Any 5x5 Success Stories?

BklynFitGuy

I've been using MFP since January and walking on the treadmill. Started about 212 and I'm down to 195. Im going to start the Stronglifts 5x5 and was just curious to see who has had success with that program and possibly some progress pics. Thanks!!!

McCloud33

Definitely. Never lifted before last summer. Here is a picture of me after my first three months of lifting. I had previously gone from 235-185lbs(picture on the left) and then went from 185-182 doing SL 5x5. I kept it up and was able to joint the 1000# club in my first 6 months with a 405lb squat, 245lb bench and 405lb deadlift.

Islebehere

I'm curious to see all these responses, too. I just came across Stronglift 5x5 yesterday and want to do it.

kshadows

One year difference. SL 5x5 on and off (mostly off due to injury and surgery) but all together probably about 4 months of it.

kshadows

One more... Arms progress

kampshoff

I just started last week, so hopefully I'll be a success story eventually... I should take some "before" pics.

Jennifer_Lynn_1982

Love SL! Since I began lifting heavier, I've lost huge inches! Thanks for the reminder to update my pictures

BklynFitGuy

McCloud33 wrote: »

Definitely. Never lifted before last summer. Here is a picture of me after my first three months of lifting. I had previously gone from 235-185lbs(picture on the left) and then went from 185-182 doing SL 5x5. I kept it up and was able to joint the 1000# club in my first 6 months with a 405lb squat, 245lb bench and 405lb deadlift.

Nice job. Just curious as to what weight you started lifting? I just started yesterday with the empty bar since I've never lifted before and want to make sure my form is correct.

McCloud33

I "started" with the bar, but upped most of the weights within the first couple weeks. I would say my actual starting weights were closer to 135 dead, 95 squat, 85 bench/row, and 65 oh press.

jasonraygagnon

McCloud33 wrote: »

I "started" with the bar, but upped most of the weights within the first couple weeks. I would say my actual starting weights were closer to 135 dead, 95 squat, 85 bench/row, and 65 oh press.

what's your OH Press now? Just curious, as your shoulders got quite a bit bigger!

McCloud33

at the point of the pictures I was at about a 125-130 5x5 set. It really hasn't changed that much as I've been on a deficit and am down to about 172 now. I'm hoping to start my first bulk in June and start adding to my lifts again.

powerpuffgirl66

I have been incorporating SL5x5 three days a week since day one (I also include yoga one day and a hiit-style step class another day). Here's my progress thus far:



I've lost around 22 lbs. Many, many inches.

My current main lifts: 155 squat, 205 deadlift, 65 overhead press, 80 bench, 90 row. I love it and find it very effective.

3bambi3

I don't have any pics, but I went from a 70lb squat and 'wtf is a deadlift' to 200+ on each lift. It's a great program, and I really enjoyed seeing my progress every session. Best of luck to you!

jasonraygagnon

powerpuffgirl66 wrote: »

I have been incorporating SL5x5 three days a week since day one (I also include yoga one day and a hiit-style step class another day). Here's my progress thus far:



I've lost around 22 lbs. Many, many inches.

My current main lifts: 155 squat, 205 deadlift, 65 overhead press, 80 bench, 90 row. I love it and find it very effective.

WOWZA!

BklynFitGuy

Wow, all impressive. Thank you all for the feedback.

viciouslitany

I don't have any specific pre-lift to "what I lift right now", but I've been doing it for a bit now. I only was able to use the bar, essentially.
125 squat. 155 deadlift. 100 row. 80 bench.
and I have to deload to 60 OH because I kept failing my last set of 70.

either way, I use their app and I love it.

ar9179

I started with the bar in mid Feb and completed the following this week. I took a couple of weeks off due to an Achilles problem and spring break with the kids, so I had to de-load.
Squat 90
OHP 60
DL 155
BP 75
Row 75

I've lost a ton of inches. My belly used to measure more than my ample bosom. Now it's 7 inches less than my bust! Muscles are peeking through the fat and I feel fantastic.

BklynFitGuy

ar9179 wrote: »

I started with the bar in mid Feb and completed the following this week. I took a couple of weeks off due to an Achilles problem and spring break with the kids, so I had to de-load.
Squat 90
OHP 60
DL 155
BP 75
Row 75

I've lost a ton of inches. My belly used to measure more than my ample bosom. Now it's 7 inches less than my bust! Muscles are peeking through the fat and I feel fantastic.

Awesome!!! I started at 208 in January and down to 193 by just tracking calories and walking on the treadmill. Just started Stronglifts and I can't wait for the muscles to start peeking through.

IamUndrCnstruction

Oh I love this thread so much! JUST started and am excited to progress even though I am embarrassed to even say what I am able to lift now. But....I guess we all have to start somewhere?

jontucc

I just started 2 weeks ago. Haven't lifted before so starting very light. Squats getting easier but still struggling with bench press and overhead press.
Looking forward to seeing other people's progress. Thanks to those who posted pics, very motivating!

BklynFitGuy

IamUndrCnstruction wrote: »

Oh I love this thread so much! JUST started and am excited to progress even though I am embarrassed to even say what I am able to lift now. But....I guess we all have to start somewhere?

Don't be embarrassed. We all start somewhere. I just started with the empty bar.

giannigreco83

Let's keep this up guys. OP I'm in ny too and Monday I will start my 4th week of stronglifts. The OHP is the one difficult to up in weight so far... but I feel great

IamUndrCnstruction

MikeDee_ny wrote: »

IamUndrCnstruction wrote: »

Oh I love this thread so much! JUST started and am excited to progress even though I am embarrassed to even say what I am able to lift now. But....I guess we all have to start somewhere?

Don't be embarrassed. We all start somewhere. I just started with the empty bar.

I can't even do the bar on some things (bench press) but I am ok with that for now, I guess. I just downloaded the app so I am looking forward to making that happen real soon!!!!

DawnEmbers

IamUndrCnstruction wrote: »

Don't be embarrassed. We all start somewhere. I just started with the empty bar.

I can't even do the bar on some things (bench press) but I am ok with that for now, I guess. I just downloaded the app so I am looking forward to making that happen real soon!!!!

Exactly, we all start somewhere. I did stronglifts for 12 weeks and could barely bench press the bar and had to go to below 45 for overhead press to get the form right when I first started. By the end, however, I was up to failing at 90 lbs on bench and 70 for overhead press. My max on bench now is 100 for 3 reps, which I tested just for fun between stages in current program. (I'm doing new rules of lifting for women at the moment so working on different lifts and rep counts currently.)

Just keep on lifting.

krissyreminisce

I'm interested in starting to lift, but I'm super paranoid I'm going to do something wrong and hurt myself. I figure, after my whirlwind month of half marathons, I'll start. I'm trying not to be so intimidated by the free weight area of the gym.

giannigreco83

bump

shadow2soul

This is about a month difference and 4.7 lbs. It's not much but I think I'm starting to see some changes. I'm definitely stronger than when I started in Feb.

keithcw_the_first

krissyreminisce wrote: »

I'm interested in starting to lift, but I'm super paranoid I'm going to do something wrong and hurt myself. I figure, after my whirlwind month of half marathons, I'll start. I'm trying not to be so intimidated by the free weight area of the gym.

I hurt myself twice:

Once when I got bored of stronglifts and tried experimenting with fancy, technical Olympic stuff and overtrained it and hurt my shoulder.

Again, doing stronglifts but not eating enough. I was stuck with the "5 lbs. a week" progression and I let my form suffer instead of deloading or upping my calories.

So basically I chalk those up to poor decision making on my part. Listen to your body, make sure you're eating enough to match your work output. You'll be astounded.

McCloud33

krissyreminisce wrote: »

I'm interested in starting to lift, but I'm super paranoid I'm going to do something wrong and hurt myself. I figure, after my whirlwind month of half marathons, I'll start. I'm trying not to be so intimidated by the free weight area of the gym.

@krissyreminisce , you'll do fine in the weight area. Just start light and slowly work up. Watch a bunch of videos, and scavenge the web for as much "good" information as you can (there's a lot of bad stuff out there too). If you're really worried, have a trainer start you out and tweak your form, and then maybe check-in with them once a month as the weights get heavier to make sure your form isn't breaking down.

arditarose

Nice reviews. I kind of jumped the gun when I picked my programming and went for Wendler's 5/3/1...now wondering if I should switch to SL. Everyone seems to like it.

ar9179

keithcw_the_first wrote: »

Again, doing stronglifts but not eating enough. I was stuck with the "5 lbs. a week" progression and I let my form suffer instead of deloading or upping my calories.

So basically I chalk those up to poor decision making on my part. Listen to your body, make sure you're eating enough to match your work output. You'll be astounded.

This! I was trying to keep a significant deficit to keep losing quickly, but was soooo tired and my lifts were suffering. Upped the calories a bit to what I should have been eating, ~1500, and everything improved. Well, except the scale. It's not moving down too much. It's not reliable, anyway. If I can continue to go down in sizes, that's all I want.