Strong lifts 5x5

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annaclaireblack
annaclaireblack Posts: 63 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello all! Ive been looking into the 5x5 program. I've read the whole article and the spreadsheets but I'm still a little confused. So workout A will be squat, bench press, and barbell row. Workout B will be squat, OH press, and deadlift. Will only 3 exercises really get the job done? Doesn't seem like too much. Should I add in some other things too? Abs/cardio? Or even more lifts?

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  • taco_inspector
    taco_inspector Posts: 7,223 Member
    edited December 2016
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    I believe that there's a few free apps (cellphone or tablet) that help you track your way through the 5 lifts (3-per day, though). SL5x5 is a great place to start loving your barbell and building strength. Yes... it'll get the job done nicely for most folks.
  • glubben
    glubben Posts: 45 Member
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    I've been doing it for just about 2 months. Love the results I'm getting and with the exception of the first week I'm never really that sore. Its a different mindset than the isolation routines. the goal is to get stronger and denser. I usually follow my workouts with a brisk 20 minute walk on the treadmill. And then walk on off days. that's it.
  • glubben
    glubben Posts: 45 Member
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    standenvernet wrote: »
    I believe that there's a few free apps (cellphone or tablet) that help you track your way through the 5 lifts (3-per day, though). SL5x5 is a great place to start loving your barbell and building strength. Yes... it'll get the job done nicely for most folks.

    Yeah the app is awesome for tracking your progress.

  • taco_inspector
    taco_inspector Posts: 7,223 Member
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    Worth mentioning also is that there's a solid ladies group here on MFP for SL5x5, which may provide some great support and, perhaps more gender-focused insight.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women

  • annaclaireblack
    annaclaireblack Posts: 63 Member
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    standenvernet wrote: »
    Worth mentioning also is that there's a solid ladies group here on MFP for SL5x5, which may provide some great support and, perhaps more gender-focused insight.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women

    Thanks so much!

  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    If you've never really lifted weights before and your goal is to build a good base of strength, yes it will get the job done. If you're looking to lose weight, you'll need to accompany it with a calorie deficit which may limit how quickly you progress. There are lots of people that do other things with it. There's one version called ice cream fitness that adds some additional work. Personally I ran on the "off" days to aid in my cardio and calorie burn. I was able to run the program for about 18 months before switching to a more intermediate program.
  • samhennings
    samhennings Posts: 441 Member
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    annaclaireblack wrote: »
    Hello all! Ive been looking into the 5x5 program. I've read the whole article and the spreadsheets but I'm still a little confused. So workout A will be squat, bench press, and barbell row. Workout B will be squat, OH press, and deadlift. Will only 3 exercises really get the job done? Doesn't seem like too much. Should I add in some other things too? Abs/cardio? Or even more lifts?

    Once the weight gets up it is a full workout. You can of course supplement with some accessory exercises but I doubt you will need to.

    Only other advice I would give is to work (obsessively!) on your form. Worry about that over lifting heavier, for a good while at least.

    I say this from experience, and a painful shoulder injury that put me out of the gym for a few months.

    Lifting lighter with the right technique is far superior to lifting heavy with poor technique.

  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
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    samanthaluangphixay wrote: »
    annaclaireblack wrote: »
    Hello all! Ive been looking into the 5x5 program. I've read the whole article and the spreadsheets but I'm still a little confused. So workout A will be squat, bench press, and barbell row. Workout B will be squat, OH press, and deadlift. Will only 3 exercises really get the job done? Doesn't seem like too much. Should I add in some other things too? Abs/cardio? Or even more lifts?


    Trust me...when you get heavier and need to take longer rests, 3 lifts is all you can do.

    These are full-body movements that tax your CNS greatly. When you're deadlifting more than your bodyweight for a set of five, you can barely be arsed to do more.

    I think a lot of people underestimate how heavy it gets after a while.

    I did Workout B this morning. It is typically the shorter workout due to the one set for deadlifts. I am even doing the 3x3 for squats and I had to take longer rests than the 3 mins the timer says. I did a few warm up sets and basically, this whole thing took me about an hour. Maybe 55 mins.

    I don't know how much time you have but once you get heavy (for you), it takes a while to recover.

  • jessiefrancine
    jessiefrancine Posts: 271 Member
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    Strong Lifts is the best! I've been doing it for about a year now and have seen awesome changes in my physique. The programmed lifts definitely get the job done, but some people choose to add accessory lifts. Looks like a previous poster already put up a link to the MFP womens' Strong Lifts group. You should definitely join and look through the materials posted in the files there. They address specific ways women may want to modify Strong Lifts to be more successful (for example - changing the weight progression from 5 lbs each time you do a lift to 2.5 lbs, or modified moves to do in the beginning if lifting even the bar is too heavy for you).

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