Is My Goal Achievable?

[iambackjack]

I definitely bought Nitrotech and was disappointed lol

[iambackjack]

@Waittz

Are you trying to do this for BJJ or for aesthetics? I’m still laughing at the thought of Vitor Belfort just being a little bit of TRT back in the day.

I wouldn’t think looking at guys who compete at the highest level in BJJ would be a great precedent for what you can achieve on just TRT considering the IBJJF only tests some of the winners of black belt worlds and virtually nobody else.

If your BF guess is correct, you need to gain about 12 lbs of muscle, and lose around 15 of fat. Either goal would take a lot of time(especially the muscle gain) when focused on solely. Doing BJJ 4x a week and trying to gain that much meat is playing tug of war with yourself unless you are adding more than just TRT to the equation at 38 years old

I am doing this for aesthetic reasons primarily, but can’t go over 215lbs for my BJJ weight class.

Victor was so jacked lol.

I agree with what you are saying about high level BJJ guys being on gear. 99% likely are.

Regarding my physique. I wear 33” jeans at 225lbs, so i am not super tubby.

If I could be lean and ripped at 205lbs that would still be an excellent result as I don’t think I would look too small at that weight given my height. That would allow to go down one more weight class in bjj which isn’t a bad thing.

[bulldog9899]

How is anyone suppose to answer the question when we have no clue where your at visually?

[Chris_Colucci]

@iambackjack

I am currently doing 3 days of lifting and 4 days of BJJ.

This isn’t an optimal approach to build muscle or burn fat, but it’s potentially a solid setup to get good at BJJ. So there’s that.

The issue isn’t your hormones. Your levels aren’t out of whack be any means. If you’d spent the last 18 months dialing in your diet and training instead of mulling over TRT, you’d be farther along.

For example, your background mentioned in a previous thread is pretty relevant:

I was obese when I was 33 at 288lbs (133kg) . I went on a 2 year cut with hard training (mostly weight lifting) and went down to 173 (78kg) but I didn’t have enough muscle on my body and it make me look sick (face sucked in etc). I was probably around 14%bf.

From there I have been training hard and bulking for another 2 years. I am currently 244lbs

So, you were super-fat, then dieted down to pretty awesome shape… and then “bulked up” by gaining 70 pounds as a guy in his late-30s and you’re dealing with the repercussions from that.

You don’t need to start the hormonal snowball. You need to address your training and nutrition. What are the details on those? Can you toss up a current pic?

Long story short: I think you can get into kickass shape with muscle and relatively lower body fat, but it’s gonna take a shit-ton of work and exogenous Test isn’t going to help if your diet and training are still screwed up.

[iambackjack]

@Chris_Colucci

So, you were super-fat, then dieted down to pretty awesome shape… and then “bulked up” by gaining 70 pounds as a guy in his late-30s and you’re dealing with the repercussions from that.

You don’t need to start the hormonal snowball. You need to address your training and nutrition. What are the details on those? Can you toss up a current pic?

Long story short: I think you can get into kickass shape with muscle and relatively lower body fat, but it’s gonna take a shit-ton of work and exogenous Test isn’t going to help if your diet and training are still screwed up.

Thank you for the frank and honest advice.

I definitely over bulked.

DIET:
2200 calories per day

250g protein with 75g from whey isolate (post weights or in the AM with egg whites if I need to rush off and train early

Carbs under 200g and very little after 6pm
Fats being the balance

I take high quality fish oils and vitamin D
————————————————
WEIGHT TRAINING:
M W F

MONDAY (lifting at 10am and BJJ at 1pm with a protein shake, isotonic carb gel and 30g almonds post workout):

Heavy Bench Press
Flat bench 3 to 4 working sets to failure (3 heavy sets under 5 reps and 1 of around 10 reps)

Strict overhead press
3 sets to failure of 5 to 8 reps

Superset of Machine Flies and Lateral Raises
8 to 12 reps x 3 sets to failure

Skull crushers or Dips
3 Sets to failure

TUESDAY:
BJJ only

WEDNESDAY (10am with BJJ at 1pm same post weight food intake):
Squats
3 to 4 sets to failure
1 max effort Double then backing off for reps to failure

Deadlifts
Bad back so can’t all out
4 to 10 reps for 3 sets

Rows
3 sets of 8 to 12 reps

Chin ups
3 sets

Rhomboid rows superset with curls
3 sets to failure

THURSDAY:
BJJ ONLY

FRIDAY (normally very fatigued) 10am:
Bench
8 to 12 reps to failure for 3 sets

Overhead Press
8 to 12 to failure for 3 sets

Dumbbell Rows on slight incline
8 to 12 reps to failure

Chin Ups
3 Sets Ron Failure

Curls and Skull Crushers Superset
2 to 3 sets
————————————————————-
Current Physique:
225 and haven’t lifted in 3 days so no pump (I know I am currently tubby with a little lose skin) :

At 178lbs (my leanest):

[Frank_C]

If you’re actually training to failure then your program isn’t terrible, but it’s not great either. If you want to look like a bodybuilder then train like one. You’re training like someone who wants to be fit and active. That’s great, but don’t expect a bodybuilder’s physique.

I don’t understand what was wrong with your physique in the 170s. It might not have been as big as you’d hoped but you could have still tried to add mass slowly.

I, like you, over bulked last year. I went from 220 to 250. I’m now back down to 207. I didn’t need to gain all that weight. I should’ve aimed for no more than one pound per month. I’m more lean now than ever. I’m also 6’4"+ and had to lose more weight than I thought to get to this point.

If you start TRT then you can probably expect some changes.

By the way, I wouldn’t consider the dude in the first pics to have an impressive physique. He looks like he has has a little muscle mass and a bad diet.

[T3hPwnisher]

I do not think your goal is achievable.

[Chris_Colucci]

Dude, your frame reminds me of @TrainForPain, so check his log and just do whatever he does. (Kidding. Sort of.)

Back in February, you said you were “always feeling tired, achey, feeling down and grumpy, bad quality sleep”. Has that changed at all? Training to legit muscular failure, while it’s one effective way to train, can lead to that sorts of issues because it can be hard on the body. You might want to think about switching things up a bit.

The plan overall isn’t terrible but could be tweaked, like JM said. I’m trying to follow, so it’s: chest-shoulders-tris, token legs-back-bis, then upper body? Pretty weird split. Consider something like the Waterbury Method template with 3 full body workouts and a focus on bar speed, not muscle failure, but that’s just one option out of tons.

Deadlifts
Bad back so can’t all out
4 to 10 reps for 3 sets

You’re not a powerlifter, so you don’t have to deadlift, especially with a conventional stance. Consider switching to a trap bar, sumo stance, or other variation that’s inherently easier on the back. Also, 10-rep deads can be rough regardless.

[iambackjack]

@Chris_Colucci

ude, your frame reminds me of @TrainForPain, so check his log and just do whatever he does. (Kidding. Sort of.)

Back in February, you said you were “always feeling tired, achey, feeling down and grumpy, bad quality sleep”. Has that changed at all? Training to legit muscular failure, while it’s one effective way to train, can lead to that sorts of issues because it can be hard on the body. You might want to think about switching things up a bit.

The plan overall isn’t terrible but could be tweaked, like JM said. I’m trying to follow, so it’s: chest-shoulders-tris, token legs-back-bis, then upper body? Pretty weird split. Consider something like the Waterbury Method template with 3 full body workouts and a focus on bar speed, not muscle failure, but that’s just one option out of tons.

Deadlifts
Bad back so can’t all out
4 to 10 reps for 3 sets

You’re not a powerlifter, so you don’t have to deadlift, especially with a conventional stance. Consider switching to a trap bar, sumo stance, or other variation that’s inherently easier on the back. Also, 10-rep deads can be rough regardless.

Thank you for the thoughtful response.
Back In Feb I was feeling those symptoms and is why I thought TRT might help. Those symptoms haven’t gone away, but I stopped lifting for the last 4 days to give my body a rest (still doing BJJ the last 2 days) and I do feel a little better. I don’t need caffeine to get me going.

My current BJJ and lifting regime is too hard on my body and this has really become clear in these recent days. I am in agreement that switching things up is a good idea.

I am going to try Waterbury Method as you suggest. May I ask the B1/B2 exercises are those intended to be supersets? I assume they are supersets but wanted to be sure.

I am also going to switch to Sumo Deadlifts or take them out entirely as Deads keep causing my back injuries.

Ultimately, I want to be awesome at BJJ and look like a strong muscular guy with clothes on and off. I didn’t like the look I had at 178lbs because my face looked sucked in, I didn’t look strong/muscular with clothes on and sick and with the lose skin it didn’t look great with clothes off either. That is why I hope to be that lean at 205 to 215lbs.

You advice is greatly appreciated and I will take it onboard.

Two more question please.

1. I haven’t lifted in 4 days now and my mind is coming back to life. Should I take more time off or am I good to go for the initial load phase of your suggested program?

2. I just wanted to make sure this the right program when on a caloric deficit at 2,200 calories?

THANKS AGAIN

[Frank_C]

@iambackjack

I just wanted to make sure this the right program when on a caloric deficit at 2,200 calories?

@iambackjack

I want to be awesome at BJJ and look like a strong muscular guy with clothes on and off.

You’re going to have to focus on one at a time. You can’t do all three at once. Try it and you’ll accomplish nothing. Prioritize your goals. The two things that aren’t priority number one should be addressed for maintenance only. If BJJ is a secondary goal then cut back to one session a week just to keep you familiar with the skills.

I’m guessing that your physique is the top priority right now. Train like a bodybuilder and lose weight. Training like a bodybuilder while in a calorie deficit will ensure that you maintain every bit of muscle mass that you can. Listen to your body. If you start to get run down then add an extra rest day.

And by the way, this:

@iambackjack

look like a strong muscular guy with clothes on and off.

Most guys that look like this are just carrying a bunch of extra fat on their muscles. Look at the guys who step on a stage and compete; they are much smaller in terms of weight than they appear.

[iambackjack]

Thank you @Frank_C for your input.

My goals at present in order of priority are:

1. BJJ (3 times per week minimum)

2. Lose weight and minimise muscle loss

3. Gain Lean Muscle - I know gaining muscle is almost impossible with 1 and 2. So this is least important right now as I need to lose the belly.

I am hoping 1 and 2 are achievable in tandem. Assuming they are and I am currently around 21%bf at 225lbs. Should I not be able to achieve 12% to 15% BF at somewhere around 205lbs?

I understand my initial hopes of achieving this level of BF at 215lbs is unrealistic.

Thank you and everyone else for all the guidance!

[Waittz]

@Frank_C

look like a strong muscular guy with clothes on and off.

Most guys that look like this are just carrying a bunch of extra fat on their muscles. Look at the guys who step on a stage and compete; they are much smaller in terms of weight than they appear.

If you have an equal to or greater than 10" drop from chest to waist, you will look good /muscular in clothes if they fit properly. Even if you weigh 150, if your t shirt fits mid bicep and is slim(not tight) you will look like a fit person.

@iambackjack I posted this in the combat thread, it’s long but I suggest you watch it.

Balancing Weight Training and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

[Frank_C]

@iambackjack

I am hoping 1 and 2 are achievable in tandem. Assuming they are and I am currently around 21%bf at 225lbs. Should I not be able to achieve 12% to 15% BF at somewhere around 205lbs?

I understand my initial hopes of achieving this level of BF at 215lbs is unrealistic.

1 & 2 are achievable in tandem. Make sure your protein consumption is adequate.

225 @ 21% = 177.75 lbs of lean mass

You’re not training or eating to add muscle so you have to assume that number won’t change (best case scenario).

You will need to drop to 202 to reach 12% body fat with your current lean body mass.

202 x 88% (the part that’s not fat) = 177.76

Now, can you reach 215 at that body fat? Maybe. That’s a tall order right now. That’s probably a 5 year goal of grinding and slowly adding mass (no short term dirty bulks) after you find 12% body fat.

[TrainForPain]

@Chris_Colucci

Dude, your frame reminds me of @TrainForPain, so check his log and just do whatever he does. (Kidding. Sort of.)

Thanks (I think)!

@iambackjack I’m happy to see if I can help. I’ll get around to updating my log some, too; I’ve been bad about that.
For now - way past my bedtime!

[iambackjack]

Thanks @Frank_C

Do i need to allow for some muscle loss? Or will I keep my existing muscle and just lose some strength?

12% at 202 or even 200lbs is still a good result before starting to LEAN bulk again. I definitely won’t make the same mistake twice.

[Frank_C]

@iambackjack

Do i need to allow for some muscle loss?

To be honest, I don’t know. An optimist would tell you that you can keep ask of your muscle, but most people will tell you that you’ll lose some. I’ve never been in the position to really check (like a lab).

The only think of which I am certain is that I’m about 10 lbs lighter than I thought I’d be when I started cutting. I thought 215 lbs would be my goal weight but I’m 206-207 instead. I didn’t like the way I looked at 215 so I kept going.

[TrainForPain]

@Frank_C

To be honest, I don’t know. An optimist would tell you that you can keep ask of your muscle, but most people will tell you that you’ll lose some. I’ve never been in the position to really check (like a lab).

The only think of which I am certain is that I’m about 10 lbs lighter than I thought I’d be when I started cutting. I thought 215 lbs would be my goal weight but I’m 206-207 instead. I didn’t like the way I looked at 215 so I kept going.

For sure. I don’t know why people think they can quantitatively say what they’ve lost one way or the other.

[Chris_Colucci]

@iambackjack

May I ask the B1/B2 exercises are those intended to be supersets?

Yep, that indicates supersets.

@iambackjack

Should I take more time off or am I good to go for the initial load phase of your suggested program?

If you’re feeling good, dive right into it.

@TrainForPain

Thanks (I think)!

For sure, man, not busting chops. Your guys’ arms especially hit me as similar, leverage-wise. Look like they’re built perfectly for curling, 'ya lucky sons of…

[TrainForPain]

@Chris_Colucci

Your guys’ arms especially hit me as similar, leverage-wise. Look like they’re built perfectly for curling, 'ya lucky sons of…

Well, if you’d just been proactive and picked the right parents!