Eymen Boughrarou
Forum Replies Created
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Jordan,
I was listening to the size game podcast with yourself, Luke and James the other night, and you talked about studying for your masters preciously. If I’m not wrong, you were studying while pushing up to the high 270s (with a cut to 260 in between). Do you feel like this run up to 300 has been easier without the extra studying and stress impacting your recovery capabilities? Increlex sounds like a great drug, but you’ve flown up to 300lbs and I was wondering if you feel this has played any part.
Eymen
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Thanks for the response mate that’s really insightful. Will help everyone understand why you like to take off seasons a little easier as it were, in terms of flexibility with the food choices. It’s like you take things more relaxed so you can dig really deep for your preps.
Wishing you a speedy recovery pal!
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Get better soon buddy! Best thing to do is get plenty of rest, so sounds like you’re doing the right thing! I was quite curious how you manage the more mental side to prep. A lot of people get quite the panicked about how they look and whether they will be able to bring it on stage. Have you ever found yourself in those kinds of negative thought pattern and have you found any way to help? I’m sure having a great coach and having several preps worth of experience helps give confidence, but I feel like a lot of people end up overdoing cardio and under-eating very early on as they’re keen to get peeled, and then their body ends up really fighting them in the back end of prep
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296lbs? That’s crazy impressive Jordan. 20lbs or so above your previous starting point for prep? Are you still keeping on top of calliper readings at your 3 biggest sites? If so, how are they looking at such a high body weight. Assuming this is by far leanest you’ve been at such a high body weight.
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Troy,
That’s actually a really interesting topic you touched on there. A good friend of mine, asked me to oversee and guide his prep for WBFF muscle model back in 2015. If you remember Elliot from some of Jordan’s old training videos with Sas, it’s actually him who asked.
We used to train together at university and despite me stopping training 3/4 years ago, we still talk about the gym all the time. He tells me everything he takes, his lifts, literally everything in a similar fashion to how Jordan provides us with his progress on this blog, and I love it.
That being said, helping him out during his first prep was very, very taxing. I think the issues stem from the following:
1) For one reason or another, some people are only willing to do what they believe is best. They will tell you that they want your advice and they will do what you say, but they will only take on board the advice they feel is good and the rest they will ignore.
2) Sometimes people take you advice less seriously, when they’re not paying for it. Genuinely. If you’re paying monthly for a coach, you’re going to take a little more heed of their advice, otherwise you may as well throw the monthly fee down the drain.
3) People can be a lot less rational when doing a prep. I saw that in Elliot. Especially towards the dog end of the prep, he became a lot more argumentative in general and pushed away the people that were close to him. He’d ask for direction, then do something else. Then he’d ask for more direction, and given he hasn’t listened before, I would just chat things through with him. He’d then say ‘I don’t want to think about it, you tell me what to do, that’s what a coach does’. Irrational right?
I would be careful with the arrangement. Lay some ground rules with your friend, perhaps say that if he doesn’t listen to you and stick by your rules, the deal is off the table. That all being said, I saw Elliot all the way through show day and we are closer mates than ever now.
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Sounds a lot more sensible bud (as far as pushing 300lbs at 5ft6 goes). I didn’t realise you were doing it over a longer period, so apologies there. I thought you were still looking to do a 5-7 week push up and then potentially diet down.
Look forward to seeing how this one pans out!
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306lbs?! Ok, I’m officially excited. How do you think this run will fair against the previous push with Milos, in terms of how you’ll feel as you get towards that kind of weight? I know you’ve mentioned the previous push up with Milos as a little reckless. Do you feel that with the extra lbm, a 306lb this run will be leaner and easier to manage than last time?
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Jordan’s absolutely right there, Fade out contains Phenibut. It’s very effective for sleep, anxiety and reducing wired feelings, as it’s similar in structure to GABA, our main inhibitory neurotransmitter. That being said, a quick look online will show you that users tend to build a tolerance very quickly and some can have very harsh withdrawals, similar to those from benzodiazepines like Valium. Hence it should only be used in the short term, and users will still want to be cautious of using it on consecutive nights.
Sleep issues can be difficult to pin down, which explains the huge market for benzodiazepines. If you find that your sleep issues started around a period of stress and they tend to settle when things are more relaxed, you’re likely in a state of sympathetic nervous system overdrive. To simplify, this is where the body’s natural balance between alertness and relaxation becomes skewed, and people find themselves more anxious, on edge, sleep deprived etc.
In terms of recommendations, many people (myself included) find magnesium brilliant. It’s a mineral, so is in no way habit forming. The only side effect, is too much can cause looser stools. I use 500mg of magnesium citrate at night, and it’s been great for vastly improving sleep quality and reducing anxiety. I’ve used it in this manner for nearly 6 years and the effects haven’t diminished in any way. If this form causes diarrhoea, try reducing the dose or switching to magnesium glycinate which is easier on the bowels.
I would google HPA axis overdrive to see common recommendations and to read the science in more detail, but other ideas would be:
daily meditation or breathing exercises (don’t underestimate these), reducing daily stresses as much as possible, Phosphatidylserine or Seriphos, adaptogens like Ashwagandha or holy basil, amino acids like 5htp and GABA.
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Sas,
In line with what everybody else has said, it’s great to have you posting on here again, really excited to follow your journey to the stage in more detail.
Do you find that anti-inflammatory supplements such as curcumin, fish oils etc. help your knee in any way, or is it so severe that the difference is negligible?
Eymen
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Just wanted to chip in and say that pantethine, which is an active form of Vitamin B5, can be very helpful in reducing LDL, triglycerides and even raising HDL.
Please see the study results below:
http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/2359503
If you look at reviews for pantethine supplements on amazon or iherb, you will also find a large number of customers who’ve left positive reviews after seeing blood work improve.
Also, while I’m here posting. I feel that anybody who takes bodybuilding seriously and is pushing hard, would be wise to consider an EBCT scan. Blood work gives you a picture of your health markers at a particular point in time, but it does not help you assess the potential issues which may have been caused throughout long or continuous blasts. Testing HDL/LDL before a blast is important, but it is a little naive to think that having cholesterol in range for several weeks a year means your heart is ok. Jordan appears to be very aware that pushing hard is not healthy, acknowledging that supplements and blood work are more of a damage control tool at that level.
EBCT scans can detect even trace amounts of calcium (arterial furring) in your arteries and that’s what will really determine your risk of cardiovascular disease. I’ve linked one clinic that performs these below:
http://58harleystreet.co.uk/about-us/ebct-heart-scan/
Sorry to hijack your thread Jordan.
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Jordan,
Thanks for explaining. That makes sense to leave tren out of your cycle for now, as you don’t want to utilise all of the tools at your disposal from day 1.
In terms of potentially competing in 21 weeks, do you feel you’ve made a significant jump forward from your last prep? I remember in the 1 week out video where you decided to withdraw from the show, you mentioned you still weren’t content with your size and condition.
Bearing in mind that was around 20 weeks of dieting for the show, how will you be able to surpass that level of conditioning? From what you’ve mentioned, the plan is to push your weight up in these first 5–7 weeks, going well over 280+. I believe you started dieting previously at around 278-280.
Have you gained enough tissue to be able to diet for a shorter time and still finish both heavier and leaner than last time? My impression is that your new training approach has taken you to a newer peak in terms of muscle mass, but it does sound like things will be quite pressured from a conditioning perspective if you compete that soon.
Hope you don’t take offence bud, just thinking through everything you’ve updated us with in the last few weeks.
Eymen
Eymen
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Jordan,
Glad to hear your health markers are where they need to be. I remember in your previous video you mentioned you’d be happy with HDL coming in just below range e.g. 0.7-1.0, so good result there.
Out of curiosity would you be happy to post your LDL, triglycerides, CRP and HbA1c (depending on whether you had this tested)? I’m always quite fascinated by how quickly the body bounces back in terms of health markers. I remember on one forum, a guy posted his mid-cycle blood work from Medichecks and his hs-CRP was over 50! Bearing in mind that anything over 5 on a high sensitivity CRP is considered to be a high risk.
In regards to your cycle, I know previously you mentioned using smaller amounts of both npp and tren at the same time, to obtain the same anabolic effect without the side effects of using just one at a high dose. I’m guessing you’re running npp at a higher dose without tren, as a way to best preserve health? I know you mentioned concerns in one of your latest videos, noting that both yourself and Stefan were talking about the right cycle coming off this cruise.
Eymen
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Glad to hear you’re feeling better bud. Happy New Year also! Not a fan of using the lancets from Medichecks myself. Funny enough, I ordered a test to check my Vit D levels a couple of weeks ago and had to prick my finger. I don’t know if it was a little blunt or just got a bad angle, but finger came up in a bruise and I couldn’t apply any pressure to it for a few days after. I much prefer getting my blood taken with a needle, doesn’t bother me in any way.
5000iu daily is a good amount IMO. I’ve been using 2500iu a day since autumn, and my vitamin D levels were only just in range. When I used to take 5000iu and had it tested, it was coming comfortably in range (also during winter time). Only tip for using vitamin D to aid sleep, is most people do better taking it in the morning or early afternoon, as this best mimicks how we’d obtain vitamin D within our usual circadian rhythms. Some people have no issues taking it at night, but some definitely find it can disrupt sleep using it later on.
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Hi Jordan,
I just watched your latest video on supplements, and had to chime in after hearing you mention the term ‘adrenal fatigue’. Unfortunately, this is a topic I have a good deal of knowledge on, as I have a lot personal experience in this area.
‘Adrenal fatigue’ is often touted as a myth, as although the symptoms are very real for those who experience it, the concept behind it is flawed. Many have profited on the idea that the adrenals glands have become exhausted from chronic stress and hence stop producing cortisol (our main stress hormone which is required for adaptation to stress). However, this a simplistic view as the adrenal glands actually produce cortisol in response to ACTH release from the pituitary (due to CRH release from the hypothalamus prior to this). This system is known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and in most cases high/low cortisol is caused by dysfunction of this axis (hypothalamus/pituitary secreting more or less CRH/ACTH), rather than an issue with the adrenals themselves.
HPA axis dysfunction is a term which is much more recognised term within research/studies, and is certainly a real phenomenon. If we ignore those who have clinical adrenal issues such as addison’s disease/cushings, the primary cause of this HPA axis dysfunction is stress, although this is very personal. What one person defines as stressful will not correlate with somebody else’s experience. There are many reasons why one person seems to tolerate a large amount of stimulants and can get through a prep with only a few bad nights sleep, while somebody else has disrupted sleep throughout the majority of prep. This includes other stress in their life during prep (infections, nutrient deficiencies, toxic relationships, work related stress, lack of stress management/enjoyment etc.). Also genetics, as some people naturally breakdown dopamine/noradrenaline/adrenaline slower than others. This gene variation (COMT +) has now been identified and can be tested.
To avoid HPA dysfunction, it’s important to obtain the appropriate amount of nutrients (B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, calcium, vitamin C etc.), especially during stressful periods where the demand for these nutrients is much higher. Sleep and rest are absolutely critical, as well as adequate amounts of stress management (meditation, breathing exercises, time with loved ones, laughter etc.). Many will find adaptogens are helpful during stressful periods, Jordan you’ve mentioned Ashwagandha before (great for keeping the HPA balanced), and there are several others such as Holy Basil, Rhodiola etc. Lastly, there were numerous studies on the benefits of phosphatadylserine (PS), which found it could reduce cortisol levels in those performing exercise (a good thing) as per the study below:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503954/
It’s much easier to prevent HPA dysfunction than reverse it, so do take care to manage the stress in your life. Contest preps are inherently stressful due to the caloric deficit, intense training, mental focus, worries of how you will look on stage etc. So it is definitely worth assessing other areas of your life and considering nutrients, stress management, adoptogen support and supplements such as PS.
The last thing worth noting is that Medichecks now perform salivary cortisol tests, where they will measure your cortisol levels at 4 points throughout the day. These can be very helpful to observe any potential HPA axis dysfunction. Initially under chronic stress, cortisol levels tend to rise across all points of the day, which will impact mood, sleep and recovery. The belief is that after spending too long in this state, cortisol will start to drop dramatically across the day (this is a worse position to be in and recovery becomes much more difficult).
Apologies this has become such a long post, but I hope this is helpful for somebody!
Eymen
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Jordan,
That’s really interesting about the weight/water loss from PGF. Do you think that’s related to the GI side effects that it causes when dosed appropriately? In my head I’d theorised that it might cause small weight gain due to its inflammatory nature.
248.4, that’s exciting! Same weight as only one week out last year. We haven’t seen pictures yet, but from what you and Corinne have said, I’ve got a feeling this be the best package you’ve ever brought to stage by a long shot. Sounds like staying lean in the off season has really helped you improve condition and hold onto your new size.
How are you approaching peaking? I actually tried to help Elliot with his peaking for WBFF back in 2015 and it’s a complicated science, all very fiddly. Of course water loss is desired to be dry, but you don’t want to lose water within the muscles themselves, or you appear flat/soft.