Is anyone having success gaining lean mass while training MMA for hours and hours.

My actual question has more to do with calories than training. After calculating my calorie count from Scotts video, I have to eat around 3500 calories a day. That was working out great while doing just bodybuilding routines with little cardio. Now however, I have picked up MMA again. (Did it for years, two years off, now back). Now instead of lifting weights 4-5 times a week for hypertrophy/strength...I'm doing that plus training MMA 3-4 days a week 1.5-2 hours at a time.

I'm eating a ton. Stopped counting calories. Never feel like I'm eating enough. I have changed myweight lifting a bit. I don't go to failure as often or lift as close to my 1rm as normal. This way I recover faster.

Need some advice on the calories and hypertrophy training mixed with MMA.

Thank you.

People overestimate the amount of calories our bodies need to fuel our needs. The majority of your calories go for tasks like brain function, organ function and stuff like that. The difference of someone that is sitting all day, and someone that is doing hard work is like 600 calories. Obviously it might be a little more, because the 2nd person will have more muscle mass so he will need slighly more calories, but its nothing crazy. So, calorie wise you can definitely do both, the problem is recovery. Even if you have 20.000 calories, it doesnt mean that your body will recover because it needs time as well, on top of calories. So, I would decrease the volume and frequency of your gym going days and that should do it.

Your real problem is that BBing and MMA dont go well together. BBing helps you build useless muscle mass and MMA requires only functional muscle mass. So they kind of cancel each other out. Being big and bulky might be optical pleasing ( for some) but it will make you slow, inflexible and immobile when it comes to something as intense as MMA or any other martial art for that matter. You should consider switching to powerlifting or even better to strongman training. Especially the latter, will help you build only functional muscle that might translate into your MMA movements.

Kostas

I was afraid that would be the case. Recovery is def an issue.

What would a strong man/power lifting routine look like? FYI, I've always had the three main lifts built into my routine (bench, dead, squat). One of my long term goals is a 500 pound deadlift. At 405 now. Would love to focus on that.

Back to the calories...so if I bumped my calories up to 2500-2750 for bodybuilding (depending on current goal) and now  added hours more of intesne work, shouldn't I be eating more? Seems like two hours of training MMA would easily cancle out a good pump and a few hundred calories lifting. My real fear is that I will become small and weak like I was before I started lifting. Started out at 135lbs and a toothpick bench press.

MMA and bodybuilding are both very diverse sports and it will be quite difficult to be successful at both at the same time because bodybuilding requires you to pack on muscle mass while MMA requires you to be completely conditioned at all times. Both sports require lots of attention to detail but bodybulding can definitely help you build up strength and stamina for MMA. Doing both MMA and bodybuilding is definitely going to require a lot more than 3500 calories a day or else you are most likely going to primarily be in a catabolic state. Who knows, if you eat the way you should you might possibly be able to build muscle with your bodybuilding routines and burn fat with your MMA at the same time. My advice would be to make sure you are consuming plenty of calories and that you look into getting some good supplements to promote recovery in between all these workouts. BCAA, creatine, and whey protein are the basics so stick with those for sure. A lot of your calories are going to need to come from carbs, but be sure you are getting lots of protein and healthy fats in as well.

Powerlifting is very similar to bodybuilding. It focuses on those 3 lifts and contrary to what people think, powerlifters train in all rep ranges, not just the low ones. They just treat those as their basic exercises, and everything else is accessory. You would definitely benefit from a strongman routine but you must find a gym that has the equipment. Check out some of Elliott Hulse's older workouts on youtube. Flipping tires, log presses, sled pulling, sled pushing, farmers carrys etc etc. It focuses more on conditioning and very high volume which goes well with your MMA needs.

Yea, no idea where I would find the strongman stuff in my area. I'm sure it's around somewhere...

I'm pretty well versed in supplements and nutrition. Been learning more and more for 12 years or so. There was no way I was going to go from 135 to my weight now and stay lean without the proper research.

Maybe bodybuilding in the purest sense is not what I mean. Really, my goals are to have continued improvments in my MMA, while getting bigger and stronger...but, stay lean. OK, that sounds like bodybuilding...lol.

I think what I'm going to try is upping my calories significantly, in the form of carbs and fats (more peanut butter anyone???) and work on building strength in the weight room. Size follows strength right? The MMA will take care of any leaness issues I hope. Can always change according to how things go.

Now, if I can just figure out the best recovery tactics. For example, how much volume in the weight room vs time to recover from it before the next lifting session.