5x5 workouts. What do I need to know?
Discussion
So having had some ok-ish gains over a year(!), I've decided to try the 5x5 program as everything I read seems to say it's the best way to gain mass.
Today was the first day so I was finding the weights I felt I could do 5x5 with for each exercise. So, my feeble efforts resulted in.....55kg for bench, 60kg for deads & 65kg for squats. Please bear in mind when laughing that these are exercises I have not really utilised in my workouts before now.
There seems to be a lot of varying info on this type of program including the actual exercises performed & also using a percentage of your 1RM to calculate the weight you SHOULD be capable of, but I figured it's better to use a weight that I can just about complete 5x5 with rather than using a set formula?
Also, I used to train chest/triceps/shoulders one day, back and biceps another and then legs. I know the exercises in the 5x5 program are compound movements but should I be supplementing them with any other exercises?
Exactly what exercises should I be performing on this 5x5 program as things like shoulders, lats & calves don't seem to get much of a look-in? Should I be supplementing these "big" compound movements with isolation stuff or what as the plan was to do bench, squats & deads 3 times a week but that doesn't seem right to me?
Today was the first day so I was finding the weights I felt I could do 5x5 with for each exercise. So, my feeble efforts resulted in.....55kg for bench, 60kg for deads & 65kg for squats. Please bear in mind when laughing that these are exercises I have not really utilised in my workouts before now.
There seems to be a lot of varying info on this type of program including the actual exercises performed & also using a percentage of your 1RM to calculate the weight you SHOULD be capable of, but I figured it's better to use a weight that I can just about complete 5x5 with rather than using a set formula?
Also, I used to train chest/triceps/shoulders one day, back and biceps another and then legs. I know the exercises in the 5x5 program are compound movements but should I be supplementing them with any other exercises?
Exactly what exercises should I be performing on this 5x5 program as things like shoulders, lats & calves don't seem to get much of a look-in? Should I be supplementing these "big" compound movements with isolation stuff or what as the plan was to do bench, squats & deads 3 times a week but that doesn't seem right to me?
I started SL at the beginning of the year and I think started with similar weight to you if not less and now, 10 months on and I love it.
The one thing I've realised is how technical the big lifts are. Squat, deadlift and even bench take a lot of practice and a lot of time to get right. If you don't get the technic right you will suffer as the weight increases.
As for adding some extra routines, don't. At least not for a while, squat, deadlift and bench work pretty much every bit of your body already.
The strong lifts community is pretty active and are always happy to give advice and check on your form.
The one thing I've realised is how technical the big lifts are. Squat, deadlift and even bench take a lot of practice and a lot of time to get right. If you don't get the technic right you will suffer as the weight increases.
As for adding some extra routines, don't. At least not for a while, squat, deadlift and bench work pretty much every bit of your body already.
The strong lifts community is pretty active and are always happy to give advice and check on your form.
If you want to gain mass it is also worth looking at the Wendler 5/3/1 or Layne Norton's PHAT routines.
I posted on here a couple of months ago about 5x5 as I was looking for a new routine and someone suggested the PHAT workout, I did my research and decided that was the one for me. I've been doing it for a month now and have put on about 3.5KG with no visible fat increase as I'm looking for lean gains (my abs are still visible which was something I didn't want to lose). My strength has also increased nicely, I was originally benching 100kg for 3x3, last week I hit 110 for 3x3.
I posted on here a couple of months ago about 5x5 as I was looking for a new routine and someone suggested the PHAT workout, I did my research and decided that was the one for me. I've been doing it for a month now and have put on about 3.5KG with no visible fat increase as I'm looking for lean gains (my abs are still visible which was something I didn't want to lose). My strength has also increased nicely, I was originally benching 100kg for 3x3, last week I hit 110 for 3x3.
You should quit 5x5, research properly on the bodybuilding forums and you will see it being slated and that it is dangerous.
Basically the guy that invented it has taken Mark Ripptoe's starting strength and modified it. Then he got banned from the bodybuilding forums.
I started out doing 5x5 and dumped it for Ripptoe's SS. It is a far better program and seen got gains.
As a previous poster said, the most important thing is form. Start with a low weight and practise form. I didnt do this and am now suffering with heavy weights. I have just had to drop half the weight I was lifting to go back and practise my form.
Research 5x5 properly and for the love of god, move on to Ripptoe's SS.
Basically the guy that invented it has taken Mark Ripptoe's starting strength and modified it. Then he got banned from the bodybuilding forums.
I started out doing 5x5 and dumped it for Ripptoe's SS. It is a far better program and seen got gains.
As a previous poster said, the most important thing is form. Start with a low weight and practise form. I didnt do this and am now suffering with heavy weights. I have just had to drop half the weight I was lifting to go back and practise my form.
Research 5x5 properly and for the love of god, move on to Ripptoe's SS.
Hoofy said:
Yeah that is the book. Look in the forums at bodybuilding.com loads of threads there.http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=841...
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/starting-strength-...
KamSandhu44 said:
From what I remember its too much for the body and you can injure yourself easily. I dont know the full story on why he has been banned from the forums. There are plenty of threads on it though.
Oh, right. I've always stuck to 3x6 meself. Dunno why. Someone must have told me to on here and I just accepted it.Hoofy said:
Oh, right. I've always stuck to 3x6 meself. Dunno why. Someone must have told me to on here and I just accepted it.
Thats not a bad thing, you have to try different things to see what you are comfortable, I am only starting out myself. I started in Jan and have been doing research on different programs, try them out for a few months to see how they go. I have found SS to be the best. Good gains, lifting more than I ever have and built some good strength.Do you research, try different programs for a month or so and see how you feel. Most importantly get your diet in check. If you dont eat right there is no point lifting.
KamSandhu44 said:
Thats not a bad thing, you have to try different things to see what you are comfortable, I am only starting out myself. I started in Jan and have been doing research on different programs, try them out for a few months to see how they go. I have found SS to be the best. Good gains, lifting more than I ever have and built some good strength.
Do you research, try different programs for a month or so and see how you feel. Most importantly get your diet in check. If you dont eat right there is no point lifting.
I'm ok in both respects after making various mistakes.Do you research, try different programs for a month or so and see how you feel. Most importantly get your diet in check. If you dont eat right there is no point lifting.
KamSandhu44 said:
You should quit 5x5, research properly on the bodybuilding forums and you will see it being slated and that it is dangerous.
Basically the guy that invented it has taken Mark Ripptoe's starting strength and modified it. Then he got banned from the bodybuilding forums.
I started out doing 5x5 and dumped it for Ripptoe's SS. It is a far better program and seen got gains.
As a previous poster said, the most important thing is form. Start with a low weight and practise form. I didnt do this and am now suffering with heavy weights. I have just had to drop half the weight I was lifting to go back and practise my form.
Research 5x5 properly and for the love of god, move on to Ripptoe's SS.
How can you say 5x5 is dangerous, then recommend a 5x5 program? Rippetoes and stronglifts 5x5 both feature squat, deadlift, bench and press. Stronglifts has row and rippetoes has power clean. Other than that they feature the same movements. Basically the guy that invented it has taken Mark Ripptoe's starting strength and modified it. Then he got banned from the bodybuilding forums.
I started out doing 5x5 and dumped it for Ripptoe's SS. It is a far better program and seen got gains.
As a previous poster said, the most important thing is form. Start with a low weight and practise form. I didnt do this and am now suffering with heavy weights. I have just had to drop half the weight I was lifting to go back and practise my form.
Research 5x5 properly and for the love of god, move on to Ripptoe's SS.
OP it doesn't matter what the weights start at, as long as they steadily increase over time. A good idea is to record yourself doing the movements, as you can find that you are making mistakes without realising. Do a lot of research into how to perform all of the movements and watch a lot of videos.
KamSandhu44 said:
You should quit 5x5, research properly on the bodybuilding forums and you will see it being slated and that it is dangerous.
Basically the guy that invented it has taken Mark Ripptoe's starting strength and modified it. Then he got banned from the bodybuilding forums.
I started out doing 5x5 and dumped it for Ripptoe's SS. It is a far better program and seen got gains.
As a previous poster said, the most important thing is form. Start with a low weight and practise form. I didnt do this and am now suffering with heavy weights. I have just had to drop half the weight I was lifting to go back and practise my form.
Research 5x5 properly and for the love of god, move on to Ripptoe's SS.
Thanks, I'll carry on as I am for the moment and I did research before I started (and I have Ripptoes Starting Strength training book too).Basically the guy that invented it has taken Mark Ripptoe's starting strength and modified it. Then he got banned from the bodybuilding forums.
I started out doing 5x5 and dumped it for Ripptoe's SS. It is a far better program and seen got gains.
As a previous poster said, the most important thing is form. Start with a low weight and practise form. I didnt do this and am now suffering with heavy weights. I have just had to drop half the weight I was lifting to go back and practise my form.
Research 5x5 properly and for the love of god, move on to Ripptoe's SS.
The SL 5x5 is a starting point for strength training, once you get to the point where you're squatting a decent weight (say double your body weight) its suggest you move on to another programme. I'm not at this stage myself. Any weight training can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. StrongLifts as all about using the correct form, thats the most important thing.
I used Mark Rippetoe's "Starting Strength" as a launch pad into another program I got from simplyshredded.com. It's a great program, at first I was sceptical that just 15 reps each of 3 lifts in a single workout session could ever be enough to really work, but then when I tried it I was blown to bits when getting home from the gym.
Edited by Mastodon2 on Friday 18th October 20:54
Thanks for the replies guys.
The program is going to have to wait though as my thighs still hurt from yesterday and there's no way they're going to take another workout tomorrow. Or sunday. And I'm playing ice hockey tuesday night so that's it till wednesday then!
I told you I didn't do squats.
The program is going to have to wait though as my thighs still hurt from yesterday and there's no way they're going to take another workout tomorrow. Or sunday. And I'm playing ice hockey tuesday night so that's it till wednesday then!
I told you I didn't do squats.
Centurion07 said:
Thanks for the replies guys.
The program is going to have to wait though as my thighs still hurt from yesterday and there's no way they're going to take another workout tomorrow. Or sunday. And I'm playing ice hockey tuesday night so that's it till wednesday then!
I told you I didn't do squats.
You've got to know your body, but there will come a time when you will actually need to be getting back into the gym when you're sore from the last session. For example, in my current program I do an arms day, a rest day then a chest day. This will change as I'll be incorporating triceps into shoulders day, and biceps into chest day, but at the moment my chest sessions are brutal. My arms are still fecked arm day when I come in to do chest, but you realise you need to grit your teeth and get on with it. By the next day, my chest is hurting enough that I don't care about my arm pain any more.The program is going to have to wait though as my thighs still hurt from yesterday and there's no way they're going to take another workout tomorrow. Or sunday. And I'm playing ice hockey tuesday night so that's it till wednesday then!
I told you I didn't do squats.
As for squats, if you do them with a wider stance, you'll hit your hip adductors that run down the inside of your thigh. Be careful working these hard, as they are a strong muscle but in my experience, once they are sore, they really do hurt. Normal squats give you sore legs that you can sort of grin and bear it and no one would know, but if you have a big blowout session on your adductors you will walk like John Wayne for a few days!
Know that quite well.rdhawkins said:
The SL 5x5 is a starting point for strength training, once you get to the point where you're squatting a decent weight (say double your body weight) its suggest you move on to another programme.
IMO, 5x5 for BWx2, without 'assistance' is a thuck load more than 'decent'.Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff