Ok, it appears the general consensus around here is that I should add mass. With which I agree. Now, I have just started a 5x5 strength program. Perhaps this isn't the right choice for now. Should I be looking at something aimed more at hypertrophy? If so does anyone have any suggestions of workouts I could follow bearing in mind I have limited equipment (barbell, EZ Bar, rack, bench, dip and chin bars).

Some (maybe) relevant information. I'm 6'3" and have just gone from about 200lbs to around 170lbs during a cut over Christmas. I'm not particularly strong. I'm slowly building up my calories from what they were at the cut, they may not be enough for building muscle just yet. I'm not interested in a full blown bulk with summer just round the corner. I just want to take things slow and gain some more mass with minimal fat increase.

It's probably best to work this out now while I'm right at the beginning of this current program rather than half way through.

Ok, it appears the general consensus around here is that I should add mass. With which I agree. Now, I have just started a 5x5 strength program. Perhaps this isn't the right choice for now. Should I be looking at something aimed more at hypertrophy? If so does anyone have any suggestions of workouts I could follow bearing in mind I have limited equipment (barbell, EZ Bar, rack, bench, dip and chin bars).

Some (maybe) relevant information. I'm 6'3" and have just gone from about 200lbs to around 170lbs during a cut over Christmas. I'm not particularly strong. I'm slowly building up my calories from what they were at the cut, they may not be enough for building muscle just yet. I'm not interested in a full blown bulk with summer just round the corner. I just want to take things slow and gain some more mass with minimal fat increase.

It's probably best to work this out now while I'm right at the beginning of this current program rather than half way through.


Training for strength and training for hypertrophy aren't two separate entities like everyone makes them out to be. The main decider on whether or not you will gain mass is your diet. If you're consistently making strength gains and eating your food you will most likely gain size.

I'm 6'3 215 and i'm fairly lean. If I were you i'd be more worried about building the muscle and less worried about how many abs are showing for the beach.

I'm 6'3 215 and i'm fairly lean. If I were you i'd be more worried about building the muscle and less worried about how many abs are showing for the beach.

Why does everyone keep saying this?

Ok, it appears the general consensus around here is that I should add mass. With which I agree. Now, I have just started a 5x5 strength program. Perhaps this isn't the right choice for now. Should I be looking at something aimed more at hypertrophy? If so does anyone have any suggestions of workouts I could follow bearing in mind I have limited equipment (barbell, EZ Bar, rack, bench, dip and chin bars).

.

I think any routine that has you doing squats and deadlifts on a weekly basis will benfit you. I don't think set and rep schemes are as important as intensity. 5x5 should work fine as long as you're pushing yourself.

I only do squats, DL's, bench press, pullups, dips, and military presses in an upper/lower split 4x per week and make gains (strength and size). I use varying rep/set schemes.

I think any routine that has you doing squats and deadlifts on a weekly basis will benfit you. I don't think set and rep schemes are as important as intensity. 5x5 should work fine as long as you're pushing yourself.

I only do squats, DL's, bench press, pullups, dips, and military presses in an upper/lower split 4x per week and make gains (strength and size). I use varying rep/set schemes.

Cool, I'll stick with the 5x5 until I stop making progress.

I say it because I am the same height and I am 45 lbs heavier than you and I am still skinny. I also say it because I do not have the same perception about everyone else as body composition. In my opinion, people are too caught up in looking good to please everyone else or to project a sexy image which is such a stupid thing in my opinion.

The only reason I am concerned about excess fat gain is because my sport depends on relative strength so I don't want the bodyweight/strength ratio go too out of hand (especially close to season).

I lift weights to get strong, I eat to gain muscle. If I gain some fat then its all good because my life does not depend on carrying a few excess pounds on my waist. I've also lost weight in the past and I find it fairly easy to lose it now.

To sum it up, i'm more concerned about strength then looking sexy.

If I were you I'd decide how much weight and potential fat you are willing to gain and then structure your 5x5 volume around that. There are some pretty brutal 5x5's out there (e.g. Madcow's) that you need to eat and eat just to try and recover.

So again, I'd set your diet if you are doing a restricted bulk and then build as heavy a program as you can handle given that diet. Personally if I were doing a restricted bulk I'd 5x5 squat, dead and bench each on different days and then add in your iso lifts to suit. That's if you are set on a 5x5. JMO

If I were you I'd decide how much weight and potential fat you are willing to gain and then structure your 5x5 volume around that. There are some pretty brutal 5x5's out there (e.g. Madcow's) that you need to eat and eat just to try and recover.

So again, I'd set your diet if you are doing a restricted bulk and then build as heavy a program as you can handle given that diet. Personally if I were doing a restricted bulk I'd 5x5 squat, dead and bench each on different days and then add in your iso lifts to suit. That's if you are set on a 5x5. JMO

Thanks for your input. I'm not set on the 5x5. But I had some success with the Rippetoe starting strength program last year and it felt like an obviously follow up.

In terms of weight gain I'm happy to go up to any weight, but I do want to keep fat gain to a minimum. I can accept that I will gain some fat, I just want to keep a handle on it and not end up like I did last time I tried bulking.

I think it is actually the madcow 5x5 I'm following. I'm still only on the 2nd week so it's deloaded but it seems ok. The heavy squats and deadlifts are on seperate days, but heavy bench and squat are on the same day, today.

The only thing that concerns me slightly with it are the length of the workouts, there are 25 sets today. With an average of 2 mins rest per set that's 50 minutes of rest.

Woodan, if that's the same Madcow as I had done where you are squatting 3xper week it will become brutal if your weights start out high enough. I used the more aggressive version of that program, but I can't remember the how tough the starter version was.

My CNS was completely whipped by week 9. Recovery was the issue with that program, but I have to tell you my strength and size went up considerably. I'm glad I did the program, but I won't be doing it for a while again as squatting 3xper week was more than mentally challenging after a while.

I'll go back to my original comment, if you don't want to risk gaining some unacceptable amount of fat then you need to be very careful. Set your intake and then if you can't recover doing heavy 5x5's you'll need to adjust something. I personally would never have made it as far as I did under that program without a full bulk diet. Nor would it have been worth the tremendous effort and pain it took in the gym.

Good luck balancing things out.

Woodan, if that's the same Madcow as I had done where you are squatting 3xper week it will become brutal if your weights start out high enough. I used the more aggressive version of that program, but I can't remember the how tough the starter version was.

My CNS was completely whipped by week 9. Recovery was the issue with that program, but I have to tell you my strength and size went up considerably. I'm glad I did the program, but I won't be doing it for a while again as squatting 3xper week was more than mentally challenging after a while.

I'll go back to my original comment, if you don't want to risk gaining some unacceptable amount of fat then you need to be very careful. Set your intake and then if you can't recover doing heavy 5x5's you'll need to adjust something. I personally would never have made it as far as I did under that program without a full bulk diet. Nor would it have been worth the tremendous effort and pain it took in the gym.

Good luck balancing things out.

This is the one I am following: http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow1/5x5_Program/Linear_5x5.htm

You do squat 3 times a week but Wednesdays are not heavy as that's the day you have the deadlifts.

I'll see how things go. I'm keeping a good record of what's going on with my body and my diet and I'll make the necessary adjustments if I need to.

Thanks for your advice.