Looking to change things up a bit with a cycle of SS

[Ben Cully]

I have been on here reading for several hours about the CFSB " I had the day off and wanted to relax!". After reading about it, I learned about Mark's SS book and work out. I am 31 M 19%BF, I have been doing WODs for several months and looking for a change. I am following a 18 block zone/paleo diet. I was wondering if I could get any comments on starting a SS workout plan for a couple months give or take and then going into the CFSB training. I would like to add some more lean mass and drop BF. If I could stay around the 200 lb range and peel off soem layers of fat would be my goal. I know that SS may hurt my WOD times...can I add some Met Con in my workouts? For my goals of adding size and strength is SS then CFSB a good route? What about changing my diet? GOMAD? I ask only cause I love milk and dairy is not on the paleo diet, or should I keep the diet as I have been doing. Any questions I will get a prompt answer as I am really excited to get started on a new challenge!

[Robby Morris]

I think this will help you answer a lot of questions you may have, if you haven't seen this yet: http://****************.wikia.com/wi..._Strength_Wiki WFS

[Thomas Brick]

Make sure you read and understand his book (s). If you do the program as prescribed by Coach Rip, you will develop incredible strength. I put a hundred pounds on my squat and 120 pounds on my dead and around 65 pounds on my bench--in around 3 or 4 months (I'd have to check my training log).

Do the program and drink the milk. You WILL gain weight. Some of it will be fat-- don't be so concerned with eating clean. It's always easy to burn fat afterwards. It's much harder to gain those big strength numbers.

Coach Rip is available for questions (and endless witty remarks) at www.************.net. wfs except for some swears.

You will not be losing fat if you follow the program prescribed by SS. But the strength gains will be well worth the temporary suspension of fat loss.

[Ben Cully]

So I am thinking I should start with his basic routine and add to my food intake. I will give GOMAD a try and keep with my Zone/Paleo Diet. I may add a block or two over all. I am just not wanting to become a chubbie. I am at 19% as is. What about continuing my MMA training or should I halt that also?

[Brian Bedell]

What was your goal again?

[Kevin Thomas]

Quick thoughts in no particular order:

1. Go for it. Getting stronger is always a good idea. I wish I could have stayed on the program a little longer.
2. You will get fatter. If you do GOMAD you'll likely get a lot fatter. Deal with it or do a different program.
3. You can add 1 metcon a week after 3 weeks or so then up to 2 after 6 weeks. If recovery is a problem at all, then drop the metcons. It's a strenght program, if that's not what you want you may need to do a different program like CFFB or CFSB or some other hybrid.
4. You don't have to do GOMAD if you don't want to. Rip has said it 1x10^99 times, and still CrossFitters don't believe him for some reason. It's really weird to see people worship a guy and ignore him at the same time. GOMAD is for underweight adolecent boys. If that's you or if you don't mind gaining a lot of fat - go for it. If you are older or don't want to get a lot fatter, don't drink that much milk. Drink some, but not so much you get that fat. People say its easy to lose the fat afterwards. That's never been my experience with losing fat. When I did a SS cycle, I drank a quart or two of lowfat milk a day. I don't care that people here are against lowfat milk - I wanted the protein and not so much fat. I gained about 15 pounds in about 9 weeks (have to check the log to know for sure). Other than that, just eat a lot. Especially protien.
5. Read the Book, read the Wiki, watch the form check videos on ************, get coaching (digital or live) if you can, don't ask Rip stupid questions unless you like being made fun of.
6. Be prepared for SS to get a lot harder mentally than CrossFit. PR's every day sounds like fun until you do it. It's only fun after you finish the lifts.

[Thomas Brick]

I agree for the most part with the previous poster. If your MMA training interferes with your recovery, be prepared for earlier plateaus. If not, keep doing it. The milk helps not only as a source of protein, but also as a source of calories-- really good nutrient rich calories. Yeah, there's a lot of fat in milk, I agree, but for me it was worth it. I didn't really get "fatter" per-say, I am pretty convinced that my weight gain on SS was due to incredible muscular growth and lean mass gains. The fat gains were insubstatial.

As the previous poster said, a PR every day at the gym is an incredible experience, but it is terribly difficult. Getting under the bar for a weight you've never lifted before and knowing that you have to lift it for 3 sets of 5 is very intimidating. If you do the program as prescribed, you will definitely be in this position. Leaving the gym every workout with a PR is an incredible motivator.

Do the program, learn the form, do your squats and drink your milk... Can't go wrong.

Oh, also are you trying to gain weight? Would you be getting into a different MMA weight class? Are you worried about that? Does that affect you decision making process? Just curious.

[Kris Reeves]

Originally Posted by Kevin Thomas

2. You will get fatter. If you do GOMAD you'll likely get a lot fatter. Deal with it or do a different program.

I just would like to stress this point a little bit. My lifts went up a heck of a lot, but my pant size also went from a 32" to 38". I overdid it because I kept pushing GOMAD even though the gains had dried up. I'm really wishing now that I had not gotten so caught up in:

Originally Posted by Thomas Brick

don't be so concerned with eating clean. It's always easy to burn fat afterwards.

Being in my thirties and having a desk job with a long commute to work means that burning the fat isn't quite so easy. If you were 18 years old or a pencil thin hardgainer I'd say go for it...but I would caution anyone in their 30's and upwards or those with BF over 15% to really think about going hog wild in the name of adding a few pounds to the bar.

Just food for thought do with it what you will.

[Thomas Brick]

Originally Posted by Kris Reeves

but I would caution anyone in their 30's and upwards or those with BF over 15% to really think about going hog wild in the name of adding a few pounds to the bar.

Just food for thought do with it what you will.

The gains that can be made this way are not merely "a few pounds." Depending on the OP's current lifts and condition, he could add HUNDREDS to his CFT and PL total--over a period to be measured in months, not years.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but if you eat a cleanish 5000 cal a day, you will put on tons of LBM and not that much fat. Milk is a clean source of protein and fat... and it's good for you.

However, it is important to scale it back when the gains slow down, as KR rightly points out.

[Ben Cully]

All great points to look at. I am already at 19% so weight is a issue. I am not a skinny 18 yr old by any means. More a stocky 31 year old! I can do the RX'd weights for the WOD's but I would like to improve my strength, raise my max weights in all the major moves and try and keep the same BF is not loose some with summer comming. I am a professional firefighter so strength is beneficial but also is function...I don't want to move a house I want to move 10 houses So with all the weight gain I may try skipping the GOMAD and keeping my 18 blocks, but I am planning on 2x my fat intake. I eat very clean..I just have a hard time with all the carbs...it's a pile of greens all the time I started the Wichita Falls Novice Program from SS. I needed something to do today in the gym while I figured all this out. I would love to have a coach or someone to mentor or get me off and running a little. I is hard sometimes to weed a expert from a know it all if you know what I mean. I have done CF for almost a year, and been pretty much a traditional gym rat before that with some powerlifting experience in the military. My goal, is to keep this 200lb body weight and drop the %bf while increasing my strength. I think once I hammer the strength side awhile 2,3,4 months then when I start to get bored/broken down switch over to the CFSB program. Am I on track with that though. I really like the way the CFSB is laid out, heavy weight, Met Cons and fun stuff..ie tires, rings etc.