5/3/1 and Muscle Mass

Hi

I’ve been lifting for 2 years now and switched to Jim Wendlers 5/3/1 for about a year ago. My maxes increased considerably ( Bench Press from 200 to 240 pounds, Squat from 265 to 308 pounds), however i hardly gained any weight (from 190 to 195). Bodyfat stayed roughly the same. I tried the 3 Month Boring but big challange but had to stop after 2 month because i did not have the time to go to the gym 4 times a week.

I think my diet is pretty solid ( about 150 grams of protein, no proccesed sugar, around 3000 kcals a day)

Should i switch to a programm with more volume like PHAT?

thanks for any kind of help

Eat more protein. Eat more just generally. What does a standard day of eating look like to you?

7:00 : 150 g Oatmeal, 250 ml milk + one Shake ( 25g Casein + 300 milk)
11:00 : 200 g Cottage cheese, one or two bell peper/ Apple / Banana
16:00 : 200 g of Rice, pasta or potato ( some tuna or chicken breast )
18:00 ( Post workout) : 50 g of Whey, 50 g of Dextrose, 5g of Creatine with 500 ml of milk
20:00 : 500g of Low fat Quark, 50 g of Walnuts

~ 2900 kcal, 90 g of fat, 290 g kh , 150- 200g protein (depending on meal 3)

[quote]ShunGokuSatsu wrote:
7:00 : 150 g Oatmeal, 250 ml milk + one Shake ( 25g Casein + 300 milk)
11:00 : 200 g Cottage cheese, one or two bell peper/ Apple / Banana
16:00 : 200 g of Rice, pasta or potato ( some tuna or chicken breast )
18:00 ( Post workout) : 50 g of Whey, 50 g of Dextrose, 5g of Creatine with 500 ml of milk
20:00 : 500g of Low fat Quark, 50 g of Walnuts

~ 2900 kcal, 90 g of fat, 290 g kh , 150- 200g protein (depending on meal 3)
[/quote]

Eat more meat (beef!!). Add 500 calories per day to your diet at least and see if you gain weight then.

btw my program (3-day beginner version of 5/3/1)

Mo: Squat 5/3/1 , Bench 55%/ 65% / 75 % , 5x10 Lat Pulldowns , Biceps 3x8

We: Deadlift 5/3/1 , Press 5/3/1 , 3x10 Lateral Raises, 3x 10 Rear Delt Flyes, Shrugs 3x8

Fr: Bench 5/3/1 , Squat 55%/65%/75 , Incline DB Press 5x 10 , Triceps Pulldowns 3x 8

[quote]ShunGokuSatsu wrote:
btw my program (3-day beginner version of 5/3/1)

Mo: Squat 5/3/1 , Bench 55%/ 65% / 75 % , 5x10 Lat Pulldowns , Biceps 3x8

We: Deadlift 5/3/1 , Press 5/3/1 , 3x10 Lateral Raises, 3x 10 Rear Delt Flyes, Shrugs 3x8

Fr: Bench 5/3/1 , Squat 55%/65%/75 , Incline DB Press 5x 10 , Triceps Pulldowns 3x 8[/quote]

Why isn’t any of your assistance lower body?

Do you do any conditioning?

I would overhaul your diet. Check out Jim’s article on here. You don’t have to neccessarily follow it exactly, but try to understand the methods behind it.

I think you would do well with something like this:

Large piece of meat (or a bunch of eggs)
a vegetable
a piece of fruit
a carb source
finish with a big glass of milk (2 cups)

Eat this 4 times a day, and put in some lower body assistance work.

Mark Rippetoe suggests anyone looking to gain weight drink a gallon of whole milk per day. It has worked for many people.

[quote]The Rattler wrote:

[quote]ShunGokuSatsu wrote:
7:00 : 150 g Oatmeal, 250 ml milk + one Shake ( 25g Casein + 300 milk)
11:00 : 200 g Cottage cheese, one or two bell peper/ Apple / Banana
16:00 : 200 g of Rice, pasta or potato ( some tuna or chicken breast )
18:00 ( Post workout) : 50 g of Whey, 50 g of Dextrose, 5g of Creatine with 500 ml of milk
20:00 : 500g of Low fat Quark, 50 g of Walnuts

~ 2900 kcal, 90 g of fat, 290 g kh , 150- 200g protein (depending on meal 3)
[/quote]

Eat more meat (beef!!). Add 500 calories per day to your diet at least and see if you gain weight then. [/quote]

Yup. You need to add a Kilo of red meat on top of what you are eating, preferably grass fed if you have the cash and some good fatty fish if possible.

If you think you are eating enough to grow, read this article and the anecdote at the end, for illustration purposes only.

[quote]ShunGokuSatsu wrote:
btw my program (3-day beginner version of 5/3/1)

Mo: Squat 5/3/1 , Bench 55%/ 65% / 75 % , 5x10 Lat Pulldowns , Biceps 3x8

We: Deadlift 5/3/1 , Press 5/3/1 , 3x10 Lateral Raises, 3x 10 Rear Delt Flyes, Shrugs 3x8

Fr: Bench 5/3/1 , Squat 55%/65%/75 , Incline DB Press 5x 10 , Triceps Pulldowns 3x 8[/quote]

If your time is limited in the gym and you want to grow, why are you wasting it on BS assistance work? You need more heavy lower assistance work after the main sets and you need back work, and lots of it. You don’t even have one horizontal rowing movement. Dumbbell rows, cable rows, barbell rows, grab something heavy and start pulling it and start doing chinups and pullups rather than lat pulldowns. Hit your lower body and back hard and eat more meat and calories in general, and you’ll get bigger.

Also, even if you only have three days a week, you can still run the full 5-3-1 program (not for beginners) and the BBB routine. You just rotate the fourth day into the next week and keep rolling.

Thanks for all the input

I run for about half an hour 3 times a week, preferably on non training days. I fear any additional excersise for my legs will kill my regeneration.

Sorry i don’t have the money for 7 kgs of meat a week. Any Alternative ?

[quote]ShunGokuSatsu wrote:
Thanks for all the input

[quote]

Sorry i don’t have the money for 7 kgs of meat a week. Any Alternative ? [/quote]

Cheap hamburger, eggs, more full-fat cottage cheese, peanut butter, milk, keep your eye out for sales, and stock up on cheaper cuts of beef when you have the money or its on sale. If you can find a cheap freezer used to keep meat in it will save you in the long run. You need more protein and good fats, and if you want to grow you need to find a way to get it.

[quote]ShunGokuSatsu wrote:
Thanks for all the input

I run for about half an hour 3 times a week, preferably on non training days. I fear any additional excersise for my legs will kill my regeneration.

Sorry i don’t have the money for 7 kgs of meat a week. Any Alternative ? [/quote]

You don’t have to eat 1kg of beef a day but you need to eat some! Go to McDonald’s or Burgerking for some calories if you’re truly struggling to gain weight. Eggs are brilliant and also cheap, have 8+ for breakfast.

GOMAD, if I didn’t eat enough this is what I would do.

Alright i think I’ll try eating a little more. Have you guys got any input on assistance excersise? (acknowledged jjackkrash advice).

[quote]ShunGokuSatsu wrote:
Alright i think I’ll try eating a little more. Have you guys got any input on assistance excersise? (acknowledged jjackkrash advice).[/quote]

You could try upping the reps on assistance work to something like 4 sets of 12/ sets of 20