Quote (Noun @ Apr 7 2015 12:43pm)

hey Raynor,

I'm on a cut right now, do i need bcaas if i eat plenty of protein?

Quote (leemyungbak @ Apr 7 2015 02:39pm)

Hi Ray,

Again thanks for all your help and getting me motivated by giving me a clear direction and set of tangible goals. My bf% decrease is starting to slow down doing the work outs that i made up (pretty much your 5x5 routine but replacing them to 12, 10 ,8 ,6 reps that you recommended me a long long time ago when i was trying become a break dancer to prevent damage by avoiding hypertrophy style work outs)

so I am going to try this cutting routine you gave us which appears to have concepts of hypertrophy for im guessing to keep volume while cutting which is fine now because I quit break dancing (and reduce my fruit, brown rice and oatmeal intake a tad (my main sources of carbs)).

Anyway here are my questions:

1. Can I implement deadlifts anywhere in here? I really like deadlifts... can it replace anything or add it somewhere? are they dangerous to do with this style of workouts where i encourage failure each set?

Not if you are training until failure on a CALORIC DEFICIT - this will definitely encourage injury. However you CAN do deadlifts, just instead of failure, do a 12/10/8/6 rep scheme, or even a 5x5 rep scheme.

2. i looked up what EZ bar 21's were on youtube and from what I can see it's basically where you curl starting from the bottom and come up half way a set number of times then do the other half (mid to finish) a set number of times then do the full bottom to top curl. Is this right? If so how do I approach this when I'm trying to go until failure? do 5 lower, 5 higher, then do the full curl until failure? (this is what i tried yesterday anyway)

Yes, that is correct

3. when you say reduce 20% each time is it: 100lbs, 80, 60, 40 where you drop 20% from the starting weight each time u drop (easy numbers for sake of example) OR is is 100, 80, 64, 51.2 (obviously I will round when at gym to even numbers) where you reduce 20% from the last weight you just did?

Great question actually, and I should have clarified this. It's 20% off each set. So, 100/80/65/50 because you must round the numbers to applicable weights

4. is Monday's chest day is all BB? (I remember you telling me to hit flat hard with BB then do DB for incline to work stabilizers and raw strength (With some focus on aesthetics) - but maybe cutting is different where those things aren't the goals. This is what I was assuming here if you in fact do mean all BB.

You can do either, or both. For pure cutting, DB or BB are both fine. You won't be gaining any significant amount of strength of cutting. However, if you like both, do both! If you prefer DB, do that instead, etc.

5. Can I add rear delts somewhere? I know cutting isn't the time to worry about shape but.. yeah they need work personally. Can I add the rear delt version of the lat raises after the front and regular lat raises?

Yes, you most certainly can

5b. same question with forearm exercises can i throw forearm exercises in somewhere? If so what days and which exercises.

Absolutely - 2x per week, any days of your choice

Thank sooo much

Quote (Hboy @ Apr 7 2015 05:14pm)

Hey Ray I just ordered some bcaas.
Since most days I fast, right now I'm fasted for about 16 hours and just finished my workout, when would be best to take bcaas? Before my workout?

Quote (leemyungbak @ Apr 8 2015 12:13am)

too late to edit but heres an update. pull downs and cable rows were hard but just had to work through it albeit they weren't exactly starting from 80% of max. hopefully since i did to failure it doesn't matter too much? the bent over rows and t bars didnt stress my biceps at all and were fine

Quote (SKCRaynor @ Apr 8 2015 09:26am)

Hello there.

OK first things first - a plateau is normal, and can be broken quite easily. You need to switch to either 3x5, OR more directed 5x5.

By "directed" I mean more focus towards power exercises, and less focus towards accessories. This will shatter the wall you've hit, and also force you to gain weight.

5x5 can now be:

Set 1 - Warmup weight (for bench, 135 for you)
Set 2 - 185 x 5
Set 3 - 185 x 5
Set 4 - 195 x 5
Set 5 - 195 x 5

Get at least 2-3 minutes rest between each set. Granted, I know you are already struggling with 185 x 5 on the last set now, so grab a spotter and force as much as you can for the first 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, you should be able to do this on your own, then add weight each week, and so forth.

In addition, you will train chest 2x per week, back 2x per week, and legs 3x per week in a rotating 12 day cycle.



Day 1 - Squat, Bench, BB Rows

Day 2 - OFF

Day 3 - Squat, Overhead Press, Deadlift

Day 4 - OFF

Day 5 - Squat, Bench, BB Rows

Day 6 - OFF

Day 7 - Squat, Overhead Press, Deadlift

Day 8 - OFF

Day 9 - Squat, Bench, BB Rows

Day 10 - OFF

Day 11 - Squat, Overhead Press, Deadlift

Day 12 - OFF




This will decrease your overall volume, but increase overall intensity, thus improving your core lifts, overall strength, and will break the wall you've hit.




3x5 is exactly the same, except 3 sets of 5 reps instead of 5 sets of 5 reps. You must continue running these strength routines before hypertrophy, mostly because you have NOT reached your strength capacity yet, nor a proper strength foundation.





As far as diet goes, continue your current diet, but add at least ONE more weight gainer shake per day. (One shake on days you have regular meat meals as mentioned, or TWO shakes when you do a weight gainer in place of a meat). Furthermore, you could also stand to add additional olive oil to each meal for good fats, and also if you feel like it, you could add protein bars as snacks throughout the day (Power Crunch and Quest Bars are both very good)

Quote (Greet @ Apr 8 2015 12:59pm)

Ray, do you have any other forms of HIIT other then running on a treadmil/eliptical/bike?

Something so I can change it up

Quote (Greet @ Apr 8 2015 01:08pm)

Ray,

Also right now I'm cutting at a pretty big caloric drop. Is this OK for macros?

I'm 6'2", 250 lbs, 20 years old

CAL/FAT/CARB/PROTEIN (approx)
2000/80/140/200

Breakfast:
5 egg whites or 1 cup (135/0/0/26.6)
3 eggs hard boiled (235/15.9/1.8/18.9)
A little salsa
2 slices ww bread (200/3/40/10)
2 tbsp butter (120/14/0/0)

Lunch:
2 slices ww bread (200/3/40/10)
2 tbsp PB (190/16/7/7)
Handful almonds

Pre-Workout:
Protein Shake (270/1/5/60)

Dinner:
6oz chicken (186/2.1/0/38.8)
1 cup brown rice(215/1.8/44.4/5)
2 tbsp butter (120/14/0/0)

Before bed:
Casein Protein (120/1/3/24)

Quote (Zigity @ Apr 8 2015 04:22pm)

Thank you for taking the time to put together this response! It will go a long ways...

I just want to make sure I am understanding this the way you intended, specifically in reference to the bold part of the quote

Are you saying to discontinue my current Monday-Friday (day-muscle specific [M=chest,T=back,W=legs,etc]) routine, and replace it with the 12-day cycle you have provided?
For example, start the new cycle you provided with "Day 1" being on next Monday, hitting Squat, Bench, and BB Rows, taking Tuesday (Day 2) off, and continuing Wednesday with Day 3
I'm pretty sure that is the way you recommended this.

In regards to the 5x5 vs 3x5, I would prefer to continue your 12 day cycle using a 5x5, specifically altered to the example bench press you have provided for me

And lastly, if the above holds true, what about traps, calves, arms, etc..? Should I stick to the core 3 exercises listed each day to maximize strength gains, or will I continue to train specific muscle groups with additional exercises on workout days, such as shrugs, calf raises, skull crushers, and ez bar curls.
I guess the confusion here is since you wrote, "In addition," so I'm not sure if you mean to rely on the secondary muscle groups worked during those days (ie; triceps on bench, biceps on bb rows), or to continue what I am already doing with my M-F routine and to ADD your 12-day rotation on top of that.

Hope I was able to clearly state here.
As always, your help is much appreciated. Send me a PM with your email address once you get a chance to read this :)

Thanks
Zack

Quote (SKCRaynor @ Apr 8 2015 05:57am)

You should be training forearm exercises at least 3x per week - straight wrist curls, reverse wrist curls, side DB wrist curls, reverse EZ-bar curls, cable wrist curls, and seated hammer curls - are all great.

You also could wrap a towel around the standard olympic bar, and grip the towel with each hand, thus thickening the bar. Thickening the bar will improve forearm strength dramatically, however you will not be able to lift as much initially.