Nate, no one here has an issue with you wanting to train hard, make gains, and get things right.
Questions are being asked around the numbers that are being thrown around, and your flippant attitude towards other members who have consistent training history, compared to your bizarre numbers, and limited experience.
Your mate may be in to his training, but that doesn’t mean he is right. Also you may think he is big, compared to you, but if you were to meet most of the members on here you would realise what actual size is. Powerlifters size is very different to Bodybuilders Size, and it really does depend what your goals are.
As for your pics of you and your mate, they do not translate to 140kg and 180kg squatters respectively, even with poor form, you both would not have been holding that weight on your backs in a stable manner at all. Your mate has some mass, but it is indicative of a poorly put together program, and a lack of correct movement patterns that doesn’t hit all areas of the body the most efficiently. You are also both posing to accentuate the mass you have so will appear bigger then you actually are. Your posture is poor, which sugguest poor core control, and understanding of the best postion to have your body in.
Non of the above is a dig, it is pointing out why we don’t believe the numbers for the squats, and also giving some pointers on what you should address first and foremost so you don’t come to harm.
Here is a size perspective for you. Rob palmer, 6ft I believe, and one of the strongest power lifters in the uk lb for bodyweight lb (he competes in the 93kg categories so is 14stone 7lb roughly)
http://www.british-barbell.co.uk/greaterlondon/Pictures/2009EuropeansRobPalmerSquat.JPG
He doesn’t look big, but he lifts weights that most of us will only ever dream off.
Compare him to the likes of body building legends, Arnold, or Ronnie Coleman, jay cutler etc he can lift more then them, yet they are 2x his size. Mass does not = strength.
Photos can be deceptive, so please stop thinking that small in photos = weak and no gains.
Taking this back to the beginning, you want to train hard and make gains.
What are your goals?
Training for Size and aesthetic appeal?
or
Training for Raw strength?
There are different types of muscle fibre, that are attributed to one or the other. Look up muscle fibres, type I, type II etc, off the top of my head i cannot remember which is better for size, and which is better for strength, but different training stimulus will lead to the body growing different muscle fibres.
If you want size then stronglifts 5x5 isn’t a routine i would suggest, i would advise you to check out Steedie, or Monkee's logs and do something similar to those guys.
Strength gains will be had from this kind of routine as naturally more mass = more muscle to lift weight
If you want to train for strength, then you need to take the view that aesthetic gains will come, but over many many years, when compared to size. However you should be able to lift considerably more lb for bodyweight lb compared to a bodybuilder.
So you need to choose your goal, then deceide on a program to achieve your goal. Then make sure your carrying out the lifts to a competent level so as not to get injured, you may think that because you haven’t got injured already your doing it right and your not going to get injured, well don’t be this way. Everyone who takes their lifting serisouly gets injured at some point, its just a part of lifting. However, people who lift with decent form are less likely to get injured.
Banter is fine, however making personal digs at people (like you have done to quite a few members re their logs) because they questions some of your very dubious squat numbers is a bit harsh. Many people have pointed out where your wrong and why but you seem to be taking that personally, its constructive feedback that should be listened to, not thrown out the window because you think your mate knows better.
The advice your being given is because people want to see you make progress, without getting hurt. Ask everyone here how much they would have liked the advice that many get from here, from day 1 of their training, and I doubt very much anyone would say they wouldn’t want it.
