Stronglifts 5x5 for Women

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5/3/1 anyone?

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scrittrice
scrittrice Posts: 345 Member
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I think I'm getting to the end of finding the program useful. (I've been doing Starting Strength, so 3x5 since the beginning.) I'm starting to look around for what to do next. Has anyone transitioned to 5/3/1? Any thoughts about the program for women specifically?

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  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    edited July 2015
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    if you don't get any feedback, the stickies section of this group has a thread called something like 'what next after sl' or something like that. you might find it worthwhile?

    edit: in other words, this http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/928232/3x5-5-3-1-madcow-texas-life-after-5x5#Item_1
  • scrittrice
    scrittrice Posts: 345 Member
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    Thank you--I'd seen that but was hoping for a little personal experience.
  • krokador
    krokador Posts: 1,794 Member
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    Well I'm the oddball that did 5/3/1 before I did SL (and then did it again). I personally like it better because AMRAPS lol. It's a good program because of how flexible you can be with assistance work (definitely need to incorporate more pulling than what is prescribed). The only woman-specific tweak I would make is to:

    Progress 2.5 lbs for the BP and OHP. You might be able to pull off 10 on the squats and deadlift at first, but upper body? Go slow. Get fractional plates. Find a spreadsheet that rounds the number to the nearest 2.5. Oh wait... I made one ;)

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1W-eH_f76oN3Oem6p3d4trlIH-nbXX_KIf-0eimBPKoo/edit?usp=sharing
    (hint: you can make a copy of it, erase my numbers and plug yours in)

    Aside from that, as I've stated, add in both some vertical and horizontal pulling because the pull to push ratio is atrocious, and make sure you do squats at least a 2nd time that week (can be an alternate version like front squats).
  • scrittrice
    scrittrice Posts: 345 Member
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    Thank you! That's just what I was looking for--the numbers seemed like big leaps (especially considering that my bench and OP are pathetic...)
  • scrittrice
    scrittrice Posts: 345 Member
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    Wow, your numbers!
  • Llamapants86
    Llamapants86 Posts: 1,221 Member
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    I do 5/3/1.
    I set use the wendlerize app but set it to increase by 2.5 lbs on upper body. I do goblet squats on deadlift day to get some more squats. I also add in powercleans on bench day with the same rep and weights as bench to get more pull and I make sure on ohp I have a pull accessories because as krok mentioned there really isn't a lot of pull in the program.
  • scrittrice
    scrittrice Posts: 345 Member
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    Just wanted to come back here in case anyone ever searches for 5/3/1 and say that I finished my first cycle yesterday and so far so good. Workouts are a little shorter, which is helpful. I've been doing pull-ups (can now do a couple unassisted!) and bent-over dumbbell rows as accessories, as well as a kind of l-i-t-e version of Boring But Big (basically 5x10 squats with just the bar on squat and deadlift day and 5x10 press with dumbbells on press and bench day) that may be downsized as the weight goes up in later cycles. And the Wendlerized app is great.

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