Hey man got a buddy taking me to the gym tomorrow he's gonna show me some work outs. Any chance you could help me out with my diet? I'd like to bulk up. I'm 25. 160 lbs. 5"11. Message me if you could or I'll track this. Either way. Thank you in advance broha.

Good Evening.


On rest days, you should eat right at your general requirements for maintenance.
During 5x5 training, you should be closer to 2,500 cals per day, as 5x5 is very demanding. You need a surplus to make gains. You might have to increase this further, but start at 2500.
Your macros on training days should be 40/40/20, or at close to it as possible. On rest days, taper the carbs down a bit, and shoot for 40/30/30.


The more muscle you build, the easier it is to lose fat in the future. In addition, make sure to keep your eyes on your actual BF% rather than weight. Gaining 10lbs might not mean fat gain at all.

First of all, one month is hardly long enough to see most changes. 4-6 weeks is generally the STARTING point for any serious diet/exercise plan to really set in. However, please detail in what manner you are not satisfied. Are you losing fat too slowly? Are you gaining fat? please give me specifics.

1. The two major supplements that will help you lose fat is a decent multivitamin + mineral supplement, as well as a fat burner such as GAT Jet Fuel.
2. L-Carnitine in general will help with fat loss, although it is marginal. If you really want all the supplements possible for fat loss, you can try the multi, fat burner, l-carnitine, ZMA, R-ALA, and Omega 3's.
3. You can have as many shakes/protein bars per day as you want, as long as it fits within your macros and caloric requirements.
4. The plan that I provided you, if followed properly, is extremely taxing and burns a ton of calories. However, if you want to try something different, go here:

http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=21269614&f=60&p=345300636
5x5 plan


5. For fat loss in general, you want to try to keep to a cardio pace in whatever you do. That means endurance lifting is superior for pure fat loss. That isn't to say that powerlifting is bad for fat loss, however it isn't optimal. ANY activity is better than none, and the more the better, as long as you don't overdo it to the point of neurological shutdown.

Depending on your general body type and fat %, you could need anywhere from 2,500 - 4,000 cals per day.


Start with the lower plan, and work your way up if necessary.


Here's a few samples:


2,500 cal plan:

Meal 1 - 3 whole eggs + 5 egg whites + green peppers and onions + 3/4 cup oatmeal (uncooked volume) + handful of mixed berries (any)
Meal 2 - 6 oz grilled chicken + 1 cup cooked brown rice + 1 large salad + 1 tbsp olive oil + vinegar
Meal 3 - 2 slices whole grain bread + 1 can of tuna + 1 oz of 2% cheese + 1tbsp mayo + veggies (tuna sandwich)
Meal 4 - 6 oz grilled sirloin steak 90/10 or leaner (trim off the fat) + 1/2 cup black beans + 1/2 cup brown rice + veggies + 1 tbsp olive oil
Meal 5 - 40g protein shake + handful mixed berries + 1 slice whole grain bread w/ 1 tbsp peanut butter and 1 tsp jelly
Meal 6 - 3/4 cup of 2% cottage cheese + 1tsp heavy cream + handful mixed berries + 10 almonds + cinnamon to taste




3,000 cal plan:


Meal 1 - 4 whole eggs + 7 egg whites , 1 cup oatmeal, 1 apple, 2 oz sliced/diced ham
Meal 2 (snack) - 8oz 2% skim milk + 1 cup of blueberries or strawberries + 15 almonds + 2 large celery stalks + 4 oz lunchmeat (turkey/chicken/roast beef)
Meal 3 - 1 cup brown rice + 6 oz chicken breast + 1/2 cup black beans + green peppers/onions + 1 tbsp olive oil
Meal 4 (PWO) - 50g protein shake + 1 banana + 1tbsp peanut butter + 1 tsp jelly + 2 slices whole grain toast
Meal 5 - 6oz 93/7 lean beef + 4oz whole grain pasta (dry weight) + 6 tbsp tomato sauce + grated cheese + 1 cup broccoli
Meal 6 - 1 cup cottage cheese + 1 tbsp peanut butter + handful of blueberries/strawberries + cinnamon to taste



4,000 cal plan:

Meal 1 - 1 cup organic greek yogurt (any flavor), 1 power crunch bar (vitamin shoppe or bodybuilding.com for these), 1 fruit (apple/banana/etc)
Meal 2 - 6 whole eggs (any style) + 4 strips low sodium bacon + 2 slices whole grain bread w/ cream cheese or butter
Meal 3 - 6 oz chicken breast w/ 2 tbsp olive oil + 2 cups brown rice + 1 cup black beans + large serving of veggies (non starch) + 2 oz cheese
Meal 4 - 6 oz ground beef + 1 cup organic tomato sauce + 1 large serving of whole grain pasta (about 4 cups cooked) + 2 oz cheese
Meal 5 - (PWO) - 50g protein shake + 1 banana + 1tbsp peanut butter + 1 tsp jelly + 2 slices whole grain toast
Meal 6 - (pre-bedtime) - 1 cup cottage cheese + mixed nuts + mixed berries

hello almighty raynor,

is zinc supplementation worth the buy

ty

I'm very cut low body fat great core just never been in the gym just active type lifestyle otherwise. Is there anything I could sub for cottage cheese? Also not sure what heavy cream is lol. I appreciate the response my friend hope all is well.

This post was edited by Sophisticated on Aug 27 2015 08:40pm

Yes!

ZMA is extremely beneficial for overall test production, recovery, energy, and overall health.

Heavy whipping cream can be found in the milk aisle at the grocery store.

With regard to cottage cheese, you can sub it out for greek yogurt or a casein protein shake.

Alright man thank you! Also I had a buddy look at the meal plan you suggested and he suggested a lot more protein and start with at least 3000 calories. So I'm guessing 3000 + calories and around 300 grams of protein. What do you think?

Is there a brand you would recommend buying and if i use zinc, should i also get copper to balance it