Gaining muscle while still doing bjj and avoiding injuries

[Frostislandking]

Looking to build maximal muscle without getting injuries while still doing bjj once or twice a week

Background - BJJ black belt 35 started training at 17, just retired from competitive martial arts after a long run which from 30-35 never lost even at the highest levels of grappling. Training for a match 2 days out blew my meniscus, that year I had been plagued by injuries. Ran peptides no luck needed surgery and finally started to feel good. During this time I finally focused on lifting. Gained 20lbs of muscle in 8 months body fat still super low.

Before surgery did split body for the first time ever, this is where I made my gains ran test 600 and tren 200.

After surgery took 2 months, pretty light work

Past few 3 weeks - back on same cycle
doing full body workouts 5 days a week and teaching bjj/wrestling one day a week. Started rolling lightly and the 3rd session in a giant purple belt was trying to make a name for himself. I was playing around with him still because my ego is my enemy and framed off with my foot that’s when I felt a pop in my quad just above the injury I had.

Was really focusing on my legs prior to this

My program involved lifting heavy weights but always focused on form before weight.

Workout
10 minute mobility warm up

4 sets of - squat, hinge, 2 push, 2 pull

Mixed up the below
Heavy squat - full, box, sumo, front
Heavy dead - trap bar, regular, Romanian, sumo
Heavy pull lateral - weighted chins or pull down variation
Heavy pull horizontal- type of row
Heavy push horizontal- form of bench pressing or weighted dips
Heavy vertical push - form of shoulder press

10 minute kettle bell circuit because I love them
10 minutes bag work

I’m wondering how I can still do a sport I love but not be so fragile. I’ve spent my whole life going hard, full blast everyday for hours.

My main goal is to live a functional happy life but gain some size with legs a priority. Teaching martial arts is a passion that I can’t give up but I still want to be able to roll. I was always considered the terminator and now I just feel like a bitch (mid life crisis here, I don’t know who I am anymore)

I have tb500, bpc157 and gh on hand.

Any suggestions to modify my program to maximize muscle growth and limit injury if I still want to get back to rolling once or twice a week?

@Physlifter do you have any advice ?

Thanks everyone

Ps - Gone back to my old account (which is this one)

 

[iRep]

Transitioning to a 4-day upper/lower split or a 3-day full body split could help

Cap RPE at 7-8 (leave 2-3 reps in reserve).

Prioritize tempo work (e.g., 3-second eccentric squats) to reduce joint stress and build control.

Focus on progressive overload over time rather than chasing heavy weights weekly.

Extend your warm-up to 15-20 minutes, incorporating:

Dynamic stretches (e.g., leg swings, hip circles).

Joint stability drills (e.g., Copenhagen planks for adductors, single-leg balance work).

Use light sled pushes/pulls to prep your knees and quads before heavy leg work.

TB500 and BPC-157: Use as directed, focusing on localized injections around the quad area.

Growth Hormone (GH): Use conservatively; this can aid recovery but won’t prevent acute injuries.

Deload every 6 weeks: Incorporate a lower-intensity week to allow full recovery.

Mental Adjustments
Your body has changed due to years of hard training, but adapting doesn’t mean weakness. Think of this as a phase to build longevity while redefining strength. Martial arts are still a part of you, but sustainability now requires a smarter approach.

Protein: 1.6–2.2 g/kg of body weight

Calories: Slight surplus (focus on quality carbs for glycogen replenishment).

Supplements: Creatine, collagen (to support tendons/ligaments), Omega-3s, Vitamin D.


With all that being said I would checkout bodybuilder Jordan Peters he toom a couple years off of bodybuilding from like 2020-2022ish to do bjj so I'd highly recommend checking him out he's also big on full body and upper/lower training

 

[Frostislandking]

That was such a great reply man! I really appreciate your well thought out input

 

[moleman]

Looking to build maximal muscle without getting injuries while still doing bjj once or twice a week

Background - BJJ black belt 35 started training at 17, just retired from competitive martial arts after a long run which from 30-35 never lost even at the highest levels of grappling. Training for a match 2 days out blew my meniscus, that year I had been plagued by injuries. Ran peptides no luck needed surgery and finally started to feel good. During this time I finally focused on lifting. Gained 20lbs of muscle in 8 months body fat still super low.

Before surgery did split body for the first time ever, this is where I made my gains ran test 600 and tren 200.

After surgery took 2 months, pretty light work

Past few 3 weeks - back on same cycle
doing full body workouts 5 days a week and teaching bjj/wrestling one day a week. Started rolling lightly and the 3rd session in a giant purple belt was trying to make a name for himself. I was playing around with him still because my ego is my enemy and framed off with my foot that’s when I felt a pop in my quad just above the injury I had.

Was really focusing on my legs prior to this

My program involved lifting heavy weights but always focused on form before weight.

Workout
10 minute mobility warm up

4 sets of - squat, hinge, 2 push, 2 pull

Mixed up the below
Heavy squat - full, box, sumo, front
Heavy dead - trap bar, regular, Romanian, sumo
Heavy pull lateral - weighted chins or pull down variation
Heavy pull horizontal- type of row
Heavy push horizontal- form of bench pressing or weighted dips
Heavy vertical push - form of shoulder press

10 minute kettle bell circuit because I love them
10 minutes bag work

I’m wondering how I can still do a sport I love but not be so fragile. I’ve spent my whole life going hard, full blast everyday for hours.

My main goal is to live a functional happy life but gain some size with legs a priority. Teaching martial arts is a passion that I can’t give up but I still want to be able to roll. I was always considered the terminator and now I just feel like a bitch (mid life crisis here, I don’t know who I am anymore)

I have tb500, bpc157 and gh on hand.

Any suggestions to modify my program to maximize muscle growth and limit injury if I still want to get back to rolling once or twice a week?

@Physlifter do you have any advice ?

Thanks everyone

Ps - Gone back to my old account (which is this one)

Maybe we should be paying you to design work out plans!

 

[Physlifter]

Looking to build maximal muscle without getting injuries while still doing bjj once or twice a week

Background - BJJ black belt 35 started training at 17, just retired from competitive martial arts after a long run which from 30-35 never lost even at the highest levels of grappling. Training for a match 2 days out blew my meniscus, that year I had been plagued by injuries. Ran peptides no luck needed surgery and finally started to feel good. During this time I finally focused on lifting. Gained 20lbs of muscle in 8 months body fat still super low.

Before surgery did split body for the first time ever, this is where I made my gains ran test 600 and tren 200.

After surgery took 2 months, pretty light work

Past few 3 weeks - back on same cycle
doing full body workouts 5 days a week and teaching bjj/wrestling one day a week. Started rolling lightly and the 3rd session in a giant purple belt was trying to make a name for himself. I was playing around with him still because my ego is my enemy and framed off with my foot that’s when I felt a pop in my quad just above the injury I had.

Was really focusing on my legs prior to this

My program involved lifting heavy weights but always focused on form before weight.

Workout
10 minute mobility warm up

4 sets of - squat, hinge, 2 push, 2 pull

Mixed up the below
Heavy squat - full, box, sumo, front
Heavy dead - trap bar, regular, Romanian, sumo
Heavy pull lateral - weighted chins or pull down variation
Heavy pull horizontal- type of row
Heavy push horizontal- form of bench pressing or weighted dips
Heavy vertical push - form of shoulder press

10 minute kettle bell circuit because I love them
10 minutes bag work

I’m wondering how I can still do a sport I love but not be so fragile. I’ve spent my whole life going hard, full blast everyday for hours.

My main goal is to live a functional happy life but gain some size with legs a priority. Teaching martial arts is a passion that I can’t give up but I still want to be able to roll. I was always considered the terminator and now I just feel like a bitch (mid life crisis here, I don’t know who I am anymore)

I have tb500, bpc157 and gh on hand.

Any suggestions to modify my program to maximize muscle growth and limit injury if I still want to get back to rolling once or twice a week?

@Physlifter do you have any advice ?

Thanks everyone

Ps - Gone back to my old account (which is this one)

after an injury I definitely would not be doing anything heavy

I would go back to lighter weight, but not 'easy' weight

focus on 2-3 second negatives, pauses at bottom, use the safety bars for the dead stops, and focus on a warm up or two with 2 solid sets. This works well between a push/pull/legs program.

Does the tren affect your cardio with rolls?

I understand at your level your technique is A-1 so you don't require as much strength but having big heavyweights on you still needs the ability to bridge, push, frame. Keep in mind you'll still have 'violent' contractions occuring during rolling, and you're going to have to choose your partners who understand your leg. Just the way it's gotta big for the next few months.
Have you tried the anaconda brace for the knee? I have two, I love them.

Peptide wise 250 mcg of tb/bpc 2x/day ideal at the injury site for a couple of weeks; as it improves go to EOD
GH 2iu a day is plenty at night
use your magnesium 600 mg/day at night, coq-10 200 mg at night, vit c, omegas
anavar is especially helpful for tissue recovery, 25 mg per day split into 2 doses and you can run that a long ass time without much stress on you.
cardarine if you want increased O2 supply but keep it no more than 25 mg/day for 4-6 weeks to get you back up there.
i wouldn't go any higher on the other compounds, and I would suggest trying vigorous steve's protocol for injections - do sub-q micro administrations multiple times a week. I do 30 mg of tren ace eod and WOW it's so nice and very little sides at all compared to doing bigger amounts.

 

[Frostislandking]

after an injury I definitely would not be doing anything heavy

I would go back to lighter weight, but not 'easy' weight

focus on 2-3 second negatives, pauses at bottom, use the safety bars for the dead stops, and focus on a warm up or two with 2 solid sets. This works well between a push/pull/legs program.

Does the tren affect your cardio with rolls?

I understand at your level your technique is A-1 so you don't require as much strength but having big heavyweights on you still needs the ability to bridge, push, frame. Keep in mind you'll still have 'violent' contractions occuring during rolling, and you're going to have to choose your partners who understand your leg. Just the way it's gotta big for the next few months.
Have you tried the anaconda brace for the knee? I have two, I love them.

Peptide wise 250 mcg of tb/bpc 2x/day ideal at the injury site for a couple of weeks; as it improves go to EOD
GH 2iu a day is plenty at night
use your magnesium 600 mg/day at night, coq-10 200 mg at night, vit c, omegas
anavar is especially helpful for tissue recovery, 25 mg per day split into 2 doses and you can run that a long ass time without much stress on you.
cardarine if you want increased O2 supply but keep it no more than 25 mg/day for 4-6 weeks to get you back up there.
i wouldn't go any higher on the other compounds, and I would suggest trying vigorous steve's protocol for injections - do sub-q micro administrations multiple times a week. I do 30 mg of tren ace eod and WOW it's so nice and very little sides at all compared to doing bigger amounts.

that is some solid advice man, I will definitely being focusing on that!!! Your idea about going light but not easy on the legs sounds so motivating to me, I always need that sense of accomplishment.

Tren doesn’t affect my cardio I find, when it comes to rolling or striking I’ve always just had unlimited cardio, I think it’s mostly how crazy I am, even on some of our fitness tests during sof training I went so hard I passed out as soon as it was over.

I competed in the absolute division a lot as a lightweight and I actually found it easier, cause once you take a big dude down they just don’t have the speed to get back up or the technique to play off their backs as they are never there.

I do love carderine but my wife will just steal it on me

Will be running the peptides no doubt as I already started with those, I love having them on hand.

That microdosing the tren sounds genius man! It fucking kills my sleep and I walk around so tired

Thank you brother

 

[Frostislandking]

For the light weight reference I do cut a lot of weight

 

[Physlifter]

I competed in the absolute division a lot as a lightweight and I actually found it easier, cause once you take a big dude down they just don’t have the speed to get back up or the technique to play off their backs as they are never there.

haha. wellllllllllllll in my defense....as a big guy i've learned the shark tank method of getting good on my back....i'm getting crushed all the time from the more advanced belts so the bench press strength comes very handy in helping with framing lol

 

[Frostislandking]

Shark tanks suck buttttt they really bring that animal out of someone, just the best.

That’s great that you do that though! It’ll sharpen up the technique.

Too bad we weren’t in the same area I could show you the most smothering game, leg riding, wrist riding, Nelson’s, stockades, gift wraps, crab rides. Just slow crushing pressure, no strength just weight distribution, riding frames like waves finding the angle that collapses them.

Sorry man it’s been a life long obsession