Strength goals and weight gain

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MWShep
MWShep Posts: 45 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hi all

Looking for advice from stronger and knowledgeable people than myself.

The question is should I gain weight to achieve my goals?

Below is the list for my personal goals and some info.

Between 65/66 kgs
5'10

My goals are along with my best PB lifts:

Deadlift x 2.5 BW (147kg x 1)
Squat x 2 BW (109kg x 3)
Bench x 1.5 BW (74kg x 6)
Press x 1 BW (54kg x 1)

At the moment I'm on maintenance calories only. From what I've read on the internet is that to gain strength you need to add muscle/weight. Although I understand this, in my logical mind if I gain weight/muscle then that pushes my goals further ahead cancelling out any gains I get in strength, so I'll always be behind, playing catch up if that makes any sense to you?

So do I stick with maintenance or start to gain muscle for strength?
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Replies

  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
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    is your goal a number on a scale, or muscles, or strength? Your weight at 6"10 is the same as my boyfriend who is the same height as you, and that is TINY! You only have up to go, not down.

    I have limited knowledge, but I would say jump on to www.iifym.com and set it to gaining, and get lifting :)

    edit, just saw to 2.5 bodyweight thing. I don't think someone as tiny as you would be able to lift that much normally... better to set short-term goals and see where you get, rather than such high goals that if you don't get there you think 'meh, wouldn't have anyway'. Set a monthly increase you want to see, and work with that.
  • MWShep
    MWShep Posts: 45 Member
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    Thanks Jess. I do follow IIFYM, great for my sweet tooth. The goal is strength. I have no fear of gaining weight if it achieves my goals but as I said would any gain in strength make up for the gain in weight in achieving the goals?

    ....and yes, I'm skinny :smile:
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
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    Thanks Jess. I do follow IIFYM, great for my sweet tooth. The goal is strength. I have no fear of gaining weight if it achieves my goals but as I said would any gain in strength make up for the gain in weight in achieving the goals?

    ....and yes, I'm skinny :smile:

    sorry I didn't mean to come off as slamming you. My boyfriend is the same weight, and he is my boyfriend because I LIKE THAT (among other things of course)... so I didn't mean to say it's a bad thing :flowerforyou: I guess it depends on everyones body, but it will take a lot of dedication and realistic (personal) goals anyway!!!

    I have a friend who does comps, and from all my reading over the past 6months, the basic rule is you need to be eating over maintenance to gain muscle, so get eating my friend :drinker:

    Good luck :smile:
  • tonynguyen75
    tonynguyen75 Posts: 418 Member
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    You should be able to hit those goals. All you need is time and effort. Hitting goals based on be ratios don't require added muscle. Of course, it would be better with lower body fat %. Are you relatively lean?
  • MWShep
    MWShep Posts: 45 Member
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    Not offend by the 'tiny' comment....because I am.

    MrM27....my best lifts so far are in the brackets

    Deadlift x 2.5 BW (147kg x 1)
    Squat x 2 BW (109kg x 3)
    Bench x 1.5 BW (74kg x 6)
    Press x 1 BW (54kg x 1)

    I following 5/3/1 full body/3 day week. Strength is going up slowly but thinking would it be better gaining weight with the goals in mind?
  • MWShep
    MWShep Posts: 45 Member
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    Tony.....approx 9-12% bf
  • addysolari
    addysolari Posts: 181 Member
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    *I'm in no way an authority/ expert on this*
    My understanding is that if you want to gain more strength you need more muscle and you won't make any significant gains by eating a maintenance diet. I've only been lifting and having a high intake diet for about a month now. I started around 1800 calories a day and now I eat 2500-2700 per day and training 3 times a week I've put on about 0.5kg per week and my lifts get bigger every week so I reckon a big calorie intake is why I'm making steady progress.

    hope that helps
    -Adam
  • Mrsallypants
    Mrsallypants Posts: 887 Member
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    The goals are very realistic. Not like a 225kg deadlift in a few months.

    500 calories onto maintenance will help with recovery, strength, and muscle building along with 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, or 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight. Moreover, add creatine monohydrate to boost lifts.

    You're at an optimal bodyfat percentage to start adding muscle.

    You could also experiment with other programs like Stronglifts, Madcow, Greyskull LP, or Starting Strength.
  • MWShep
    MWShep Posts: 45 Member
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    Thank you, I think maybe a slow increase so that the strength will over take the extra weight increase.
  • HelloDan
    HelloDan Posts: 712 Member
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    You don't have to gain weight to gain strength, although there is a point where it becomes unavoidable. Look at weight classes in strength sports, yes, the heavyweights lift more absolutely, but the smaller guys lift more in terms of a ratio of bodyweight.

    The main caveat is your build, as the taller and longer limbed you are at a lighter weight, the more you tend to give yourself a disadvantage due to lever lengths, and the distance you have to move the bar during lifts.

    I think its doable, whether you stay the same weight or gain, but I think you'd have an easier time of it if you were 10-20kgs heavier.
  • MWShep
    MWShep Posts: 45 Member
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    HelloDan..which program would you advise, I'm currently using 5/3/1 full body/3 day for the past 18 months?
  • HelloDan
    HelloDan Posts: 712 Member
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    If you've been using 5/3/1 for the last 18 months, and it's doing the job, just keep at it.
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
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    5/3/1 program is good for experienced lifters that have moved on from linear gains to periodization. If you are just starting out, then a program like Starting Strength or some 5x5 type program will be your best bet as these are beginner programs and you should be on one of these for many months or even over a year to get the maximum strength gains. These programs add weight every workout; whereas, an intermediate program like Madcow will add weight every week. I believe 5/3/1 adds weight every month because its for those people that have reached the upper limits of their genetic strength and so gains come really slow, thus being for advanced lifters.

    Don't get me wrong, you will still make gains on 5/3/1, but if you are a newer lifter, then why not take advantage of faster gains?
  • MWShep
    MWShep Posts: 45 Member
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    I've been on 5/3/1 for 18 months and the strength has been good except for press but JW does say it's slow to improve. In the past I've not followed a program as such but focused on compound movements for low reps/ high weight and stayed away from the BB routines.

    One poster on my thread mention Greyskull lp which I'm trying to find more info about and from the little I've seen it looks interesting.

    Just focused on the goal.
  • tonynguyen75
    tonynguyen75 Posts: 418 Member
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    Are you doing accessory lifts to accompany your main lifts? Deficit deadlifts, pause squats, good mornings, floor bench etc?
  • AnabolicKyle
    AnabolicKyle Posts: 489 Member
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    If you've been using 5/3/1 for the last 18 months, and it's doing the job, just keep at it.

    I agree 5/3/1 is nice. Just keep it going.

    This^

    if you dont care about weight gain/fat gain, freaking eat more!!!
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
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    You don't have to gain weight necessarily to gain strength. If you train your CNS and increase the efficiency of your nerve response you can lift heavier.

    This is also the same principle that gaining strength =/= gaining muscle. The main reasons I think weight helps is core stability / center of gravity and joint lubrication etc. It's hard to be a boney mother f****er and having your bones gettin' all KIIINDZ of snap action.

    5/3/1 in general is the most cookie cutter friendly way to keep progressive overload up.
  • TheRealBruceWayne
    TheRealBruceWayne Posts: 22 Member
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    You don't have to gain weight to gain strength, although there is a point where it becomes unavoidable. Look at weight classes in strength sports, yes, the heavyweights lift more absolutely, but the smaller guys lift more in terms of a ratio of bodyweight.

    Bodyweight ratios are silly because the strength to weight ratio isn't linear. The previous poster before me is right that strength is gained by increasing neuro-muscular efficiency, and increasing the amount of muscle increases the potential for strength.

    I don't agree with using 5/3/1. It is good for deadlifts but in general it doesn't have enough volume for squats or pressing movements for relatively new lifters. I'd stick with Madcows or 5x5, don't give up on linear programming until you're absolutely positive it's no longer working.

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