Getting in top shape

[TheSperminator Member of the Month Oct 12 Find all posts View Profile Close TheSperminator]

Hi guys

I recently measured myself on a scale and I was kind of baffled. I haven't been training a lot lately and due to an argument with my parents I can't go eat food there anymore so the last couple of weeks I often went to go get pizza, french fries, etc .. It tastes so good after a long day of work, but I hardly have any energy. I often get home from work (I do a regular 9-to-5), eat, land on the couch, sleep a little, laptop for 2 hours, going to bed .. Working at a desk for 8 hours is fucking killing me literally.

I am currently preparing a meal plan and I want to start meal prepping. I do brazilian jiu jitsu 3 times a week (up until one month ago, last month hardly trained because my energy levels are super low). When I was training 3 times a week my weight was 20 pounds lighter, but I still wasn't in top shape. I often got home after a long day of work and just lay on the couch exhausted. If I go train then during sparring I give up way too easy and I don't have the energy and explosiveness inside me to do the techniques correctly. I understand the techniques perfectly but to execute them you need a lot of explosiveness. It really frustrates me and kind of makes me want to quit BJJ because my sparring and progress is lacking for the last couple of months.

My question: have you ever done any competitive sports? If yes, what did you do to get in top shape?

I think I just don't want it bad enough to become really good in the sport. Training 3 times a week is really minimum actually but I atleast wanted to see some cardio gains but I suffer very much from cardio. The techniques I get pretty fast, but cardio keeps me from achieving a higher potential in my BJJ game.

I am pretty "muscular" build which I love on one side but hate on the other. I get compliments for my big arms when I go out etc .. Since I'm bald I love the big bouncer look since I believe it's more attractive and dominant. I don't like cardio because it eats your muscles away sort of speak. I don't know. I used to love running when I was younger but now it's such a drag to go out and have a workout. I love BJJ but it's such a drag to get me to go train every week.

Sorry for the rant! Any tips and tricks are welcome! Thanks!

Regards
Sperminator

[TheGreatDivider Senior Member Member of the Month Dec 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close TheGreatDivider]

Dude, quit messing around and making excuses. You know you need to do cardio and to watch your diet.

[BBC Action Senior Member Member of the Month August 2019 Find all posts View Profile Close BBC Action]

I would stop eating that junk food immediately. I used to buy little Caesars almost everyday but the fast food costs a lot more than buying groceries. Since you are in an endurance sport, you need to get your muscles used to lactic acid build up to keep pushing through. You can be fat and still be in shape. Start doing cardio(My favorite is sprints and stationary bike) if you don't already. Your lungs should burn and over time, it will go away.

Make sure you get your nutrition and workout down before meal prepping. Got to bodybuilding.com and read the nutrition stickies. Once you start cutting, take into consideration your recovery will be hindered a little. Do what you can to keep test levels up and keep lifting heavy to keep most of your muscle. Muscle loss while cutting is inevitable. If you start to get weaker, drop volume but keep intensity the same. Eventually take a week off and you can either keep in a caloric deficit, or eat at maintenance to allow your body to recover. Only do that every couple of months so your fat loss doesn't stall.

Make sure you track down what you eat and get your macros qnd calorie intake in order too. Best of luck on your fitness goals. I'm also cutting too and will probably still be cutting for another 3 months.

[WillGetBetter Senior Member Member of the Month Nov 2018 Find all posts View Profile Close WillGetBetter]

If you're feeling like crap and tired, the main culprits are: lack of sleep, lack of exercise, and poor diet. I get that each of those can be challenging to improve when right now you're feeling exhausted already. But, you have to suck it up, get motivated, and force yourself to do it. If after a couple months of changing those things, you're still feeling exhausted, then go see your doctor.

I spent 10 years sitting at my desk working on my career. I gave up almost all the fun, active things I liked to do. I got out of shape, put on some weight, and felt terrible. Then, when I was finally sick of myself, I got an app and tracked my diet, I did the P90X series a couple rounds because it was convenient, and then I started getting outside and doing the things I used to love. That was about 8 years ago that I got back on track. I'm in my mid-40's now and feeling really great. I'm basically back to the weight I was in college. I learned to run without hurting myself by watching a bunch of youtube videos on running technique- which was a life saver to getting in the cardio and burning calories. Good luck!

[Big Al AdministratorPEGym EditorMale Enhancement Coach Rep.PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Big Al]

It sounds as if you're trapped in a vicious cycle!

As above, clean up your diet and commit to your sport! You'll need to go out of your way to get enough training, rest, and good nutrition so you feel better and develop a better body composition.

[Big Al AdministratorPEGym EditorMale Enhancement Coach Rep.PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Big Al]

IMO, the best all-around physical activity to get involved in is martial arts. A good one will give you strength, endurance, flexibility and teach you self-confidence and practical skills.

[TheSperminator Member of the Month Oct 12 Find all posts View Profile Close TheSperminator]

IMO, the best all-around physical activity to get involved in is martial arts. A good one will give you strength, endurance, flexibility and teach you self-confidence and practical skills.

Yeah I do brazilian jiu jitsu .. I used to be in somewhat decent shape when practicing it tho but I've never reached my full potential because I just can't live the lifestyle you know .. I like to party too much. I like to eat too much .. In the past 3 months I let myself go regarding eating .. I'm getting out of shape badly at this point.

I love the sport but I feel like I am at the verge of quitting because I just can't get myself to train 3-4 times per week .. I'm so tired after a long work day .. Like tired tired not just I'm kind of tired. I often get home, drop on the couch and sleep until it's 1am .. Then I sit on my laptop for 1-2 hours and get back tos leep untill mornings. I literally work, eat and sleep .. That's my life from monday to friday.

[Big Al AdministratorPEGym EditorMale Enhancement Coach Rep.PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Big Al]

The motivation and work have to come from you.

[Johnny D ModeratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Johnny D]

Not sure what you're looking for... You love to party and have poor nutrition. You also have poor sleep habits and feel compelled to work a lot. You say you'd perform better in BJJ if your cardio was better but you hate to condition cardio. Plus you don't have the self-discipline to get in and train regularly.

In your OP, you asked for tips and tricks. I bet you can guess what my tip would be.

[TheSperminator Member of the Month Oct 12 Find all posts View Profile Close TheSperminator]

Not sure what you're looking for... You love to party and have poor nutrition. You also have poor sleep habits and feel compelled to work a lot. You say you'd perform better in BJJ if your cardio was better but you hate to condition cardio. Plus you don't have the self-discipline to get in and train regularly.

In your OP, you asked for tips and tricks. I bet you can guess what my tip would be.

Well I was hoping to get some stories from others who have gotten back into shape and what it took for them .. I just hate the fact that you loose a lot of muscle mass when doing cardio, but then again it's necessary for my sport to have good cardio.. Starting to consider quitting BJJ but then again I've been training for 3 years, learned a lot and it's still kind of fun .. I just lose a lot during sparring due to poor cardio.. The techniques aren't that hard to understand for me but the cardio (and the mental aspect combined with it. Poor cardio = giving up easier etc) ..

I'm also getting back into weight lifting and bodybuilding again.. Kind of lost at this point.

I can really feel the effects of all the junk food in the past weeks .. When warming up during training my heart is sometimes pounding through my chest .. Really pumping very fast .. Kind of scary tbh.