Hey raynor, schools about to start soon and i have goals in mind. I was wondering if you could tell me what i can improve on. It might be a little confusing but if you need anything to be cleared up, let me know

My goal:
- Im currently 152lbs. I want to be 140lbs by February ( while retaining as much muscle and losing as much fat as possible)
- Improve on my strength lifts ( I want to be able to rep 225+ for bench/ 135 for shoulder press/ 225+ for squats / and 225+ for deadlifts)
- Improve my cardio endurance
- Get a six pack

With that in mind, on Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday I have Jogging and Swim fitness. On the same days, I intend to do your updated 5x5 routine in order to gain strength.

In addition to that, monday - friday I will be boxing for about 2-3 hours.

I realize in order to not overtrain, i need 8+ hours of sleep ( which i intend to get as soon as i get my sleeping schedule back on track)
and I have a basic idea for my daily diet. about 6 meals, and everything i eat is homemade, all the meats are made with the George Forman Grill, all carbs are from milk,brown rice, whole wheat tortillas and whole wheat bread.

heres how it SHOULD look for

7:20AM - Wake up

8:00 AM - Breakfast -
- Carbs come from Whole wheat bread or Oatmeal
- Protein comes from Eggs, Protein Shake, or Cottage cheese. I'll vary it up
- Advocado for fats. not sure what else to throw in for fats

9:00AM - 9:50 AM Jogging class. ( not sure how hard the instructor intends on working us for this class.)

10:00 AM - 11:50AM Break Time I intended to have a whole wheat sandwhich before my 5x5 workout and a protein shake with water immediately after.

12:00PM - 12:50 PM - Random class

1:00PM - 1:50 PM Swim Fitness ( Just like jogging, not sure how intense this class will be..)

2:00PM - 2:50 PM Break Time Eat Lunch
- Brown rice
- Some sort of lean protein ( Salmon/ Chicken breast/ Steak )
- Veggies

3:00PM - 3:50 PM Random class

I'll probably do homework in the library and i'll have a final meal with a lot of carbs because i'll head off to boxing around 5:00- 5:30PM until 8:30-9:00 PM. Protein Shake immediately after boxing

Before bed i'll have cottage cheese with nuts or a protein shake.

-On Tuesday and Thursday ( Off days for 5x5) I plan on doing HIIT training and just general Interval routines in the gym
- I will end up doing abs 5 times a week because of boxing

I'm 5'5'' and 153, so i used a calculator to estimate i need around 1700 calories in order to maintain body function.

This post was edited by Floppyduck on Jan 3 2012 02:45pm

Not to jack the thread but great goals, good luck

Hey raynor, just curious on what you think are the top 2-3 multi-vitamins and possibly reasoning? Looking to incorporate a good multi-vitamin as a daily supplement just not sure which to choose.

I understand. Just keep the weight manageable on the bar and make sure to get the good quality reps I described. You will notice a huge difference. Try for at least 10-12 sets of traps in this fashion.

Unfortunately the only thing you can do at this point is ice it. Ice it for 20 minutes on, and then 40 minutes off. Repeat 2-3 times as necessary. You can apply some topical rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. You can also apply neosporin and a band-aid if it gets bad.

In the future, avoid trying to pop pimples without a head.

If it's very painful, you can take a sterilized needle (MUST BE STERILE) and lance the middle of the pimple. You will likely feel a popping sensation and it will bleed profusely. Immediately squeeze out the remaining blood and pus then apply alcohol liberally to the area and cover in neosporin and apply a bandage.

Hi Raynor,

Does it matter if i workout before doing my cardio? thanks

This post was edited by PgMZealot on Jan 3 2012 04:12pm

It is very correct. You need a solid foundation of strength for which to build an ultimate platform for bodybuilding.

You will need to get your strength up considerably (using a 5x5 or 3x5 plan) and once you achieve a great base you can start working on individual routines for symmetry and hypertrophy.

The person trolling your thread is obviously one or more of the following:

1. Jealous of your knowledge/expertise
2. Jealous of you having the idea to create an advise thread first
3. Jealous of you getting more attention than he is
4. Self-Reflecting because he feels that if anyone offered advise out of kindness they must have a hidden agenda (because this is how HE would do it)
5. Has an inferiority complex that justifies that anyone who knows more than him is a bad or selfish person

Take your pick, but in general the guy is not a decent person for trying to take a good thing and belittle it. Because you feel skilled and knowledgeable about a topic doesn't make you a professional - however it does separate you from the everyman in the same forum who might be giving generic or improper advice.

Keep up the good work!

Your calories are correct, and the sources of food are good. Just remember a few things:


1. You require less calories on NON-WORKOUT days
2. You need at least 140g protein per day for your goals
3. You will NOT be gaining strength AND getting very lean in that short period of time - pick ONE or the OTHER
4. If you pick to be lean, just worry about cutting and keeping calories low and exercise levels high
5. If you choose strength you will have to increase calories overall dramatically.

Get at least 1-1.5 gals of water per day.

Also try to make sure that you weigh and measure your food to ensure you are getting the correct calories and nutrition.


Let me know if you need anything else.

The best Multis are the following:

1. Controlled Labs Orange Triad - has a lot of everything + extra male support such as saw palmetto and lycopene as well as a good joint complex - must take 6 a day
2. NOW! Adam - a very good two-a-day with additional male support


I do not recommend anything else.