hey, what are your opinions on stronglifts 5x5?

im 5'8, 180, skinny-fat. i also wouldn't say i have the greatest foundation under the fat.

people tell me contradicting things on whether to cut then bulk or bulk then cut, but i figured it'd be best to make going to the gym a habit before anything and i'm starting to do that with the stronglifts 5x5 program. I'm sure you're aware of it, but in case you're not here's what im doing:

squat 5x5
bench 5x5
row 5x5

squat 5x5
overhead press 5x5
deadlift 1x5

alternate between those 2 every other day, 3 days a week.


Should I do anything on my off days? Maybe cardio + abs?

Also what are your thoughts on my initial dilemma: cut first then bulk or bulk then cut?


edit: also just out of curiosity where are you in the medical field now? I'm just starting med school now.

This post was edited by jajaja on Sep 15 2015 08:47pm

Hey Ray,

Can you give me a 6 days deadlifts and squats workout routine circuit please?

Much appreciated man regards

Edit : Sunday rest.

This post was edited by cnbrkhancan on Sep 16 2015 01:08am

Try Rudi's whole grain breads. They are made with top notch ingredients and also taste great.

I would avoid like the plague. Stay with true brands, like NOW!, ON, etc. If you have big $, you can try True Protein.

20 inches in length?????? Even the largest wrist straps are 18 inches maximum. Most are around 12-14 inches.

For losing fat, he will want to try this plan:


Workout Days:

2,500 cals (approx)

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 =



Non-Workout Days:

2,000 cals (approx)

Meal 1 - 2 slices whole grain toast + 2 tbsp peanut butter + 1 tsp jelly + 20g protein shake (half a shake basically)
Meal 2 - 4 oz LEAN ground beef or steak + 1 cup broccoli + 1 cup black beans
Meal 3 - 1 large apple, 1 large banana, 20g protein shake
Meal 4 - 6 oz chicken breast + large green salad + olive oil and vinegar
Meal 5 - 6 oz salmon or other fish + green beans + carrots
Meal 6 - 1/2 cup greek yogurt + handful of mixed nuts



The macros are roughly 40/40/20 (p/c/f)



For cutting:



http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=21269614&f=60&p=304396247
Cutting Workout Routine (6 day all equipment)



Lastly, if he follows that plan, he will need more calories. For workout days, try this:

Meal 1 - 4 whole eggs + 7 egg whites , 1 cup oatmeal, 1 apple, 2 oz sliced/diced ham - 16g fat + 60g protein + 60g net carbs
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) - 10g fat + 45g protein + 10g net carbs
Meal 3 - 1 cup brown rice + 6 oz chicken breast + 1/2 cup black beans + green peppers/onions + 1 tbsp olive oil - 12g fat + 60g protein + 55g net carbs
Meal 4 (PWO) - 50g protein shake + 1 banana + 1tbsp peanut butter + 1 tsp jelly + 2 slices whole grain toast - 9g fat + 50g protein + 70g net carbs
Meal 5 - 6oz 93/7 lean beef + 4oz whole grain pasta (dry weight) + 6 tbsp tomato sauce + grated cheese + 1 cup broccoli - 12g fat + 40g protein + 90g net carbs
Meal 6 - 1 cup cottage cheese + 1 tbsp peanut butter + handful of blueberries/strawberries + cinnamon to taste - 8g fat + 35g protein + 5g net carbs

totals:

290g protein
290g carbs
65g fat

Maltodextrin is not an ideal source of carbs, but it works and it's cheap. Waxy Maize is superior, but even better than that are carbs from whole food sources. A regular shake, with added milk, fruit, oats, peanut butter, etc. is always preferable to a weight gainer shake, just not as convenient.

As far as vitamin toxicity goes, you would REALLY have to take a LOT more than the standard serving of animal pak to achieve that. Also, you urinate out excess vitamins fairly quickly, so you would not need to worry about long term vitamin stacking. It IS however good to cycle off of ANYTHING for a short while. Take 2-3 days off every few months for multi. For creatine, I prefer to cycle off for at least 1-2 full weeks a year.

Specifically for recovery? Not exactly. For assisting with cramping/soreness, certainly.

However, soreness, particularly DOMS caused by microtears, is something that can be avoided mostly with proper stretching, hydration, sleep, and nutrition. Will they fix your DOMS problem all together? Probably not. Could they help? Absolutely.

My overall opinion is to embrace the soreness and deal with it - but if it matters to you, might be worth the $100 gamble.

Today I was getting very very dehydrated at work, no matter how much water I drink I'm still thirsty/lips still chapped and mouth dry.

I tried drinking a gatorade, and some aminos with electrolytes, neither has worked. Now I'm peeing every ~15 minutes.

My diet hasn't changed at all in the past few months



wraps, like for wrist support during bench. not the straps

This post was edited by turtol on Sep 16 2015 06:10pm

For actually building legs, in terms of muscular gains, sprinting and hills are far superior to general running. General running/cardio is more for conditioning and endurance vs. muscular gains.


edit:

None compare to the power of ATG Squats.

This post was edited by SKCRaynor on Sep 16 2015 06:15pm