5x5

[NWMark]

After doing 5x5 at the beginning of 2015 and getting a bit bored I moved onto wendlers 531 and didn't enjoy that as much, so back to 5x5 around September time but only workout B (Squats, Military Press and Deadlifts) I do chest and back exercises on other days.

Hit a major brick wall before xmas on squats usually getting something like 55543 no matter what rest in between, i'd then de-load and easily hit 5x5 but then hit the same wall, well the carb boost over xmas must be working a treat as I'm now 7.5Kg over my 'brick wall' with another 5x5 success today.

Using the app again and its great you can log additional exercises in there now, much easier to keep track.

[FurryExocet]

I've been doing this since the summer, I injured myself doing the squats a couple of months ago, so I've dropped the weight a lot and been working on my form and repairing the damage.
Its a great little routine and I add extra bits in most sessions, just to feel a bit of burn!
I've noticed the results too, which is great

[romeogolf]

OMNIO said:

As a beginner to all this I'm quite enjoying it. It seems straight forward enough especially with the tutorials and walk through on the app.

I am really struggling with the bent over row though. I just cannot get the proper form I.e arse and head in a line with my back parallel to the floor. It's either that I'm inept. Or that my legs aren't flexible enough. It just doesn't feel right however i try to do it.

Can I get the same benefit by substituting this excersise for an incline bench barbell row (or other)?

I have the same issue. I'm on week 7 now and I just do the movement in a "comfortable" back position - I keep my back straight but I'd say my hips aren't at 90 degrees to the floor. I stand up a little straighter and I'm sure it's working my shoulders a bit as well as my back from that position.

With the weight on the floor, I can't reach it without bending my knees, and at the higher weights I can't keep my legs like that as I lift!

[militantmandy]

romeogolf said:

I have the same issue. I'm on week 7 now and I just do the movement in a "comfortable" back position - I keep my back straight but I'd say my hips aren't at 90 degrees to the floor. I stand up a little straighter and I'm sure it's working my shoulders a bit as well as my back from that position.

With the weight on the floor, I can't reach it without bending my knees, and at the higher weights I can't keep my legs like that as I lift!

You should definitely be bending your knees to do a row. The important thing is that your back is flat (as in neutral spine). It's also not "wrong" to do row a bit more upright, but it will be hitting slightly different muscles. Just try to lean over as much as you can. I would say doing BOBBR with your back totally parallel to the ground would be considered EXTREMELY strict and more like a Pendaly Row, where you would put the BB back down on the floor between reps.

I often do a variation of this:



When I do it though, I bring my feet up to about under my hips and lift my bum up so my back is parallel to the ground. Then pull my elbows up. Works very well for me.

[romeogolf]

militantmandy said:

romeogolf said:

I have the same issue. I'm on week 7 now and I just do the movement in a "comfortable" back position - I keep my back straight but I'd say my hips aren't at 90 degrees to the floor. I stand up a little straighter and I'm sure it's working my shoulders a bit as well as my back from that position.

With the weight on the floor, I can't reach it without bending my knees, and at the higher weights I can't keep my legs like that as I lift!

You should definitely be bending your knees to do a row. The important thing is that your back is flat (as in neutral spine). It's also not "wrong" to do row a bit more upright, but it will be hitting slightly different muscles. Just try to lean over as much as you can. I would say doing BOBBR with your back totally parallel to the ground would be considered EXTREMELY strict and more like a Pendaly Row, where you would put the BB back down on the floor between reps.

I often do a variation of this:



When I do it though, I bring my feet up to about under my hips and lift my bum up so my back is parallel to the ground. Then pull my elbows up. Works very well for me.

I was trying to do it the way it's shown on the Stronglifts website but wasn't comfortable in that position. From what you've described I'd say he's showing a Pendlay row?

[militantmandy]

romeogolf said:

I was trying to do it the way it's shown on the Stronglifts website but wasn't comfortable in that position. From what you've described I'd say he's showing a Pendlay row?

Rightly or wrongly, I would consider that a Pendlay Row. Where you set down each time, then accelerate as hard as possible off the floor. A "normal" BOR to me would look more like:



May just be a matter or terminologies! Bodybuilding.com says:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/...

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/explosive-back-5-m...

I guess the advantage of Pendlay might be that in "normal" BOR a lot of people (me included) tend to get gradually more upright as they get tired. I would say The Pendlay is also a more explosive movement.

Both good. Pretty similar overall though.

[romeogolf]

militantmandy said:

Rightly or wrongly, I would consider that a Pendlay Row. Where you set down each time, then accelerate as hard as possible off the floor. A "normal" BOR to me would look more like:



May just be a matter or terminologies! Bodybuilding.com says:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/...

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/explosive-back-5-m...

I guess the advantage of Pendlay might be that in "normal" BOR a lot of people (me included) tend to get gradually more upright as they get tired. I would say The Pendlay is also a more explosive movement.

Both good. Pretty similar overall though.

Cheers mate - Will try with my legs bent slightly like those images you just posted.

[chris watton]

militantmandy said:

romeogolf said:

I was trying to do it the way it's shown on the Stronglifts website but wasn't comfortable in that position. From what you've described I'd say he's showing a Pendlay row?

Rightly or wrongly, I would consider that a Pendlay Row. Where you set down each time, then accelerate as hard as possible off the floor. A "normal" BOR to me would look more like:



May just be a matter or terminologies! Bodybuilding.com says:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/...

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/explosive-back-5-m...

I guess the advantage of Pendlay might be that in "normal" BOR a lot of people (me included) tend to get gradually more upright as they get tired. I would say The Pendlay is also a more explosive movement.

Both good. Pretty similar overall though.

That is how I do the bent over row, pendlay rows I do with back parallel to the ground..

[V8mate]

chris watton said:

militantmandy said:

romeogolf said:

I was trying to do it the way it's shown on the Stronglifts website but wasn't comfortable in that position. From what you've described I'd say he's showing a Pendlay row?

Rightly or wrongly, I would consider that a Pendlay Row. Where you set down each time, then accelerate as hard as possible off the floor. A "normal" BOR to me would look more like:



May just be a matter or terminologies! Bodybuilding.com says:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/...

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/explosive-back-5-m...

I guess the advantage of Pendlay might be that in "normal" BOR a lot of people (me included) tend to get gradually more upright as they get tired. I would say The Pendlay is also a more explosive movement.

Both good. Pretty similar overall though.

That is how I do the bent over row, pendlay rows I do with back parallel to the ground..

Yep, I do my 5x5 rows like those pics^. Fast up, slow down.

[chris watton]

My 20 year old step son has told me that he wants to start doing weights in his Summer holiday, so that when he goes to the gym when at uni, he would have already nailed the basics. he is very skinny and well over 6' tall.

I have planned this for him, does it look fine for an absolute beginner?:

Week 1-4 - Mon/Wed/Fri

Squat – 3 sets of 5 reps (40kg)
Bench Press – 3 sets of 5 reps (30kg)
Barbell Strict Overhead press – 3 x 5 reps (20kg)
Barbell Bent Over Row – 3 x 5 reps (20kg)
Deadlift – 3 sets of 5 reps (40kg)
Optional – Finish with 2 or 3 sets of reverse grip pull ups

Weight goes up 2.5kg every session

Week 4-8 - Mon/Wed/Fri

Same as above, but 5 sets of 5 reps each

Edited by chris watton on Friday 11th March 12:43

[V8mate]

I'm no expert... so this is just an 'internet opinion', but I think it's useful to learn to 'chest press' dumbbells before a bar.

I think it's valuable to be accompanied by someone who knows what they're doing to observe and guide, but dumbbells teach you a lot about balancing and coordinating movements.

Ditto, do seated shoulder press with dumbbells before standing military press etc.

Just my 2p


Whatever happens you'll do him a bigger favour going with him a couple of times than writing out exercise sheets will ever deliver.

[chris watton]

V8mate said:

I'm no expert... so this is just an 'internet opinion', but I think it's useful to learn to 'chest press' dumbbells before a bar.

I think it's valuable to be accompanied by someone who knows what they're doing to observe and guide, but dumbbells teach you a lot about balancing and coordinating movements.

Ditto, do seated shoulder press with dumbbells before standing military press etc.

Just my 2p


Whatever happens you'll do him a bigger favour going with him a couple of times than writing out exercise sheets will ever deliver.

I shall be with him all the time, the gym is in my garage!

[Hoofy]

I don't see why you couldn't progress with 3x5 for a year.

WRT rows, I used to do bench-based dumbbell rows with back horizontal. Nowadays, I do BB BORs with the back not so horizontal. You can still hit the lats hard if you pull "down" and towards the navel.

[Jayyylo]

I had started 5x5 at the end of last summer but I went too light and by the time I was hitting good resistance I had to quit the gym as we moved house to a different area. I've finally got my act back together and I'll be back at the gym for the first time.

The plan is to drop 10kg off everything as a 'reset' so I have a few weeks working up and getting into the routine again before pushing through onto some heavier stuff. In four weeks I should be up to body weight squats if I don't stall on the way there but I've definitely got to get my diet sorted this time. It's been my major holdup when doing previous weight training. I just love carbs and need a better routine for meal prep.

[chris watton]

Hoofy said:

I don't see why you couldn't progress with 3x5 for a year.

WRT rows, I used to do bench-based dumbbell rows with back horizontal. Nowadays, I do BB BORs with the back not so horizontal. You can still hit the lats hard if you pull "down" and towards the navel.

Will see how it goes, and if he wants to increase the sets. I also do BB BOR's with my back not so horizontal, it seems this is the accepted way to do them these days.

[Hoofy]

chris watton said:

Hoofy said:

I don't see why you couldn't progress with 3x5 for a year.

WRT rows, I used to do bench-based dumbbell rows with back horizontal. Nowadays, I do BB BORs with the back not so horizontal. You can still hit the lats hard if you pull "down" and towards the navel.

Will see how it goes, and if he wants to increase the sets. I also do BB BOR's with my back not so horizontal, it seems this is the accepted way to do them these days.

Whether he wants to and whether he should are two different things, depending on his goals.

I don't know whether it is the accepted way to do things but for me it's more about understanding how the exercise benefits you and again whether it fits goals. I never do DB BORs pulling the DB towards my hip as I want to hit the rhomboid and rear delts more.

[chris watton]

Hoofy said:

Whether he wants to and whether he should are two different things, depending on his goals.

I don't know whether it is the accepted way to do things but for me it's more about understanding how the exercise benefits you and again whether it fits goals. I never do DB BORs pulling the DB towards my hip as I want to hit the rhomboid and rear delts more.

He wants some meat on his bones, and I believe the main compounds and eating a lot will help a 20 year old. Am hoping he'll see results after a couple of months and then stick at it when back at uni..

As for BOR's, I like doing both one arm DB and BB variants - but am only doing the BB BOR in the program I'm using now..

[V8mate]

Push him to breaking if you want to build him too. Superset exercises: 10 dumbbell bench press, straight into ten press-ups, for example.

[chris watton]

V8mate said:

Push him to breaking if you want to build him too. Superset exercises: 10 dumbbell bench press, straight into ten press-ups, for example.

I want to ease him into it, so he enjoys it, not break his spirit and almost kill him!

No DB's, just the 5 main compounds using barbells and working up slowly.

[Hoofy]

During his final set, start shouting at him and calling him a lady.

As you were. I need to stop watching so many US army series.

Yeah, compound work with lots of food will help.