Quote (Zigity @ Jan 9 2015 02:45am)

finishing second week of the 5x5 plan you recommended tomorrow. (started first Monday of new year after de loading between Christmas and New Years)

started M-Stak for the second cycle when I started 5x5, along with creapure.

I'm wondering how long/at what frequency should I continue the 5x5 plan before changing the routine to continue strength/mass gains, also considering when I should take a break or Deload while using the 5x5 plan you posted

the only other thing is im considering starting a T booster (Stak) and am wondering if this will also help with my gains. (diet is on point, im not relying on supps alone)


as far as the routine, love it. already increased strength. the only thing is on Monday (chest) I also will do tris lightly after bench , same with light biceps after back. should I focus only on chest and only back, even though the other groups are still hit just not isolated?

it's a great routine I was doing a 3 on 1 off split for months before this

thank you sir

Quote (SKCRaynor @ Jan 9 2015 09:45am)

In general, your carbs are fairly low, except from the dextrose in the cytogainer. Are you currently bulking or cutting?

Either way, your diet needs a considerable increase in raw veggies/fruits, particularly green leafy veggies (at least one large salad per day), as well as some fiberous veggies/fruits like apples, carrots, celery, etc.

Secondly, how MUCH water are you drinking? At least 1 gal per day?

You can also try drinking 12-15 oz of black coffee per day, which will greatly assist you with regularity.

You can further add fiber powder (psyllium husk powder) to some of your foods/beverages for at least 2 tbsp per day, greatly increasing your fiber intake.

If you are on a bulking cycle, in addition to the above suggestions, also increase your whole grain intake, which boosts your fiber.

Total fiber per day should be around 30g.

Quote (SKCRaynor @ Jan 9 2015 10:49am)

Hello there.

You can stick with the 5x5 plan for approximately 8-12 months before completely changing into a hypertrophy plan to shock the body.

You can take a 1-week deload every 3-4 months if you feel that it's necessary for sanity and recovery.

Lastly, you can definitely do a little in the way of accessories if you feel they are lacking, there is no issue there.

Quote (SKCRaynor @ Jan 9 2015 06:41am)

If your goal is to lose 30 lbs of body fat, and you want to maintain as much muscle as possible, I would advise that you go on CKD (Cyclical Ketosis Diet) and stick to a general cutting routine (see below)

http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=21269614&p=304616466
anabolic cutting diet (cyclical keto diet)

http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=21269614&f=60&p=395333577
Keto Food List

http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=21269614&f=60&p=410086673
Sample Keto Meals


AND

http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=21269614&f=60&p=379997654
(4 day upper/lower split)


This plan above is for a novice that just started lifting within the last 6-12 months.


OR - for more seasoned liftters,


Do each exercise like this - 15/12/10/8 reps, increasing in weight. That's 4 sets per exercise, for a total of approximately 28 sets per workout.
Finish your workout with at least 20-30 minutes of HIIT cardio.


Mon - Flat Bench Barbell, Incline Bench Barbell, Flat bench Dumbbells, Incline DB Flies, Standing DB curls, Seated Hammer Curls, Barbell Curls

Tues - Straight leg deadlifts, bent over BB rows, Olympic bar T-Bar Rows, Lawnmower DB Rows, close-grip bench press (hands 4 inches apart), skullcrushers, DB kickbacks

Weds - BB Regular Squats, BB Front Squats, DB lunges, Standing Calf Raises, DB Front and Lat Raises (3 sets of each), DB shrugs, seated arnold presses, behind-the-head military/shoulder press (BB or DB)

Thurs - incline DB press, flat bench DB press, incline DB flies, Standing DB curls, Olympic bar curls (standing), T-bar Rows, Bent over BB Rows, Good Mornings

Fri - Squats, DB Lunges, Standing Calf Raises, Close-Grip Dips (with weight plate(s) in lap if possible), DB Kickbacks, Seated DB Shoulder press, Standing BB shrugs, Standing DB Front/Lat Raises

Sat - CARDIO ONLY (if you can, do 30-40 minutes of HIIT cardio this day - if you can't it's okay)

Sun - CARDIO ONLY


you can do either treadmill, eliptical, or stationary bike (alternating these is fine)....or you can swim/jog/bike also using HIIT format.


just make sure to do a total of 30 mins HIIT post-workout.



for sunday - just take the day to REST and RECOVER

Quote (rspaid @ Jan 9 2015 12:16pm)

Howdy, can you recommend a good workout plan for me?  I would like to lift 4-5 days a week, preferably Monday through Friday.  I have been lifting for 5 months now.  I feel like I'm pretty strong now, but I still lack the size/definition I want.  My best areas are my triceps and back.  My chest is small and my biceps are small, so I would like to get them bigger.  I currently do about 4-5 exercises per body part per week, doing 3 sets of 10-12 reps per exercise.  My chest is not bad on the outer portion, but inner is horrible.  I can bench 225 15x and incline db press 100's 5x, to give you an idea of my max's.  I've probably done the same exercises for the last 5 months, maybe mixing it up just a little.  I'm not worried about gaining or losing weight, just want to get stronger, look bigger and sculpt my body.  I have made progress in all my lifts and usually go up 5 lbs per 2/3 weeks.  I am getting there, just want to seek professional advice to help my gains/progress.  Thank you very much for you help.

Quote (Shakti @ Jan 9 2015 01:03pm)

I consume around 1/2 to 1 gallon a day depending on how active I am throughout the day. I'm currently trying to do a "lean bulk." I want to bulk but stay cut simultaneously if that's even possible? I have been seeing a steady increase in numbers while maintaining hypertrophy so I believe I am doing okay.

I'm not much of a coffee drinker, I will incorporate more leafy greens. Also, I dont count my calories. I just eat the best ideal food depending on the time of day and how hungry I am; so when you say 30g of fiber should be my daily intake, what is the "30g" you are talking about? The weight? 30g of carbs from fiber? Sorry I'm a little confused.

Quote (Zigity @ Jan 9 2015 07:32pm)

wow 8-12 months is a long time for sure! i guess ill just keep at it unless i plateau

as far as the deload goes, i was inquiring because i thought it would be benifitial for gains, but from your response it does not seem necessary.

i've been trying to train the hardest on back day, it is my weakness unfortunately. can you recommend any Lat specific exercises not mentioned in the routine?

thanks for all of your help, i will keep you posted with all progress!

Quote (TWIZTIDxPIMP @ Jan 9 2015 08:49pm)

Thank you so much Raynor - I really appreciate the advice! Current stats are 6'5" 258. I'll post again once I hit my goal of 228.

If I were to follow the more advanced program do you have a general % of max I should use for the 15 rep, 12 rep, 10 rep, 8 rep? Or should I just experiment with it and work until I can find what I can do 15 reps with ect.? I generally work lower reps (5-6ish aside from warmup with 10)

Also, would it be okay to add normal deads on Tuesday as well? Or is there a reason you only have straight leg?

Thanks again for all the help!

Quote (SKCRaynor @ Jan 10 2015 03:53pm)

Hello there.

As far as the % of max goes, you should experiment with your current capability. The reason for this is because you are used to heavier weight at lower reps, which means that your muscular endurance may be lower than expected. You can dedicate a full week to finding the correct weights to begin with each exercise and develop the plan from there. Let your body be your guide.

You can do regular deads in place of the straight leg, however I prefer doing the straight leg on those days in order to maximize the lower-back and hamstring involvement. If you prefer regular deads, go for it.