5x5

[Challo]

craig r said:

Challo said:

Struggled a little bit on squats last night. Not sure if I didn't warm up properly but felt a twinge on the inside of my thigh. Spoke to a friend who is a strength coach and he suggested i need to activate my glutes properly prior to the squats.

Just purchased these online and only 99p each which is a bargin. Hopefully they work.

Probably a daft question, but WTF are they? They look like elastic bands?!

In reality they are exactly that. I used something similar when coming back from a discloated shoulder as its a low impact form for exercise. Basically the bands differ in strength and can be used to build muscle. Loads of workouts on the web.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articl...

My friend recommends doing a variety of warm-ups using the bands to ensure all the muscles in the legs are switched on to avoid any injuries.

[Challo]

Frenchda said:

And where from at that price?

I got them from the Physio Room http://www.physioroom.com/product/PhysioRoom.com_R...

Not sure what they will be like, but for 99p in the sale might as well give it a go.

[Pazuzu]

First failure tonight - only did 3 sets of Squats at 87.5kg as I was feeling it in my back and didn't want to risk hurting myself.

BP and Rows at 57.5kg went fine.

We'll see how I go on Friday.

Cheers,

Phil

[GavC88]

Just nailed my BW squats at 95kg!

Bit shaky on the last 2 mind!

Benched 70 for 55554 so fingers crossed next time!

Pendlay Rowing 62.5

Pressing 42.5

Deadlifting 95

All going up slowly but surely!

Been back on this 5 weeks now and still enjoying it

[lost in espace]

A month out of proper training, first week off was for skiing which was very intense on the legs, managed to get 5x5 in though minus squats. On returning I got flu and was worried about lifting with a nasty cough, out for 2 weeks. Managed to restart today four weeks after a proper session, app suggested dropping 30% and boy I am glad I did felt awful.

I had noticed my overall physique going soft, but I managed to lose 2 pounds having been stuck on 13 stone for 3 months. If I am lifting again I can start serious eating I suppose.

Also trying to get marathon fit for 3 marathons staring in March, that training isn't going well. Hope I can pull something out of the bag at the last minute, usually works for me luckily just upping the miles a week before.

[Pazuzu]

Pazuzu said:

First failure tonight - only did 3 sets of Squats at 87.5kg as I was feeling it in my back and didn't want to risk hurting myself.

BP and Rows at 57.5kg went fine.

We'll see how I go on Friday.

Cheers,

Phil

Got it done today.

Started 1st December after a couple of years off and currently on:

Squats 87.5kg
Deads 100kg
OHP 47.5kg
Bench 57.5kg
Row 57.5kg

BW is 90kg so I'm looking forward to squatting my bodyweight on Monday!

Cheers,

Phil

[LordGrover]

Over if you want to gain muscle - may gain a little fat though - can't have everything.

[Opara]

So I couldn't eat at maintenance with sufficient protein and almost reshape my body? ie add some muscle/lose some fat?

[LordGrover]

Not saying impossible, just unlikely unless a beginner.
Don't sweat the small stuff though, build the strength & muscle and 'cut' (as the bros have it) when you need/want to. It's not like you're going to turn into Mr Blobby in a couple of weeks.

[dai1983]

Now currently on:

Squat: 80
OHP: 45
DL: 92.5
bench: 57.5
Row: 52.5
Body weight: 79.5

I dropped the row weight down and practised my form for a bit. Friends in the gym advised me but keep trying to get me to do them with my back at 45 degrees. They can't understand why I want to put the weight on the deck after each rep too. I filmed myself doing 50kg and it looks good to me.

Sqaut and deadlift are starting to get really hard but I failed on the last rep of my first 45kg OHP session. Just happy as I couldn't even lift 40kg a few months ago. I guessed that a previous arm injurywould slow me down here anyway. Dla getting harder but still comfortable.

I'm happy and enjoying strong lifts and can see changes in my body most notably my legs, arms and back. My core also feels firmer than it has for a while. The only issue is that a need to stay on top of my CV due to work and not sure I can do that and squat heavy 3 times a week. is 5/3/1 any different? Probably gonna stick to 5x5 till the end of Feb and see how I feel.

[Challo]

So far on the following:

Squat: 47.5kg
OHP: 35kg
Deadlift: 60kg
Bench: 35kg
Row: 45kg

Still enjoying it and its starting to getting a little tougher on the squats. Struggling with soreness and stiff legs at the moment so trying to find ways to help ease that so i dont injure myself next time at the gym.

[LordGrover]

Keep at it. As it gets harder, the more rewards!

[Sway]

I found a foam roller session after each workout kept my legs in good nick as the squats got more brutal. Whilst you're doing it you wonder what pain it could possibly save, but there is a net reduction (and the really nasty pain is self inflicted and done in a few minutes).

[Challo]

Sway said:

I found a foam roller session after each workout kept my legs in good nick as the squats got more brutal. Whilst you're doing it you wonder what pain it could possibly save, but there is a net reduction (and the really nasty pain is self inflicted and done in a few minutes).

Cheers I will give that a go.

[chris watton]

Challo said:

Cheers I will give that a go.

It does get easier the more you get used to it, even though you'll be increasing the weight.

I remember the first time I tried squats last year, when finished, I couldn't even walk up the stairs!

[Asterix]

Right! I'm getting back into this.

A change of job has meant that it is a major ball ache to get to my gym because the rush hour traffic is brutal and I wouldn't be getting home until gone 9pm on gym days. So I'm going to mix up my working hours and get into the office for 7-7:30am which will then allow me to get there far earlier.

Will be interesting to see what the App recommends deloading back to after a couple of months off with only the odd sporadic work out in between.

[GavC88]

Asterix said:

Right! I'm getting back into this.

A change of job has meant that it is a major ball ache to get to my gym because the rush hour traffic is brutal and I wouldn't be getting home until gone 9pm on gym days. So I'm going to mix up my working hours and get into the office for 7-7:30am which will then allow me to get there far earlier.

Will be interesting to see what the App recommends deloading back to after a couple of months off with only the odd sporadic work out in between.

When I did this I cut it all by 50% and took it from there

I'm now 110kg squats and deads
65 rows
75 bench
50 press

After 8 weeks



Really starting to feel it now!

[LordGrover]

I suspect this depends a lot on starting point, age and genetics as well as adherence to the program.
If you're a fifty year old wobbly mound of fat at the outset the changes will be superficially less obvious than someone already reasonably fit in their early twenties.
Six months isn't long anyway, but over time you will look like you lift.

[chris watton]

Diet is just as important, and you should be as equally committed to this as the training.

If you stick to both, you should see a difference in 6 months and quite a big difference after 12 months.

I am 10 months in and am only now starting to realise the difference since I started last May – for the first three months I trained 3 nights a week, and after that, a split routine 4 nights a week (Although this is my 4th week doing 6 times a week to overcome a couple of plateaus…)

If you have a good diet and train/exercise regularly, you really cannot go far wrong.

[Art0ir]

Mark Rippetoe (who wrote Starting Strength, which Stronglifts borrowed heavily from) recommends eating in surplus while starting your strength journey and worrying about abs later. You have a narrow window where you can make gains like never before and you shouldn't waste it by not eating enough to make the most of it, or so the argument goes.