Stronglifts 5x5
Replies
-
lishie_rebooted wrote: »cushman5279 wrote: »Day three of my SL complete
Today I did the squats at 55 lb's, bench at 50 lb's and row at 50 lb's. I know I was supposed to be at 60 lb's for the row but I literally couldn't budge it! I did it once and went down a little bit. So for the next time I'll back track and should be able to go to 60 lb's. Not a biggie, if I can't I'll just go up smaller until I can get there It feels excellent! I'm looking forward to Thursday!
awesome job!
I had invested in some 1.25 pound plates, mainly for OHP. That way I could advance my weight by 2.5lbs instead of 5 if I was having some difficulty. Just food for thought, it may help you to invest in some.
I did something similar.
I have fractionals in 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.25#.
Others have used large washers from a hardware store as they're cheaper than fractionals
man those are some crazy small fractionals
never heard of the washer idea but that's pretty legit. should be cheap as dirt too
I just do more reps at the current weight until I can go up to the next 5# (2 x 2.5#)
I bought my washers from here:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#91081a046/=xjattp
Much easier to go up 2.2#s a week for OHP.
0 -
@cushman5279 you said your body fat was extremely low. When you say recomp, do you mean add muscle and lose more fat? Or just add muscle?
0 -
I got mine off of Amazon- I didn't realize they came in lower weights too... I may need to invest in smaller ones. OHP will be the death of me.
PeachyPlum wrote: »Where did ya'll get your fractionals?
I'm going to need to order some soon, but the places I've looked charge a fortune for shipping...
These are the exact ones I have:
http://www.amazon.com/CFF-Olympic-Fractional-Weight-2-Inch/dp/B005P7BPCA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1433782813&sr=8-3&keywords=fractional+plates
But I didn't pay that much or get them from Amazon.lishie_rebooted wrote: »cushman5279 wrote: »Day three of my SL complete
Today I did the squats at 55 lb's, bench at 50 lb's and row at 50 lb's. I know I was supposed to be at 60 lb's for the row but I literally couldn't budge it! I did it once and went down a little bit. So for the next time I'll back track and should be able to go to 60 lb's. Not a biggie, if I can't I'll just go up smaller until I can get there It feels excellent! I'm looking forward to Thursday!
awesome job!
I had invested in some 1.25 pound plates, mainly for OHP. That way I could advance my weight by 2.5lbs instead of 5 if I was having some difficulty. Just food for thought, it may help you to invest in some.
I did something similar.
I have fractionals in 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.25#.
Others have used large washers from a hardware store as they're cheaper than fractionals
man those are some crazy small fractionals
never heard of the washer idea but that's pretty legit. should be cheap as dirt too
I just do more reps at the current weight until I can go up to the next 5# (2 x 2.5#)
Helps my ego lol
Like I'm actually making progress on OHP lol0 -
double post >_<0
-
@cushman5279 you said your body fat was extremely low. When you say recomp, do you mean add muscle and lose more fat? Or just add muscle?
I'm looking to gain additional muscle and tone. I am not sure I can afford to lose more body fat. I'd like to see just how low I could get without a major crash & burn but I'm not entirely focused on that aspect of it. The way I eat tends to naturally keep the fat % low. I eat mainly meats and veggies, I do add in healthy fats everywhere I can but my calorie burns are fairly big on a daily basis. I feel good where I am now but am always looking for improvement, a new challenge, etc.0 -
lishie_rebooted wrote: »I got mine off of Amazon- I didn't realize they came in lower weights too... I may need to invest in smaller ones. OHP will be the death of me.PeachyPlum wrote: »Where did ya'll get your fractionals?
I'm going to need to order some soon, but the places I've looked charge a fortune for shipping...
These are the exact ones I have:
http://www.amazon.com/CFF-Olympic-Fractional-Weight-2-Inch/dp/B005P7BPCA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1433782813&sr=8-3&keywords=fractional+plates
But I didn't pay that much or get them from Amazon.lishie_rebooted wrote: »cushman5279 wrote: »Day three of my SL complete
Today I did the squats at 55 lb's, bench at 50 lb's and row at 50 lb's. I know I was supposed to be at 60 lb's for the row but I literally couldn't budge it! I did it once and went down a little bit. So for the next time I'll back track and should be able to go to 60 lb's. Not a biggie, if I can't I'll just go up smaller until I can get there It feels excellent! I'm looking forward to Thursday!
awesome job!
I had invested in some 1.25 pound plates, mainly for OHP. That way I could advance my weight by 2.5lbs instead of 5 if I was having some difficulty. Just food for thought, it may help you to invest in some.
I did something similar.
I have fractionals in 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.25#.
Others have used large washers from a hardware store as they're cheaper than fractionals
man those are some crazy small fractionals
never heard of the washer idea but that's pretty legit. should be cheap as dirt too
I just do more reps at the current weight until I can go up to the next 5# (2 x 2.5#)
Helps my ego lol
Like I'm actually making progress on OHP lol
haha yeah I definitely get that when running a 5x5, since going up to 8 reps with the current weight when you are already doing 5 reps will still be pretty slow for gaining enough strength to go up to the next 5# increment0 -
colors_fade wrote: »cushman5279 wrote: »Has anyone been doing this? If so, what have your results been?
I started StrongLifts almost two years ago...
How'd this affect your body composition? Weight loss? Did you see results apart from the strength?
Thanks.0 -
So I just did day one, week two. It felt great I'm definitely feeling it! I don't expect to see any changes in my body yet because I know it takes a few weeks of anything new to see changes, then again I was noticing that my waist and thigh area seem smaller/tighter... I am on track with the weight load. I did have some trouble with the bench press last time, I did the reps but I struggled a bit. I am hoping that on Saturday I can increase the weight as perscribed and have an easier go. If not, I'll just stick with the original weight for now. Guess I need more upper body strength. I'll get there
0 -
cushman5279 wrote: »So I just did day one, week two. It felt great I'm definitely feeling it! I don't expect to see any changes in my body yet because I know it takes a few weeks of anything new to see changes, then again I was noticing that my waist and thigh area seem smaller/tighter... I am on track with the weight load. I did have some trouble with the bench press last time, I did the reps but I struggled a bit. I am hoping that on Saturday I can increase the weight as perscribed and have an easier go. If not, I'll just stick with the original weight for now. Guess I need more upper body strength. I'll get there
Awesome job op! Remember to take progress pics when you start so you have something to compare it to. I am still kicking myself I didn't do that when I first started to lose weight.0 -
Yes! I will make sure to take some photo's tonight and again every couple of weeks Thanks for the reminder! I can definitely feel additional core strength in only a couple of weeks! I love lifting weights!!!!! 0
-
cushman5279 wrote: »Yes! I will make sure to take some photo's tonight and again every couple of weeks Thanks for the reminder! I can definitely feel additional core strength in only a couple of weeks! I love lifting weights!!!!!
Glad you found something that works!
I finally increased my OHP today and hit the 5x5. Took weeks to do that.0 -
*kitten* yea lifting heavy *kitten* amirite0
-
Heavy lifting 4-life.......4-LIFE!!!!!!!0
-
JeffLaLanne wrote: »colors_fade wrote: »cushman5279 wrote: »Has anyone been doing this? If so, what have your results been?
I started StrongLifts almost two years ago...
How'd this affect your body composition? Weight loss? Did you see results apart from the strength?
Thanks.
Well, that's a complicated answer... A lot happened over those two years as I learned more about lifting and calories and got more science/fact based information to work from.
When I started, I read Medhi's posts, and he touts the idea that StrongLifts can make you lean. He talks sparingly about diet, and doesn't really talk the science of calories in vs. calories out. Well, of course he pitches StrongLifts this way: he's trying, ultimately, to sell you a membership to his "inner circle", because that's how he gets his money. I got the idea that if I lifted, I'd get lean. And as we all know by now, that's just not what happens.
It took me a while to understand that all the lifting in the world wouldn't affect my bodyfat; diet controls that. Calories In vs. Calories Out.
So from a weight loss perspective, it didn't do much of anything at first. In fact, for the first 16 weeks I lifted, I was supplementing my diet with a protein powder than had creatine in it, and I gained about 18 lbs. I was obviously consuming way too many calories. But I was enamored with the idea of getting stronger, so that was my focus. My lifts kept going up, I kept getting PR's, etc. The next year was pretty much me eating at or slightly above maintenance, and trying to get PR's, because I was pretty infatuated with that aspect of lifting.
After about a year, I hit some of my long-term PR goals, and decided it was time to really start focusing on fat loss; I mean, it was clear to me, by then, that all the lifting in the world wasn't going to cut the fat off my body. So, I tried to learn all I could about cutting. I joined MFP in August 2014 and started counting calories, walking every day with a pedometer, and still lifting heavy to retain muscle. Then winter hit, walking went out the (very cold) window, I ate more food, but kept lifting heavy, and gained more weight. PR's came back, but I got bigger.
This past March I got serious about the fat loss. I've been cutting pretty steadily since then, and still lifting heavy, with a workout I have modified off StrongLifts 5x5. I started HIIT routines this past week. I got my bodyfat measured at my gym so I have a baseline to work from, and have been totally concentrating on cutting fat.
As for body composition: yeah, definitely changed. I can see it and I can feel it. The lifting has made a big difference. I have muscles in places I never thought I'd have them. Despite still having a large chunk of fat on my body, I can see definition in places (like my quads) where I've never seen it before. I have traps now.. which is freakin' cool to me. Shoulders are more defined, etc. I can see subtle changes in the mirror. My wife notices it the most; she'll hug me or grab me somewhere and be like, "hey, there's muscle there."
Someday I'll have a pretty dramatic before and after I'll post. I'm not quite there yet.
0 -
Haha love it!
And by the way... I totally screwed up, not in a bad way but... I totally forgot to add in the weight of the bar. The olympic bar at my work fitness center weighs 45 lbs. So I thought I was squatting 50 lbs but in reality I was squatting 95 lbs. Oops... So do I stick with 95 and add from there? do I go back down to 55 lbs for the next round? I can do the 95 no problem but I am certainly feeling it right now, ouch!0 -
cushman5279 wrote: »Haha love it!
And by the way... I totally screwed up, not in a bad way but... I totally forgot to add in the weight of the bar. The olympic bar at my work fitness center weighs 45 lbs. So I thought I was squatting 50 lbs but in reality I was squatting 95 lbs. Oops... So do I stick with 95 and add from there? do I go back down to 55 lbs for the next round? I can do the 95 no problem but I am certainly feeling it right now, ouch!
I think it depends on how you feel after the rest day.
I know StrongLifts 5x5 says start with the bar, but I didn't. I did the math to figure out how many days I would have had to lift before I got a weight that felt like I was actually doing some work. I essentially skipped the first 6 weeks; I basically started on week 7 or something like that.
If you feel okay, not sore, nothing wrong with starting heavier IMO. The point is to learn the form correctly and not hurt yourself or make yourself so sore that you quit. If you can put weight on and do it pain-free with good form, go for it.
But also realize, the whole point of StrongLifts 5x5 is to progressively load. If you start with more weight at the beginning, you will reach your plateau sooner. Once you plateau on a lift, then the harder work begins... Deloading, reloading, etc.0 -
cushman5279 wrote: »Haha love it!
And by the way... I totally screwed up, not in a bad way but... I totally forgot to add in the weight of the bar. The olympic bar at my work fitness center weighs 45 lbs. So I thought I was squatting 50 lbs but in reality I was squatting 95 lbs. Oops... So do I stick with 95 and add from there? do I go back down to 55 lbs for the next round? I can do the 95 no problem but I am certainly feeling it right now, ouch!
lol feel it in your quads/glutes? good to go
feel it in your lower back? drop the weight0 -
cushman5279 wrote: »Haha love it!
And by the way... I totally screwed up, not in a bad way but... I totally forgot to add in the weight of the bar. The olympic bar at my work fitness center weighs 45 lbs. So I thought I was squatting 50 lbs but in reality I was squatting 95 lbs. Oops... So do I stick with 95 and add from there? do I go back down to 55 lbs for the next round? I can do the 95 no problem but I am certainly feeling it right now, ouch!
I agree with Colors_Fade. If you are okay at 95 pounds and your form is correct I would keep at it. I had to start at the bar and work my way up. Took me a while to get up to 95 pounds. Were you not including the weight of the bar when you were calculating your weights? I've done that back in the day with benching.0 -
Thanks! Yeah I totally forgot to add in the weight of the bar when I was calculating my weights. I definitely feel it in my quads/glutes! My back feels just fine although when I just got up to move around it felt slightly weak, but not sore. We'll see how I feel later during and after MMA.0
-
I feel great today. Not sore at all 0
-
cushman5279 wrote: »I feel great today. Not sore at all
I'm jealous haha. I'm totally sore today. (but in a good way)
0 -
cushman5279 wrote: »I feel great today. Not sore at all
I'm jealous haha. I'm totally sore today. (but in a good way)
Haha... don't be jealous! I was wicked sore yesterday! Today I feel great physically and am doing day three of week two. Tuesday/Wednesday off and then back at it on Thursday for day one week three!
0 -
I started my third round yesterday. I am amazed how quickly I've gained strength! I can also notice my body tightening up a bit here and there 0
-
I found this post on the forums and I just finished my first week of this program myself and so far I think it is great! Just wondering if the people who were doing this program are still doing it and how they are progressing? My starting weights this week were squat 65 lbs/bench 65 lbs/OHP 45 lbs (just the bar)/deadlift 65 lbs/barbell row 55 lbs! Also, for those doing this and new to lifting (like me), did you watch a bunch of videos as well to learn form and try to mimic it?0
-
collegenerd20 wrote: »I found this post on the forums and I just finished my first week of this program myself and so far I think it is great! Just wondering if the people who were doing this program are still doing it and how they are progressing? My starting weights this week were squat 65 lbs/bench 65 lbs/OHP 45 lbs (just the bar)/deadlift 65 lbs/barbell row 55 lbs! Also, for those doing this and new to lifting (like me), did you watch a bunch of videos as well to learn form and try to mimic it?
Do you have the app on your phone? You can watch videos of Medhi doing all the moves and showing good form. I also watch lots of YouTube videos of the different lifts. I really enjoyed Stronglifts but I have now moved on to Madcow. I changed when I got close to my upper weight range. The aim of stronglifts is to fail at a weight several times then lower the weight then up it again (or reduce the number of reps to 3 then go up to 5 again). I was very nervous about attempting to lift a weight that I knew I was likely to be unable to lift. I didnt feel comfortable failing and/or dropping a weight on myself so I found myself not increasing the weight when the programme said I should. I also found my form was suffering.
As my goal is hypertrophy rather than strength I decided that I wasn't going to continue to try and increase my maximum weight so moved to madcow which brings the weight down to a percentage of my 1RM. I will still make strength gains eventually and am still seeing gains (mostly in my shoulders)0 -
Yeah I have the app and I watch not just Medhi's videos but several others on YouTube as well. Since I am new I know my form is still somewhat off (especially DLs lol) but I am trying my best to improve and do the exercises to the best of my ability! Was just curious to see how others were progressing with the program as well and what types of gains they had made.
Also, I had noticed there are two ways of doing a barbell row, the one Medhi does I was told is called a Pendlay row but there is also the traditional barbell row where you are standing with knees bent somewhat and pulling the bar up towards you belly button. I prefer the traditional form so I am doing that one for the time being rather than the Pendlay row but in time I may try to do that one too.0 -
I'm finishing my 2d week of SL and I really love it so far. My only challenge has been that I have what kind of feels like a pinched nerve where I think the barbell hits for squats (upper back, lower neck). It's not painful enough to go to a doctor but I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong? Since I'm new to the barbell, will my body get used to it? I squated 70lbs yesterday so still pretty light. Not really sore, just that nerve thing.0
-
sistrsprkl wrote: »I'm finishing my 2d week of SL and I really love it so far. My only challenge has been that I have what kind of feels like a pinched nerve where I think the barbell hits for squats (upper back, lower neck). It's not painful enough to go to a doctor but I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong? Since I'm new to the barbell, will my body get used to it? I squated 70lbs yesterday so still pretty light. Not really sore, just that nerve thing.
form video.
0 -
I started doing SL about 8 weeks ago. Its a great routine, that you can complete in a short period of time. If I dont have to share a rack, I can get it done in about 35-40 mins, including warmup sets. I have no complaints.
I started at the minimums, even thou I had been lifting on isolation machines for months prior. I wanted that extra time to make sure my form was proper, and the ancillary/supporting muscles had time to catch up to the primaries before the weight got heavy.
The strength gains and body comp changes have been clearly evident. I would recommend this program to anyone new to lifting, or returning from a long layoff.
@sistrsprkl - I would guess that youve got the bar far up on your neck ( high-bar position), instead of down on your shoulder blades ( low-bar position ) where it belongs.
Much safer ( for your neck ) and more comfortable in the low position, which most trainers will recommend for an unpadded hold.
0 -
I started doing SL about 8 weeks ago. Its a great routine, that you can complete in a short period of time. If I dont have to share a rack, I can get it done in about 35-40 mins, including warmup sets. I have no complaints.
I started at the minimums, even thou I had been lifting on isolation machines for months prior. I wanted that extra time to make sure my form was proper, and the ancillary/supporting muscles had time to catch up to the primaries before the weight got heavy.
The strength gains and body comp changes have been clearly evident. I would recommend this program to anyone new to lifting, or returning from a long layoff.
@sistrsprkl - I would guess that youve got the bar far up on your neck ( high-bar position), instead of down on your shoulder blades ( low-bar position ) where it belongs.
Much safer ( for your neck ) and more comfortable in the low position, which most trainers will recommend for an unpadded hold.
@pmm3437 Hey man, just curious but how far have you progressed in your lifts over the last 8 weeks. I am doing this for about 10-12 weeks at a small calorie deficit (gained too much fat from my bulk haha) but just wanted to get some idea of the progression of weight in that time frame you know? OHP I started with just the bar but with the other exercises (some I had done before) I started a little heavier (not too much, 10-20 pounds at most).
0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.9K Introduce Yourself
- 43.9K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 176K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.6K Fitness and Exercise
- 429 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153.1K Motivation and Support
- 8.1K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 15 News and Announcements
- 1.2K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions