5/3/1 Beginner: Is it ABA BAB?

Well, I’ve done the eat whatever and lift thing and I just got really fat and it was discouraging.

Do you agree with this article?

Also, I weigh myself everyday first thing in the morning after going to the washroom and my weight does not fluctuate 5 lbs. The fluctuation is small, because I track everything I eat. So I’m eating pretty consistent calories wise every day. I figure such large fluctuations apply to people who aren’t tracking and their food intake is highly variable.

Like I said, do what you want, dude. You’ve obviously got the answers. Best of luck.

Well, based on your picture you have it more figured out than me. According to that article and my lean body mass I should be consuming around the amount of calories that I’m consuming (if anything, I’m a bit over). If you were me at my weight how many calories would you be consume a day?

This post is from 13 years ago. You weighed one pound more than you do now. Meaning your slow-and-steady weight gain has averaged out to -.07 lbs per year for a teenager’s lifetime. What’s more, I don’t even think you’re on that chart in terms of LBM, since it starts at 120 lbs, and at 136 you’d have to be 12% BF to have 120 lbs of LBM, and I’m pretty sure you have more bodyfat than that.

I’m not gonna give you a calorie amount of food to eat. I’m going to point out that you just told us:

For reference, Remington James, ladies and gents:

and you’re snubbing the diet advice of this guy, who apparently doesn’t know enough to tell you how to eat:

So do with that what you will.

I may be being a bit harsh, but you’ve been at this a long time, and perhaps a wake-up call is in order. Anyhoo, there are much stronger people on here who are more patient than I and will help you, I’m sure, so as I said - best of luck.

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Any bets on whose advice 50 Cent would follow?

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My issue is when you’re starting off and the weight is light and you’re stuffing your face it doesn’t make sense to me, because the weight early on isn’t heavy enough to justify the calories you’re consuming. Obviously if you’re deadlifting 600x5 that’s a whole different story. I’ve seen people online doing Starting Strength and they’re starting with the bar or something quite light but consuming a ton of food…and getting fat in the process. It’s like, why are you eating so much with such light weights?

I’m progressing with my current diet in that my strength is increasing so that’s why I don’t feel as much as an incentive to change anything at the moment. I’m not against the idea of eating like Jim Wendler mentions one the book. Except when the weights you’re using are so light. I feel like it’s something I’d feel more comfortable easing into over time. Like today I ate around 2800 calories and 174 grams of protein. It’s not super low or anything…so I’m obviously not afraid of protein as that old post suggests.

I’m so glad I just eat what I want to eat.

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What book of Jim’s are you reading? His first one or Forever?

5/3/1 second edition

I agree with this. You have to eat to match your goals. I have found 531 works very well for me to keep getting stronger, stay in shape, feel better, but without the goal of getting “bigger” as a mammal. At nearly 47, I am not interested in being heavier than I am. Jim’s eating suggestions are just that - suggestions. Do what works for you and you goals. That said, if someone is doing a 531 program like a BBB or Building the Monolith in a large caloric deficit, that’s just dumb.

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Yeah, my current goals are learn how to lift properly, so I’m intentionally want to go slow and using light weights on stuff like squats, which I’m going 20 reps on. So, it wouldn’t make a ton of sense to follow the eat like crazy advice just yet. Maybe down the road once I’ve proven I can actually lift properly and made steady progress and shown that I’m committed, etc, etc. Only then would I ramp up the eating, etc. But for my current state/goals it just doesn’t make a ton of sense. I think I need enough food to sustain steady growth for the weights I’m dealing with.

Finally starting “real” training where you’re pushing yourself is the time when you’re likely to grow the most. You should pretty much be able to get newbie gains out of it. At the very least, you can be upping your food consistently and tracking your appearance in the mirror - un-flexed. If you start getting fluffy (or thinking you’re getting fluffy), put your original picture on here next to a current picture and ask for advice. You’re making progress as-is, but you can be making significantly more progress with pretty much no compromise in the fat department.

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