Big Dave Smith: AMA Thread/Journal

[Big Dave Smith]

Do you keep the weight the same on each set and just let the reps drop or do you drop the weight to stay in your target rep range?

It depends.

Some of these questions are too specific, too black and white to provide direct answers to.

Auto-regulation, relativity, and nuance matter most.

 

[Kayyyy]

What is the highest dosage of deca you have ever run ?

 

[Big Dave Smith]

What is the highest dosage of deca you have ever run ?

No

 

[Duke309]

It depends.

Some of these questions are too specific, too black and white to provide direct answers to.

Auto-regulation, relativity, and nuance matter most.

Understood.

I was just wondering how you tracked progress on the pump work if the weight was continually changing set to set. I typically try to keep the weight the same and just let reps per set drop, however that isn't really in the vein of pump style work.

Thanks for taking time to answer my questions.

 

[BIGGMIKE295]

Wow Dave! You look great man and it awesome to see you still going strong and looking good all these years later. Very motivating bro. I walked away from the gym in Sept of 2018 and 7.5 years later I am in my second week back! To say it sucks is an understatement man. I stopped training, gear and eating right and look like a guy who never went to the gym. lmao
Your pics got me motivated! Thanks! Hope you are well bro.

 

[kadafi2]

Wow Dave! You look great man and it awesome to see you still going strong and looking good all these years later. Very motivating bro. I walked away from the gym in Sept of 2018 and 7.5 years later I am in my second week back! To say it sucks is an understatement man. I stopped training, gear and eating right and look like a guy who never went to the gym. lmao
Your pics got me motivated! Thanks! Hope you are well bro.

I also had a 7-year break, you'll be back soon with a vengeance

 

[kadafi2]

As for @Big Dave Smith, what you wrote about back training really made me think, I am currently testing other solutions that you mentioned, moving away from traditional rowing for a while. So know that many people follow you, because you are an inspiring person.

 

[w8tlifterty]

Wow Dave! You look great man and it awesome to see you still going strong and looking good all these years later. Very motivating bro. I walked away from the gym in Sept of 2018 and 7.5 years later I am in my second week back! To say it sucks is an understatement man. I stopped training, gear and eating right and look like a guy who never went to the gym. lmao
Your pics got me motivated! Thanks! Hope you are well bro.

Blast from the past… there is a name from the good ole’ days. Welcome back

 

[cmryan]

Update

Started cutting around 270-273 AM fasted.

Current weight is down to 250-253 AM fasted.

Cycle
Test Cyp- 50mg ED
Mast Enan- 150mg ED
Primo Enan- 100mg ED
Anavar- 12.5mg AM and PM (25mg ED total) *Just started 2 days ago.
GH- 8iu ED (4iu AM + 4iu preWO)
No AI's

Fat Loss/Misc Stuff
Methylene Blue- 10mg ED
Retatrutide- Started @ 300mcg ED for 3 weeks. Bumped to 450mcg for the last 2 weeks.
SLU-PP-332- 333mcg 3x/day (1mg total ED)
MOTS-C- 1mg ED
5-Amino-1MQ- 150mcg 3x/day
T4- 50mcg AM
T3- 12.5mcg ED (6.25mcg AM, 6.25mcg 12 hours later)
Oral L-Carnitine- 4500mg AM on an empty stomach (couldn't tolerate the knots from injectable)
Nuvigil/Armodafinil- 75mg AM most days, 150mg on "tough days"
Caffeine- tabs as needed. So far 3-5 tabs (200mg) per day.
Oral Albuterol- before doing long walks

Steps- 13,000-15,000 per day average

Will post some more photos soon. I decided to refrain from using clen, yohimbine/rauwolscine, and most stimulatory compounds. Clen makes me angry, irritable, and causes a lot of anxiety. Yohimbine has been off the table for over a decade. I had better success with Rauwolscine in the past, but this year I haven't been able to tolerate it at ALL. The brands I had previously were 1mg Rauwolscine in the form of HCl. The new brands are 2mg, standardized from the plant... and the reactions have been similar to yohimbine. Makes me feel like I have a fever and sickness all day. Not worth the price of admission.

Diet has been mostly 99% ground beef (boiled to remove fat), veggies, rice, egg whites, 647 bread, blueberries, cucumbers mixed with apples, flax oil, Fish Oil, whey isolate, some occasional plain Chex cereal, cream of rice, oats, and HBCD.

Example day of eating. (Foods and macros vary)
1- 2 scoops whey + 1 TB powdered PB
2- 200g ground beef + 200-300g veggies + 80-100g rice (cooked)
3- 200g ground beef + 200-300g veggies + 80-100g rice (cooked)
4- 200g ground beef + 200-300g veggies + 80-100g rice (cooked)
5- 2 scoops whey + 50-100g carbs from a mix of oats and cream of rice
INTRA- 20g EAA's + 20-25g carbs from HBCD
6- 60g protein from egg whites + 6-8 slices 647 toast
*Over the course of the day, I nibble on a mix of cucumbers and apples with ACV and sweetener. The mix typically has 400-500g cucumbers to 100g apples.

The macros have been shifting day to day based.

Non Training days are lower in carbs, around 100-150g. Training days are 150-250g carbs, based on need/feel/short term decisions.

Once a week, based on progress and feed back, I'll bump calories up to maintenance. Protein will be around 300g, fats low, and I'll back fill the remaining calories with carbs. This has been more recent. Initial fat loss was steady. Once I hit the upper 250's, I started auto-regulation style carb cycling.

So far, the "new style" fat loss compounds have felt WAYYYY better than being on the traditional stims. If I need to, I'll experiment with introducing some if necessary, but I've got some time to play.

Here's the difference between early February and this past weekend.

That's damn impressive!
If you don't mind me asking, what amount of the injectable l-carnitine were you using that you replaced with the 4.5 gram oral dose?

 

[Flex500]

Update

Started cutting around 270-273 AM fasted.

Current weight is down to 250-253 AM fasted.

Cycle
Test Cyp- 50mg ED
Mast Enan- 150mg ED
Primo Enan- 100mg ED
Anavar- 12.5mg AM and PM (25mg ED total) *Just started 2 days ago.
GH- 8iu ED (4iu AM + 4iu preWO)
No AI's

Fat Loss/Misc Stuff
Methylene Blue- 10mg ED
Retatrutide- Started @ 300mcg ED for 3 weeks. Bumped to 450mcg for the last 2 weeks.
SLU-PP-332- 333mcg 3x/day (1mg total ED)
MOTS-C- 1mg ED
5-Amino-1MQ- 150mcg 3x/day
T4- 50mcg AM
T3- 12.5mcg ED (6.25mcg AM, 6.25mcg 12 hours later)
Oral L-Carnitine- 4500mg AM on an empty stomach (couldn't tolerate the knots from injectable)
Nuvigil/Armodafinil- 75mg AM most days, 150mg on "tough days"
Caffeine- tabs as needed. So far 3-5 tabs (200mg) per day.
Oral Albuterol- before doing long walks

Steps- 13,000-15,000 per day average

Will post some more photos soon. I decided to refrain from using clen, yohimbine/rauwolscine, and most stimulatory compounds. Clen makes me angry, irritable, and causes a lot of anxiety. Yohimbine has been off the table for over a decade. I had better success with Rauwolscine in the past, but this year I haven't been able to tolerate it at ALL. The brands I had previously were 1mg Rauwolscine in the form of HCl. The new brands are 2mg, standardized from the plant... and the reactions have been similar to yohimbine. Makes me feel like I have a fever and sickness all day. Not worth the price of admission.

Diet has been mostly 99% ground beef (boiled to remove fat), veggies, rice, egg whites, 647 bread, blueberries, cucumbers mixed with apples, flax oil, Fish Oil, whey isolate, some occasional plain Chex cereal, cream of rice, oats, and HBCD.

Example day of eating. (Foods and macros vary)
1- 2 scoops whey + 1 TB powdered PB
2- 200g ground beef + 200-300g veggies + 80-100g rice (cooked)
3- 200g ground beef + 200-300g veggies + 80-100g rice (cooked)
4- 200g ground beef + 200-300g veggies + 80-100g rice (cooked)
5- 2 scoops whey + 50-100g carbs from a mix of oats and cream of rice
INTRA- 20g EAA's + 20-25g carbs from HBCD
6- 60g protein from egg whites + 6-8 slices 647 toast
*Over the course of the day, I nibble on a mix of cucumbers and apples with ACV and sweetener. The mix typically has 400-500g cucumbers to 100g apples.

The macros have been shifting day to day based.

Non Training days are lower in carbs, around 100-150g. Training days are 150-250g carbs, based on need/feel/short term decisions.

Once a week, based on progress and feed back, I'll bump calories up to maintenance. Protein will be around 300g, fats low, and I'll back fill the remaining calories with carbs. This has been more recent. Initial fat loss was steady. Once I hit the upper 250's, I started auto-regulation style carb cycling.

So far, the "new style" fat loss compounds have felt WAYYYY better than being on the traditional stims. If I need to, I'll experiment with introducing some if necessary, but I've got some time to play.

Here's the difference between early February and this past weekend.

just for fun...here is what AI says....


This dude’s routine is very advanced—bordering on research chemist meets contest prep—and reflects deep experimentation, solid structure, and probably elite-level body comp goals. Here's the breakdown by category:

---

Cycle & Compounds:​

Test (50mg ED) – Solid TRT+ base (~350mg/week).
Mast E (150mg ED) – That’s 1,050mg/week. Very high, but likely aiming for cosmetic hardening + anti-estrogen synergy.
Primo E (100mg ED) – 700mg/week. Clean, aesthetic compound, plays well with Mast.
Anavar (25mg ED) – Conservative dose, good timing as fat loss deepens.
GH (8iu/day) – That’s an elite dose. 4iu AM + preWO is textbook fat loss/tissue partitioning protocol.
No AI needed with this stack – makes sense with that much DHT-driven compound support.

---

Fat Loss Peptides / Research Add-ons:​

• Retatrutide – Early stage GLP-1/GIP/Gcg agonist. This is next-gen, and his microdosing approach is smart.
• SLU-PP-332, MOTS-c, 5-Amino-1MQ – Mitochondrial function boosters and AMPK pathway activators. Some evidence, mostly experimental, but not total fluff.
• T3 + T4 – Moderate dose, probably synergizing with GH. Good restraint shown.
• Oral L-carnitine – Effective if high dose and fasted.
• Armodafinil, caffeine, albuterol – Cognitive and fat loss support, but he’s avoiding clen/yohimbine. Smart for sustainability.

---

Diet & Macros:​

• Protein ~375–400g/day
• Carbs 150–250g (training), 100–150g (non-training)
• Fat ~100g depending on leanness goal
  The diet is clean, structured, and full of volume. Ground beef, cucumbers, 647 toast = solid satiety. Boiling the beef = pro move to keep calories tight while preserving protein density.

---

Cardio & Steps:​

13,000–15,000/day = very aggressive NEAT.
He’s basically staying peeled without fasted cardio or HIIT.

---

Evaluation:​

What’s Great:​

• PEDs are tailored and synergistic, not overloaded.
• Data-driven with autoregulation.
• Experimental compounds are cutting edge but within reason.
• No clen/yohimbine = better long-term compliance and mood.
• High NEAT without burnout cardio.
• Weekly maintenance refeed to prevent metabolic crash.

What to Watch:​

• Mast at 1,050mg/week long term = lipid strain.
• Total androgen load is pushing 2.1g/week—very high.
• Liver support for orals? (no mention)
• Adrenal load from modafinil + caffeine? Manage carefully.
• GH @ 8iu/day: costly and can lead to water retention, insulin resistance if not monitored.

---

Bottom Line:​

This guy is running an extremely well-structured, high-end recomp or contest-level protocol with modern tools. If you’re a seasoned bodybuilder or physique athlete looking for inspiration, this is A-tier stuff—but it’s not beginner-friendly and definitely not health-optimized long-term.

Would I replicate it? Only if I had:

• Labs monitored routinely
• Deep familiarity with these compounds
• A clear timeline and exit strategy
  Otherwise? It’s impressive as hell—but definitely not a sustainable protocol for most.

Let me know if you want a version of this tailored to your goals.

 

[powerforward]

Update

Started cutting around 270-273 AM fasted.

Current weight is down to 250-253 AM fasted.

Cycle
Test Cyp- 50mg ED
Mast Enan- 150mg ED
Primo Enan- 100mg ED
Anavar- 12.5mg AM and PM (25mg ED total) *Just started 2 days ago.
GH- 8iu ED (4iu AM + 4iu preWO)
No AI's

Fat Loss/Misc Stuff
Methylene Blue- 10mg ED
Retatrutide- Started @ 300mcg ED for 3 weeks. Bumped to 450mcg for the last 2 weeks.
SLU-PP-332- 333mcg 3x/day (1mg total ED)
MOTS-C- 1mg ED
5-Amino-1MQ- 150mcg 3x/day
T4- 50mcg AM
T3- 12.5mcg ED (6.25mcg AM, 6.25mcg 12 hours later)
Oral L-Carnitine- 4500mg AM on an empty stomach (couldn't tolerate the knots from injectable)
Nuvigil/Armodafinil- 75mg AM most days, 150mg on "tough days"
Caffeine- tabs as needed. So far 3-5 tabs (200mg) per day.
Oral Albuterol- before doing long walks

Steps- 13,000-15,000 per day average

Will post some more photos soon. I decided to refrain from using clen, yohimbine/rauwolscine, and most stimulatory compounds. Clen makes me angry, irritable, and causes a lot of anxiety. Yohimbine has been off the table for over a decade. I had better success with Rauwolscine in the past, but this year I haven't been able to tolerate it at ALL. The brands I had previously were 1mg Rauwolscine in the form of HCl. The new brands are 2mg, standardized from the plant... and the reactions have been similar to yohimbine. Makes me feel like I have a fever and sickness all day. Not worth the price of admission.

Diet has been mostly 99% ground beef (boiled to remove fat), veggies, rice, egg whites, 647 bread, blueberries, cucumbers mixed with apples, flax oil, Fish Oil, whey isolate, some occasional plain Chex cereal, cream of rice, oats, and HBCD.

Example day of eating. (Foods and macros vary)
1- 2 scoops whey + 1 TB powdered PB
2- 200g ground beef + 200-300g veggies + 80-100g rice (cooked)
3- 200g ground beef + 200-300g veggies + 80-100g rice (cooked)
4- 200g ground beef + 200-300g veggies + 80-100g rice (cooked)
5- 2 scoops whey + 50-100g carbs from a mix of oats and cream of rice
INTRA- 20g EAA's + 20-25g carbs from HBCD
6- 60g protein from egg whites + 6-8 slices 647 toast
*Over the course of the day, I nibble on a mix of cucumbers and apples with ACV and sweetener. The mix typically has 400-500g cucumbers to 100g apples.

The macros have been shifting day to day based.

Non Training days are lower in carbs, around 100-150g. Training days are 150-250g carbs, based on need/feel/short term decisions.

Once a week, based on progress and feed back, I'll bump calories up to maintenance. Protein will be around 300g, fats low, and I'll back fill the remaining calories with carbs. This has been more recent. Initial fat loss was steady. Once I hit the upper 250's, I started auto-regulation style carb cycling.

So far, the "new style" fat loss compounds have felt WAYYYY better than being on the traditional stims. If I need to, I'll experiment with introducing some if necessary, but I've got some time to play.

Here's the difference between early February and this past weekend.

awesome good to see you still looking awesome buddy

 

[bigzzz]

I haven't used a PPL split for a while now.

For the past 2-3 years...

S- Back Load/Biceps pump
S- Chest Load/Delts Load/triceps pump
M- REST
T- Legs/Lat pump
W- REST
Th- Arms Load/Chest pump/Delts pump
F- REST

I've read what you mean with the 'pump' stuff above. What do you mean by the load part? Just lower repranges then the pump stuff or? Do you feel like training 4 days per week works the best for you for building mass?

@Big Dave Smith

 

[Big Dave Smith]

Pump stuff = 2-3 sets of an isolation exercise with low systemic fatigue, all sets to failure within the 15-25 range, no weight or rep range logged
Load = More volume, rep ranges varying between 6-12, all sets tracked for reps and weight, emphasis on progression with weight and/or reps

When you use phrases like "Training 4 days a week works best for you" and "building mass", there's no context behind it.

The number of days someone trains isn't a magic number. It's based on intensity, volume, nutrition, drugs, genetics, and personal schedule. Everyone can make progress training between 3 and 6 days per week if they've figured out all the variables. It's when they don't understand those variable that you hear "Training (x) of days works for me".

"Building mass" is just a euphemism for trying to gain muscle. That's not dictated by a magic number. It's controlled by mastering the variables above.

There are only 3 phases a bodybuilder can be in.
1- Trying to grow muscle with a caloric surplus.
2- Trying to maintain muscle and body composition by eating maintenance calories.
3- Trying to lose fat while in a caloric deficit.

My training strategy stays the same all year except for when I'm within 4-5 weeks of a contest, or if I'm on strictly TRT (200mg/wk). In those cases, I'll adjust volume to be a little lower, or take fewer sets to failure, and/or choose exercises with less systemic fatigue.

I train 4 days per week because of my job, my responsibilities, and my dogs. I would prefer to train 5 days per week, but that's mostly psychological. I don't think I would benefit any more if I added one more day of training. If anything, I'd have to readjust volume, intensity, exercise selection, and nutrition... and find the right balance of those things to manage the recovery necessary to warrant a 5th day.

 

[bigzzz]

Great reply, thankyou!

 

[bigzzz]

Hey @Big Dave Smith how are you doing now?

 

[Big Dave Smith]

Hey @Big Dave Smith how are you doing now?

Pretty good. Still lurking around here every day, but haven’t posted much.

At the beginning of a cut phase. Hoping to compete this summer. Weight’s around 253-256. Started cutting at 268. Still hitting BJJ once or twice a week.

 

[Shogun]

Still training 4x per week?

 

[Big Dave Smith]

Still training 4x per week?

Yes, been doing so for a very long time. It’d be nice to have a 5th day, but 4 does me just fine.

I’ve switched back to an upper/lower split recently. Had a lot of success with Scott Stevenson’s Fortitude Training, so I’ve blended his concepts with some of my own.

It’s amazing to see stuff we figured out 10-15 years ago, considered a little wacky at the time, being popularized by a lot of the more modern coaches.

Scott used to minimize my cardio and ask me to take my dog for walks (Steps).

FT Training = high frequency/low volume, with volume progression and auto regulation… now popular with J3U and RP.

 

[Big Dave Smith]

Current. Woke up at 251 today.

 

[thethinker48]

Yes, been doing so for a very long time. It’d be nice to have a 5th day, but 4 does me just fine.

I’ve switched back to an upper/lower split recently. Had a lot of success with Scott Stevenson’s Fortitude Training, so I’ve blended his concepts with some of my own.

It’s amazing to see stuff we figured out 10-15 years ago, considered a little wacky at the time, being popularized by a lot of the more modern coaches.

Scott used to minimize my cardio and ask me to take my dog for walks (Steps).

FT Training = high frequency/low volume, with volume progression and auto regulation… now popular with J3U and RP.

Scott was so ahead of his time

I remember reading the FT ebook 6 years ago and the amount of dense and specific info in it would be sold by coaches today as an entire classroom series

And he barely charged for it and gave folks access to his forum too where he'd answer every question (he might still do this!)

I remember I was in college eating canned salmon and rice reading Scott's book in my car during one of my part time jobs before I headed to the gym lol