What would you do differently?

[Tomgrass]

I think that you should do 500mg test and 4iu day with orals on and off for the next few months. Stick to 3 days per week higher volume and carb cycle. Do that for 4-6 months then get stupid lean and rinse repeat. Dont complicate things and make sure you eat those 250-300 grams protein a day. Make sure that you use a lot veg and fruits in your diet ,2-3 times lean beef in a week , creatine and intraworkout carbs . Make sure that you beat logbook every session and prioritise sleep with daily naps.

 

[marssel]

Ooooofff absolutely. I don’t think most people realize how hard it is to build that much true lean tissue. So much of a blast/growth phase is glycogen and nitrogen retention. If I put on 20 total pounds I’m happy if I obtained 5 pounds of lean tissue when all is said and done.

Yea most guys who switch to gear gain around 20 fairly quickly then after that every bounce of muscle is clawed and scratched for intensely. You are focused and young. The extra weight could be a hinderance to your mma and mma could cause you to lose that 20 of muscle quick with a big injury so I’d think hard on stuff like that and CrossFit.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

I mean i think everyone has beaten it to death already...diet diet diet.
Literally, there is NO WAY to look your best without tracking your diet. Simple as that. UNLESS you are genetic freak, naturally lean as hell with a hummingbird metabolism, you HAVE to track.

Food is progressive, just like every other factor in BBing. You simple cannot just "eat right" to look the way u want to look. ESPECIALLY if the goal is to gain "20-30lbs of LBM."

 

[Aikman56]

I’m going with what everyone else said about diet. although I track every gram of everything I put into my mouth now, both off-season and pre-contest, I only started doing that about 10 years ago. If I was dieting for a contest, I would be super dialed in. In the off-season, as long as I was getting in the amount of protein I needed, I would eat whatever I wanted. I was so undisciplined and scattershot with my off-season nutrition… I could have been so much more efficient & targeted. I know for a fact that I could have grown better and stayed leaner. Not only that, but I hate to think of how many pounds of muscle I died it away having to cut down between 30 and 50 pounds to get ready for a contest!
I really wish I had a time machine to go back to my 25-year-old self (actually I’d prefer my 14-year-old self, when I first picked up a barbell), sit him down with a five subject notebook and a pack of ink pens, and just tell him “shut up, listen close, and start writing”!

Oh, and I definitely would have bought tons of bitcoin!

 

[gauge22-v2]

Ooooofff absolutely. I don’t think most people realize how hard it is to build that much true lean tissue. So much of a blast/growth phase is glycogen and nitrogen retention. If I put on 20 total pounds I’m happy if I obtained 5 pounds of lean tissue when all is said and done.

I think most people also do not realize how much each lb of lean mass is! Not exact obviously, but look at a 2lb pack of ground beef. Now imagine putting 20 of those on your body. Holy fuck.

 

[NEMSZ]

I think that you should do 500mg test and 4iu day with orals on and off for the next few months. Stick to 3 days per week higher volume and carb cycle. Do that for 4-6 months then get stupid lean and rinse repeat. Dont complicate things and make sure you eat those 250-300 grams protein a day. Make sure that you use a lot veg and fruits in your diet ,2-3 times lean beef in a week , creatine and intraworkout carbs . Make sure that you beat logbook every session and prioritise sleep with daily naps.

Thanks for your input, but I’m curious to know;

Why do you think 3x per week lifting with higher volume would be better than the current split of 2 on 1 off but with higher intensity/heavier weight and an every 5 day frequency? It would be more difficult to train as intensely with added volume I would think?

Maybe it’s just me thinking and feeling like I’d be lazy only training 3x per week, like I’m leaving something on the table, though I have seen pretty big guys, as well as Big A I believe said they all had great success with 3x per week training..

Just interested in your thoughts…

 

[NEMSZ]

I mean i think everyone has beaten it to death already...diet diet diet.
Literally, there is NO WAY to look your best without tracking your diet. Simple as that. UNLESS you are genetic freak, naturally lean as hell with a hummingbird metabolism, you HAVE to track.

Food is progressive, just like every other factor in BBing. You simple cannot just "eat right" to look the way u want to look. ESPECIALLY if the goal is to gain "20-30lbs of LBM."

I’m going with what everyone else said about diet. although I track every gram of everything I put into my mouth now, both off-season and pre-contest, I only started doing that about 10 years ago. If I was dieting for a contest, I would be super dialed in. In the off-season, as long as I was getting in the amount of protein I needed, I would eat whatever I wanted. I was so undisciplined and scattershot with my off-season nutrition… I could have been so much more efficient & targeted. I know for a fact that I could have grown better and stayed leaner. Not only that, but I hate to think of how many pounds of muscle I died it away having to cut down between 30 and 50 pounds to get ready for a contest!
I really wish I had a time machine to go back to my 25-year-old self (actually I’d prefer my 14-year-old self, when I first picked up a barbell), sit him down with a five subject notebook and a pack of ink pens, and just tell him “shut up, listen close, and start writing”!

Oh, and I definitely would have bought tons of bitcoin!

Quoting both of you on this question/comment;

So I understand 100% why someone would want to track every single bit of their diet on a prep, it’s obvious, you’re trying to bring your best package to a show..

But as for being super diligent tracking everything while trying to build muscle;

Is it basically just an efficiency thing of getting to the end goal faster/easier?

Because from my very limited understanding, as long as you’re in a decent surplus and eating enough protein, you’re going to gain muscle.. Granted, someone doesn’t want to be pounding burgers and pizzas to get the calories because the goal is also to limit fat gain..

So is it a thing where for example, I laid out that I roughly eat 3500 calories a day and my macros and I’ve been gaining slowly over the past 6-7 weeks on that, if I meticulously track it then I can add say, 200 more calories, accurately, and more accurately monitor my body and fat gain etc??

I tracked at the beginning to see what I was eating then said to myself basically “ok on these meals just add a bit more rice or a bit more potatoes etc” and that’s my “surplus”

But I assume what you guys are saying is your body responds much better to growing when you add 200 calories consistently and accurately then when you stabilize, add 200 more and so on VS adding 200 today then maybe it’s 500 tomorrow, then 300 the next day, then it’s 425 the following day etc and in the grand scheme of things it makes reaching the goal far easier and more efficient?

I’m not opposed to doing it, just curious to understand the mechanisms here.. I was under the impression that since I’m not trying to be a competitive bodybuilder, maybe I don’t have to be so diligent on the gaining phases of things, just eat clean, eat a lot of protein and lift/sleep etc but if you guys are looking at it from an experience standpoint of “yea, that could work but it’ll take longer, do this and you can get there in half the time” per say…

 

[qbkilla]

Quoting both of you on this question/comment;

So I understand 100% why someone would want to track every single bit of their diet on a prep, it’s obvious, you’re trying to bring your best package to a show..

But as for being super diligent tracking everything while trying to build muscle;

Is it basically just an efficiency thing of getting to the end goal faster/easier?

Because from my very limited understanding, as long as you’re in a decent surplus and eating enough protein, you’re going to gain muscle.. Granted, someone doesn’t want to be pounding burgers and pizzas to get the calories because the goal is also to limit fat gain..

So is it a thing where for example, I laid out that I roughly eat 3500 calories a day and my macros and I’ve been gaining slowly over the past 6-7 weeks on that, if I meticulously track it then I can add say, 200 more calories, accurately, and more accurately monitor my body and fat gain etc??

I tracked at the beginning to see what I was eating then said to myself basically “ok on these meals just add a bit more rice or a bit more potatoes etc” and that’s my “surplus”

But I assume what you guys are saying is your body responds much better to growing when you add 200 calories consistently and accurately then when you stabilize, add 200 more and so on VS adding 200 today then maybe it’s 500 tomorrow, then 300 the next day, then it’s 425 the following day etc and in the grand scheme of things it makes reaching the goal far easier and more efficient?

I’m not opposed to doing it, just curious to understand the mechanisms here.. I was under the impression that since I’m not trying to be a competitive bodybuilder, maybe I don’t have to be so diligent on the gaining phases of things, just eat clean, eat a lot of protein and lift/sleep etc but if you guys are looking at it from an experience standpoint of “yea, that could work but it’ll take longer, do this and you can get there in half the time” per say…

I mean it's just data. It ensures your in a surplus, helps you determine maintence and what the deficit will be. Let's you know where you were at when you resume bulking. Helps you keep from adding too much fat which fucks insulin sensitivity, makes you look bad, unhealthy, could raise BP, then you have more fat to cut so a longer diet. Just makes too much sense to track calories regardless of gaining or cutting. Not even to mention it's a best practice and shapes discipline which is needed in bodybuilding.

 

[pickapeck]

I would limit fucks to 3 times per lady except for a home piece.

 

[Tomgrass]

Thanks for your input, but I’m curious to know;

Why do you think 3x per week lifting with higher volume would be better than the current split of 2 on 1 off but with higher intensity/heavier weight and an every 5 day frequency? It would be more difficult to train as intensely with added volume I would think?

Maybe it’s just me thinking and feeling like I’d be lazy only training 3x per week, like I’m leaving something on the table, though I have seen pretty big guys, as well as Big A I believe said they all had great success with 3x per week training..

Just interested in your thoughts…

When my session is done part of me stays in the gym forever there is no way i would be able to train like this more times. I really give all i have

 

[luki7788]

Quoting both of you on this question/comment;

So I understand 100% why someone would want to track every single bit of their diet on a prep, it’s obvious, you’re trying to bring your best package to a show..

But as for being super diligent tracking everything while trying to build muscle;

Is it basically just an efficiency thing of getting to the end goal faster/easier?

Because from my very limited understanding, as long as you’re in a decent surplus and eating enough protein, you’re going to gain muscle.. Granted, someone doesn’t want to be pounding burgers and pizzas to get the calories because the goal is also to limit fat gain..

So is it a thing where for example, I laid out that I roughly eat 3500 calories a day and my macros and I’ve been gaining slowly over the past 6-7 weeks on that, if I meticulously track it then I can add say, 200 more calories, accurately, and more accurately monitor my body and fat gain etc??

I tracked at the beginning to see what I was eating then said to myself basically “ok on these meals just add a bit more rice or a bit more potatoes etc” and that’s my “surplus”

But I assume what you guys are saying is your body responds much better to growing when you add 200 calories consistently and accurately then when you stabilize, add 200 more and so on VS adding 200 today then maybe it’s 500 tomorrow, then 300 the next day, then it’s 425 the following day etc and in the grand scheme of things it makes reaching the goal far easier and more efficient?

I’m not opposed to doing it, just curious to understand the mechanisms here.. I was under the impression that since I’m not trying to be a competitive bodybuilder, maybe I don’t have to be so diligent on the gaining phases of things, just eat clean, eat a lot of protein and lift/sleep etc but if you guys are looking at it from an experience standpoint of “yea, that could work but it’ll take longer, do this and you can get there in half the time” per say…

if you just want to be a big guy from the gym you don't have to follow anything but when you follow everything you simply enter another level unattainable for 99% of trainees because there is one "damn obsessive consistency" the best example is John Jewett look at the progress he made when he started to control everything in 99.9% - even though he has been in bodybuilding for a good 20 years now he has only just exploded with progress

but if you just want to be a little better than 99% of guys from the wordlist - no you don't need it

 

[EnhancedFatGrappler]

You really think it would take 3-5 years? Jesus, was I really that off?

It just takes time to grow muscle, even with all the gear, kcals and training.

But looking great, or even looking bigger than you actually are - what bodybuilding is all about, creating the perfect Illusion - that can happen way faster .

 

[Aikman56]

Quoting both of you on this question/comment;

So I understand 100% why someone would want to track every single bit of their diet on a prep, it’s obvious, you’re trying to bring your best package to a show..

But as for being super diligent tracking everything while trying to build muscle;

Is it basically just an efficiency thing of getting to the end goal faster/easier?

Because from my very limited understanding, as long as you’re in a decent surplus and eating enough protein, you’re going to gain muscle.. Granted, someone doesn’t want to be pounding burgers and pizzas to get the calories because the goal is also to limit fat gain..

So is it a thing where for example, I laid out that I roughly eat 3500 calories a day and my macros and I’ve been gaining slowly over the past 6-7 weeks on that, if I meticulously track it then I can add say, 200 more calories, accurately, and more accurately monitor my body and fat gain etc??

I tracked at the beginning to see what I was eating then said to myself basically “ok on these meals just add a bit more rice or a bit more potatoes etc” and that’s my “surplus”

But I assume what you guys are saying is your body responds much better to growing when you add 200 calories consistently and accurately then when you stabilize, add 200 more and so on VS adding 200 today then maybe it’s 500 tomorrow, then 300 the next day, then it’s 425 the following day etc and in the grand scheme of things it makes reaching the goal far easier and more efficient?

I’m not opposed to doing it, just curious to understand the mechanisms here.. I was under the impression that since I’m not trying to be a competitive bodybuilder, maybe I don’t have to be so diligent on the gaining phases of things, just eat clean, eat a lot of protein and lift/sleep etc but if you guys are looking at it from an experience standpoint of “yea, that could work but it’ll take longer, do this and you can get there in half the time” per say…

First, I'll say do what works for you. I would NEVER tell someone to live like I live. Most people would just not enjoy the lifestyle if they were as OCD as I am with my nutrition. It's just what works best for me, personally.

That disclaimer aside, here's how may damaged mind works...

From a black-and-white "data" reasoning, there's NO intrinsic benefit in eating shit, and tracking in the offseason establishes and fosters good habits. When I start prep, I have to do NOTHING differently. I simply adjust amounts. Additionally, since abandoning the scatteshot offseason approach, cravings during prep are virtually nonexistent. I NEVER crave specific foods when I diet. Do I want MORE? Hells yes! But do I constantly fight off the urge to binge on pizza and burgers? Not even once. And I'll say with no ego that I get in as good or better shape than anyone with whom I share a stage.

Beyond that, I have come to believe that the more accurate you are, the more targeted you can be. ESPECIALLY for someone like me...a person that struggles to add muscle, but adds fat way too easily. It's not that I necessarily add muscle "easier" when I track everything, it's that I DON'T accumulate bodyfat as easily. I look at it this way: when I make soup, I don't just dump everything in the pot and hope for the best. I add igrrediets and spices/sale/etc. one thing at a time. I have more control over how the final product tastes. And, as I mentioned, I KNOW I sacrificed a lot of muscle having to diet off 30-50 lbs. to get in competition shape.

Finally, if a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing correctly. I enjoy junk food more than most normal people, but if it doesn't get me closer to my goal, aside from the occasional mental break, why bother with it?

And it's not just because I compete... it's because I want to LOOK a certain way. When I'm done competing, nothing will change (exception pelting my liver with orals for six weeks before competing!), I will be the old dude in the gym that is always in shape. I would rather DIE that become one of those former bodybuilders that looks like a retired lineman.

I know that response is kind of all over the place, but it's a little more comprehensive than just saying "I'm a psychopath that is shoveling dirt on the fat kid that I killed so long ago."!

 

[Aikman56]

I mean it's just data. It ensures your in a surplus, helps you determine maintence and what the deficit will be. Let's you know where you were at when you resume bulking. Helps you keep from adding too much fat which fucks insulin sensitivity, makes you look bad, unhealthy, could raise BP, then you have more fat to cut so a longer diet. Just makes too much sense to track calories regardless of gaining or cutting. Not even to mention it's a best practice and shapes discipline which is needed in bodybuilding.

MUCH more succinct than I could EVER be!

 

[Aikman56]

if you just want to be a big guy from the gym you don't have to follow anything but when you follow everything you simply enter another level unattainable for 99% of trainees because there is one "damn obsessive consistency" the best example is John Jewett look at the progress he made when he started to control everything in 99.9% - even though he has been in bodybuilding for a good 20 years now he has only just exploded with progress

but if you just want to be a little better than 99% of guys from the wordlist - no you don't need it

So true!

I know that my genetics for bodybuilding are largely crap, so I have to control EVERYTHING that I can control.

 

[Flex500]

Looking to get some constructive advice on my approach here to some newly desired bodybuilding goals, now this is not a “hardcore bodybuilding” goal or post, so please don’t eat me if that’s what you want to see


Past/Current Training:

For the past couple years, didn’t really do much weight lifting at all, some CrossFit BS about 3-4 years ago, then got heavily back into BJJ/Striking about 2+ years ago and only strictly did that with some conditioning work and some weight lifting days when my training partners wanted to get a lift in but nothing bodybuilding related by any means.. After a pretty bad shoulder injury during an intense training camp (tore labrum and cartilage in my right shoulder causing blood/liquid filled cysts per MRI that I needed to have aspirated) I took a break from the BJJ/Striking to heal up and got back into lifting weights after PT for my shoulder and found a new enjoyment with it..

My current split is a PPL but 2 on 1 off;

Day 1: Legs
Day 2: Chest/Tris/Shoulders
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Back/Bis
Day 5: Legs
Day 6:Off
Day 7: Chest/Tris/Shoulders
Day 8: Back/Bis


And so on..

An example of my routine:

Back:

Lat Pull Downs: 1x20 (try and get a deep stretch and flex, get a good pump/warm up), 1x15, 1x12, 1x8,5,3 (rest pause reaching muscular failure)

Barbell or Cable Rows: 1x15, 1x12, 1x8,5,3 (rest pause reaching muscular failure)

High Row Machine: 1x15, 1x12, 1x8,5,3 (rest pause reaching muscular failure)

Pull Over Machine: 3x15 pyramiding up in weight, trying to hit failure in the last set

Biceps:

Preacher Curls: 4x12-15 pyramiding weight trying to reach failure on last set

Seated Alternating Dumbell Curls: 4x12-15

Reverse Curls: 2x failure

Cardio/Off Days:

Off days I will usually do some Tabatas on the assault bike, nothing too crazy maybe 2-3 rounds of 8 Tabatas, I’ll do Shrugs/Forearms/Neck workouts on these days as well, nothing too taxing but I have trouble staying still and doing nothing for a day..

Training Days I’ll usually do some LISS cardio or just go on an extra long walk listening to a podcast, with work and my walks I’ll easily get in 15-18k steps in..

BJJ/Striking:

Taking a break from this for now, my best friend (and coach) is on a 2 month trip in Thailand training and helping with some training camps at Tiger Muay Thai and Bangtao so I won’t be doing anything with the above until he gets back, but I plan to dial it back from what I was doing before; will probably resume with 3-4 training sessions per week of either, or a mix of both, but pursuing it any more seriously than that just isn’t in the cards for me, I’m 10+ years older than most of the up and comers and I thought I could keep up but the trade offs just aren’t worth it at this point..

Diet:

Admittedly, I don’t measure or track anything other than protein, I try to get in minimum 200-250g protein per day, that’s it.. I don’t measure anything else, but most of my food sources on a daily basis are;

Whey Protein
Eggs
Grass Fed Beef/Steaks
Chicken
Jasmine Rice
Potatoes
Triple Zero Greek Protein Yogurt
Fruits (mangoes, bananas, Berries)
Honey
Veggies

AAS/Gear - Past/Present:

I care deeply about my health and I’m not wanting to push things too hard

That being said for the past 10+ years I’ve been on TRT, 140mg per week, I’ve done some sporadic moments with 200mg per week where I’ve gotten blood work and I’ve done HGH no higher than 3iu per day to help with my recovery when I was doing BJJ etc but I stopped that like 5-6 months ago..

Currently I’m doing 50mg per day Test E, so 350mg per week, nothing else.. I posted in another thread about 6-8 weeks ago or something that I had started 525mg Test from a supposed reputable sponsor about 6-8 weeks before that and bloodwork confirmed that was BS because my levels on 200mg per week from the pharmacy were 1390 and on 525mg from said sponsor I was at 1450 , so I wasted like 8 weeks still being on TRT basically, waited to get new stuff and since started the new Test at 350mg per week I do feel the difference (will be getting bloods to confirm levels on Wednesday) sand I want to increment AAS slowly to get the most out of each incremental dose.. So far it’s been 6-7 weeks of the 350mg Test..

Planning on adding HGH at 3iu per day after blood work and later on, maybe in a few months I’ll add in some Primo..

Goal: My goal is to be 200lbs 9-10% bodyfat, I know it’s not an extreme bodybuilding goal, but it’s where I want to be for my ideal physique goal (giving myself something to work for) while still enjoying my training/abilities in BJJ/Striking..

Side Notes:

Im currently hovering around 192lbs @ 5’9 and I’d say realistically probably 13-14% bodyfat, I know the ideal thing to do as I’ve seen Luki and other guys post about it is to get extremely lean then build off of that rebound and do a couple of cycles of that until you get to your desired goals (I may be oversimplifying the explanation) but I felt I had no real “muscular base” from not weight training for so many years and feared if I just dieted down straight away to a super lean bodyfat that I’d just be a 160-165lb guy with shredded abs but absolutely nothing else (no shoulders, arms, chest etc).. So right now and for the past few weeks since Ive started this I’ve just been eating, training like the above and taking incremental amounts of AAS to see what my body does, trying to at least build some kind of muscular base over the next 6 months or so, not trying to gain too much bodyfat and ideally if I can recomp, then even better, then do a hard diet starting around April, then evaluate where I am from there..

I don’t expect to put on an insane amount of muscle in 6 months but if I can at least make the switch of being a potential 160-165lb guy with no base at a lean bodyfat to a 170lb guy with a muscular base at a lean bodyfat then that’s something, and I know I probably won’t build those extra 25-30lbs of lean tissue right away but I’m hoping I can get it done realistically in 12-18 months (I may be way off on this) and hoping I don’t need an insane amount of AAS to accomplish that, as I don’t see it as the type of physique that requires anything extreme in that regard..

Pics:

Attached are pictures I’ve posted in the past but I don’t post here much anymore and it’s pretty much my same starting point considering nothing changed from those pictures to the start of this new journey, I was eating and training the same for progression on the mats, not for bodybuilding so needless to say my look didn’t change much..

Was about 182-185lbs in the pics..

Any constructive criticism is appreciated..

Based on everything you said, I think you just need consistency of training, diet, gear. To be clear, you will get faster and better results with a plan from Luki or some other coach micromanaging it. However...if I was in your shoes and wanted to look significantly different over the next 6 months here is exactly what I'd do based on what you said...

I'd settle on a "base" amount of food over the next 6-8 weeks. You said you eat 3,300-3,500...I'd cut it to 3,000 by cutting down some carbs. I'd stick with whole foods but not get neurotic about all kinds of nuance and exact carb timing etc. Hit your 250 protein and stick to 3,000 calories and see what your weight does and how your look changes over this next 6-8 weeks with hard training and higher drugs. I guarantee if you stick to that with the training and the drugs you will see a recomp effect.

At that point if things are changing quickly, maybe you don't even need to change anything or maybe you can increase or reduce food, add food on training days, reduce on non-training days, etc. etc. but overall it feels like settling on a "base" of training, diet, and drugs would be the best first start.

 

[NEMSZ]

if you just want to be a big guy from the gym you don't have to follow anything but when you follow everything you simply enter another level unattainable for 99% of trainees because there is one "damn obsessive consistency" the best example is John Jewett look at the progress he made when he started to control everything in 99.9% - even though he has been in bodybuilding for a good 20 years now he has only just exploded with progress

but if you just want to be a little better than 99% of guys from the wordlist - no you don't need it

First, I'll say do what works for you. I would NEVER tell someone to live like I live. Most people would just not enjoy the lifestyle if they were as OCD as I am with my nutrition. It's just what works best for me, personally.

That disclaimer aside, here's how may damaged mind works...

From a black-and-white "data" reasoning, there's NO intrinsic benefit in eating shit, and tracking in the offseason establishes and fosters good habits. When I start prep, I have to do NOTHING differently. I simply adjust amounts. Additionally, since abandoning the scatteshot offseason approach, cravings during prep are virtually nonexistent. I NEVER crave specific foods when I diet. Do I want MORE? Hells yes! But do I constantly fight off the urge to binge on pizza and burgers? Not even once. And I'll say with no ego that I get in as good or better shape than anyone with whom I share a stage.

Beyond that, I have come to believe that the more accurate you are, the more targeted you can be. ESPECIALLY for someone like me...a person that struggles to add muscle, but adds fat way too easily. It's not that I necessarily add muscle "easier" when I track everything, it's that I DON'T accumulate bodyfat as easily. I look at it this way: when I make soup, I don't just dump everything in the pot and hope for the best. I add igrrediets and spices/sale/etc. one thing at a time. I have more control over how the final product tastes. And, as I mentioned, I KNOW I sacrificed a lot of muscle having to diet off 30-50 lbs. to get in competition shape.

Finally, if a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing correctly. I enjoy junk food more than most normal people, but if it doesn't get me closer to my goal, aside from the occasional mental break, why bother with it?

And it's not just because I compete... it's because I want to LOOK a certain way. When I'm done competing, nothing will change (exception pelting my liver with orals for six weeks before competing!), I will be the old dude in the gym that is always in shape. I would rather DIE that become one of those former bodybuilders that looks like a retired lineman.

I know that response is kind of all over the place, but it's a little more comprehensive than just saying "I'm a psychopath that is shoveling dirt on the fat kid that I killed so long ago."!

Based on everything you said, I think you just need consistency of training, diet, gear. To be clear, you will get faster and better results with a plan from Luki or some other coach micromanaging it. However...if I was in your shoes and wanted to look significantly different over the next 6 months here is exactly what I'd do based on what you said...

I'd settle on a "base" amount of food over the next 6-8 weeks. You said you eat 3,300-3,500...I'd cut it to 3,000 by cutting down some carbs. I'd stick with whole foods but not get neurotic about all kinds of nuance and exact carb timing etc. Hit your 250 protein and stick to 3,000 calories and see what your weight does and how your look changes over this next 6-8 weeks with hard training and higher drugs. I guarantee if you stick to that with the training and the drugs you will see a recomp effect.

At that point if things are changing quickly, maybe you don't even need to change anything or maybe you can increase or reduce food, add food on training days, reduce on non-training days, etc. etc. but overall it feels like settling on a "base" of training, diet, and drugs would be the best first start.

Thank you guys, and everyone else for the replies and encouragement, it means a lot…

@luki7788 Thanks for taking the time, I’m not sure if that was subliminal motivation but it worked

@Aikman56 Thank you for the detailed response brother; to clarify a little bit, I wasn’t implying eating garbage and winging it with only tracking protein, I eat pretty much what I listed in my OP and because I work so much, I stick to pretty much the same foods, only thing I did was after measuring things out I kinda just eyeball it now I mean, I might not be so good at it, but I’d find it hard to believe that guys like you or Luki, after tracking foods for so long, couldn’t eyeball some rice or chicken etc down to the gram

In my mind I was just like “eehhhh, I’m not trying to be a competitive bodybuilder so I’ll eyeball it and save some time” and the occasional eating out or “cheat” for me is going to my favorite sushi spot and eating 2 beef tatakis and a couple sushi rolls, nothing crazy, and if I’m short on time and I need something quick, I’ll get a double chicken bowl from chipotle with some rice, veggies and guac..

I do like sweets occasionally but I’m pretty good at limiting that now a days, I don’t crave it, I made fruits my “sweet cravings”…

But I appreciate the explanation and break down, I honestly didn’t give that a thought and was being lazy in the department..

@Flex500 Thank you bro..

I’m definitely going to be tracking food, doing the carb cycling and with the training and rest (rest is something I need to be very intentional and diligent about, I’m the worst at that variable of the 3 I believe) and see where I’m at over the next couple months and reevaluate the next steps.. I’m really looking forward to this..

 

[Swifto]

If you dont want to push the drugs, then you need to be absolutely 100% on diet, training, sleep, recovery and stress.

Unless you're some genetic freak? But lets be realistic, you'd already know that now.

You dont need high drugs if your goal is to just look good for the beach. Squeezing more out of less is nailing the above consistently for years and progressing food and lifts.

 

[3BILLS]

I didn't read through everything but you decided to keep dieting to lose fat ?

 

[NEMSZ]

I didn't read through everything but you decided to keep dieting to lose fat ?

No, I never started “dieting” was just eating clean in a slight surplus to build some muscle and create a base before really dieting down hard; received advice to carb cycle and attempt to recomp and see where I’m at to see if I push up or push to get really lean then up..