Starting Stronglifts (Advice please)

[FLuke~]

Hello I'm Fluke~ and I'm starting stronglifts. My main goal is to lose my belly fat, but would like to be stronger and more muscular too. Please feel free to comment and offer advice as much as you want, especially if it's good advice.

About me:
Height: 6 Foot 3 Inches
Weight: 92Kg
Age: 25

I'm what you would call skinny fat, only a little bit of fat on my stomach really but it's more than I want. I have a reasonable level of strength and fitness. I play basketball every week, but due to recent injuries I'm giving up for a few more weeks and that means I can concentrate 100% on this routine. I'm changing my diet to cut starchy carbs down and up my protein intake as well as trying to cut out all or as much processed junky type foods as possible. At the moment I'm working out from home as I have just about enough weights to do stronglifts, but in a week or two when they will be too light I will be joining my local gym with my friend.

Currently I'm lacking a bench at home so instead of bench press im doing floor press, wasn't going to do it but saw its in one of joe defrancos videos and other places saw its a legit technique so it will have to do until I get that gym membership. Might add a dumbbell fly in to the bench days to help chest workout as the lower part of the bench is mostly chest and I am missing part of this.

Have a few basic questions about stronglifts.

Will I be able to lose fat while eating enough to gain weight, or should I keep my calorie intake low? I have read I should eat like a horse but this seems to go against everything I've ever seen heard or read about fat loss.

Am I really going to be able to add 2.5Kg to my lifts each time? I did a 35Kg overhead press and every set the last rep was using up the last bit of strength. I actually impressed myself by completing the routine. I just don't see how a few days later I will be able to add 2.5Kg, I will try it anyway and do my best. Hopefully I will be able to do it because it will really wind my friend up who thinks stronglifts doesn't look like a good routine at all.

If I can find the motivation, should I add in a few days of cardio to help boost my fat loss? Would like to go jogging (actually I hate it but if its good for me I will force myself) but wasn't sure whether this will effect any gains.

Anyway on to my training and what I've done so far.

I started on 1/1/12 but this isn't a new years resolution they get forgotten about pretty quickly, this is intended to be a lifestyle change.

1/1/12

Squats: 30Kg
I have some lingering knee and ankle injuries, before people wonder why I can apparently bench more than I can squat. I'm easing it in so as to avoid injury.

Overhead press: 30Kg

Deadlift:40Kg

Overall I felt this workout was pretty easy but still felt a little bit sore the morning after as I haven't lifted any weights in a while.

7/1/11

Squats: 32.5Kg

Bench Press: 35Kg

Barbell Row: 35Kg

9/1/12

Squats: 40Kg

Overhead press: 35Kg This really took it out of me, never put so much effort into lifting something! Think I was arching my back a little too much in the last few reps as it was a little sore afterwards, I've watched a lot more videos on youtube regarding technique so hopefully it helps.

Deadlifts: 50Kg I've now run out of weights, and found it easy, so can't increase until I go to the gym. If money wasn't an issue I would join up now, but holding back for a little while will help. Just out of interest why do you only do one set of deadlifts?

11/1/12

Asked my friend to help spot me and help with the squats, two of his mates were there while I was working out. I would recommend it as an easy way to motivate yourself to lift more nobody want to look weak infront of a bunch of people even if you don't know them.

Squats: 42.5Kg Strangely I found this pretty easy even though I had found lighter weights harder earlier. I think my technique mush have improved.

Bench press: 50kg Don't know where that came from, 35Kg and 40Kg felt really light like I could throw them in the air so switched to 50Kg. Still felt pretty easy, and I had already done two extra sets one with 35 and one with 40Kg.

Barbell Row: 40Kg This felt like it was about the right weight for now, couldn't quite get the pinching your shoulder blades together part of the technique quite right, it felt awkward. I'll watch a few videos and practice without weight and I'll have it in no time.

There we go I'm up to date, now you all know how embarassingly weak I am. Please feel free to offer some advice and answer my questions. Hopefully I can keep this going and make big gains, I just need to stay focused and motivated. Sorry for making this a ridiculously long first post but I wanted to put as much detail as possible. If you really have read every word, well done and thank you for taking such an interes but you really should think about why you have so much spare time on your hands haha.

[SeanC]

im sure stronglifts suggests starting at an empty bar for overhead presses which would be 20kg also deadlifts are generally started with a bar and 2x20kg so 60kg all in all. you only do 1 set of deadlifts due to the amount of weight you can shift with deadlifts compared to the other lifts.

You will be able to add 2.5kg each routine but certain lifts will stall before others, the overhead press is the one that will stall a long time before the others usually

[Maximi11ion]

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Have a few basic questions about stronglifts.

Will I be able to lose fat while eating enough to gain weight, or should I keep my calorie intake low? I have read I should eat like a horse but this seems to go against everything I've ever seen heard or read about fat loss.

Stronglifts is a strength training program, for consistent strength & muscle gains you generally need to be consuming some extra calories hence the "eat like a horse advice," however as a beginner you'll likely be able to lose weight and gain muscle/strength at the same time with a maintenance intake level. The training and altered eating will (I believe) cause some hormonal changes expediting body re composition. You may find that by "cleaning up" your diet you will inadvertently reduce calories anyway as it is notoriously difficult in the beginning to eat enough "cleanly." (sorry about the quotation marks because the term clean means different things to different people)

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Am I really going to be able to add 2.5Kg to my lifts each time? I did a 35Kg overhead press and every set the last rep was using up the last bit of strength. I actually impressed myself by completing the routine. I just don't see how a few days later I will be able to add 2.5Kg, I will try it anyway and do my best. Hopefully I will be able to do it because it will really wind my friend up who thinks stronglifts doesn't look like a good routine at all.

Everybody stalls on the OHP first, everything else will go up and up. Stronglifts is a tried and tested balanced routine and an excellent start to strength training but whether it is specifically advantageous to your sport - I don't know. MJ would be a better guy to ask basketball player turned strongman/astrophysicist what does your friend recommend?

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If I can find the motivation, should I add in a few days of cardio to help boost my fat loss? Would like to go jogging (actually I hate it but if its good for me I will force myself) but wasn't sure whether this will effect any gains.

Cardio isn't necessary but as you like to play basket basketball a bit of conditioning would more than likely be beneficial, why don't you look at some HIIT routines, over and done with quickly & same result (or better) as jogging

[Pkant2002]

Nice training log you got going here best of luck for the future.

I have been on SL 5x5 now for about 6 months and it really works. You will stall occasionally ie sometimes you just have a bad day and in some cases you just won’t be able to push any more. But if you read the website it gives some tips on how to beat it. I.e. de loading or after 3 de loads switching to 3 reps instead of 5 for the exercise.

[FLuke~]

Quote

Stronglifts is a strength training program, for consistent strength & muscle gains you generally need to be consuming some extra calories hence the "eat like a horse advice," however as a beginner you'll likely be able to lose weight and gain muscle/strength at the same time with a maintenance intake level. The training and altered eating will (I believe) cause some hormonal changes expediting body re composition. You may find that by "cleaning up" your diet you will inadvertently reduce calories anyway as it is notoriously difficult in the beginning to eat enough "cleanly." (sorry about the quotation marks because the term clean means different things to different people)



Everybody stalls on the OHP first, everything else will go up and up. Stronglifts is a tried and tested balanced routine and an excellent start to strength training but whether it is specifically advantageous to your sport - I don't know. MJ would be a better guy to ask basketball player turned strongman/astrophysicist what does your friend recommend?



Cardio isn't necessary but as you like to play basket basketball a bit of conditioning would more than likely be beneficial, why don't you look at some HIIT routines, over and done with quickly & same result (or better) as jogging

Thanks for the advice, I think stronglifts is great for basketball, I did my own modified version with a mate last year and gained massive amounts on my vertical jump. Was relying on use of his bench and weights and he lost interest so I ended up giving up too. Wish I'd carried on now. My friend recommends a normal split type routine focusing on chest and back one day etc. I'll check out some HIIT, just sounds like effort hehe. Might see if I can get a couple miles jogging done tomorrow, it's amazing how motivating a cup of strong tea can be if you have no tolerance to caffeine.

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Nice training log you got going here best of luck for the future.

I have been on SL 5x5 now for about 6 months and it really works. You will stall occasionally ie sometimes you just have a bad day and in some cases you just won’t be able to push any more. But if you read the website it gives some tips on how to beat it. I.e. de loading or after 3 de loads switching to 3 reps instead of 5 for the exercise.

Yeah been on the website a bit. Some interesting stuff on there. I thought it must work as so many people here do it, advise people to do it. Glad it works for you, I'm just hoping I can stay focussed as my problem tends to be I lose interest. Thats why I started this log, it will motivate me and hold my attention which is really difficult to.........

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im sure stronglifts suggests starting at an empty bar for overhead presses which would be 20kg also deadlifts are generally started with a bar and 2x20kg so 60kg all in all. you only do 1 set of deadlifts due to the amount of weight you can shift with deadlifts compared to the other lifts.

You will be able to add 2.5kg each routine but certain lifts will stall before others, the overhead press is the one that will stall a long time before the others usually

I avoided starting with such low weights as I will lose interest, there seemed like no point. I'm sure your technique will be better but if you give up immediately it doesn't matter. Having said that I'm not actually lifting much more than that haha. When the OHP stalls is it better to use my legs to help power through the last reps or lighten the weight or what?

Thanks for all your comments guys, I'm off to bed and dreaming of my breakfast omelette!

[SeanC]

if you use your legs its then a push press. so no you cant
feet shoulder width apart = overhead press
heals together = military press

[FLuke~]

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if you use your legs its then a push press. so no you cant
feet shoulder width apart = overhead press
heals together = military press

Okay, thanks for that. I was just thinking if I can get through most of the reps but I'm going to fail on the last one or two the use my legs to finish the set and obviously not up the weight until I can do it properly. I also didn't know that a military press was with heels together. I had wondered how it was different to the OHP.

12/1/12

Did some cardio today as its a rest day as far as weight are concerned. My dad wanted me to walk his dog, he's just had a hip replaced so can't do it himself and my brother who normally does it was away. I decided this was the perfect opportunity to do some jogging and it saves about £3 on the bus, although I did spend £9 on some headphones so I could listen to music while running but lets just pretend I saved £3.

Jogged about three miles, rested about 20 mins, I sat down and had a drink of pineapple juice and then some water.
Walked 3 miles or more with the dog, she loved it and fell asleep within a minute of getting back. Sat down for 5-10 minutes, then helped my dad with a few odd jobs around the house.
Jogged about three miles home.

Needless to say I'm really tired, starting to wonder if I'll even be able to do the same weights tomorrow. Think I pushed it a bit much really but we shall see tomorrow, lots of protein and sleep works wonders.

[hodi]

Welcome dude where in cornwall are you?

[FLuke~]

I'm in the beautiful town of Camborne, hoping to move out soon but it will depend on where I can find work. Are you in cornwall too?

Back to my training.

Squats 45Kg No problem with this weight really even though my legs were so tired from yesterday, I ended up playing basketball after all that walking and jogging and my legs felt dead. My form was a little off in one or two reps, leaned forward a little too much and used my back a little bit. Apart from that though it was a good day for squats.

Overhead press 37.5Kg Didn't quite manage this but I will put some of the blame on my friend. It was really hard work getting it locked out over my head but I was just about able to do the first three sets. Then my mate seemed to think if I failed a rep I would fall over so was standing right infront of me ready to catch me a he was making me laugh. I was tired anyway but it really didn't help and I could only do three reps of the fourth set. Gave my self about two minutes to recover and managed to get the fifth set done. I'm still pretty happy with this didn't really think I stood a chance at getting this part of the workout complete. I'm now sure I'll be able to do it next time.

Deadlift 50Kg Sadly this is all the weight I have got so doing this was ridiculously easy. I will be going away for a few days next week but when I get back I think I need to join the gym straight away or risk not gaining anything on my deadlift for a while.

[hodi]

Right pain in the ass running out of weight.
Not yet should be moving down to Truro area in july time