I am currently 22 years old 5’10 and been spinnig my wheels for years. Have hit a 305 for 5 deadlift at 173lbs and 215 squat for 5, this was 2 years ago, but i felt fat so cut hard. THen agian recently from last june til novmeber i bulked from 157 to 183lbs (think i was 25-30% BODYFAT) and got my bench to 185 for 5 and ohp 135 for 5 lbs. during this time I then cut hard and got to now 144lbs now today wasting my gainz and my time. I heard people say you can just lean bulk, but i want the strength gains and finsih my novice phase already. If i commit to a bulk for a year with starting strength making sure my strength gains correlates to my weight gain would that be smart? i want 225 bench for 5 ohp 155 for 5 405 deadlift for 5 and squat 315 for 5. They say when ur younger you can take advatnage more of the gains so feel like i should do this, then lean down after very slowly.
Do it. All the numbers you’ve outlined are very attainable if you follow the program and eat. I say go for it.
can we get some scope on your goals?
Starting strength is good for getting your strength up. But getting jacked generally implies hypertrophy goals.
Its not that you can’t do both, but scope would be very helpful here.
I would not, in really any circumstance, recommend a yearlong bulk. Putting a timeframe on it doesn’t make sense.
How about doing a lean bulk until you get too fat, then you cut back down, then bulk until you get too fat again?
Say something to the tune of 250cals surplus carbs daily, and riding that dragon for months.
“Will starting strength make me jacked?”
No
Yeah I don’t think so either. There’s serious lack of isolation and arm work. Hard to look jacked without big arms. Your butt, spinal erectors and adductors might get jacked though.
Define what you meant by jack?
Fyi… research Bill Starr.
I am with @Andrewgen_Receptors: what, specifically, is your goal?
Do you want
- Those barbell numbers, bodyweight and fat be damned?
- Those barbell numbers at some bodyfat level that’s acceptable to you?
- To look lean and muscular, and those numbers are just the vehicle to get there?
I ran starting strength multiple times and tried to do some intermediate programs within to get the strength up.
It works really well for a little bit. That is what it is designed for. Anything you do as novice will give you strength, but Starting Strength is designed to put the strength on faster than other novice programs with a very simple (don’t read easy) linear progression. But you are more likely to look fat strong than anything else.
I still recommend it no matter what your goals. After you get your base strength, then you can start cutting and building muscle. I was able to hit 4 plate dead, 3 plate squat, 2 plate bench and a 1 plate press with it. That is fairly standard after running a few times.
But then if you want to get jacked, I feel like it will be easier once you have a strength base. A bodybuilder excercise with more weight is sure to give you more muscle.
Starting Strength is something you run for 12-16 weeks. It’s in the name “Starting”. After that time, move on to a program that is suited for your goals, as this is ultimately about building habits and developing proficiency in basic lifts.
Allow me to begin by saying that “strength training” I do not equate to Powerlifting. I “strength trained” my entire competitive bodybuilding time. I did have a two year run of competing in Powerlifting. The remainder of my three decades competing was in bodybuilding contests.
To me strength training does not mean to allow your body to ever not look beach ready. You can get strong without getting fat. Just look at a national level Powerlifter in the 181lb Class.
As to bigger arms, I worked them to get stronger just like every body part. IMO, don’t start strength training. Do strength training. I am not talking about maximum single reps. Never do those. Heavy 5 rep sets, or 8 or 10 reps sets
THIS. I’m guilty as charged for most of my 33 years of lifting, most of the competitively (Olympic lifting, powerlifting). The old joke “weightlifters can’t count over 5”.
Now, I “bodybuild” more but always looking to up the weight/reps. My strength and endurance are better with manual labor AND I look more “jacked” than when I deadlifted 535, benched 300 (raw), squatted 405 (raw) at 165 lbs.
I can’t replicate those numbers anymore but I could likely do it again with a little concentrated work except the squat.
Get strong with compound lifts that fit YOUR goals, not arbitrary lifts from a sport.
Unlikely, but it may help get you on your way to JackTonVilla!!
100% especially if one is not embracing the Dark side.
Starting Strength is a good place to start. If you get strong, you will get big. If you get big, you will get strong.
No matter what you do, the first several weeks will develop strength through greater recruitment of motor units, not hypertrophy.
After the initial development of greater recruitment, you will begin to grow. You will grow faster if the weights are heavier. SS gets you to heavier weight faster.
Run SS until you stall, then reduce the jumps until you stall again. Then switch to an intermediate program. I prefer 531, but any tested program will do.
Consistency is key.