Stronglift 5x5???

ksy1969

I have been working with a personal trainer twice week for the last 8 months and to be honest I am not happy with the progress and having a hard time justifying the cost. I also lift one other day during the week and do some type of cardio for 2 or 3 days a week as well on days I am not lifting. Don't get me wrong, I like the trainer and always walk away feeling I got a good workout, but I am questioning if it is the right workout for me. Should I be lifting more days a week?

I have been looking at JEFIT.com and they seem to have some great routines for varying amounts of days, but then I read about Stronglifts 5x5 and that has me intrigued. I guess I would like some input from the members in this group. I see lots of people mentioning it but curious about results. Mehdi from Stronglifts doesn't recommend doing any extra cardio and to just focus on those 3 days of lifting. I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around that. He has a lot of great testimonials but I sometimes have a hard time trusting those so I am coming to this great group to get your incite.

Thanks,

PS. Another thing with the trainer. I do not want to have to pay someone for the rest of my life to stay in shape. I want to learn how to do it on my own so looking for a good program.

SideSteel

I have been working with a personal trainer twice week for the last 8 months and to be honest I am not happy with the progress and having a hard time justifying the cost. I also lift one other day during the week and do some type of cardio for 2 or 3 days a week as well on days I am not lifting. Don't get me wrong, I like the trainer and always walk away feeling I got a good workout, but I am questioning if it is the right workout for me. Should I be lifting more days a week?

What does your trainer have you do and what do you not like about it?

Regarding your question on lifting days, I think that's goal and context dependent, but to make a general range I think 3-4 days will be ideal for "most" people.

I have been looking at JEFIT.com and they seem to have some great routines for varying amounts of days, but then I read about Stronglifts 5x5 and that has me intrigued. I guess I would like some input from the members in this group. I see lots of people mentioning it but curious about results. Mehdi from Stronglifts doesn't recommend doing any extra cardio and to just focus on those 3 days of lifting. I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around that. He has a lot of great testimonials but I sometimes have a hard time trusting those so I am coming to this great group to get your incite.

I can show you people who have gotten results on all kinds of programs. Stronglifts is a fine program. Starting Strength is a fine program, All Pros is a fine program, Madcows is a fine program, Layne Norton's PHAT is a fine program, 5/3/1 is a fine program, etc etc etc.

The issue is finding a program that fits the goals and experience level of the trainee.

Regarding cardio, you have to consider that programs like SL and SS are primarily designed as strength routines. If you had a goal of maximizing strength and that was your primary goal and you didn't care about being lean then eating in a big energy surplus might have some merit as would potentially minimizing cardio (depending on how that cardio effects recovery and energy balance).

If your goal is to remain lean or keep losing weight, you could still do something like SL 5x5 and still incorporate cardio and still remain in an energy deficit. You would just run into progression issues at some point and have to deal with that, but you would potentially face those progression issues on any routine that includes progressive loading.

So finally, let me ask you this: What are your goals, and do you know how to properly Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, and Overhead Press using freeweight barbells?

ksy1969

What does your trainer have you do and what do you not like about it?

Each workout is different. It is primarily dumbbell routines but he also throws in some machines. I would say it is half dumbbell, a quarter cable machine and the rest is miscellaneous machines and stability ball work. Recently he has started incorporating barbell squats

So finally, let me ask you this: What are your goals, and do you know how to properly Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, and Overhead Press using freeweight barbells?

Maybe that is part of the problem, I am not sure what to do. I am at 208lbs currently but I have been yoyoing between 198 and 208 for the last couple months. I haven't been as focused on the weight loss as I was. I have lost a lot of weight, and I still have some fat to lose especially in the belly area. However, I know that will come with time as long as I set some goals. The past couple years the goals that have propelled my weight loss have been running goals. Without going into detail, I think my running days may be done because of some hip issues. However, this whole time I have always wanted to bulk up, become bigger. Not body builder big, but healthy fit male big and running is not going to do that.

Here are a couple pictures of where I am at right now. Should I worry more about removing some more fat first, or should I start bulking now?

SideSteel

I would keep cutting for now.

You described what your trainer has you doing, but can you also tell me what you don't like about it?

Also, does your trainer increase the weight you are using over time when you lift and does he track it (or do you?)? For example, can you tell me what lifts you did last week and what weights and reps you used? Does your trainer track this info?

Have you seen All-Pros routine?

Here:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843

ksy1969

I would keep cutting for now.

You described what your trainer has you doing, but can you also tell me what you don't like about it?

Also, does your trainer increase the weight you are using over time when you lift and does he track it (or do you?)? For example, can you tell me what lifts you did last week and what weights and reps you used? Does your trainer track this info?

Have you seen All-Pros routine?

Here:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843

I really appreciate your input, especially coming from a fellow Minnesotan

He started out tracking my weight and reps, but he is not doing it anymore and I never was. That is what I guess I am unsure of. It doesn't seem like I am progressing very fast. For example, on Monday for the DB Chest press he started me out with a set of 12 w/ 2 45lb DB. then the next set was 8 w/ 2 55lb DB then the last set was 4 reps w/ 2 65lb DB's. Well, I know for a fact we have not increased that any in the last 3 weeks. Granted, it is hard to increase small increments w/ DB's. I do suspect in the next couple weeks he will suddenly throw in 2 reps w/ a pair of 70lb DB's, but to me it does not seem like he is trying to increase very fast.

I also know in many of the other exercises that I do with him, he has me at the same weights as a month ago or longer.

I think there might be a method to his madness because most of the time I am exhausted by the time we are done. However when I do research, I find over and over, that you will not gain strength and or mass without an incremental increase in weight each week. I have read you can have what you think is a good workout with the same weights each week, but it will not get you bigger or increase your strength unless you intentionally increase that weight to push yourself. He explains it is about the reps and increasing those to a point that you have to up the weight??

I like the looks of that All Pro's beginner routine. Something straight forward with a plan all laid out.

Also, as far as how to dead lift, squat, overhead press and barbell press. I know how, the question is do I do them properly every time with out actively thinking about each step, no it is not habit yet to have the proper form. I just checked into the Starting Strength book by Rippetoe and may purchase that or see if the local library has it available for checkout.

Barbellgirl

I think you'll get a lot out of the Starting Strength book myself.

Sarauk2sf

Tagging

ksy1969

I just did some research on Starting Strength. On the outside it doesn't seem that much different than Strong Lift 5x5 except instead of 5 sets of the same weight you do 5 sets increasing the weight with each set but decreasing the reps. I know there is more to it than that but kind of interesting that they are similar in the fact they focus on compound lifts. In fact from everything I am reading and the link SideSteel pointed out above, all beginner routines should be compound lifts.

You can lock this thread if you want.

I think I got out of it what I need. I will focus on cutting some more. I am also going to get Rippetoe's book. From what I have read so far it looks good. I am probably also going to talk to my trainer about switching to All Pro's beginners routine and getting his help for a few weeks with form. By then I will have read Rippetoe's book and then I will probably back off on training with him.

SideSteel

I just did some research on Starting Strength. On the outside it doesn't seem that much different than Strong Lift 5x5 except instead of 5 sets of the same weight you do 5 sets increasing the weight with each set but decreasing the reps. I know there is more to it than that but kind of interesting that they are similar in the fact they focus on compound lifts. In fact from everything I am reading and the link SideSteel pointed out above, all beginner routines should be compound lifts.

You can lock this thread if you want.

I think I got out of it what I need. I will focus on cutting some more. I am also going to get Rippetoe's book. From what I have read so far it looks good. I am probably also going to talk to my trainer about switching to All Pro's beginners routine and getting his help for a few weeks with form. By then I will have read Rippetoe's book and then I will probably back off on training with him.

Locking the thread. Good move on getting Rippetoe's book even if you choose SL or All-Pros, as Rippetoe has a lot of solid information in there at least as far as training/technique goes.