Im about your age (29, 30 soon) and I’ll give you some experience/advice.
I have been training with an injury for the last 11 years (Completely Torn Left knee ACL ligament, 2 different miniscus tears, 2 arthroscopic surgeries 1998/1999) since the age of 18.
My knee still hasnt been re-constructed and is pretty f-ed up with more internal damage than I knew about.
I found this out about 1.5 years ago when I passed Air force entry but was knocked back on my L knee MRI scans…too much internal damage couldnt get clearance. Apparently I have the knee joint of an elderly person but more damage…Great!
I can train without pain 99% of the time now doing what I do with the occasional twinge here and there, for yourself…If you cant lift heavy because of pain or injury risk and im not having a go at you mate…maybe you shouldnt be trying to. Dont fight the force. I can hardly do any leg weights, I am forced to do other things for leg muscle growth no choice.
Seriously this is your back man if you F it up…ur screwed for life you wont even be getting out of bed. I know plenty of people that have had different disc type of problems and they are no joke.
Is it really worth it?
Because if thats holding you back…you will never get big unless you lift big eat big steroids or not.
Quote: Ronnie Coleman
Everyone wanna be big but no one wanna lift no heavy ass weight.
I love that quote.
Steroids will only assist you by forcing your body able to lift more than it naturally can (ie.lift heavy) and rebuilding the muscle more efficiently/efectively-hence get stronger bigger.
And you notice strength before size on cycle too.
I will tell you know for the results you seek, you would want to be eating 7 times per day, about 300 gram total protein (100 gram meat has roughly 15-20 g protein) shakes in between meals is the only way I can do it. Small amount of carbs with each meal too spread out.
Carbs, depends on your metabolism enough to grow a little-not enough to gain fat, enough efa’s multivites, etc.
If ANY of you diet/training/sleep is not 100% perfect to achieve your goal…you wont. On 300mg test per week…I highly doubt it.
Im not saying this to be a dick im saying this as i/we dont know exactly what your diet looks like and what you know about nutrition.
Im not having a go at you im trying to figure out where ur at so as to what to advise.
You are trying to grow muscle without a calorie surplus…even on tons of gear its not easy its still slow if everything else is perfect. remember initial gains are water retention suq and intramuscular, you will loose that fast post cycle.
Im on wk 4 of a cut cycle now of around 3 gram total AAS…I am gaining extremely slowly while leaning at a medium pace.
Everything is 100% (training/diet).
Im 5’11.5, 270lb 19% bf. 160kg Bench 4 reps (heavy lifts across the board all bodyparts balanced) after pct im aiming for 255 lb @ 9-12%bf. Ill be content with that but I have strength goals also (I am not a powerlifter, i am a bodybuilder).
I achieved this from being a fat 250lb weak ass very high unknown bf 80 kg bench press low lifts across the board in a little under one year with only one injectable cycle and two short oral cycles.
Im not perfect but I know alot about training and nutrition when it comes to growing muscle and my own body.
When I thought I knew but didnt know much at 22 yrs old…I was 215lb @17%bf but my lifts were higher than yours.
I was training for 1.5 yrs straight natural and then stuck. Hit a cycle and guess what…I got stuck again. Then I didnt cycle again till last year.
If i knew then what I new now…things would have been very different.
Im not doubting your knowledge…What im saying is keep an open mind.