CrossFit + Getting Big = Reality?

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

Hi there, I’m sure it’s not the first time this topic is discussed in the forum but I’ve searched and couldn’t get to the information I really need.

I’m 27 years old, (5’7 - 150 lbs) and I train BJJ three times a week. I’m interested in adding mass and increasing my strength; last year I trained CF for over six months and even though it definitely improved my cardio and enhanced my strength, which translated into a nice improvement in my BJJ game, I really didn’t put any mass, so I got frustrated. I’m planning on starting again, either hit the gym or CF again, but this time with a little help of some steroids (not really ashamed, I’ve tried everything already and I do not compete BJJ at all).

My question here is: in order to get bigger, would CF help me grow or should I just settle for old school gym? If I should go with the latter, what type of routine should I start?
I want to be realistic, I’m not trying to be a bodybuilder, just put at least 20-30 lbs. I’m opened to any advice you guys may have.

Thanks in advance.

2

You say you have tried everything. Have you tried eating more?

I’d think doing CF and gaining mass wouldn’t go well together since you are doing so much condoning work.

3

You’re asking if crossfit will make you bigger while you’re taking “vitamin-S”? Anything will make you bigger, even chewing your food: Steroids lead to lopsided face

So yes. Yes it will.

4

Just off the top of my head: Why would you expect to gain mass doing CF, and then why would you say “I’ve tried everything already”, when you never mention having tried an actual mass-gaining routine?

5

If you want to put on 20-30 lbs then do something to put on 20-30 lbs. Obviously crossfit is not the best choice for this so why even bring it up?

6

Will the cube method get me ready for a marathon?

7

The only thing that makes you bigger is the amount of food you eat. Steroids don’t do a lot if you don’t eat either.

Eat about 3k calories a day. 1g of protein/lb of bw, 30% of your calories in fat and the rest in carbs. See what happens. If you don’t gain 3+lb within a month, then add another 500 kcal.

I’m about your height and stable at 170-173lb if I eat around 2.5k-2.6k kcal. If I go above 2.8kish, I start gaining weight on the scale. I have a log so you can see what I do. Besides the log I also stand a good bit throughout the day because I can’t stand sitting for a long time; but standing doesn’t burn a lot of calories so it’s essentially irrelevant.

8

You should learn how to eat and not rely on drugs at 150lbs.

9

[quote]Magnetic88 wrote:
You’re asking if crossfit will make you bigger while you’re taking “vitamin-S”? Anything will make you bigger, even chewing your food: Steroids lead to lopsided face

So yes. Yes it will.[/quote]

I politely suggest you and others stop spreading this “steroids make you big regardless of how you eat and train” stuff or more idiots like him will start taking them.

10

[quote]dt79 wrote:

[quote]Magnetic88 wrote:
You’re asking if crossfit will make you bigger while you’re taking “vitamin-S”? Anything will make you bigger, even chewing your food: Steroids lead to lopsided face

So yes. Yes it will.[/quote]

I politely suggest you and others stop spreading this “steroids make you big regardless of how you eat and train” stuff or more idiots like him will start taking them.
[/quote]

I politely second this.

To the OP, I would say: if your training is so flawed that it takes drugs to get you to 170lbs, steroids are not the answer.

To quote Dan John: If you need anabolics to break 160lbs bodyweight, I can only imagine what you will need to do to make it to 180lbs.

11

[quote]TanoBJJ wrote:
this time with a little help of some steroids (not really ashamed[/quote]
You shouldn’t be ashamed, but you should recognize and admit that you’re trying to use steroids as a shortcut in place of smart training and eating.

You just said that you lifted for “over six months”, got frustrated, and now you’re going to start lifting again. I’m taking that to mean you quit lifting for a while because you didn’t get what you wanted, instead of adjusting course and making intelligent corrections to your plan.

Okay, cool. Glad to hear you’ve tried everything. So you’ve tried eating a dozen eggs a day? Or drinking a gallon of milk a day? Or eating 4,500 calories a day, seven days a week? Or getting your squat to 225 for 20 reps? Or getting your overhead press to 135 for 10 reps? Or getting your power clean to 185 for 5? I’m stumped as to why that all didn’t work.

12

Steroids at 150lbs + Crossfit to get big? This guy has got to be a troll.

13

Thanks everyone for the quick response. I’d like to clarify some of my words in the original post.
Let’s start from the beggining. By “I tried everything” I meant that I went to a nutritionist, who adjusted my diet and had me eating a hole lotta food (clean), plus supplementation with gainers, creatine, BCAA?s, protein shakes, which I’ve been doing (on and off and alternating these) for over 5 years; ever since my 17th birthday I have been coming and going from gym to gym without nailing the right coach to help me with my gains or my routine for that matter, so I admit not being peristent with my lifting.

Last year I decided to try CF because it was recomended to me by several people in the BJJ enviroment, so I decided to give it a try. The thing is, as you probably know, the famous WOD in the CF place I found never included bench pressing and the time that they would dedicate to powerlifting exercises was reduced; plus, they wouldn’t put together a different routine for you (which I now understand it?s not how CF works); once the 1 hour training is over, next class was up and you are out, my friend. No after class lifting, no nothing, just go home.

On the steroids subject, I kinda rushed into that, although I’ve not even purchased anything yet. I’m just really frustrated that I’ve never gotten to put the mass I’m looking for. I admit that the thought of using came out of frustration, but I honestly feel like up to this point I had a mix of bad luck and lack of persistance on my side. I think I?m not getting the results I?m looking for mainly because I?ve never gotten the appropriate instruction on how to do it, which is entirely my responsibility. That is why I?m now looking for good quality information, but the ammount I found online is overwhelming.

Mainly, the question I had was if I could add mass with CF training, or if it was better to just go straight to regular gym lifting. Just so you know, where I?m from most of the old school gyms have douchebags for instructors who would rather help chicks with their squats than taking the time to put a routine together for you; not sure if I just had bad luck or they?re all the same, because I tried at least 4 different gyms around here and they were all the same. Most of them just have a routine template, which they fill with your name and they hand it over to you, that?s it.

Anyway, I just wanted to get that clarified. As I?m new to the forum, I couldn?t find a way to do multiple quoting, but I think I covered pretty much everything.
Thank you all very much for your comments.

14

You don’t need trainers to put a program together for you.

So essentially you’re a rank beginner. That’s cool. Hopefully you know how to squat at least.

Do SS as its written and eat ~3k calories a day. 1g of protein/lb of bw, 100g of fat, and the rest in carbs.

Do that for a month. If you haven’t gained at least 3-4lb, then you’re either a special butterfly or you haven’t been eating ~3k calories a day.

15

Long story short, I think you’ve made it fairly clear that you have very little understanding of the basics of training. That’s fine, so let’s start with the basics:

What are your goals?
How far from these goals are you right now?
How long do you realistically expect to take to reach these goals?
What are you prepared to do to achieve these goals?

16

[quote]magick wrote:
Do SS as its written and eat ~3k calories a day. 1g of protein/lb of bw, 100g of fat, and the rest in carbs.
[/quote]

I think for someone his age, and his activity level, 3k calories is likely to be too little.

17

[quote]dagill2 wrote:

[quote]magick wrote:
Do SS as its written and eat ~3k calories a day. 1g of protein/lb of bw, 100g of fat, and the rest in carbs.
[/quote]

I think for someone his age, and his activity level, 3k calories is likely to be too little.[/quote]

He’s 5ft 7 and only does BJJ 3x a week. 3k calories should be plenty imo.

18

[quote]magick wrote:

[quote]dagill2 wrote:

[quote]magick wrote:
Do SS as its written and eat ~3k calories a day. 1g of protein/lb of bw, 100g of fat, and the rest in carbs.
[/quote]

I think for someone his age, and his activity level, 3k calories is likely to be too little.[/quote]

He’s 5ft 7 and only does BJJ 3x a week. 3k calories should be plenty imo.[/quote]

You may be right, there’s only one way for the OP to find out though…

19

I definitely consider myself to be a begginer at this and I’m not a bit ashamed of it, otherwise I wouldn’t be posting here looking for your advice on something that is clearly so basic. I do know how to squat, though.

I’ll go ahead and read the Starting Strength as you suggested, magick. Thanks for the info.

For dagill2:
What are your goals? to get bigger, at least 20-30 lbs as I said in the original post, much better if it’s lean muscle.
How far from these goals are you right now? I’m far.
How long do you realistically expect to take to reach these goals? I should be there in 6-8 months.
What are you prepared to do to achieve these goals? I’m prepared to train hard and eat big.

20

[quote]TanoBJJ wrote:
Mainly, the question I had was if I could add mass with CF training, or if it was better to just go straight to regular gym lifting.[/quote]
Either will work. It will be easier, diet-wise, if you’re just lifting in the gym and not doing crossfit.

But either way, you have to actually do it and get yourself in there to do it. If crossfit actually gets you in the gym and pushing yourself (vs, skipping your workout, or backing off when the weights get heavy), then that may be the better choice.