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5x5 strong lifts- how fast did you progress?
abbynormalartist
Posts: 318 Member
I'm not moving up each week. It's more like adding weights a bit each month. Is that normal? How fast did some of you move up with this program?
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Replies
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May I ask what program? Are you able to do more reps with the weight are using?0
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Strong lifts 5x5. I figured I was relatively healthy and what I thought as "fit" but I struggle still with just the weight of the bar at times.0
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I could probably do more reps but just not increasing weight.0
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abbynormalartist wrote: »Strong lifts 5x5. I figured I was relatively healthy and what I thought as "fit" but I struggle still with just the weight of the bar at times.
When did you start? Just the bar...on all 5 lifts? Have you been able to add weight to the bar for any of the lifts? How much?
I was adding weight every workout at the beginning. I had to start deloading the different lifts at different points...for OHP (and sometimes bench) I had to buy fractional weights (they range from 1/4lb-1lb) so I could increase in much smaller increments.
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Are you eating above maintenance? You can increase some initially since you're getting more complete neuromuscular firing but muscle gain does require a surplus.
I got increases as long as I had a surplus. Once I decided to maintain or cut, it stopped, which I expected. Also, have you done a deload?0 -
Deload? They said they struggle with just the bar.. how can there be any deload?0
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Progress will be non linear... i have deloaded and increased reps at lower weights... its important to fuel your workout... protein and carbs at least 1/2 hour in advance of your workout... Be consistent and add more protein to your diet... you will get there... a foer co-worker... used ladder sets to break through her plateaus... she is 5-1... 100 lbs and she was front squatting 165... be patient adding muscle takes way longer... so incremental strength increases take just as long2
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Do you have very small plates? Like 2.5lb or smaller? I find it very difficult to progress by 5-10lbs on OHP and bench, well even on deadlift and squat once you've been at it a while and hit a plateau. Having those tiny plates helps a lot. If you just can't add any weight, add a rep to each set or add one extra set to each exercise until you are able to add weight.1
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abbynormalartist wrote: »Strong lifts 5x5. I figured I was relatively healthy and what I thought as "fit" but I struggle still with just the weight of the bar at times.
When did you start? Just the bar...on all 5 lifts? Have you been able to add weight to the bar for any of the lifts? How much?
I was adding weight every workout at the beginning. I had to start deloading the different lifts at different points...for OHP (and sometimes bench) I had to buy fractional weights (they range from 1/4lb-1lb) so I could increase in much smaller increments.
I'm two months into lifting with the 5x5 app.
Here are my weights:
OHP: 45lbs (just the bar)- have started with this weight and never been able to go heavier
Squat: 95lbs
Deadlift: 100lbs
BenchPress: 55lbs (just barely more than the bar)
Barbell Rows: 65lbs
I have been able to add to my lifts but not much. I'm feeling discouraged because I don't feel like I'm making progress though I keep trying to remind myself that 2 months just probably isn't a fair enough time to judge anything. I just feel shaky and weak and unstable with nearly every lift. And while I've been practicing good form at home, it all seems to go out the window when I work with any substantial weight. If I deload on some of my lifts to work on my form, then I don't feel like the weights are heavy enough to give me any sort of work out. Again, just discouraged.2 -
richardgavel wrote: »Are you eating above maintenance? You can increase some initially since you're getting more complete neuromuscular firing but muscle gain does require a surplus.
I got increases as long as I had a surplus. Once I decided to maintain or cut, it stopped, which I expected. Also, have you done a deload?
I'm eating at maintenance right now. I read that newbies to diet/lifting are the exception to being able to eat at maintenance or at a deficit and still gain muscle. Hoping that's right.... ?0 -
Maintenance calories should be fine. Just stick with it. Are you doing any other workouts? Do you get enough sleep?0
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I'm progressing VERY slowly but (1) I'm old and (2) have chronic health issues. I increase by small amounts (1.5 kg) and work on form,increasing reps until I can increase weight. Progress is slow but I'm not in a hurry so I guess it depends on your goals.1
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OP are you doing any other exercise? Cardio, Insanity or HIIT or running or anything else like that. SL5X5 is pretty demanding for strength and needs some pretty good recovery. Someone up there mentioned sleep, it's the single most important factor for recovery, then calories are. If you aren't eating or sleeping enough, that would do it for sure, or if you aren't getting enough rest between workout days.
If you feel comfortable and want to increase the weights, eat at a calorie surplus for a few weeks.0 -
OP are you doing any other exercise? Cardio, Insanity or HIIT or running or anything else like that. SL5X5 is pretty demanding for strength and needs some pretty good recovery. Someone up there mentioned sleep, it's the single most important factor for recovery, then calories are. If you aren't eating or sleeping enough, that would do it for sure, or if you aren't getting enough rest between workout days.
If you feel comfortable and want to increase the weights, eat at a calorie surplus for a few weeks.
The thing about sleep bothers me. I'm a chronic insomniac and even on a good night I don't get more than 5.5 - 6 hours. Does this actually impact on muscle growth or is it performance that's affected?0 -
OP are you doing any other exercise? Cardio, Insanity or HIIT or running or anything else like that. SL5X5 is pretty demanding for strength and needs some pretty good recovery. Someone up there mentioned sleep, it's the single most important factor for recovery, then calories are. If you aren't eating or sleeping enough, that would do it for sure, or if you aren't getting enough rest between workout days.
If you feel comfortable and want to increase the weights, eat at a calorie surplus for a few weeks.
I've been trying to only do the strong lifts but I occasionally do 10-20 minutes of jogging on the treadmill just to get my heat rate up a bit. And I work out every other day.
As for sleep- I average about 7 hours of sleep. I used to get 8 but I had to cut from that since I'm now going to the gym in the evening after my kids are in bed.0 -
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I started SL 5 x 5 on June 1st of this year. So far my progress has been:
- Bench press: empty bar to 95lbs
- OHP: empty bar to 65lbs (I've had to deload this one once. I am buying fractional plates just to slowly increase the weight instead of going every 5lbs)
- Squat: empty bar to 135lbs
- Barbell row: 65lbs to 100lbs
- Deadlift: 95lbs to 170lbs
I know Medhi says that you have to eat in a surplus with this program but I haven't done so yet. I've just worked towards eating as close to maintenance as possible and plan to keep up with 5x5 until Late August just to see what numbers I can get to. I think progress between people depends on your starting weight (I'm 5'7 hovering 163lbs), and how strong you were before you began the program (I did progressive calisthenics as my main source of exercise).
I mentioned that I'm buying some fractional olympic weights (1.25lbs), I've already bought the 2.5lb plates because my gym doesnt have them. It let's me increase my weight slowly with the lifts and with the even smaller weights I'll be able to not stay at 65lbs on OHP for a longer period of time. However I don't believe that's a bad thing. Someone said you could go back down to a lower weight and instead of doing 5x5, do something like 3 x * just to continue stimulating your muscles and getting them strong enough for heavier weights. Good luck! Progress is progress, whether every week, or every month. You are stronger than you were yesterday!3 -
I plateaued on OHP and DL really fast.
(DL because of specific medical-related leg issues, so not too relevant.)
Plateauing on OHP, bench and rows is apparently REALLY common for women, particularly OHP. They're not big muscles, and they sometimes need to be deloaded.
I found that getting a really good sports massage helped get through a few little plateaus.
When that stopped working, I got a trainer. I wasn't ready to stop lifting, but I *was* ready to stop just following the app
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abbynormalartist wrote: »abbynormalartist wrote: »Strong lifts 5x5. I figured I was relatively healthy and what I thought as "fit" but I struggle still with just the weight of the bar at times.
When did you start? Just the bar...on all 5 lifts? Have you been able to add weight to the bar for any of the lifts? How much?
I was adding weight every workout at the beginning. I had to start deloading the different lifts at different points...for OHP (and sometimes bench) I had to buy fractional weights (they range from 1/4lb-1lb) so I could increase in much smaller increments.
I'm two months into lifting with the 5x5 app.
Here are my weights:
OHP: 45lbs (just the bar)- have started with this weight and never been able to go heavier
Squat: 95lbs
Deadlift: 100lbs
BenchPress: 55lbs (just barely more than the bar)
Barbell Rows: 65lbs
I have been able to add to my lifts but not much. I'm feeling discouraged because I don't feel like I'm making progress though I keep trying to remind myself that 2 months just probably isn't a fair enough time to judge anything. I just feel shaky and weak and unstable with nearly every lift. And while I've been practicing good form at home, it all seems to go out the window when I work with any substantial weight. If I deload on some of my lifts to work on my form, then I don't feel like the weights are heavy enough to give me any sort of work out. Again, just discouraged.
I'm a little confused by the bolded.
If it's a matter of being out of your comfort zone as the weights get heavier, I'd say suck it up and continue. If it's truly a matter of the weights being too heavy, I'd say to back down the weight. But if you're deloading and now it feels like you're not even working, I think the issue is the former of the two.0 -
abbynormalartist wrote: »richardgavel wrote: »Are you eating above maintenance? You can increase some initially since you're getting more complete neuromuscular firing but muscle gain does require a surplus.
I got increases as long as I had a surplus. Once I decided to maintain or cut, it stopped, which I expected. Also, have you done a deload?
I'm eating at maintenance right now. I read that newbies to diet/lifting are the exception to being able to eat at maintenance or at a deficit and still gain muscle. Hoping that's right.... ?
This not true for every individual and is less likely if you don't have a significant amount of body fat to start with. Maybe try eating at a small surplus for a few weeks and see if you make some forward progress?2 -
jseams1234 wrote: »abbynormalartist wrote: »richardgavel wrote: »Are you eating above maintenance? You can increase some initially since you're getting more complete neuromuscular firing but muscle gain does require a surplus.
I got increases as long as I had a surplus. Once I decided to maintain or cut, it stopped, which I expected. Also, have you done a deload?
I'm eating at maintenance right now. I read that newbies to diet/lifting are the exception to being able to eat at maintenance or at a deficit and still gain muscle. Hoping that's right.... ?
This not true for every individual and is less likely if you don't have a significant amount of body fat to start with. Maybe try eating at a small surplus for a few weeks and see if you make some forward progress?
I don't have a significant amount to lose but I just haven't gotten over my nervousness of eating at a surplus
I'm 122lbs and am only looking to lose around 5 more lbs. I've lost so much belly bloat since eating at a deficit then now at maintenance so surplus worries me. 1 -
abbynormalartist wrote: »abbynormalartist wrote: »Strong lifts 5x5. I figured I was relatively healthy and what I thought as "fit" but I struggle still with just the weight of the bar at times.
When did you start? Just the bar...on all 5 lifts? Have you been able to add weight to the bar for any of the lifts? How much?
I was adding weight every workout at the beginning. I had to start deloading the different lifts at different points...for OHP (and sometimes bench) I had to buy fractional weights (they range from 1/4lb-1lb) so I could increase in much smaller increments.
I'm two months into lifting with the 5x5 app.
Here are my weights:
OHP: 45lbs (just the bar)- have started with this weight and never been able to go heavier
Squat: 95lbs
Deadlift: 100lbs
BenchPress: 55lbs (just barely more than the bar)
Barbell Rows: 65lbs
I have been able to add to my lifts but not much. I'm feeling discouraged because I don't feel like I'm making progress though I keep trying to remind myself that 2 months just probably isn't a fair enough time to judge anything. I just feel shaky and weak and unstable with nearly every lift. And while I've been practicing good form at home, it all seems to go out the window when I work with any substantial weight. If I deload on some of my lifts to work on my form, then I don't feel like the weights are heavy enough to give me any sort of work out. Again, just discouraged.
5x5 is pretty demanding and will work your muscles enough for continued progression. This process takes considerable time, especially if you are new to lifting. In 2 months you're just establishing a foundation.
When I work on form I do this with a broomstick. You can often hide bad form under weight, but this will all come out with a stick. Try videoing yourself from different angels as well. If you're having trouble with form under weight then take off some weight until your not so shaky.
Many people have trouble with OHP - it's a rough movement and not something many people do. Mix this with dumbbells and focus on smooth steady movements, avoid momentum.
Other than that try lifting first followed by light cardio. Ensure you are well rested with plenty of sleep and fully hydrated.3 -
DancingMoosie wrote: »Do you have very small plates? Like 2.5lb or smaller? I find it very difficult to progress by 5-10lbs on OHP and bench, well even on deadlift and squat once you've been at it a while and hit a plateau. Having those tiny plates helps a lot. If you just can't add any weight, add a rep to each set or add one extra set to each exercise until you are able to add weight.
Yes. The author himself recommended getting smaller weights than can be found in pretty much every gym, particularly for women. Buying a pair of 1.25 lb plates made a huge difference for me. Some people use various sized links of chains from the hardware store in lieu of fractional plates.
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abbynormalartist wrote: »I'm two months into lifting with the 5x5 app.
Here are my weights:
OHP: 45lbs (just the bar)- have started with this weight and never been able to go heavier
Squat: 95lbs
Deadlift: 100lbs
BenchPress: 55lbs (just barely more than the bar)
Barbell Rows: 65lbs
I have been able to add to my lifts but not much. I'm feeling discouraged because I don't feel like I'm making progress though I keep trying to remind myself that 2 months just probably isn't a fair enough time to judge anything. I just feel shaky and weak and unstable with nearly every lift. And while I've been practicing good form at home, it all seems to go out the window when I work with any substantial weight. If I deload on some of my lifts to work on my form, then I don't feel like the weights are heavy enough to give me any sort of work out. Again, just discouraged.
On OHP: Most gyms have a short bar (~5' long and ~25 lbs) somewhere. It'll probably be near the stands where the guys do bicep isolation work. It took me months to work up to the full 7' Olympic bar on OHP.3 -
abbynormalartist wrote: »jseams1234 wrote: »abbynormalartist wrote: »richardgavel wrote: »Are you eating above maintenance? You can increase some initially since you're getting more complete neuromuscular firing but muscle gain does require a surplus.
I got increases as long as I had a surplus. Once I decided to maintain or cut, it stopped, which I expected. Also, have you done a deload?
I'm eating at maintenance right now. I read that newbies to diet/lifting are the exception to being able to eat at maintenance or at a deficit and still gain muscle. Hoping that's right.... ?
This not true for every individual and is less likely if you don't have a significant amount of body fat to start with. Maybe try eating at a small surplus for a few weeks and see if you make some forward progress?
I don't have a significant amount to lose but I just haven't gotten over my nervousness of eating at a surplus I'm 122lbs and am only looking to lose around 5 more lbs. I've lost so much belly bloat since eating at a deficit then now at maintenance so surplus worries me.
heheh. Trust me, I understand not wanting the "bloat" to come back. I'm on a bulk and by mid-day I look like I'm several months pregnant.
Like comedian Dan Cummins said, "Turns out from the front I was like a dude who lift weights.
From the side I was like a dude who shouldn't because it's probably bad for the baby.."3 -
You're not doing badly. It's taken me 3 months to put as much weight into my squat as you have in a month.
It's all relative.
Are you working to failure? Do you add the extra 5 lbs to your squat and only do 3 reps, etc?
How are you breathing during your lifts? Try taking a deep breath and holding it during the lift, using your core muscles to brace. How about your shoulders during your squat? Bracing those?
What kind of warm ups are you doing? Like for squats, I body weight squat a bunch of times to get the joints moving, then do a few sets of increasing weight before doing my actual weighted sets. That said, a girl friend of mine doesn't feel like she's fully warmed up until she does a bunch of low weight high rep stuff.0 -
DancingMoosie wrote: »Do you have very small plates? Like 2.5lb or smaller? I find it very difficult to progress by 5-10lbs on OHP and bench, well even on deadlift and squat once you've been at it a while and hit a plateau. Having those tiny plates helps a lot. If you just can't add any weight, add a rep to each set or add one extra set to each exercise until you are able to add weight.
Yes. The author himself recommended getting smaller weights than can be found in pretty much every gym, particularly for women. Buying a pair of 1.25 lb plates made a huge difference for me. Some people use various sized links of chains from the hardware store in lieu of fractional plates.
https://stronglifts.com/madcow/Topics/Microloading.htm1 -
Katiebear_81 wrote: »You're not doing badly. It's taken me 3 months to put as much weight into my squat as you have in a month. It's all relative.
Are you working to failure? Do you add the extra 5 lbs to your squat and only do 3 reps, etc?
How are you breathing during your lifts? Try taking a deep breath and holding it during the lift, using your core muscles to brace. How about your shoulders during your squat? Bracing those?
What kind of warm ups are you doing? Like for squats, I body weight squat a bunch of times to get the joints moving, then do a few sets of increasing weight before doing my actual weighted sets. That said, a girl friend of mine doesn't feel like she's fully warmed up until she does a bunch of low weight high rep stuff.
This. I feel like I need to do this! Some warm up sets with body weight then work my way up. I like the idea of a final heavier set. I haven't tried that before.2 -
abbynormalartist wrote: »abbynormalartist wrote: »Strong lifts 5x5. I figured I was relatively healthy and what I thought as "fit" but I struggle still with just the weight of the bar at times.
When I work on form I do this with a broomstick. You can often hide bad form under weight, but this will all come out with a stick. Try videoing yourself from different angels as well. If you're having trouble with form under weight then take off some weight until your not so shaky.
I'm going to try this! I try to practice my form at home but so far I can't "feel" if it's correct or not.0
This discussion has been closed.
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