FT Questions....

[phoebeusfenix]

Ok this may seem like a redundant question - and it's not directly FT linked but after hearing it spoken about a few times between Jordan and you I am curious:

Tiny bit of background:
I am someone who has been 'dancing' around with relatively the same weight for a long time, I did get higher(~12lbs) this off season than previous ones but still stayed relatively lean(I think).

Have been training now for 14 years or so, have nutrition consistent as can be.

I am conflicted in my mind here about one thing. Some people(like Jordan, for instance), can REALLY push their bodyweight up in the off season and accrue a good amount of muscle in the process, while others think after a certain body fat % the return for fat/muscle is less than ideal. When you guys pushed Jordan's weight way up there, was body fat a concern at all? Or was it just a no holds barred fight your way to that weight and hold it as long as possible to 'solidify the gains.'

~7 years ago I worked with Skip for an off-season(6 months) and we pushed hard from 190 up to 250 at 5'7" and I looked HORRIBLE. I had eliminated all cardio and was eating crazy quantities. I was strong, of course. We then reversed it and dropped the same 60lbs and I looked relatively the same at the end as I did at the beginning.

I am contemplating doing a big off season similar to that but keeping cardio in as I am doing it now to help keep fat at bay, and possibly trying to push up to ~230 or so, which would be about 20lbs heavier than this off season.

I'm just trying to find ways to break this stuck zone I guess lol. I see some of these guys who grow 30-40lbs stage weight in a year and I'm just baffled if they've been in the game this long, how the hell they do it.

Anddd I am rambling now.

So my question: for maximum growth potential, throw caution to the wind and get that weight up there by any means necessary? Or reign it in more?