Hello! Newbie with questions
deluxmary2000
Posts: 981 Member
Hi everyone! I just joined the group. Been trying to do SL on my own for about a month now, and I'm getting frustrated and confused. I promise I DID read the entire pinned discussions at the top, which were super helpful in answering 90% of my questions, but I'm still confused about a few things.
I feel like I maxed out really early on in the program. I started at the prescribed weights for women, and stalled at 65lbs for squat, 45 for OHP, and 95 for DL (the starting weight). Strangely enough, I haven't stalled on my bench press yet, but I feel like I'm getting close. So I really don't understand deloading, and what comes next.
- To deload, do I take 10% off of all my weights, or just the ones I've maxed out on?
- If I take 10% off, and hit the 5x5 at that weight, then the following week do I add weight again, or do I stay at that deloaded weight for awhile?
- It says that if you stall and deload 3 times, you should switch to a 3x5 program. Ok... so what weight should I start at for 3x5? And do I keep loading in the 3x5 program? And if so, what happens when I stall there?
And honestly, it seems like everyone can lift a lot more than me. I thought I was in decent shape, but this has been pretty discouraging. Does anyone have a story where they started out really low and made decent progress in this program?
Sorry, I know that was a lot of questions to throw out there. I'm going to keep browsing the forum as well to see if I can find these answers. Thanks in advance!
I feel like I maxed out really early on in the program. I started at the prescribed weights for women, and stalled at 65lbs for squat, 45 for OHP, and 95 for DL (the starting weight). Strangely enough, I haven't stalled on my bench press yet, but I feel like I'm getting close. So I really don't understand deloading, and what comes next.
- To deload, do I take 10% off of all my weights, or just the ones I've maxed out on?
- If I take 10% off, and hit the 5x5 at that weight, then the following week do I add weight again, or do I stay at that deloaded weight for awhile?
- It says that if you stall and deload 3 times, you should switch to a 3x5 program. Ok... so what weight should I start at for 3x5? And do I keep loading in the 3x5 program? And if so, what happens when I stall there?
And honestly, it seems like everyone can lift a lot more than me. I thought I was in decent shape, but this has been pretty discouraging. Does anyone have a story where they started out really low and made decent progress in this program?
Sorry, I know that was a lot of questions to throw out there. I'm going to keep browsing the forum as well to see if I can find these answers. Thanks in advance!
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One of the things that helps me most when I stall at any weight is to increase the reps. If you can do 5 reps of OHP at 45lbs, then shoot for 5 sets of 6 reps. Then 7 reps, etc. I usually go to 10 reps then increase the weight and go for 5x5, 5x6, 5x7, you get the idea. You can also get fractional plates so you can increase in 2.5lb (or less) increments instead of 5lbs.0
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Other folks should feel to correct me if I'm wrong, but here's how I understand the 5x5 program in regards to your questions:
- You deload lift by lift. So if you stall on OHP, but are completing your 5x5 on everything else, you would only deload on OHP.
- If you hit your 5x5 after a deload, you add weight the next time.
* Side note here -- many of us have invested in fractional plates so we can increase by 2.5 lbs. instead of 5 lbs. It's made a big difference for me on those upper body lifts. I've also reached the point where I only increase by 5 lbs. on deadlifts, instead of the program recommended 10 lbs.
- My impression is that it takes a while to get to get to the point where you'd be thinking about 3x5. You have to fail a lift 3x before deloading 10%, and then you have to deload 3x before moving to 3x5.
As for starting low and making progress, that's definitely been my experience. I started in mid-August, but had shoulder mobility issues, which meant that I had to start OHP with a 20 lbs. barbell and Bench Press with just the bar. I couldn't squat AT ALL (got to squats about a month in). I started deads at 65 lbs. and rows with just the bar, using stacked plates underneath to get the height right. I've made slow progress, have deloaded on a few lifts because of form or fails, and here's where I am now:
Squats: 115 lbs. (from 45 lbs.)
Bench: 82.5 lbs (from 45 lbs.)
Row: 82.5 lbs (from 45 lbs.) -- Got as high as 90 lbs. rather quickly, but didn't like my form.
Overhead Press: 45 lbs. (Got my 5x5 for the first time ever 12/03, so this one took FOREVER)
Deadlifts: 150 lbs. (from 65 lbs.)
Not huge gains, but I'm still really happy with them!
One last thing to remember is that if this program makes you feel discouraged or you don't like it, there are other great options out there. Lots of people love "New Rules of Lifting for Women," which has a wider variety of lifts. Don't force yourself to do something that you aren't enjoying!0 -
I started many of my weights lower than the recommended. I couldn't do the deadlift and it was one I was newest too as well, so I had it at a much lower weight the first couple weeks. In fact, week 5 is the first time I've done it with the regular size, 45 plates and no plates under to add height. And OHP I haven't increased much at all as I started below 45 and just now have 55 but couldn't get 60. I suppose if I fail at 60 a couple more times I will deload to below 45 again. Only one I consider a real stall/fail so far has been bench. I haven't gotten 80 yet, though I did make it 2 whole sets last time. One more fail and I'll drop down then work my way up again. My row is just now increasing a bit but may stall a little soon too but me and that have issues and I may switch to dumbbells for it.
As already mentioned, I'm pretty sure the deload is just focused on the lift that you can't increase on in hopes of working up from lighter will help break through the struggled spot. Then, I would assume that if you can't get it higher a few times, that is when people tend to suggest a 3x5 on it as even the hard ones might be possible for a few sets, just not the whole 5 sets.
There are some impressive lifters here. But the best is to focus on what you can do and what you can increase. When I started at the gym back in the end of October, I struggled to bench the bar. Now my struggle is 80 lbs. I did 115 in squats, but my coworker who is bigger than me (height and everything) just now started adding weights when she does squats and it's awesome she is up to 60.
Basics - You're awesome either way.0 -
Other folks should feel to correct me if I'm wrong, but here's how I understand the 5x5 program in regards to your questions:
- You deload lift by lift. So if you stall on OHP, but are completing your 5x5 on everything else, you would only deload on OHP.
- If you hit your 5x5 after a deload, you add weight the next time.
* Side note here -- many of us have invested in fractional plates so we can increase by 2.5 lbs. instead of 5 lbs. It's made a big difference for me on those upper body lifts. I've also reached the point where I only increase by 5 lbs. on deadlifts, instead of the program recommended 10 lbs.
- My impression is that it takes a while to get to get to the point where you'd be thinking about 3x5. You have to fail a lift 3x before deloading 10%, and then you have to deload 3x before moving to 3x5.
As for starting low and making progress, that's definitely been my experience. I started in mid-August, but had shoulder mobility issues, which meant that I had to start OHP with a 20 lbs. barbell and Bench Press with just the bar. I couldn't squat AT ALL (got to squats about a month in). I started deads at 65 lbs. and rows with just the bar, using stacked plates underneath to get the height right. I've made slow progress, have deloaded on a few lifts because of form or fails, and here's where I am now:
Squats: 115 lbs. (from 45 lbs.)
Bench: 82.5 lbs (from 45 lbs.)
Row: 82.5 lbs (from 45 lbs.) -- Got as high as 90 lbs. rather quickly, but didn't like my form.
Overhead Press: 45 lbs. (Got my 5x5 for the first time ever 12/03, so this one took FOREVER)
Deadlifts: 150 lbs. (from 65 lbs.)
Not huge gains, but I'm still really happy with them!
One last thing to remember is that if this program makes you feel discouraged or you don't like it, there are other great options out there. Lots of people love "New Rules of Lifting for Women," which has a wider variety of lifts. Don't force yourself to do something that you aren't enjoying!
Thanks so much - this totally makes sense and really clears things up. I missed the part about failing 3 times before deloading and then doing that whole cycle 3 times, so it's probably premature for me to be worrying about 3x5 yet.
And in my inexperienced eye ,your gains are AMAZING!! I would be so happy with a 115 lb squat. And just hearing that I'm not the only one who started out light makes me feel a lot better and more motivated. I was honestly just worried there was something wrong with me.
I will invest in some fractional plates, too.
Thanks to everyone who replied!0 -
- My impression is that it takes a while to get to get to the point where you'd be thinking about 3x5. You have to fail a lift 3x before deloading 10%, and then you have to deload 3x before moving to 3x5.
And to clarify a tiny bit further, the three fails are session fails, not reps and not sets. So if I fail my bench press at 80 lbs. on Monday, I do 80 lbs. again on Friday. If I miss a rep or set on Friday, I try 80 lbs. again Wednesday. If I fail on Wed., THEN I deload the 10%.
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Can you download the Stronglifts app? Honestly it works out all the deloads for you - its awesome and I use it every single time! Takes all the guess work and remembering out of things. I've had several periods where I've taken a deload on certain lifts, and I'm about ready to switch to 3x5
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I started SLs after finishing New Rules of Lifting for Women, and I started lighter than necessary as I wanted to ensure that my form was ok before *kitten* got real.
My progress over the last 6 months is:
Squat 70lbs to 150lbs
Bench 45lbs to 90lbs
Row 45lbs to 90lbs
OHP 30lbs to 70lbs
Deadlift 100lbs to 200lbs0 -
deluxmary2000 wrote: »And just hearing that I'm not the only one who started out light makes me feel a lot better and more motivated. I was honestly just worried there was something wrong with me.
remember too that sl is written and marketed towards men. i think he has about half a page somewhere dedicated to anecdote about how women can do sl because his girlfriend does sl (and as i've said before, i find it hard to imagine any self-respecting woman who'd be willing to be his girlfriend, he's such a noisy machoid twit) . . . but that's it. so when it comes to sl, i honestly feel like the way to preserve your sanity and your self-confidence is to take the parts that work (basic workout structure, form tips) and fill in your own blanks for the rest.
as far as starting light - me too. i started sl in mid/later june and just struggled. for me, a lot of that was about fine-tuning and making slow little new discoveries about form as i went along the whole time. i'd progress by 10 pounds or so, mildly hurt something or become worried i was about to hurt something, and slow down again just to try and work out the answers to each little individual-muscle-action setback that came along.
i've never ever lifted before, and i'm also very much one of those people who has to find things out for herself, or actually experience/discover them in person before they make any sense. so i've been extremely slow too . . . by mehdi's standards. but
a) i'm much stronger now than i was in april or may anyway, even if i never add another ounce to a single lift . . .and
b) now that i am starting to get my form together in a way that seems like it works well for me, i AM making progress again. but that wouldn't ever have happened if i hadn't gone through those first original months of hands-on 'finding out' first. so
c) don't quit unless you really really don't feel as if lifting's for you and/or you just don't wanna do it. you're probably making progress even if you're not adding weight, you just don't realise it yet.
i've just had some shoulder/neck stuff that's slowed me down again, but my progress (since late march when i first heard/thought about lifting at all) has been:
squats: bodyweight to mixed sets of 95lb/100lbs atm
bench: 20-lb bar to 70lbs at last serious pre-chiro workout.
rows: well, never mind. i just straight-up suck at rows. but when i'm not sucking i seem to be able to manage 65lbs and sometimes more.
ohp: 20lbs to 50, last time.
deadlift: i cna't remember what i started with. but i do remember that in july sometime i tried 80lbs and couldn't get it even halfway up my shins. most recent number was 135 although i usually do working sets at anywhere from 100 to 120 right now, still working on form.
lifting weights is actually not that different from losing weight in this one sense: getting too hung up about the numbers on the 'scale' can blind you to all the other forms and definitions of 'progress' you make.
also, hi. glad to see you here and looking forward to your posts in the daily-workout thread, if you feel like posting in there.
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I'm a newbie to SL but not to lifting - I've done NROL4W and Supercharged before this. I've only just started SL but I really feel it isn't for real beginners - it's a hard slog, especially with the amount of squats. You need to make sure your form is 100%. Nutrition and diet is also important. I stalled with strength gain until I increased calories. So you need to also assess what your goals are if you are currently going for a deficit.0
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I've only just started SL but I really feel it isn't for real beginners - it's a hard slog, especially with the amount of squats. You need to make sure your form is 100%. Nutrition and diet is also important. I stalled with strength gain until I increased calories. So you need to also assess what your goals are if you are currently going for a deficit.
Agreed about nutrition and increasing calories if you want to keep adding weight to the bar, but I disagree about SL5x5 not being a beginner's program. I'd never done any heavy, compound lifting (only isolation machines) before doing this program and I've found it to be easy to follow with just the right amount of challenge to keep it interesting. As long as a person takes it slow and pays attention to their form, I think it's a great beginner program.
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Hi there. I'm a newbie too. I started SL about a month ago and have been doing squats on a Smith Machine which I have recently found out is a big NO NO. My community workout facility doesn't have a power rack. So I'm signing up at a gym that has one. I'm so glad you ladies are here and I'm very impressed with this group and the progress being made.0
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Welcome Misty -- definitely come by the daily check in thread and let us know how you're doing!0
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I've only just started SL but I really feel it isn't for real beginners - it's a hard slog, especially with the amount of squats. You need to make sure your form is 100%. Nutrition and diet is also important. I stalled with strength gain until I increased calories. So you need to also assess what your goals are if you are currently going for a deficit.
Agreed about nutrition and increasing calories if you want to keep adding weight to the bar, but I disagree about SL5x5 not being a beginner's program. I'd never done any heavy, compound lifting (only isolation machines) before doing this program and I've found it to be easy to follow with just the right amount of challenge to keep it interesting. As long as a person takes it slow and pays attention to their form, I think it's a great beginner program.
Easy to follow, yes. Easy to do without injury? Only if you are very careful - which many are, but newbies will not always understand their body's limits with weights yet. This is my fourth lifting program - I'm no expert by any means but I think NROL is probably better for the complete novice. It has a broader focus and includes lots of options for people to choose from whilst providing a structured training program. SL is simple but has a narrow focus and does not provide enough info on accessory lifts IMO.
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Ah, see I chose SL cause it had less accessory and such. It had the least amount of lifts that I didn't know (I knew bench and was aware of squats though avoided them). Plus... no pull ups.
But I just got NROL4W for Christmas from sibling secret santa. So, I'm reading it and after 12 weeks on SL I will see what I want to peruse next or if I'll keep to SL for longer. The rules were amusing. I can't get taller by lifting? Gee, how sad. lol0 -
Yes, SL is less to learn but that does not necessarily make it best, depending on your goals. I'm doing it now to improve form and increase upper body strength, but I don't feel there is much longevity in it. NROL and NROL supercharged have kept me busy for 2 years. Of course, I may change my mind depending on results. But I'd hate to lose the strength and skills already learnt as they are overlooked in this program.0
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Is it me, or is it getting a bit "main forums" in here?0
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Maybe a little. Though I'm also glad I won't be doing this exact routine for 2 years. I like mixing things up and chose SL starting from nothing. I'd looked at a few novice programs on bodybuilding.com and Ice Cream Fitness (which has a weird name) but in the end, felt more comfortable using SL as my starting point. Hopefully after a few more weeks or so, and some reading, I'll feel comfortable enough to branch out and maybe try the NROL4W setup.0
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I meant the tone, not the content
Didn't mean to make you feel you couldn't discuss alternatives to 5x5!0 -
i skimmed through new rules and a few other books in a store early this summer and decided it wasn't for me. 'total novice' in my case means that you don't know enough to know what to do with all the options presented, which was exactly the problem i had with the taster-pack courses i took through my rec centre at around the same time.
i preferred sl specifically for the fact that it covered most muscle groups without my having to mentally divide my own body up into different sections like one of those butcher's pictures showing the different parts of a cow - and then allocate specific exercises to cover the entire map. it was just a very straightforward, digestible way to get me started.
so long as you don't take the rate of weight increase as a chunk of gospel (i didn't), it's worked out really well for me to just pick five compound lifts, do them consistently, and let doing them teach me the best ways of learning to keep track of my body and listen to things that it's telling me.
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i preferred sl specifically for the fact that it covered most muscle groups without my having to mentally divide my own body up into different sections like one of those butcher's pictures showing the different parts of a cow - and then allocate specific exercises to cover the entire map.
I love this.
Edited to fix my rusty quoting skills.0
you?
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