Why Eat Lots? – Part 1

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Why Eat Lots?
Part 1 – The Conceptual Understanding

I realize a lot of you are new to all of this. You are possibly new to strength training and eating in order to recover from that training as well as increasing muscular body weight. Even if you have been involved in some kind of training, you may still be new to what we recommend on this website. It’s okay.

Let’s pretend you work in an office building and you have to make managerial decisions. Construction needs to occur in half of the building so that the plumbing can be fixed along with the installation of a network infrastructure to make things more efficient. Everybody that works for you gets moved to the other half of the building, and both guys and girls have to use the same toilet. Do you think it would be logical if I came up to you and said, “Uh…Mr. Lumbergh? I have to poop a lot, and now the women will always smell it for the rest of my life because they will forever share a bathroom with me. Please ignore the fact that my overuse of toilet paper is why we are fixing the plumbing in the first place.”

Assuming Lumbergh doesn’t can your ass on the spot, he is going to have to remind you that A) you brought this on yourself since you ruined the plumbing, B) this is obviously not a permanent thing since the other half of the building will open up after construction is over, and C) the entire office will run more smoothly after the new infrastructure installation, so just fucking deal with it. Yeah…

Look, when I tell you to eat lots of food so that you can not only satisfy the necessary protein and caloric requirements for training, but also an excess of both to stimulate new tissue growth, I’m not telling you to do this for the rest of your life. Why do you suddenly think I am recommending that everyone should ALWAYS eat triple bacon cheeseburgers and a bowl of ice cream with magic shell and brownies?

The terms don’t change. If you are fat or skinny, you have done something to make yourself fat or skinny. You have to do something different if you want a different result. Since the majority of both guys and girls are underweight and weak, they will have to train and eat more to get stronger and bigger. Since stronger is better, they need to do this ASAFP.

It is implied that you will no longer look like a skinny, useless human after getting stronger. This is the point. Emaciation is in vogue and stylish, and we aim to put an end to this societal quirk. The skinnier and more weightless you are, the more extreme your eating can and will be to make the most efficient gains. If you are a competitor and train very hard, you will need to eat even more to recover from your training.

1 lb. burger, fries, and shake (From The Scott)

Recovery: 1 lb. burger, fries, and shake (From The Scott)


Thing #1: You brought this on yourself by being weak and probably skinny in the same way that the guy in the story ruined the plumbing with his belligerent bowel movements.

If you aim to get as strong as possible in the most efficient amount of time — which would be the sensible use of your training time and resources — then you will inconvenience yourself with eating lots of food so that you recover and GROW.

Thing #2: You must make the sacrifice to change your habits to achieve results that are different than where you started. The guy in the story was unhappy with the women in his building inhaling his acrid aroma, but he is going to have to deal with it during this period of change — ESPECIALLY because it is his fault in the first place.

There is no reason you have to continue eating sloppy in the event you reach an appropriate body weight for your frame. This would be irresponsible and ill-advised in the long-term. Even though you are gaining muscle and fat, the majority of it will be muscle if you are training and eating correctly. Correctly means following a program (the novice linear progression from Starting Strength always produces results if properly followed), and proper eating means eating a quantity of protein that corresponds with your desired weight (1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight) as well as enough calories to recover and increase body weight.

Keep in mind that by doing this, you are gaining both strength and muscular body weight. The strength increase is the whole point and is universally useful (Note: especially in zombie survival scenarios). So what if you lose your abs? Abs were not meant to be concave. Besides, when you hit that appropriate body weight, you can adjust your diet so that body fat can be reduced. However, care must be taken that body weight is not lost — it’s obvious that a 230 pound man must eat differently than a 150 pound boy.

Thing #3: The goal is to gain strength, and this is ultimately useful. In the story above, the guy overlooks the fact that his office building will be much more efficient with the new infrastructure. This is analogous to your body functioning better with whatever it is you are trying to do. All athletic qualities are increased and augmented (automatically or through practice and conditioning), you will live longer, and you can wow your friends by tossing small children over houses.

In Part 2 tomorrow I will talk about why the majority of you are wasting your time when you worry about the health considerations for eating to grow.

49 thoughts on “Why Eat Lots? – Part 1”

  1. The guy in the story above who blocked the toilets with his hefty downloads was probably eating to be 70s big.

  3. In the second paragraph for Thing #2, I think you meant to say “you will still gain mostly muscle”

    Indeed. I finished writing the post at midnight. Sleepy writing is not good writing. Thanks.

    –Justin

  4. Just convinced two of my buddies to start GOMAD and follow SS with one day dedicated to conditioning. Also, the owner of the gym I work at has allowed me to program for two classes a week, introducing SS to the masses of of yesterday and the best part is everyone (class is made up of mainly women) are really excited. Slowly but surely we will have a able body, zombie horde ready, human beings up here in Canada.

  5. What’s going on 70’s Big? My name is Matt and I’ve been reading your site religiously for the past couple of weeks. I first found out about you all through CrossFit Football and have enjoyed reading about the way you attack training.

    Just a brief background about myself, I used SS my Junior and Senior year of high school before a close friend of mine got me started on CrossFit to get in shape for basketball. It was working great for the first half of the year, but then started losing weight, and not surprisingly, my barbell totals went down. I sought out CrossFit Football so I could start focusing on strength training again and reap the benefits of both heavy barbell training and CrossFit. My lifts have been going up ever since.

    CrossFit Football also got me started on the Zone diet (Dr. Barry Spears) that John Welbourn promotes. I have been seeing some good strength gains and have started putting bodyweight back on (even though I am still an adolescent 175 pounder @ 6’). Here in lies my question. What do you guys think about the Zone diet? Should I ditch the Zone until the scale beneath my feat reads that magical 200 pounds?

    Thanks for your help everyone. Here are my stats by the way:

    Bodyweight: 175 pounds (sorry I don’t know the conversion to Kilos)
    Height: 6’
    Squat: 270x5x3
    Press: 120x5x3
    Deadlift: 355×5
    Bench: 160x5x3
    Clean: 195x5x3
    Split Jerk: 175×3
    Snatch: 115x5x3

  7. Roger that posting! Screw the worries about the fat. I have been worried about gaining too much fat lately, chalk it up to societal pressures. My weight has been steady for 3 weeks at 235 and my weights have increased on all my lifts – so screw the scale number!

    Also bravo on putting out again that continuing to eat 70s big is not realistic. Amen. Bill Starr”s book “The Strongest Shall Survive” is awesome for diet, thank SS for turning me on to Bill Starr. I strongly recommend it!!

  8. I”m also trying to spread the word about gomad to my buddies. still have to cope with the negative reactions. “Will this make me fat?” argh… I think being skinny proves that that person isn”t entitled to an opinion about fat.

  9. I”d be quite happy eating 70sbig for the rest of my life or at least until I”m 17 stone / 238lbs.

  10. doing GOMAd for quite a while. Let”s just say it has some quite unfortunate side-effects.. sometimes XD but hey, sacrifice worth making

  11. And…its time to take a week off. Ive been training for 5 months and i need a week off because im struggling to get 175 lbs for 2 reps.

  12. @mtg0502 (Matt)

    Welbourn and CrossFit Football do not promote the Zone. They promote a Paleo Diet approach + Whole Milk + Protien Powder. All the info is in detail at the CF Football site, under the Nutrition tab http://bit.ly/76SfoF

    You should ditch the Zone, especially if your goal is gaining weight, strength, and size. The only measurements you need to be concerned with are in lbs and gallons.

  15. @mtg0502
    Edward beat me to it, but seriously? The Zone is mentioned no where on the Crossfit Football page. And also Welbourn owns Paleo Brands. Why would he promote the Zone?

  16. Also, the other day my girlfriend said she wanted to gain weight to get stronger. How awesome is that?!

    Pretty awesome.

    –Justin

  17. @Stonkus

    Great to see a fellow canuck on the 70sbig site.

    Solid article yet again Justin.

    After my post about my struggles on the 26th. I actually took some time to write down the pros and cons after reading Gant”s reply.
    There were a lot more pros then cons when it comes to weight gain, and it shouldnt be something I fear.

    I have committed to a goal of reaching 260lb by the begining of may. This is a 20lb jump for me. I hope to have solid weight PR”s to report every friday.

    Keep up the good work 70sbig, and all the readers.

  18. 19 year old male, 5”7″ last weigh in was about 185?

    Today”s breakfast: 9 eggs (kind of small eggs, so maybe more like 7 real ones) cooked in butter with bacon and broccoli, one PB&J sandwich on whole grain bread with shittons of PB and very little J. One large glass whole milk. Eating as I type this.

  19. Just a chocolate shake? Ha! Crom laughs at your four winds! I think I”m going to try a “Poundstone Shake”.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB7Ed_DPXNM

    And maybe, just maybe, I”ll start having one of these delicious-looking, Lithuanian Man-Maker Cheesecakes everyday.

    Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaUvCqL0XHw
    Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ak8Wtaj6sY

    I don”t speak much Lithuanian, and I”m really bad at metric conversions and math in general, but based on my calculations written in crayon on a Taco Bell wrapper, there are about eleventy-billion calories in this post…

  20. @ Edward Stedman and Ryan

    Thanks for the help guys. I got the Zone mixed up with another CrossFit site. My mistake. In terms of the GOMAD though, I had tried that once and I couldn””t stop using the bathroom. Should I take in more water or something?

    Huh? There is plenty of water in your milk consumption. Do you mean going #2 while in the bathroom? You probably need a fiber supplement. Search for the post on this site if you are interested in what I have used.

    –Justin

  22. @mtg0502

    I don”t know if water will stop you from going to the bathroom when on a GOMAD. I would encourage you to stay on GOMAD if weight, strength and size increases are a priority for you. It may just take your body some time to adjust to that much milk, or it may never adjust, and you just have to accept it as a consequence of achieving your goals.

  25. Yah I can post my list:

    For me:

    Cons- Gaining Fat (Have a fear that if i put 10lbs on ill look like I belong on the biggest loser)

  26. I realize everybody is giving that kid advice, but my experience with GOMAD is that you have to ease into it. Do a quart for a couple days, then a half gallon for a little while, then add another quart, then another quart. Do it in less than two weeks, but more than a week. At 6””, you need to weigh more than 200#. At your age, you can get away with less weight, but it also means you””re at the ideal time to add muscular bodyweight, so you can get away with more. Once you””re done growing, it””s harder to add muscular bodyweight. Make the most of your time now. Make it to 220#. When you””re an adult and trying to be strong, you””ll need to be 242#.

    I guess I need to write a FAQ, because GOMAD will need to be eased into for most people.

    –Justin

  27. GOMAD gave me the runs big time the first few days. My body kinda adjusted, but I was still very flatulent.

    I purchased some Probiotic/Acidophilus pills. That helped some. I then got some psyllium husk powder (the stuff Justin posted about a few weeks ago). This combination helped, and I believe my had body also “adapted”.

    I haven”t had the runs since. (except for when I had to get on some antibiotics for a sinus infection).

  28. cons con”t
    – Dealing with guilt about over consumtion of food
    – Deal with negative body image
    – Fear that looking different from the “norm” I will be judged differently

    Pros – Strength, Size, Harder training, better recovery, Bigger weights moved.
    – Sense of accomplishment as weights progress rather then regress.
    – get rid of the guilt from eating a meal out, enjoying beers with friends, living a more normal life
    – Build up myself from the inside out rather then the outside in.
    – Get rid of my obsessive calorie counting and have it run my life.
    – Prove to myself that accomplishing my dream of entering strongman competitions and placing well has a greater effect on my life then getting a 6-pack.

    Just a few of the things.

  29. I think where Mtg0502 got his info on Welbourn was from the crossfit documentary Every Second Counts. It is from shortly after Welbourn began Crossfit and he was on the Zone. He was eating 50 blocks a day. Now that he quit that shit, he looks bigger, but leaner. The zone is for housewives and weekend warriors who have to have a precise diet in order to stay on any kind of program. It isn”t for optimum for people that want to consume mass quantities of protein to promote growth.

  30. Pingback: » Why Eat Lots? – Part 1 | Zone Diet | doing the zone diet you need supplementing

  31. Hello Everyone. Just found this site and think it is great. I was wondering what training progarm is used here– is it in conjunction with the “starting strength” book?

    I have always been big– and I am currently about 6””2″ 270. I played O-line at a D-1AA school and am looking to get back into more serious lifting. I have always lifted like a football player– lot of Bench, Squat, Deadlift, Cleans, Snatches etc. I however have never really trained just to increase my lifts, its always been more about training for a sport so I am a bit lost with finding a proper program.

    My bench is right around 400

    Squat and Deadlift around 500

    Hang Clean is coming in at 300

    I have been doing Crossfit football for a few weeks and like the program, but I am looking for something a little more specific to increasing my strenght numbers and getting them back to my numbers in college.

    What program is everybody following???

    Thanks and looking forward to checking this site often.

    You have a unique situation. E-mail me if you want to talk about it.

    –Justin

  33. Pingback: » Why Eat Lots? – Part 1 | Paleo Diet | if you do the paleo diet you need supplementing

  35. @ Steve,
    at 50 blocks he was no longer using the Zone, but just using zone blocks to calculate his intake so that he could be scientific about it and adjust where needed. This is about all the Zone is good for. If you follow the actual zone prescription you will be 90”s small in no time.

  36. I was lucky on the gomad adjustment – jumped right in at a full gallon & had no problems.

    Have always been a milk drinker though, so I”m sure that made a big difference.

  37. Couple tips for eating big:

    1. Heavy Whipping Cream. At 100 calories an ounce, it”s about 11x as calorie dense as milk, and very tasty in shakes. Mix in some protein powder and frozen fruit to get all your macronutrients. $5 a quart by me – more expensive, but may be worth the convenience.

    2. It”s easier to drink lots of milk when you”re eating, especially a food that makes you thirst for it, like peanut butter or cookies.

    Anyone ever get a sore throat from GOMAD? I got up to 3/4 gallon per day, for 5 days, and I got a really sore throat.

  38. PR for Today- Bought an inzer economy belt- Stoked!

    I think GOMAD is just like anything else. You should probably try to progress in increments that your body can accept. I know that I feel a lot better and a lot less “runny” after I built up to greater amounts of milk. Like most things this is subject to individuals.

    Trail mix is ownage for calories without thinking about it. You can just continue to shovel that stuff in your mouth handful after handful.

    “Peter Man, Watch your corn-hole.”

  39. Bravo on the post.

    I”m 6” 3″ and currently a skrawny 205 lbs.

    Last new years I weighed a fat 250 lbs. I made a new years resolution to lose the fat and get in shape. That was a big mistake. I lost 60 lbs over the course of last year before finding 70”sbig.com. I have never had any real problems with gaining weight. I was always the little kid in husky jeans and never had abs till last year. It wasn”t worth it. I have since noticed a negative effect in my performance in a sport known for skinny guys, soccer. I was a more dominant force on the field at a higher weight even if it was mostly fat. My goal this year is to gain back at least half the weight I lost last year.

    Thank you 70”s big.

  40. great story.
    i came to train for my first time in the school, and squatted 185x3x5,
    the guy squatting in the rack beside me was squatting 225 for reps.
    its been a little over a month since then, i””m squatting 275x3x5, he””s squatting 225 for reps.

    by the way, eating 1 gram of pootin per pound of body weight is NOT enough, it may be enough to sustain growth and everything, but eating a crap load of carbs is NOT as awesome as eating scrambled eggs with cheese, sausages, bacon, milk and peanut butter and jelly sammiches. i””d much rather have someone eat the majority of his cals from protein and fat and get about 400g carbs(not for those who want to lose fat). i””m now at 175(up from 150 a month ago) and i””m eating in the region of 300g protein, 200g fat and 400 g carbs. i absolutely hate to eat those damn carbs, so i””m usually knocking 300 off in the first 3-4 hours after my workout(carbs are best utilized post workout).

    1 gram of protein per pound of body weight is for maintenance. I have to check and see if I made that clear.

    –Justin

    get fucking 70sbig.

  41. An old wrestling trick for lean weight gain: 2 cans of tuna, 1 jar peanut butter, 1 glass whole milk x3 per day

  43. On the topic of eating a lot, does anyone else get the “meat sweats?” I just finished my pot roast and now i””m wiping the sweat off my forehead. Sometimes eating 70sBig is harder than lifting 70sBig.

    I like to use the phrase, “I think I’m gettin’ the meat sweats.”

    –Justin

  44. 70”s big would be useful for football players. Think about if you need to get bigger, faster and stronger 70”s big pretty much does all those things. Maybe faster because your legs will be more powerful. Even still it”s better then those bodybuilding routines that take 5 weeks to put on a couple pounds.

  45. Also I feel better when I”m doing 70”s Big. It”s fun going out and eating good food and training hard. I”m only 17 but it feels great getting stronger and accomplishing goals. I play basketball and football and 70”s Big has definitely help dominate in sports.

    Thanks

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  47. @ Tank

    I remember the first time i got the meat sweats. musta been 6 years ago over a huge bowl of Bolognese. forehead was drippin with sweat, but belly felt content. just thinkin about it makes me wanna dive face first into some delicious penne & bolognese.

    70s big tip: if ur cookin italian, cover your main meat in meat sauce. lots of protein, lots of meat sweats!

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