3x5 for weight loss?

Rabbit914

I am currently 40 lbs overweight but want to start lifting. I read that it's better to start with 3x5 instead of 5x5 when you're eating in a calorie deficit for weight loss. Opinions? Should I add cardio as well to lifting to help aid in weight loss? New to all of this. Thanks for any help.

xcalygrl

Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit. You can lose weight with zero exercise, if you were so inclined.

I started SL 5x5 when I was on a deficit. I'm on maintenance now, but lifting on a deficit did not hinder my progress and lifting did not hinder my weight loss. (If either were impacted, it was minimal and not really worth noting.) I would say start with 5x5. It allows you to really get comfortable with weights and work on form. Start with light weights so you can make sure you have your form down before the weight gets heavy.

There is nothing wrong with 3x5, but that is more for when you've gotten to a point of stalling. Since you'll be a "newbie," you'll make some pretty great gains strength-wise following 5x5, even on a deficit. If you get to the point where you aren't progressing, that would be the time to switch to 3x5.

As for cardio, it's up to you. I run, ruck, and ride a lot, but those are sports I participate in. At first, it was hard to do cardio and lift. My legs were tired from lifting, then not fully recovered from cardio. It took a few weeks to get it all figured out and to a point where I wasn't hurting lifting because I was doing cardio nor hurting my runs because I was lifting heavy.

Also, cardio may help you lose a little faster, but if your diet isn't in check it won't do much. (Trust me, I tried to outexercise a bad diet and got nowhere.) First priority for weight loss is to make sure you are weighing and logging all food accurately to get yourself into a deficit.

Exercise (cardio and strength training) is for body composition and health while your diet is for weight loss.

Rabbit914

Thanks so much for the info. Very helpful. Also I am in the military and have to run for testing twice a year so I'm concerned about not doing cardio, or just lifting hindering my cardio. I know people who only lift with no added cardio and do very well on their run test. I would love to be able to do well on my test with only have to run twice a year, but not sure how likely that is.

DawnEmbers

The 3x5 is sometimes recommended but I did 12 weeks of SL and all on a deficit just fine. Since I hadn't lifted in years, it was easy enough to keep gaining strength. Now that I'm using NROLFW things have slowed but there are also different lifts, ones on one foot, and a variety of rep ranges along with having been in a deficit pretty much since start of September.

So, you could do either. You want to get enough fuel for the workout but still have a deficit as the nutrition is what is the real factor for weight loss. I'm almost to overweight for my height instead of obese. The big reason is calorie deficit. Fitness helps but those are also more for other goals. I like lifting and want to lift heavy weights plus there are still some lifts I want to learn. I do cardio to reach other goals. Right now my goal is 5k and I might add a 10k jogging goal later, just to say I've done it. I also want to kayak some day. Having non-weight goals helps keep things going and to have progress even when the scale is being annoying.

xcalygrl

Rabbit914 wrote: »

Thanks so much for the info. Very helpful. Also I am in the military and have to run for testing twice a year so I'm concerned about not doing cardio, or just lifting hindering my cardio. I know people who only lift with no added cardio and do very well on their run test. I would love to be able to do well on my test with only have to run twice a year, but not sure how likely that is.

It will probably take a few weeks to find your groove, but you can definitely lift heavy and do cardio. Like I said, I run, ruck, and ride a lot and still lift heavy. An example of my week:
M-Lift and maybe some cardio, depending on my schedule
Tu-run or ruck
W-same as Monday
Thur-run or ruck
Fri-same as Monday
Saturday-ride and run OR rest
Sunday-long (8+ miles) ruck OR rest

So, cardio with SL can be done, but it may take you a little bit of time to figure out a good schedule and fueling needs. It took me a good 4-6 weeks to figure out what worked for me and made me not suffer through lifting or running. Since you really only want to do cardio to pass your military PT, you could run once a week just to keep your cardio base up. Running once a week won't impact your lifts and you won't have to spend a lot of time doing it. And you may find that eventually you can stop running except for the PT tests twice a year.

DawnEmbers

Oh yeah, the cardio. I do three days of cardio, which is jogging as I'm training for a 5k, and 3 days of lifting using the New Rules of Lifting for Women program as I'm on stage 4. My schedule is:

Monday - cardio
Tuesday - weights
Wednesday - cardio
Thursday - weights
Friday - cardio
Saturday - weights
Sunday - rest day

Right now my day off from work is Thursday but that changes every now and then. When I first started lifting and doing Stronglifts, I was walking almost every day as cardio and would sometimes walk a little after lifting. I wasn't quite physically up to jogging at that time.

ar9179

I started with 5x5 when I was more overweight than you and did just fine. I did try a larger deficit at first, but realized that it was a mistake and stuck with 20% of TDEE. I really think you need to adjust as you go through the workout. Each person will have their own challenges that need to be addressed individually. Don't assume that you can't do it without trying, though. You will surprise yourself!

mirrim52

I started with 5x5 on a deficit. I was fine to start with. I did it for about 4 months. Once I got past the newbie gains though, and starting lifting at my max every workout for 5x5, I found it exhausting (mentally and physically) and felt like I wasn't progressing well. I might have done better with a smaller deficit, but I am impatient :P Now I am doing 3x5 with accessories.

awkwardsoul

If you are new to lifting I'd do 5x5 to start - you will get more reps in to learn the form better. Admittedly, I think a weakness of SL 5x5 is there's isn't enough volume to learn form, 3x5 would be much worse!

I've been doing SL 5x5 on a deficit since January and doing good. You will get hangry on rest days once the weight becomes challenging, so prepare for that! I think they say to do 3x5 as you'll be able to move more weight, which is cool and all but if you haven't learned form yet that's asking to stall faster or injure yourself.

Rabbit914

I really appreciate all the feedback! It's a lot to figure out, but I'll get there. Thanks again!

Vailara

If you prefer 3x5, you could always do Starting Strength which is a 3x5 programme. I did 3x5 at a deficit and have stuck with it. I'm a bit older than most and I think it was a little easier and less time consuming too, especially when the weight gets heavier. I appreciate that 5x5 would have given me more reps to practice form, but it would have been reps when I was more tired and when my form was therefore more likely to suffer. (I did practice form with a lower weight than my workweight too). Or there's the Practical Programming novice programme if you'd rather do pull-ups than power cleans.

Rabbit914

I will look into that, thank you!

scrittrice

I've always done 3x5/Starting Strength. It's very similar to StrongLifts. 5x5 does give you more chances to practice form, but in terms of building strength, there apparently isn't much benefit or difference from doing those extra two sets, and I wanted to save time (and I had worked out with dumbbells for years, so I wasn't brand-new to lifting). Totally pleased with the results, but, of course, there's no knowing what the results would have been if I'd done 5x5! Same goes for lifting on a deficit--your strength progress will probably be slower than it would be if you were eating at maintenance or a little above maintenance, but you won't know for sure. Just pick something and go with it, then reassess if it's problematic in some way. I dragged my feet about switching from dumbbells to barbell, and now I wish I'd done it years ago.