[Luna]

Hello Luna

It depends on your goal.

Do you just want a coach for a lifestyle or a coach for contests?

Cause both are pretty different approaches and the price may vary cause of that difference.

A prep coach can be much more expensive as their investment is more time eating if it makes sense; and check-in with them are more often and sometimes very very often.

So first of all; tell us what is you personal goal right now ?

If your personal goal is competing; you need to find someone who knows the category by heart; and when I say that I mean litterally by heart; cause the body building world became lately very very saturated and level is super high; so if you have an experienced coach but this one does not know the criterions perfectly; you can unfortunately loose a lot of time, and any loss of time; is a loss of money by defaut.

And this has nothing to do with coaching skills at all; there are out here (europe or usa) amazing coach, very human and passionate, but if they don’t understand the division perfectly; those skills and experience are useless.

So tell us what is your goal.

And if you are based in USA; I think you could also take a coach from USA, cause even if nowadays it’s good to be coached online, nothing replace a good face to face check-in once a month with your coach or some trainings here and there with you coach, thing which will be impossible with an european coach, particularly if you don’t have an heavy budget.

Waiting your answer

Hello Allison, thank you very much for your thoughtful and sincere reply. For background information, I am 17 years old with two years of bodybuilding experience. I am not looking for a coach to guide me through a prep quite yet. From what I understand, the definition of a lifestyle coach is a bodybuilding coach you work with without the intention of doing a prep. If that is correct, then that is what I need. It is inevitable that I will compete in a few years, but there’s a lot of work to be done before that happens. I need a coach who’s able to work with me to build my physique up as much as possible and provide proper guidance. I don’t think for where I’m at right now that I necessarily need in person coaching/check ins. Now with this being said, would it be worthwhile I to reach out to TBJP coaches even though I am in the United States?

Luna Alejandro

[Luna]

Hiya Luna just a heads up, all the tbjp athletes are coaches. I suggest if you’re looking for a coach (tbjp athlete or not) to reach out to them and book in for a call or consultation. That will help you know if you will potentially work together well, and if they can provide the service you want/need.

Is there anybody specific you would recommend reaching out too? I don’t have a huge budget and I don’t know what pricing is like

Luna Alejandro

[Luna]

With where I see your current macros, if this were mine I would personally pull 20g fat, 50g carbs, maybe add a little cardio and see what that illicits

Thank you will do.

Luna Alejandro

[Luna]

What are your current macros buddy?

I would keep fats low to moderate….

Protein consistent 1.25g per lb of BW

And usually take my first initial drop from carbs. If we could see your current setup would probably help us make a better judgement

My current macros right now at the end of my bulk on training days is 3400 with around 213 protein 105 Fat and 394 Carbs. My current maintenance calories is 2889. So to create my 1st cal deficit, should I come down to maintenance and add in some cardio or come down around 250 cal from my maintenance and start there?[/quote]

so are these not your current macros then? We cant advise how to alter food/macros if we dont know what they currently are bud ? [/quote]Yes these are my current macros as I am still bulking. My maintenance cals are 2889.

• This reply was modified 3 days, 22 hours ago by  Luna.

Luna Alejandro

[Luna]

What are your current macros buddy?

I would keep fats low to moderate….

Protein consistent 1.25g per lb of BW

And usually take my first initial drop from carbs. If we could see your current setup would probably help us make a better judgement

My current macros right now at the end of my bulk on training days is 3400 with around 213 protein 105 Fat and 394 Carbs. My current maintenance calories is 2889. So to create my 1st cal deficit, should I come down to maintenance and add in some cardio or come down around 250 cal from my maintenance and start there?[/quote]

You can lower your fat down, to around 50g-60g per day anymore than that will most likely be stored as body fat. Are you enhanced or natural? [/quote]Natural 17 year old. When you say bring facts down to around 50 to 60 g should I do that immediately when I create my deficit or gradually work down to that number? For me this all sounds really confusing. If I were to come down to maintenance calories which are 2889 tha would look like 188 protein than 55g of fat like you recommended and would have 410g of carbs to work with. Does this looo about right to start of from? Then make my 250 cal decreases from my carbs. Many thanks for the clarification as I am still I beginner lifter.

• This reply was modified 4 days, 2 hours ago by  Luna.
• This reply was modified 3 days, 22 hours ago by  Luna.

Luna Alejandro

[Luna]

Simple answer NO , please don’t change a thing . Keep progressing as you have been and as you get deeper into the deficit , scrap for more progress Luna . Game on !

Thanks lots 🙏

Luna Alejandro

[Luna]

What are your current macros buddy?

I would keep fats low to moderate….

Protein consistent 1.25g per lb of BW

And usually take my first initial drop from carbs. If we could see your current setup would probably help us make a better judgement

My current macros right now at the end of my bulk on training days is 3400 with around 213 protein 105 Fat and 394 Carbs. My current maintenance calories is 2889. So to create my 1st cal deficit, should I come down to maintenance and add in some cardio or come down around 250 cal from my maintenance and start there?

Luna Alejandro

[Luna]

Cyclic Dextrin has a low molecular weight, which means it will digest really well, with no gastric stress, so that would be the best option. Have a look at the tbJP Performance fuel.

I would also consider taking in some EAAs midway into your session. Sip the carbs throughout, but have the EAAs in one go to get an extra protein feeding in.

Thank you so much, Clare I am in the United States however and trying to get products from TBJP UK and other companies based outside the us is a nightmare with tariffs. I had recently ordered a GYMPIN from their website and since it came from the UK I was charged a 186 dollar tariff for delivery.

Luna Alejandro

[Luna]

I’m gonna type my response again 😂 , I’m gonna say the exact same thing again, as it was super clear instruction

Change all presses to 5-9

Change the smith to another machine

Rear delt fly machine 1 x 6-10

Lat pulldown straight bar 1 x 6-10

Chest supported t bar row 1 x 6-10

Low incline DB press 1 x 5-9

plate loaded shoulder press 1 x 5-9

Tricep dip machine 1 x 5-9

Cable side lateral 1 x 6-10

Single-arm tricep pushdown 1 x 8-12

Cable straight bar bicep curl 1 x 8-12

Seated hamstring curl 1 x 15-20

Leg press 1 x 15-20

Leg extension 1 x 15-20

Standing calf raise 1 x 15-20

Decline crunch 1 x 15-20

SESSION B (HEAVY LOWER 1)

Lying ham curl 1 x 6-10

Hack squat 1 x 6-10

Adductor 1 x 6-10

Toe press (machine) 1 x 6-10

HOIST Flat Chest press machine 1 × 5-9

High incline DB press 1 × 5-9

Narrow grip smith press 1 × 5-9

Single-arm lat pulldown 1 × 15-20

Machine upper back row (Precor seated row) 1 × 15-20

Machine lateral raise 1 × 15-20

Single arm DB overhead extensions 1 × 15-20

Single arm preacher DB 1 × 15-20

Cable ab crunch 1 × 15-20

SESSION C (HEAVY UPPER 2)

Reverse fly single arm 1 x 6-10

Close mag grip pull down 1 x 6-10

Chest supported DB row 1 x 6-10

Machine incline chest press 1 x 5-9

Machine shoulder press (Precor pin loaded) 1 x 5-9

Weighted dip with belt 1 x 5-9

DB lateral raise 1 x 6-10

Straight bar tricep pushdown 1 x 8-12

Machine preacher curl 1 x 8-12

Seated hamstring curl 1 x 15-20

Smith squat 1 x 15-20

Adductor 1 x 15-20

Toe press machine 1 x 15-20

Ab crunch machine 1 x 15-20

SESSION D ( HEAVY LOWER 2)

SLDL 1 x 6-10

BB squat 1 x 6-10

Leg extension 1 x 6-10

Standing calf raise 1 x 6-10

Machine incline chest press 1 x 5-9

Plate loaded shoulder press 1 x 5-9

Narrow grip bench press 1 x 5-9

Underhand mag grip pulldown 1 x 15-20

Upper back T bar row 1 x 15-20

Chest supported DB lateral raise 1 x 15-20

cable overhead tricep 1 x 15-20

Single arm preacher curl machine 1 x 15-20

Cable ab crunch 1 x 15-20[/quote]
How does this look? Solid

Luna Alejandro

[Luna]

I’m gonna type my response again 😂 , I’m gonna say the exact same thing again, as it was super clear instruction

Change all presses to 5-9

Change the smith to another machine

Rear delt fly machine 1 x 6-10
Lat pulldown straight bar 1 x 6-10
Chest supported t bar row 1 x 6-10
Low incline DB press 1 x 5-9
plate loaded shoulder press 1 x 5-9
Tricep dip machine 1 x 5-9
Cable side lateral 1 x 6-10
Single-arm tricep pushdown 1 x 8-12
Cable straight bar bicep curl 1 x 8-12
Seated hamstring curl 1 x 15-20
Leg press 1 x 15-20
Leg extension 1 x 15-20
Standing calf raise 1 x 15-20
Decline crunch 1 x 15-20

SESSION B (HEAVY LOWER 1)

Lying ham curl 1 x 6-10
Hack squat 1 x 6-10
Adductor 1 x 6-10
Toe press (machine) 1 x 6-10
HOIST Flat Chest press machine 1 × 5-9
High incline DB press 1 × 5-9
Narrow grip smith press 1 × 5-9
Single-arm lat pulldown 1 × 15-20
Machine upper back row (Precor seated row) 1 × 15-20
Machine lateral raise 1 × 15-20
Single arm DB overhead extensions 1 × 15-20
Single arm preacher DB 1 × 15-20
Cable ab crunch 1 × 15-20

SESSION C (HEAVY UPPER 2)

Reverse fly single arm 1 x 6-10
Close mag grip pull down 1 x 6-10
Chest supported DB row 1 x 6-10
Machine incline chest press 1 x 5-9
Machine shoulder press (Precor pin loaded) 1 x 5-9
Weighted dip with belt 1 x 5-9
DB lateral raise 1 x 6-10
Straight bar tricep pushdown 1 x 8-12
Machine preacher curl 1 x 8-12
Seated hamstring curl 1 x 15-20
Smith squat 1 x 15-20
Adductor 1 x 15-20
Toe press machine 1 x 15-20
Ab crunch machine 1 x 15-20

SESSION D ( HEAVY LOWER 2)

SLDL 1 x 6-10
BB squat 1 x 6-10
Leg extension 1 x 6-10
Standing calf raise 1 x 6-10
Machine incline chest press 1 x 5-9
Plate loaded shoulder press 1 x 5-9
Narrow grip bench press 1 x 5-9
Underhand mag grip pulldown 1 x 15-20
Upper back T bar row 1 x 15-20
Chest supported DB lateral raise 1 x 15-20
cable overhead tricep 1 x 15-20
Single arm preacher curl machine 1 x 15-20
Cable ab crunch 1 x 15-20

Luna Alejandro

[Luna]

I’m gonna type my response again 😂 , I’m gonna say the exact same thing again, as it was super clear instruction

Change all presses to 5-9

Change the smith to another machine

Understood

Luna Alejandro

[Luna]

If you change all your pressing in general to 5-9 , for all sessions , so every single press set regardless of heavy/ light , is changed to 5-9 I think they will all move forward again . Do you have a secondary machine you can also use instead of mid incline smith ? Pick 2 diff machines so the smith which loads the lengthened a little more is subbed for something that is a little harder to lockout so then causes less recovery demand. The Frequency is the key , so training at profiles that allow for it , are important

The only day that has a mid incline Smith press is my SESSION B (HEAVY LOWER 1) which is my first movement for pressing you recommending. I change this to another machine if I would make that change, it would be a flat press machine. I really like it allows for great range of motion. So I could make the change to that?

Luna Alejandro

[Luna]

If you change all your pressing in general to 5-9 , for all sessions , so every single press set regardless of heavy/ light , is changed to 5-9 I think they will all move forward again . Do you have a secondary machine you can also use instead of mid incline smith ? Pick 2 diff machines so the smith which loads the lengthened a little more is subbed for something that is a little harder to lockout so then causes less recovery demand. The Frequency is the key , so training at profiles that allow for it , are important

Hey Jordan, thanks for the response from what I’m gathering change all of my pressing compounds rep range to 5-9 regardless if they’re supposed to for my light work on my heavy lower days and then also keep my heavy work at 5 to 9 on my heavy upper days for my pressing. So my pressing would be heavy on all sessions, correct? And then leave the rest of the work alone with the same rep ranges yes? If so, I will make those changes and then provide the revised split below. Thank you

Luna Alejandro

[Luna]

Depends on your goal. Are you losing, gaining or maintaining on these cals.

Gaining so far!

Luna Alejandro

[Luna]

A 40 protein/40 carbs/20 fat percentage split is probably the best place to start if you have no experience and this is your first cut. Have a daily step count to hit every day (This is all movement outside of training and cardio). 10,000 steps a day is a good place to start. Then follow the plan and tweak if you need to until you see a slow and steady fat loss. Continue until things stall for more than 5-7 days, then add in some cardio. Introduce cardio on rest days first, then gradually increase, and add in extra days when needed. Once output has been increased you can look to dropping some food at the next stall (Approx 200-300 calories).

When you say tweak it until I see slow and steady fat loss what does that mean exactly? Also when things stall for 5-7 days after making that first kcal decrease how much cardio should I be looking to increase per calorie jump as I know it’s not good to do both low food and high cardio? For example once fat loss slows on the 1st cal decrease I then can go ahead and add in a little bit of light cardio on my rest days and then once the fat wall slows from that, go ahead and make another food decrease yes? Thanks for the clarity

Luna Alejandro