Pick My Program: Beginner Joining 2018 T-ransformation

Do SMOLOV mwuahahhaha.

Jk.

Congrats on weight loss so far.

Diet will determine your success. Priorities should be consistency, caloric balance and so on as shown in the infographic below. If you are losing weight steadily then continue on with what you’re doing. When you stall or weight loss is inconsistent it may be time to start counting macros to ensure you’re in a caloric deficit. If you are not already maybe loosely count/ball park daily protein intake to maximize favorable changes in body composition.

Cardio too… but fuck that shit.

Unfortunately there’s no special secret Soviet training programs for fat loss other than a program of Soviet Sports Supplements nomsayin and the results of any program are not really surprising once you know what to look for so having a guinea pig run it is pointless.

That being said progress is what you should be after. This will provide the stimulus for your body to gain/hold onto as much muscle mass as possible in a deficit.

The appropriate program will depend on where you are at.

If you are still making progress on Stronglifts I’d advise to stay on it. Tbh the program itself is a bit squat heavy so unless you want to be extra thicc maybe change it up a little to emphasise upper body. e.g. been a while since I looked at it but I think you can add chins and dips or someshit.

Next up is the Texas Method of something similar where gains have slowed and you can’t add weight everytime anymore but can still milk linear gains week to week. Googling “Texas Method” also comes up with lots of good info and templates.

5/3/1 variations are for when it becomes hard to make week to week linear gains.

Some of the other programs you listed are somewhere inbetween and can be great if you’ve been “strength” training for a while and its grown a little stale. A change in volume, rep ranges, frequency, intensity, exercise selection and other variables can be just what is needed. e.g. Stronglifts has made you extra thicc so you do a program that emphasizes upper body hypertrophy to balance yourself out.

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