Eating to grow

[logan042]

I used Starting Strength as espoused in the first ed to good effect in my 20’s. I’ve been making my way through the grey and blue book and noted different dietary advice. I am looking to run Starting Strength while training in Brazilian Jiujitsu and kickboxing. I would like to know if with the extra demands of sport practice if I should just drink the milk and eat like Takeru Kobayashi. I’m a male in my forties and weigh 270. I don’t really care if I get fatter I’ll probably clean up my diet after the Texas Method. I want to be hellaciously strong for an old man and that’s my priority for now.

Thanks in advance coach.

[Mark Rippetoe]

How tall are you?

[Nick Delgadillo]

I used Starting Strength as espoused in the first ed to good effect in my 20’s. I’ve been making my way through the grey and blue book and noted different dietary advice. I am looking to run Starting Strength while training in Brazilian Jiujitsu and kickboxing. I would like to know if with the extra demands of sport practice if I should just drink the milk and eat like Takeru Kobayashi. I’m a male in my forties and weigh 270. I don’t really care if I get fatter I’ll probably clean up my diet after the Texas Method. I want to be hellaciously strong for an old man and that’s my priority for now.

Thanks in advance coach.

You probably don't need to gain any weight, but we need a bunch more info. How long have you been doing BJJ and kickboxing? Are you training now? What are your numbers?

You said you don't "care if you get fatter." So if you're already fat, you likely just need to start training. No need to plan on getting fatter for anyone doing the program - especially someone who's needing to be able to move his own ass plus another guy's on the ground.

[logan042]

Nick, understood. I am
5’8” and I will probably be lifting without training jiu jitsu for about one to three months. After that I’d like to resume training Jiu Jitsu about 4 x a week and resume kick boxing 1-2 nights a week. I know I may have to scale back the kick boxing if I’m not recovering but would like to get in 2 gi and 2 no gi classes a week.

Thanks again.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I think you should also train for the Boston Marathon, take ballroom dancing lessons, and start painting cars.

[Nick Delgadillo]

Nick, understood. I am
5’8” and I will probably be lifting without training jiu jitsu for about one to three months. After that I’d like to resume training Jiu Jitsu about 4 x a week and resume kick boxing 1-2 nights a week. I know I may have to scale back the kick boxing if I’m not recovering but would like to get in 2 gi and 2 no gi classes a week.

Thanks again.

How good you are at jiu jitsu and striking matters quite a bit. If you're very experienced you won't have much trouble and don't need to take 1-3 months off from the mats. After 1-3 months, you'll have to learn to manage the schedule anyway, so I'd advise you to learn how to do it now.

Whenever guys tell me they want to take time off to just lift, they're usually expecting that some kind of Extreme Makeover will occur where they'll come back to jiu jitsu after lifting for 8 weeks and completely dominate everyone on the mats. What ends up actually happening is that you create a situation where you're now out of shape, have to learn how manage your schedule to make liftings sustainable along with bjj, and then also give yourself the worst elbow tendinitis you've ever had because your now monstrous grip isn't being conditioned for jiu jitsu as you're getting stronger.

I think I understand what you're trying to do, but without more specifics, my advice is to figure out how to make this sustainable now since you're going to need to barbell train for the rest of your life along with whatever other activites you choose to do.

Consider doing the program and only doing BJJ twice a week for 1-3 months instead of dropping it completely.

Don't gain any weight.

Eat 300g of protein/day.

Make programming adjustments as needed.

Add BJJ/kickboxing days as you're getting used to the new workload.

[logan042]

Rip, ballroom dancing would probably lead to chasing pussy with Jim Beam.

Nick I’m coming back to all of the above from a long layoff. The issue of finding money and the time at the same time has been an issue. Still a white belt but loving it when I’m training.