In May of 2015, I weighed 200 lbs. I was 29 years old and was the same weight I had been at age 19.
Some might say, “That’s great! You were able to stay in the same shape you were in college 10 years later!”
But, I was frustrated. I didn’t like being the skinny guy anymore. I was working out four to five times a week at my Crossfit gym, and while I could do 15 or 20 pullups in a row, I was still lifting the same weight I did as a senior in high school. Around that time, I also went through a break up. As most people do after a break up, they have extra time on their hands and fill it with ways to improve themselves. My first area of improvement was to get stronger. And, I’ve done just that.
The table below shows my 1 rep max lifts at age 29 and 33.
| Age | Weight | Bench Press Max | Back Squat Max | Deadlift Max |
| 29 | 200 | 200 | 275 | 315 |
| 33 | 250 | 285 | 397 | 467 |
I have never experienced an increase in strength like I did over the last four years. The entire process was eye opening because I was under the belief that I was never going to be that strong.
So, how did I do it? I improved these three habits: Training, Eating, Sleeping.
First, I suggest you train using the Starting Strength Method.
There are other strength programs out there that work for beginners. I don’t know if Starting Strength is the best, but it has two qualities that make it great for most people. It’s simple and effective.
The basic premise is you squat, press, and deadlift three times per week. Do three sets of five reps at the same weight for the squat and press. Deadlift one set of five every other session. Then, add five to ten pounds of weight to the bar on each lift every training session. Eventually, you will not be able to add five pounds to the bar every session, so programming gets more complicated from there. But, if you’re a beginner, learn the Starting Strength method. If you read the books and practice this method, you will be more knowledgeable about training than most people you see training at your local gym.
For nutrition, it’s simple. Eat 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight.
Again, we could argue that you don’t need this much protein to get strong, but two grams of protein will always ensure you gain muscle. Two grams of protein for every pound of body weight turns into a lot of food. Eat this much every day, and you will get stronger.
Don’t eat this much if you’re overweight. For the overweight athlete, eat enough so that you have energy to train, but keep your calories low. Every person is different, but if you’re overweight, you can still gain strength while losing weight.
Sleep seven to eight hours a night. This does not include lying in bed. Seven to eight hours is how long you should be asleep.
You gain strength not through training but by recovering from training. Optimizing your nutrition and sleep habits are essential to getting gains in the weight room.
Consistently train, eat, and sleep and you are assured to get stronger. Sounds simple but it’s not. Forget to take care of any of the three areas and your strength will stall.
This article is brief. If you’re interested in starting this journey, I recommend you read Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training (3rd Edition) for more detailed instruction.
The House of Improvement 