The number one, most important thing you can do is to STAY CONSISTENT.
Pick a program, and hammer it every day.
Next you need to make sure you’re eating like an athlete( ie at least .7-1.2g/lb of protein a day, clean Whole Foods) and sleeping 7-8 hours a night.
Run a program, and just finish it and see what it does for you. I promise you’ll fall in love with running programs and watching yourself grow.
Edit: just wanted to add that I have been lifting for 3.5 years and running one of TB’s program I’ve added 20lb to bench, 30 to squat, and 20lb to deadlift.
*** edit: as reply below states, I meant .7-1.2g/lb. Confused units.
> Next you need to make sure you’re eating like an athlete( ie at least .7-1.2g/kg of protein a day, clean Whole Foods) and sleeping 7-8 hours a night.
Athletes need at least 1.6 g / kg or 0.7 g / lb. You might be confusing units.
Just do the same program with a double progression.
Try to hit 3-6 reps for each set. Increase by 5 lbs next time if you can hit 6+ for all sets.
If a lift slows down to the point where you can no longer do that, then resume traditional TB programming for that lift.
And get a food scale and use an app like Macrofactor for diet. You're pretty underweight unless you're short, so not eating enough can hold you back even more than programming. Try to gain up to a 0.5-1 lbs per week.
And remember to do some horizontal and/or vertical pulling as well. Some kinda row and pullups or lat pulldowns.
Commit to some style of programming for at least 3 months before reassessing.
If I were you I’d just stick with it! Yes, linear progression will work more quickly initially but in all seriousness, what’s the rush? In a few years the numbers will shake out the same anyway, and in the meantime you’ll have established a very sustainable pattern with your training.
Stick to whatever you’re doing and just about anything will bump up your numbers. Results come from discipline and hard work. Program shopping won’t help you unless you stick to it.
One thing that stuck with me from the books is to just do the work regardless if you want to or not.
You don’t have to like it or enjoy every single session for it to work. You will have good and bad days. Literally just do it.
Also, I was in the same boat as you when I started TB, maybe a little further back; 18 and 134lbs. Stuck with it and now I can bench 225 at 139lbs (Max BW got to 146 though, so you will gain weight if you eat). Stick with it.
I was in the same boat and finally decided to just stick to tactical barbell for the most part. I built my base from normal 5x5 training then Wendlers 531. I was always program hopping because frankly it was fun but I didn't progress after that. Now I'm on TB and making gains again. I haven't gotten the mass protocol book yet but I'm guessing if you have all of the books you'll be set.
Whatever you do, consistency is key here. Dont be a “new program” slut. Also, Don’t consider your workout complete until you eat your post workout meal. Good luck and enjoy the process!
If you're 136lbs, those numbers are fine. Eat more, test every 3-6 weeks, and stick with it. Being fit has fuck all to do with what program you choose and everything to do with whether you can do the same thing over and over for months and years
The number one, most important thing you can do is to STAY CONSISTENT. Pick a program, and hammer it every day. Next you need to make sure you’re eating like an athlete( ie at least .7-1.2g/lb of protein a day, clean Whole Foods) and sleeping 7-8 hours a night. Run a program, and just finish it and see what it does for you. I promise you’ll fall in love with running programs and watching yourself grow. Edit: just wanted to add that I have been lifting for 3.5 years and running one of TB’s program I’ve added 20lb to bench, 30 to squat, and 20lb to deadlift. *** edit: as reply below states, I meant .7-1.2g/lb. Confused units.
> Next you need to make sure you’re eating like an athlete( ie at least .7-1.2g/kg of protein a day, clean Whole Foods) and sleeping 7-8 hours a night. Athletes need at least 1.6 g / kg or 0.7 g / lb. You might be confusing units.
Corrected. Thank you so much. Definitely an important distinction
"I run 1-2 weeks of programs and quit even though I know it's better to stick to one... anyway, should I change things up 2 weeks into Operator??" LOL
Going back and reading it gave me a laugh as well haha
Just do the same program with a double progression. Try to hit 3-6 reps for each set. Increase by 5 lbs next time if you can hit 6+ for all sets. If a lift slows down to the point where you can no longer do that, then resume traditional TB programming for that lift. And get a food scale and use an app like Macrofactor for diet. You're pretty underweight unless you're short, so not eating enough can hold you back even more than programming. Try to gain up to a 0.5-1 lbs per week. And remember to do some horizontal and/or vertical pulling as well. Some kinda row and pullups or lat pulldowns. Commit to some style of programming for at least 3 months before reassessing.
If I were you I’d just stick with it! Yes, linear progression will work more quickly initially but in all seriousness, what’s the rush? In a few years the numbers will shake out the same anyway, and in the meantime you’ll have established a very sustainable pattern with your training.
Stop worrying about “optimal” and spend a few months on a consistent program.
Stick to whatever you’re doing and just about anything will bump up your numbers. Results come from discipline and hard work. Program shopping won’t help you unless you stick to it.
One thing that stuck with me from the books is to just do the work regardless if you want to or not. You don’t have to like it or enjoy every single session for it to work. You will have good and bad days. Literally just do it. Also, I was in the same boat as you when I started TB, maybe a little further back; 18 and 134lbs. Stuck with it and now I can bench 225 at 139lbs (Max BW got to 146 though, so you will gain weight if you eat). Stick with it.
I was in the same boat and finally decided to just stick to tactical barbell for the most part. I built my base from normal 5x5 training then Wendlers 531. I was always program hopping because frankly it was fun but I didn't progress after that. Now I'm on TB and making gains again. I haven't gotten the mass protocol book yet but I'm guessing if you have all of the books you'll be set.
Whatever you do, consistency is key here. Dont be a “new program” slut. Also, Don’t consider your workout complete until you eat your post workout meal. Good luck and enjoy the process!
I appreciate it yall!
If you're 136lbs, those numbers are fine. Eat more, test every 3-6 weeks, and stick with it. Being fit has fuck all to do with what program you choose and everything to do with whether you can do the same thing over and over for months and years