StrongLifts 5x5 Programme Advice?

wannabepr

Hi Guys Im planning on starting this program. I have the whole summer off college so i can be In the Gym as much as I like. I have a few questions on the programme though.
I recently lost 2 stone. About 3 weeks ago I started going to the gym but I was mostly doing cardio. Maybe for 25-30 minutes a session 3 or 4 times a week and found that i had no improvement. I wanted to start a weights program and found this one could be the one for me. I have a few questions on it?

1. Getting up Early - Because Im off the whole summer I usually sleep in till about 1.30pm or 2.00pm. Does this matter to the programme, I remember somebody told me to do a weights program properly one should be up as early as 9.00am so have the full day to plan out what to eat etc??

2. Areas of fat- Although i have lost weight i still have relatively big love handles, backfat, a belly and manboobs? Is this programme good for what i want to achieve ie. get rid these areas & tone up in general.

3. Diet - My diet wouldn't be the best at all. I tried changing fully but some foods are healthy make me physicially sick. Im changing my breakfast from toast to Museli or porridge. For snacks I will have fruit, low fat fruit yoghurts , Cream Crackers with low fat butter ( Love them). Dinner will usually consist of protein such as chicken.
I was thinking of starting to have chicken currys made from the natural breadless chicken. Should i have brown rice?? I hear thats the best? Also a curry sauce that is low fat would be nice.

Plently of water of course would be a main part of the diet. I was also thinking of trying nuts for protein and as a snack?
I find veg very had to stomach but will try to inplement some into my diet, just not sure what kind yet. I could tell you im planning on having veg 3 times a day but i know it wouldn't work, tried it before.
BTW a few months ago I gave up fast food, crisps, fizzy drinks, biscuits and all that junk so avoiding that is not a problem.

4. Results: When should i notice the results of this programme? 3 weeks ? a Month??

I hoping to give this programme a go with the diet i have stated, even if the diet slows it down i know i will stick to it.


3. Results: When should i notice the results of this programme? 3 weeks ? a Month??

O.P.H

wannabepr wrote: »

Im off the whole summer I usually sleep in till about 1.30pm or 2.00pm. Does this matter to the programme
QUOTE]

GET A JOB YA BUM

Lots of good stuff in the stickies.

wannabepr

O.P.H wrote: »

wannabepr wrote: »

Im off the whole summer I usually sleep in till about 1.30pm or 2.00pm. Does this matter to the programme
QUOTE]

GET A JOB YA BUM

Lots of good stuff in the stickies.

Cheers I have been trying for weeks at that with no luck But seriously any advice for me. I really want tone up and need advice??:)

kevpants

wannabepr wrote: »

1. Getting up Early - Because Im off the whole summer I usually sleep in till about 1.30pm or 2.00pm. Does this matter to the programme, I remember somebody told me to do a weights program properly one should be up as early as 9.00am so have the full day to plan out what to eat etc??

Pffft. If I could sleep till 1 I feckin would. Getting up early will have no effect on your weight program. More sleep = good. You don't need to plan a day of eating, just eat enough every day.

wannabepr wrote: »

2. Areas of fat- Although i have lost weight i still have relatively big love handles, backfat, a belly and manboobs? Is this programme good for what i want to achieve ie. get rid these areas & tone up in general.

A 5x5 program will add muscle to your frame and make you stronger. The only way to lose fat is by burning more calories than you take in.

wannabepr wrote: »

3. Diet - My diet wouldn't be the best at all. I tried changing fully but some foods are healthy make me physicially sick. Im changing my breakfast from toast to Museli or porridge. For snacks I will have fruit, low fat fruit yoghurts , Cream Crackers with low fat butter ( Love them). Dinner will usually consist of protein such as chicken.
I was thinking of starting to have chicken currys made from the natural breadless chicken. Should i have brown rice?? I hear thats the best? Also a curry sauce that is low fat would be nice.

Don't worry about all the low fat food, get rid of it, it's a gimmick. Just stay away from bad fat which is pretty much just vegetable oil. so no chips or anything deep fried. The other fats (meat, milk, nuts etc) are good. Fat in mouth does not equal fat on belly.
If you're lifting, you don't want to eat like an Olsen twin, you'll get nowhere. Eat loads but just stay away from anything with sugar or those bad fats I talked about.

I'm not really addressing your weight loss diet very well here but if you want to do a 5x5 program you're gonna need to eat a lot so salad bowl for lunch isn't gonna work.

wannabepr wrote: »

Plently of water of course would be a main part of the diet. I was also thinking of trying nuts for protein and as a snack?
I find veg very had to stomach but will try to inplement some into my diet, just not sure what kind yet. I could tell you im planning on having veg 3 times a day but i know it wouldn't work, tried it before.
BTW a few months ago I gave up fast food, crisps, fizzy drinks, biscuits and all that junk so avoiding that is not a problem.

Nuts are good.

wannabepr wrote: »

4. Results: When should i notice the results of this programme? 3 weeks ? a Month??

Well ya see you seem to be talking about this as a weight loss program. It's not. True having more muscle makes it easier to lose fat but the goal of 5x5 isn't to cut weight.

I keep repeating myself but you really do need to eat plenty when doing this or you won't really get much from it.

In terms of results, the slower the better in terms of fat loss. If you just stay away from the crap that should take care of itself over time. I'm not very knowledgeable on that side of the house. As far as strength goes, I think the program has progression built in? Don't you add a certain amount of weight every now and then? Keep track of what you're lifting, number of reps or amount of weight goes up = good.

Besta luck with it.

floggg

Pretty much what Mr. Pants said.

You will have to choose between losing fat and adding muscle - they ae very very hard to do together, and ideally you need to eat like a lot to get the results from the 5 x 5.

You can minimise the damage so to speak of eating more by eating smart - lots of protein, and avoid carbs in the evenings, and junk at all times. And by junk, i mean everything from biscuits and chocolate bars to full irishes and take aways. Eat smart and eat clean.

As for results, you will see results in terms of increased weight on a weekly basis if doing it right., but you won't see a very noticeable difference in either fat lost or muscle mass gained within anything like a three week period. judge by the fit of your clothes, not the scales though and it should help.

PS - i wouldn''t say the slowest possible weight loss is the best, its more like rapid weight loss is unhealthy and unsustainable!

ragg

Ok - first things first.
Get your body fat % tested, you will need this.
to calculate your DAILY protein intake Eat lean body weight in protein (weight - body fat)
Next timing of food - have 5 meals a day ( the total protein intake should be no more then calculated above spread over 5 meals)
If you are going to the gym that day, eat carbs (low GI only)
So eat a carb rich meal 1hr before training (chicken sambo & banana), after the gym eat protein and high GI carbs (think steak on baguette) then start scaling back the carbs through out the day. if you train late. start carb intake quite low with the big carbs before and after the gym.

On the days you are not going to the Gym aim for 0 - 30g of carbs -think atkins - only eat the good healthy lean meats. also snack on Almonds and drizzle everything in olive oil. again keep to 5 protein meals a day just little or no carbs

That is how to build muscle and lose fat at the same time

Hanley

ragg wrote: »

That is how to build muscle and lose fat at the same time

My god.. it's so simple. If only I'd known.... years wasted

ragg

it is that simple- you can give muscles exactly what they need to grow while maintining a calorie deficit.
Some people like to complicate it - but there is no need. Especially not for a beginner to resistance training

Hanley

ragg wrote: »

it is that simple- you can give muscles exactly what they need to grow while maintining a calorie deficit.
Some people like to complicate it - but there is no need. Especially not for a beginner to resistance training

How should he measure his body fat?

How many total calories should he eat?

What about fat?

ragg

He said he's a member of a Gym, there should be calipers there.
If not he can use a machine in a chemist etc - every second day for 6 days and take the average.

If he is eating enough protein and carb on his gym days - calories will unlikely go over.

I have accounted for fat on his non gym days - again without the carbs his cals will bottom out. so he can keep them up by snacking on nuts and covering his salads in olive oil

ragg

Actually I think I was a bit irresponsible not giving a cal count etc..

OP, let me know your weight, body fat etc & I will give you macronutriant targets to meet