45 Male, Starting back up - not quitting this time
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45 male, 5’ 11" (maybe 5’ 10’’ now). My weight natrually gravirates around 260 lbs. People cannot belive I weigh that much to look at me.
I know how to do Golden Six and 5x5 … and I have the equipment for it. That’s it… that’s the very limit of my knowledge on this stuff.
So I have done 5x5 many times in the past… and the weights go way up until I quit and can’t do anymore. I know 5x5 is heavy strength lifting.
This time… I am going to cut right to the chase - I want big arms and six pack abs. 5x5 is fine, but I think I want to switch to a more
body building centric program. I am willing to put the work in and I will not quit this time.
My current 1RM are:
Bench: 185
Squat: 265
Dead: 300
My neck and back are not great, so my squat is weak - but I don’t care - I’m going to keep going.
Any help is appreciated.
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Your experience with training is not atypical. A 5x5 program will work until it doesn’t, and once it stops working, it’s time to move onto something else. This is a process known as periodization. We have different periods/phases of training. If we stick with one phase for too long: we stagnate.
The body re-composition goals you speak of are primarily accomplished with nutritional intervention. What are you doing for your diet these days?
A VERY simple approach to break you into a new style of training would be 5/3/1 BBB. There are many articles about it, and it’s in Jim Wendler’s book in many forms. Effectively, you’ll still do some heavy lifts for low reps, but follow it up with 5 sets of 10, rather than 5 sets of 5. That, alone, will be a big paradigm shift for you.
What, specifically, is not great about your back or neck? What injuries are you dealing with? What are your training limitations?
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In for the follow.
Also, I second this:
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Thank you for your reply.
My diet - I struggle with riding the line of eating enough but not too much considering I am neither cutting or bulking.
I’ve been going 5x5 since the beginning of July 2025 (this round). I instantly lost 10 lbs. and then with creatine
gained 5. My weight has now been hovering around 255 lbs. In the mirror - a difference is being made. I’m still a fat
guy, but looking better than I did in July. So— because I am neither cutting or bulking - my only concern has been
getting enough protein. Otherwise I eat whatever I want… pizza, cheese burgers, sushi, anything. I do 2 protein
shakes a day for around 50 grams… and I do creatine.
I plan on going on Keto mid October - I have in the past lost 35 lbs. very quickly doing this. I will do that until
Christmas. While on Keto I will be much weaker - so I will do Golden Six but with all my weights deloaded by a lot.
So Mid October to Christmas will be my cut I guess.
I’m not familiar with 5/3/1 BBB but I will look it up , thank you.
My back and neck are just… always sore. I was going to chiropractor once every 2 months to get snapped into place.
I can tell you - since lifting weights - my neck and back are slowly feeling better. I could probably squat much
more … but I’m afraid to because of my neck and back. I’m pretty okay with having a lower Squat.
I just have to be honest here - I don’t care at all about good legs or butt or back… I just want the classic vanity thing most guys want… arms and abs.
my only concern has been
getting enough protein. Otherwise I eat whatever I want… pizza, cheese burgers, sushi, anything.
I would definitely address this immediately, especially at this age. Irrespective of bulking or cutting, focusing on food QUALITY rather than food quantity would have some immediate benefits in terms of appearance and performance. And with your goal of having a six pack, fat loss will be important to the process.
I’d consider focusing on single ingredient foods.
I plan on going on Keto mid October - I have in the past lost 35 lbs. very quickly doing this. I will do that until
Christmas. While on Keto I will be much weaker - so I will do Golden Six but with all my weights deloaded by a lot.
So Mid October to Christmas will be my cut I guess.
One does not necessarily need to be weaker in a state of ketosis. I am regularly in a state of ketosis and I am gaining strength. It just requires allowing yourself a period of fat adaptation. Staying on top of electrolytes will be helpful there too. Employing a single ingredient/whole foods approach to keto would go far here.
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Appreciate that. On Keto I will be extremely strict. Usually takes me 2 to 3 days to get into it… so once I’m ‘IN’ I am very careful. Single ingredient/whole foods will be pretty much all I can do - thats how careful I am when in Keto.
My girlfriend can actually have a bit of accidental ice cream and STILL stays in Keto somehow - and it only takes her 24 hours or so to get into it. I’m not so lucky.
Will this 5/3/1 BBB give me the hypotrophy I need for big arms/chest?
Will this 5/3/1 BBB give me the hypotrophy I need for big arms/chest?
It will give you whole body growth, which will include those area. More specifically though: it will introduce you to a DIFFERENT style of training than what you’ve been repeatedly doing that has caused you failure. It will be a set of training wheels as you navigate through the world of other training protocols: using movements very similar to what you’re already used to, but with a very slightly different programming style. From there, you can branch further into other protocols that get more and more exotic as you continue to read, learn and grow.
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Ok thanks - I will look into 5/3/1 BBB .
Why are you not cutting?
Just do this normally without the keto restriction and I think you’ll do okay.
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I guess I just thought if I cut i would lose muscle i barely even had. So I wanted to build a base first .
That would mean no big loss then, no? Very easy to rebuild.
You are at no risk of losing muscle right now, friend 
Keep your protein high (about 2lbs of lean meat daily) and keep lifting heavy. You wont lose any muscle.
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