Need to broaden my shoulders

[chiefs27]

I've been lifting for 2 yrs prior to finding stroglifts. I'm 36 yrs old and just started 5X5 6wks and my results so far are
150 Squat 5X5
135 Bench 5X5
100 OHP 5X5
200 Deadlift
Is this good for my age? With me being 36 yrs of age will it take me a long time to put muscle on?

[DaveT]

I've been lifting for 2 yrs prior to finding stroglifts. I'm 36 yrs old and just started 5X5 6wks and my results so far are
150 Squat 5X5
135 Bench 5X5
100 OHP 5X5
200 Deadlift
Is this good for my age? With me being 36 yrs of age will it take me a long time to put muscle on?

Maybe you could start your own thread rather than hijacking someone else's?

As to your question, there's no such thing as 'good for your age'. You have progressed well, but lifting weights is not age dependent - check some of the logs. Also check this thread to see what age a lot of the readers/users of SL5x5 are. It will take you longer to put muscle on than a growing 18-year old, but a lot less time than an aging 70-year old, but the rest is genetics, food, rest, lifestyle, consistency in training etc,etc... - you really can't compare yourself to anybody else.

[ricepower]

To the original poster,

you made an intelligent choice by coming here. Please continue reading about the stronglifts programme and correct lifting technique etc. There is so much good information here. If you need anything else buy starting strength. Make sure you dont head over to bodybuilding . com!

I noticed you mention taking a protein shake? You have clearly been influenced/brainwashed by the BB supplement crew. You wont have products forced at you here, because you do not need any!

What you DO need (especially someone as skinny as you) is lots and lots of good quality whole food. Remove everything processed from your diet, and avoid refined sugars etc.

But EAT EAT EAT lot of real food, lots of meat, fish, nuts, good fats (milk, greek yoghurt, olive oil, peanut butter, dairy butter etc) As well as nutricious vegetables like broccoli. It is very easy to get plenty of protein from a decent diet, what is harder is getting sufficient calories from good sources.

Eat regularly throughout the day, never leave more than 3 hours between meals. Eat when you feel like puking, dont stop you will get used to it, and as you get in to the routine of heavy lifting - your body will use all of this to GROW GROW GROW.

The stronglifts routine is perfect, continue reading the blog & ebook to find out more. Compound lifts and exercises like overhead press, deadlifts & pull ups will beef up you shoulders & back fast. There is nothing better. Just keep eating!

I am also of indian ethnicity, had very small weak shoulders and back which caused aches & dislocations. Ive only been doing this for 2-3 months but have made incredible progress.

[Rugger]

SwissHokie, you need to lift heavy and eat huge.

Start on the stronglifts or starting strength program, and eat tons and tons of food. Nose to the grindstone for three months, and you will barely recognize yourself when you look in the mirror.

[mjh]

I noticed you mention taking a protein shake? You have clearly been influenced/brainwashed by the BB supplement crew. You wont have products forced at you here, because you do not need any!

Strong words there, ricepower. I also scorn the hyped supplements, but whey is pretty benign , and having a post workout whey shake is hardly being "brainwashed".

Also, don't keep eating if you feel like puking. This, strangely enough, can make you puke, which is pretty counterproductive. You do have to push yourself, yes, but this degree of macho doesn't actually help.

[Jagar]

If I were in your shoes I would slather everything in butter, GOMAD, eat steaks with the delicious fat, eat PBJ sammiches, a couple pints of ice cream per day, milkshakes, one fast food meal per day, lots of eggs, throw cheese on stuff...I think you need to eat a lot of fattening food with a healthy dose of daily protein.

Stronglifts may also help.

[herf]

If I were that skinny I could easily put down 2 GOMAD if they were chocolate milk! I love that stuff, especially when its premade and you buy it like that from the store. But just like everybody else said, stick with SL 5x5, follow it to a T and you should see progress quick! BUT only if you start eating alot more, and I'm not talking salads or lowfat. Beef, eggs and fish. Your shoulders will get more width in just muscle.

[killerdude494949]

Do the 5x5 routine and I suggest learning power cleans. They will kick your ass, make you strong, and develop the medial head of your shoulder - the part that gives an illusion of width. Do them instead of barbell rows, or do clean and presses instead of normal presses. And don't neglect your pull ups - they will widen your back. Cleans + pull ups = hercules

[ricepower]

I noticed you mention taking a protein shake? You have clearly been influenced/brainwashed by the BB supplement crew. You wont have products forced at you here, because you do not need any!

Strong words there, ricepower. I also scorn the hyped supplements, but whey is pretty benign , and having a post workout whey shake is hardly being "brainwashed".

Going for protein supplements BEFORE even getting into a proper training programme is similar to being brainwashed. Body Building literature emphasises protein shakes & supplements so much its easy to get the idea they are as or even MORE important than a good workout.

Combine this with lousy useless exercises like shrugs, it just screams Bodybuilding Victim Cliche.

Supplements can be useful for those who genuinely struggle to get enough nutrients through lack of time/limited diet choices. But someone as skinny as the original poster clearly just needs to eat more.

[lovestolift]

@ricepower- Those are some contentious comments. I don't think shrugs are "lousy and useless." They serve a purpose for bodybuilding, which, by the way, is not necessarily evil. We chose to do strength training, and I feel that everyone should focus on it first, but if someone wants to workout with an eye on aesthetics, more power to them. Strength training does not give us the right to bash other people's goals. As long as big compound moves make up the bulk of your workout you can add some finishing touches to work on specific parts you want to improve.

As for whey, it is highly useful. It offers something that whole food doesn't - fast absorption immediately after workout. There have been numerous studies done on combining whey and simple carbohydrates for recovery. Not to mention that whey is just milk protein (milk has whey and casein proteins). It's not some laboratory synthesized chemical agent with tenuous "studies" that only the manufacturer has access to. He needs to eat more, and whey is more of a food than a supplement. It shouldn't form the basis of your diet, but it certainly can augment it.

[mjh]

good points LTL.

ricepower: the OP came here asking for advice, and took it with humility and gratitude. Nothing in his posts suggested that he thought that the whey will make him huge fast. He doesn't deserve to be insulted for choosing to have a shake post workout (something that many of us here do), or by thinking that a good way to make his shoulders bigger is to do an exercise for the shoulders. Stronglifts is built on giving guys like the OP solid advice, not bashing them for the sake of "strength trainer's superiority".

[ricepower]

Sorry,

Things dont seem to come out the right way on 'teh interweb

I type/talk as I think. May come across snappy and one sided I realise. Just condensed some of my opinions, feel free to bash.

Im more or less a beginner too, but feel Ive learned a lot in this short time.

[MrWalk]

Feelin' the love in here...

I'll just chime in to say that the first thing I got comments on after starting SL5x5 was my shoulders - getting bigger, getting wider. I'm actually surprised at how much wider I am through the shoulders. Muscles make a big difference overall.

My big muscle ass and thighs were next to get comments incidentally.

With the nutrition (and lots of it) and rest, Stronglifts 5x5 is all you need. Seriously.

[TempestTenor]

If I were that skinny I could easily put down 2 GOMAD if they were chocolate milk! I love that stuff, especially when its premade and you buy it like that from the store.

OMG that's genius! I hadn't considered this at all! Oh man, I'm so ready to jump from 1/8 GOMAD to a full GOMAD...

[herf]

OMG that's genius! I hadn't considered this at all! Oh man, I'm so ready to jump from 1/8 GOMAD to a full GOMAD...

haha I'm not sure if that's sarcasm or realism. Either way, I could easily do it. If you are serious about it, glad to have helped out! Thats how I get my kids to drink milk at least, and myself to be honest.