I'm 6'1" 225lb 41 year old, ~16% bf been married almost 6 years two kids 5,2. Home life is pretty good now, had a rough patch when my first child was born I ballooned up with the wife which happened the same time I went from jobs on my feet to a desk. Since I used keto to go from 290 down to 220 with some bodyweight fitness and bicycling and other activities.

I finally bit the bullet around feb 1 and went back to the gym, my hesitation was when I lifted years before, not a few but 16 years, I was huge. I was 1200lb club and squatting 515, dl 500, bench 225 problem was I was huge but wasn't really cut or looked great I was just bulky, had a 34 waist but had to wear 38's to fit my thighs. That scared me off weights. This time around I'd like to gain some size but also cut about 15-20 lbs with some definition with goal weight no more than 210. FWIW I'd rather be Michael Phelps big than John Cena big. I'm following the 5x5 Stronglifts but I had a few questions.

  1. This first month I've taken off keto to go back to lifting as all the videos say carbs are important for recovery. If my body is pretty keto adapted (2-3 years) can I recover fully after 3 lifting days a week if I go back? I really like keto and wonder if I will hurt recovery, maybe eat a carb or two after lifting on those days?

  2. What can I do to work on definition as opposed to girth, I see the "huge" guys at the gym and they don't lift weights, they are on dumbbells and rowing machines, do I get the size I want from core lifts then kind of use what they do for definition? Really not being funny or anything about those guys but after a month I've seen the same faces and I'm curious to why I never see them do a core lift and was just curious to how they keep that size without doing so.

  3. For what I'm looking for do I want to use Stronglifts 5x5 for a certain amount of time then switch to a different routine?

Thanks!