Best plan for getting on track after 4 years of inconsistency

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hello Dr. Feigenbaum and Dr. Baraki,

First of all, thank you so much for making yourselves available in a public forum such as this. I recently purchased the beginner template and have a few questions regarding the best way to apply the template after 4 years of inconsistent training, dieting, and sleeping.

A brief background of myself up to this point - I started barbell ‘training’ when I started CrossFit in late July 2014. I must give credit where credit is due as this is what ultimately introduced me to the barbell. Several months into CrossFit, I realized what many CrossFitters should realize if they’re honest with themselves, I was not getting stronger. I was only marginally closer to handling Rx weight in the WODs than when I started. As a result, in March/April 2015 I ditched CrossFit completely and started Starting Strength. I didn’t make the progress with this that I felt I should make due to various claims from the SS crew about how much a novice should have added to their lifts by the end of the LP.

Also, during this time, I was under large amounts of stress at my previous job, my number of hours of sleep per night were not consistent night to night, but my eating was on point - maybe a little too on point as I also followed the SS advice on how much to eat. To spare you the rest of my training life story, I’ll just say that from when I first started Starting Strength until now, my training has been marred by inconsistency in training itself/not training for weeks or months, diet inconsistency, sleep inconsistency, and stress. I’ve program hopped back and forth doing what I felt like doing and not doing what I should have been doing. This has all resulted in utterly embarrassing lifts and an utterly unimpressive physique.

With all of that said, I believe I’m now finally in a place where I can for the most part keep all of these things in check - training, diet, sleep, and stress, and I’d like some advice for where to go from here.

Here are my current stats:

30 year old male
Height: 5’ 11"
Weight: ~192 lbs
Waist: roughly 37" based on the method outlined in the video by Dr. Feigenbaum
1RM High Bar Backsquat: 255 lbs
1RM Deadlift: 305 lbs
1RM Bench Press: 205 lbs
1RM Overhead Press: not sure but probably 125 - 135 lbs

My current goals are probably not much different than most people. I’d like to get stronger, more muscular, and leaner. Dr. Feigenbaum, your physique in the waist measurement video is what I’d ideally like to look like one day. As far as numbers I’d like to hit, I’d be thrilled if I could hit a 400 lb squat, 500 lb deadlift, 300 pound bench, and bodyweight overhead press. With that said, while I don’t feel old at all, I do understand that I’m not 18 anymore. Is it still possible to reach these goals at my age (including the physique goal)?

I purchased the beginner template as I feel that due to my wild inconsistency, I’m still considered a beginner and could still make progress on a beginner program. I especially like the way the Barbell Medicine beginner template is laid out with different rep ranges and phases.

So good Doctors, do you have any advice for me to help me finally get on track? With my waist measurement, I understand that I should not actively be gaining weight and should work towards getting my waist under 35". Should I focus on maintenance calories for the time being or impose a calorie restriction? Also, this may warrant a separate discussion, but if I should be sticking to maintenance calories, how will my waist size go down without a deficit?

Best Regards and thank you so much for your time!

2

WK,

Thanks for the post. I think that at this time it’s probably not appropriate to make ultra-specific recommendations to you on training or nutrition, as we wouldn’t really know if they were appropriate until after some interventions have already been evaluated. Rather, the only specific things would revolve around ways to make you adherent. A few notes:

  1. Your age is not a detriment at all to your future progress outside of having less time to train than your 18 year-old self would. That said, you now have presumably more financial resources as well as a better understanding of what you need to do. I would not expect you to make less progress as a 30 year old than an 18 year old.

  2. We would recommend the Beginner Template :slight_smile:

  3. I would advise a trial of weight maintenance for ~ 2 months to see if your waist circumference goes down.

  4. I would recommend protein intake of 1.6-2.2g/lb/day and also 35g of fiber per day as well.

  5. I would also try to coax you into providing some self-directed strategies for getting to the gym 3x/wk, completing all your conditioning, and engaging in the dietary habits mentioned above.

-Jordan

3

Jordan,

Thank you for your response. This is excellent information and much appreciated. For your note #5, did you want me to provide the self-directed strategies here in this post? If so, one that immediately comes to mind that I would like to try is starting to train first thing in the morning rather than in the evening after work and the rest of the day’s stress.

Thanks again!

4

That may be a good strategy :slight_smile: You can keep the other strategies for yourself. Happy to help!

-Jordan