Hey Barbell Medicine team,
greetings from Germany.
Thank you for all of your efforts!
I have a bit of a problem regarding my training situation. I’m 29, currently weighing 78 kg at 180cm.
The last few years i only did things like jogging or some push ups and the usual fitness crap (with only light deadlifts, squat etc) without proper diet ,and seriously started training with barbells last year in march (with starting strength). Back then, i weighed aproximately 72 kg, but still with some fat around belly and hips (the typical skinny-fat guy- I was overweight in my teenage years, but lost 10kg with jogging and things like pull ups /push ups) . With starting strength i managed to improve my strength to the following 5 RM: Squat 125 kg, Deadlift 140 kg; Bench press 80 kg, OHP 55kg, but unfortunately i also gained a lot of weight up to 85 kg in december. In hindsight most of that gain was fat, I simply ate to much , but never more than 2700 kcal a day- tracked with MyFitnessPal. I guess my basic metabolism is rather slow in comparison to other guys my age.
Then I finished medical school in November last year and entered residency (Internal Medicine- oncology) in February this year . But due to the enormous stress of a physician, my training and eating habits suffered- most of the time i was busy surviving the everyday life in hospital . I switched to The Bridge Program, but I didn‘t track my calories anymore and lost some weight – both fat and some muscle , I also only managed to do the Program rather irregularly, most oft he time 2 days per week instead of 3, sometimes only 1 day. An appendicitis and a Covid infection were also involved… This is my status quo.
My stats also suffered (currently e1RM Squat 125kg, Bench 85 kg, OHP 58kg, Deadlift 135 kg), I now weigh 78 kg, but I’m not happy with my body, I still have a lot of fat around belly and hips-current waist 88cm/35 inch)
The stress in hospital is now much more managable, so i want to get back on track, follow a program, shed some fat and then start a slow, controlled weight gain.
My Question is: should I do a intermediate programm like the Bridge or Powerbuilding or should I start anew with the Beginner Prescription?
Many Thanks !
I think that either the Beginner Prescription or the Bridge would work fine to get you started again, provided you can tolerate the workload. I would be mindful of the RPE targets and err on the conservative side at first.
Thanks Austin ! And thanks for the link!
Would you eat at a deficit or at mantainance level? Like I said I’m not that happy with my body composition, but on the other hand I’m below 37 inch waist and my strength stats are not good… so i wonder if its more prudent to eat at mantainance level and go to deficit when I’m stronger/have more muscle mass ?
Have a nice day !
Maintenance or deficit would be fine and should be decided based on personal preferences re: body comp. There are unlikely to be any differences between the two in strength in the short- and certainly long-term