Deads
    Bench
    Row Bent Over
    Overhead Press
    Lat Pulldown/Chins

    Is the volume of sets and reps to low? I mean Im increasing probably by 5 lbs per week on each, except for Overhead Press. But Im not coming close to failure on any? Am I short changing my self?

    This was the main reason I thought that 5x5 would be a real benefit, as I would be training directly for strength.
  • dlwyatt82
    dlwyatt82 Posts: 1,077 Member
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    You'll gain some fat while you build muscle, that's just how it works. But then you can switch back to eating at a deficit for a while and lose the extra fat while keeping most of the muscle you gained.

    Edit: This is assuming you've reached the point in SL5x5 where you're close to stalling, and are eating enough calories to build new muscle. Early on, you'll gain a fair bit of strength with the muscle mass you already have.
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
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    just remember that strength is different than skeletal muscle.. you can gain strength without gaining much bodyweight because its more about training your central nervous system than putting on visible muscle mass.. so if that is your goal then do the 5x5 or 5-3-1.. but if you want to gain muscle mass i would stick to typical bodybuilding routines with higher reps 6-12 range til failure type work.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    My training atm is total body - 3sets 10 reps fo each, in this order...

    Squat
    Deads
    Bench
    Row Bent Over
    Overhead Press
    Lat Pulldown/Chins

    Is the volume of sets and reps to low? I mean Im increasing probably by 5 lbs per week on each, except for Overhead Press. But Im not coming close to failure on any? Am I short changing my self?

    This was the main reason I thought that 5x5 would be a real benefit, as I would be training directly for strength.

    I prefer a 5x5 format. I lift more weight for less reps...but more sets, for more total weight lifted. I personally feel 10 reps is too high for real strength training, but that's just based on personal experience.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    just remember that strength is different than skeletal muscle.. you can gain strength without gaining much bodyweight because its more about training your central nervous system than putting on visible muscle mass.. so if that is your goal then do the 5x5 or 5-3-1.. but if you want to gain muscle mass i would stick to typical bodybuilding routines with higher reps 6-12 range til failure type work.

    This!
  • js370
    js370 Posts: 140
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    I prefer a 5x5 format. I lift more weight for less reps...but more sets, for more total weight lifted. I personally feel 10 reps is too high for real strength training, but that's just based on personal experience.

    ^^^This.
    As long as you can do it with out breaking proper form, then go for it. Eventually, you'll need to drop the reps when you get to heavier weight, if you want to keep progressing.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Options
    My training atm is total body - 3sets 10 reps fo each, in this order...

    Squat
    Deads
    Bench
    Row Bent Over
    Overhead Press
    Lat Pulldown/Chins

    Is the volume of sets and reps to low? I mean Im increasing probably by 5 lbs per week on each, except for Overhead Press. But Im not coming close to failure on any? Am I short changing my self?

    This was the main reason I thought that 5x5 would be a real benefit, as I would be training directly for strength.

    I prefer a 5x5 format. I lift more weight for less reps...but more sets, for more total weight lifted. I personally feel 10 reps is too high for real strength training, but that's just based on personal experience.

    And this! Once you are at 8 reps or more you are essentially body building due to hypertrophy with some strength building as a byproduct. If that's not your goal, which you seem to be saying it isn't, the higher weight, less reps, more sets will build strength not mass and help burn off fat. That's exactly where my routine is right now as I am doing SL 5x5 for about 2 months and eating close maintenance. Haven't lost a pound but dropped 4% body fat and lotsa inches and haven't gotten any bigger. Smaller actually but in a good way. At 200 lbs and down 4% bf, I've lost 8 lbs of fat! For me, it's all about body recomposition. Still got a ways to go but I like what's happening. The pace is a little slow but I'm fine with that as I'm not losing any lean muscle mass.
  • scottywor
    scottywor Posts: 140 Member
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    just remember that strength is different than skeletal muscle.. you can gain strength without gaining much bodyweight because its more about training your central nervous system than putting on visible muscle mass.. so if that is your goal then do the 5x5 or 5-3-1.. but if you want to gain muscle mass i would stick to typical bodybuilding routines with higher reps 6-12 range til failure type work.

    Focus is Fat Loss, and strength...Muscle mass is on back burner for now.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    Options
    just remember that strength is different than skeletal muscle.. you can gain strength without gaining much bodyweight because its more about training your central nervous system than putting on visible muscle mass.. so if that is your goal then do the 5x5 or 5-3-1.. but if you want to gain muscle mass i would stick to typical bodybuilding routines with higher reps 6-12 range til failure type work.

    Focus is Fat Loss, and strength...Muscle mass is on back burner for now.

    Looks like you got some good answers then :).

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