weight gain sitting on stomach.

Apip99

Everything is going great with 5x5. size wise I am making great gains. Legs have exploded; arms are doing great and core area is a lot tougher. The one problem I have is that I’m looking a little bloated on my stomach. Like a little beer belly!!

I’ve never had the problem as I come from a skinny back ground.

Is there something I can do, to keep the tummy down a bit? I eat a hell of a lot compared to what I was before 5x5, which is helping me gain size, but I just done want it on my belly!

Breakfast:
3 slices Whole meal toast with peanut butter
Pint of Milk
Apple or banana

Mid Morning:
Bowl of Porridge with sugar and a whole banana sliced into it.
plus 3/4 pint milk
Lunch:
Either 2 round of Sandwiches. Tuna cheese, along those lines
Or
Plate of new potatoes with melted cheese and a tin of tuna 185g.
plus 3/4 pint milk

Afternoon snack
some fruit and nuts
plus 3/4 pint milk

Post work out
Weight gain shake: BSN True Mass

Dinner:
Usually a pasta dish with whole meal pasta.
Or
Salmon with veg.
plus 3/4 pint milk

As mentioned I’m on the 5x5
DL 70kg
Squat 102.5kg
Bench Press 60kg
Over Head 45kg
Cardio:
5 minutes Row
10 minutes Bike.

Thanks in advance for any pointers.

Apip

legend365

In my opinion, theres nothing you can do. To gain size you have to wave bye-bye to the flat stomach.

You get that when you start cutting and throw away starchy carbs and aaaaaaalll that milk

Apip99

Cheers Legend365. So just suck it up, stop wining and crack on with the weights!!!

d'Oracle

Apip99 wrote: »

As mentioned I’m on the 5x5
DL 70kg
Squat 102.5kg

This is unusual.
I presume you aren't doing 5x5 on the DL.

Chet Zar

Less carbs, replace with more veg and protein. Also you go over your calorie limit you have to expect to see a bit of a belly!

Apip99

d'Oracle,
I started lower on the dead lifts than I did on my squat. No real reason for this, just when we were working out my starting weights this was what I felt comfortable with. I did make a school boy error in that I was doing 5x5 for the first few weeks. But since moving to 1xDL, and finding life a lot easier.

Also due to the gym not having the 1.25kg plates in I have been on a 5kg increase each work out, so my squat has been driven up, mind you I feel a stall coming on if they don''t get the 1.25's in soon.

Out of interest, with a 100kg squat what would you say the DL should be?

Even though I am finding the DL easier, I'm still only going to increase by 2.5 (5 for now :mad:)

colman1212

Apip99 wrote: »

d'Oracle,
I started lower on the dead lifts than I did on my squat. No real reason for this, just when we were working out my starting weights this was what I felt comfortable with. I did make a school boy error in that I was doing 5x5 for the first few weeks. But since moving to 1xDL, and finding life a lot easier.

Also due to the gym not having the 1.25kg plates in I have been on a 5kg increase each work out, so my squat has been driven up, mind you I feel a stall coming on if they don''t get the 1.25's in soon.

Out of interest, with a 100kg squat what would you say the DL should be?

Even though I am finding the DL easier, I'm still only going to increase by 2.5 (5 for now :mad:)

Well my squat is 105kg and my deadlift is about 135... I think thats about right.

I heard somewhere before that your lifts should be somewhere in the below ratio

bench:100kg
squat: 130kg
deadlift 160kg

d'Oracle

Apip99 wrote: »

d'Oracle,
I started lower on the dead lifts than I did on my squat. No real reason for this, just when we were working out my starting weights this was what I felt comfortable with. I did make a school boy error in that I was doing 5x5 for the first few weeks. But since moving to 1xDL, and finding life a lot easier.

Also due to the gym not having the 1.25kg plates in I have been on a 5kg increase each work out, so my squat has been driven up, mind you I feel a stall coming on if they don''t get the 1.25's in soon.

Out of interest, with a 100kg squat what would you say the DL should be?

Even though I am finding the DL easier, I'm still only going to increase by 2.5 (5 for now :mad:)

It depends, but someone at your(and my) level should really have a bigger DL than Squat. I reckon if you are good and deep on that squat, you are probably selling yourself short on the DL. It is recommended that the first few DL workouts on a linear progression be incremented around 10kg (15-20lb) for males. Slowing to 5kg as it gets heavy. If you are squatting 100 properly, you back can probably take the bigger jump in the DL for few sessions.

Apip99

Cheers d'Oracle,

I was thinking about making bigger jumps, but I was a little worried. In saying that I did the DL last night with not to much bother at all. So maybe I'll go at 80 on Friday and see how that sits.

Thanks colman1212 for the ratio. I would say along way of the 130kg squat. But you gatta have targets....

Armedocr

legend365 wrote: »

In my opinion, theres nothing you can do. To gain size you have to wave bye-bye to the flat stomach.

You get that when you start cutting and throw away starchy carbs and aaaaaaalll that milk

Never heard of doing a recomp then?

Pretty easy to cut fat while putting on lean muscle. Problem is it's slower visually than "bulking" so most people don't bother.

BossArky

Apip99 wrote: »

As mentioned I’m on the 5x5

DL 70kg
Squat 102.5kg
Bench Press 60kg
Over Head 45kg

Are the squats to parallel? Best way to get feedback is throw up a video of your squat/deadlift form.

What is your bodyweight / height?

Sounds like you are making good progress anyway. When you reach your strength goals start eating leaner/cleaner and add a bit more cardio e.g. hill sprints.

Apip99

Armedocr, new one on me. I'll google and see what you talking about.

BossArky:I'm 6'1 and just over 13 stone. Still funny typing 13, I was 11.5 before Christmas!

There is a top guy at the gym who is very up on his game and great with advise. He said the squats were looking very clean. He did give me a few pointers on grip, which actually helped a hell of a lot.

I think I'm just being a bit of a pussy with the DL. So will take a jump up on Friday and see how I go. As mentioned, I've been feeling it relatively easy.

More cardio is something I was thinking about getting in, as I've not been doing enough really. As knackard after 5x5!!

BossArky

Apip99 wrote: »

There is a top guy at the gym who is very up on his game and great with advise. He said the squats were looking very clean. He did give me a few pointers on grip, which actually helped a hell of a lot.

Nice one. Good to get some feedback from someone in the know.

Apip99 wrote: »

More cardio is something I was thinking about getting in, as I've not been doing enough really. As knackard after 5x5!!

If you are doing 5x5 be sure to deload/step back often. If I recall correctly I spent 4 months (2 chunks of 8 weeks) on 5x5 from Jan 2009.

I did something as follows:
wk1: squat x kg
wk2: squat x kg +5kg
wk3: squat x kg +10kg
wk4: squat x kg +15kg
*reset*
wk5: squat y kg +5kg
wk6: squat y kg +10kg
wk7: squat y kg +15kg
wk8: squat y kg +20kg

In the 5th week drop back to a weight somewhere between that used during the 2nd and 3rd. It will take you longer to ramp up... but you won't burn yourself out so quickly.

Definetly don't try heavy 5x5 on both squat and deadlift at the same time.

d'Oracle

Apip99 wrote: »

I'm 6'1 and just over 13 stone. Still funny typing 13, I was 11.5 before Christmas!

Now, I am aware that you might not have the same goals as me or what have you, but if you are 6'1" and you are 13 stone, I don't think you need to worry about the belly. Fair play on getting the stone and a half on.
But given where your deadlift is, you have plenty mass to put on yet.

carl456

d'Oracle wrote: »

Now, I am aware that you might not have the same goals as me or what have you, but if you are 6'1" and you are 13 stone, I don't think you need to worry about the belly. Fair play on getting the stone and a half on.
But given where your deadlift is, you have plenty mass to put on yet.

I agree, thats not very heavy for your height, as was mentioned before fat gain while bulking is inevitable. You can limit it by getting your calorie intake perfect so your gaining minimal fat , but realistically it is to be expected and i wouldn't worry to much about it at this stage, just enjoy putting on extra size!!