Giving Stronglifts a try
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ijsantos2005 wrote: »Last week was week 12 for me.
Squat SW 145 lbs./CW 340 lbs.
Bench SW 155 lbs./CW 200 lbs. (had to de-load at 200 lbs. and worked back up)
Barbell Row SW 115 lbs./CW 210 lbs.
OHP SW 70 lbs./CW 130 lbs. (had to de-load at 125 lbs. and worked up to 130 lbs.)
DL SW 145 lbs./CW 275.
I will soon have to switch to 3x5 on OHP and bench. I'm going to de-load on squat, as my form was breaking down yesterday at 345 lbs. It's not work risking injury, or having poor form in general. Overall I'm very happy with my progress. Also, I have not taken a lot of measurements, but my legs have grown an inch in diameter so far.
3 months in and you have a 340 5x5 squat?
Great job!
Thanks, it has always been easier for me to build leg strength.0 -
CWShultz27105 wrote: »And, 340 @ 5x5 on the squat? Nice. I find this awesome.
But, most folks can dead lift more than they can squat. Usually (whatever that means) the numbers would be the opposite (you would squat 275 and deadlift 340).
Yes.
Squatting more than deadlifting is very unusual. With a 340 SQT, I'd expect at least a 400 DL.
Frankly, given the OP's other numbers, I would guess that he is not doing a full parallel deep squat and, without a video, I'd have to question it but, if he's really doing back SQTs for 5 sets of 5 reps at parallel, that would be truly impressive.
I'm squatting three days a week. Where as I deadlift twice in one week, and only once the next, repeat. That is why my squat is higher right now. In terms of depth, I go as low as I can while keeping a neautral spine. Which is just above paralell for me. I'm not doing half or quarter reps.1 -
CWShultz27105 wrote: »And, 340 @ 5x5 on the squat? Nice. I find this awesome.
But, most folks can dead lift more than they can squat. Usually (whatever that means) the numbers would be the opposite (you would squat 275 and deadlift 340).
Yes.
Squatting more than deadlifting is very unusual. With a 340 SQT, I'd expect at least a 400 DL.
Frankly, given the OP's other numbers, I would guess that he is not doing a full parallel deep squat and, without a video, I'd have to question it but, if he's really doing back SQTs for 5 sets of 5 reps at parallel, that would be truly impressive.
I'm squatting three days a week. Where as I deadlift twice in one week, and only once the next, repeat. That is why my squat is higher right now. In terms of depth, I go as low as I can while keeping a neautral spine. Which is just above paralell for me. I'm not doing half or quarter reps.
If you say so but "just above parallel" still makes it a bit easier to SQT heavier weight.
Also, Stronglifts is designed so that you do SQTs 3x/wk and DLs 1x/wk but, even so, most people can who do SL (as well as Starting Strength which is similar) can DL more than they can SQT. But everyone is different.
My only suggestion would be that you work more on the DL because there seems to be an imbalance between your glute and quad strength based on your DL and SQT numbers.
BTW, a good way to compare your relative strength to other men your age and weight is to run your numbers through the Strength Level calculator that you can find here:
https://strengthlevel.com/
I suspect that when you enter your data, you will find that your are far ahead of men your age/wt for the SQT and but behind for the DL. If so, that would just be more reason to work more on the DL.
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CWShultz27105 wrote: »And, 340 @ 5x5 on the squat? Nice. I find this awesome.
But, most folks can dead lift more than they can squat. Usually (whatever that means) the numbers would be the opposite (you would squat 275 and deadlift 340).
Yes.
Squatting more than deadlifting is very unusual. With a 340 SQT, I'd expect at least a 400 DL.
Frankly, given the OP's other numbers, I would guess that he is not doing a full parallel deep squat and, without a video, I'd have to question it but, if he's really doing back SQTs for 5 sets of 5 reps at parallel, that would be truly impressive.
I'm squatting three days a week. Where as I deadlift twice in one week, and only once the next, repeat. That is why my squat is higher right now. In terms of depth, I go as low as I can while keeping a neautral spine. Which is just above paralell for me. I'm not doing half or quarter reps.
If you say so but "just above parallel" still makes it a bit easier to SQT heavier weight.
Also, Stronglifts is designed so that you do SQTs 3x/wk and DLs 1x/wk but, even so, most people can who do SL (as well as Starting Strength which is similar) can DL more than they can SQT. But everyone is different.
...
He is correct about his deadlift days/wk, he will DL 2x one week and 1x the next.0 -
Also in SL for DL t’s warm up sets then x1 set of 5, yeah?
So you’re certainly not training the DL as hard as Sq on this program.0 -
CWShultz27105 wrote: »And, 340 @ 5x5 on the squat? Nice. I find this awesome.
But, most folks can dead lift more than they can squat. Usually (whatever that means) the numbers would be the opposite (you would squat 275 and deadlift 340).
Yes.
Squatting more than deadlifting is very unusual. With a 340 SQT, I'd expect at least a 400 DL.
Frankly, given the OP's other numbers, I would guess that he is not doing a full parallel deep squat and, without a video, I'd have to question it but, if he's really doing back SQTs for 5 sets of 5 reps at parallel, that would be truly impressive.
I'm squatting three days a week. Where as I deadlift twice in one week, and only once the next, repeat. That is why my squat is higher right now. In terms of depth, I go as low as I can while keeping a neautral spine. Which is just above paralell for me. I'm not doing half or quarter reps.
If you say so but "just above parallel" still makes it a bit easier to SQT heavier weight.
Also, Stronglifts is designed so that you do SQTs 3x/wk and DLs 1x/wk but, even so, most people can who do SL (as well as Starting Strength which is similar) can DL more than they can SQT. But everyone is different.
My only suggestion would be that you work more on the DL because there seems to be an imbalance between your glute and quad strength based on your DL and SQT numbers.
BTW, a good way to compare your relative strength to other men your age and weight is to run your numbers through the Strength Level calculator that you can find here:
https://strengthlevel.com/
I suspect that when you enter your data, you will find that your are far ahead of men your age/wt for the SQT and but behind for the DL. If so, that would just be more reason to work more on the DL.
I started at the same weight on squat and DL. With squatting three days a week, of course my number is going to be higher. Can I DL more weight, yes. I'm following the program as it's written. Another thing too note, I'm relatively short, and have short legs. Which gives me an advantage in the squat. I may not have the best depth, but I have fought to get to that weight.1 -
I started at the same weight on squat and DL. With squatting three days a week, of course my number is going to be higher. Can I DL more weight, yes. I'm following the program as it's written. Another thing too note, I'm relatively short, and have short legs. Which gives me an advantage in the squat. I may not have the best depth, but I have fought to get to that weight.
You sound defensive. So, allow me to apologize if you have taken my comments as critical. They were intended to be helpful but I'm sorry if they did not come across that way.
I have done both Stronglifts (SL) and Starting Strength (SS) which are similar programs. The problem (as I view it) that you are experiencing with StrongLifts is an over emphasis in the program on SQTs.
If you are following SL strictly and have already reached 340 doing SQTs 3x/wk and need to deload, you have essentially already maxed out on SQTs and need to switch to an intermediate program for SQTs.
If you don't and persist in trying to lift even heavier doing SQTs at the same frequency of lifting, you will only risk serious injury w/o the likelihood of achieving any significant additional strength gains.
On the other hand, you obviously are lagging in DLs as compared w/your SQTs while your progress w/BP and OHPs seems to be on par.
My suggestion would be to flip DLs and SQTs in the program and do DLs 3x/wk instead.
I would also suggest NOT increasing the weights significantly (if at all) any further doing SQTs while you are still doing SL. Just maintain your SQT strength where it is until your strength in the other lifts matches what you are doing w/the SQT.
When you max out all of the the lifts and all of the easy novice strength gains have been achieved, you're done w/SL and it's the time to move onto an intermediate program like 5/3/1 or the Texas Method, which will help you get stronger in a slower and more sensible way that you would if you continued to try to get stronger using SL.
Also, it is ridiculous for a man of your obvious strength to have started DLs at only 145 and to only do them for a 1x5 set once (or twice) a week. That's another problem w/SL (and SS), which really undervalues the DL (vs SQT) and underestimates how much even a novice can lift doing a DL.
If you can DL 1x5x240 easily now, try doing 5x5x240 instead. If you can't do 240, deload to the weight where you can do 5x5 and then start over raising the weight 10# per session 3x/wk until you max out on the DL.
I also urge you to use the Strength Level calculator to compare your strength level w/the other men in the database.
The other problem w/SL and with lifting in general is the idea that you have to ALWAYS try to lift heavier and heavier w/o regard to the risk of injuries due to your personal physical genetic limitations
and w/o an understanding of your strength when compared to others.
If you compare your strength w/other men your same age/weight and find that you are in the advanced and elite levels (ie., stronger than 95-99% than other men your same age/weight), do you really "need" to try to get any stronger?
For example, in my case at age 67 & 158#, I can do a 1x6x345 DL which is equivalent to a 1RM of 400 which is more than 99.5% of the men my age/weight can lift according to the Strength Level database.
Do I need to lift any more in the DL in order to try to become stronger than all the other men my age/wt? No, I do not.
Could I get seriously injured if I try to lift more just to try to get stronger than the other 0.5% of other men my age/wt? Yes, I could.
So, I no longer try to lift more doing the DL the risk of injury does not justify the limited additional strength I could gain doing that lift.
My guess is that the same may apply to you in the SQT.
Good luck!
3 -
CWShultz27105 wrote: »And, 340 @ 5x5 on the squat? Nice. I find this awesome.
But, most folks can dead lift more than they can squat. Usually (whatever that means) the numbers would be the opposite (you would squat 275 and deadlift 340).
Yes.
Squatting more than deadlifting is very unusual. With a 340 SQT, I'd expect at least a 400 DL.
Frankly, given the OP's other numbers, I would guess that he is not doing a full parallel deep squat and, without a video, I'd have to question it but, if he's really doing back SQTs for 5 sets of 5 reps at parallel, that would be truly impressive.
I'm squatting three days a week. Where as I deadlift twice in one week, and only once the next, repeat. That is why my squat is higher right now. In terms of depth, I go as low as I can while keeping a neautral spine. Which is just above paralell for me. I'm not doing half or quarter reps.
If you say so but "just above parallel" still makes it a bit easier to SQT heavier weight.
Also, Stronglifts is designed so that you do SQTs 3x/wk and DLs 1x/wk but, even so, most people can who do SL (as well as Starting Strength which is similar) can DL more than they can SQT. But everyone is different.
My only suggestion would be that you work more on the DL because there seems to be an imbalance between your glute and quad strength based on your DL and SQT numbers.
BTW, a good way to compare your relative strength to other men your age and weight is to run your numbers through the Strength Level calculator that you can find here:
https://strengthlevel.com/
I suspect that when you enter your data, you will find that your are far ahead of men your age/wt for the SQT and but behind for the DL. If so, that would just be more reason to work more on the DL.
I started at the same weight on squat and DL. With squatting three days a week, of course my number is going to be higher. Can I DL more weight, yes. I'm following the program as it's written. Another thing too note, I'm relatively short, and have short legs. Which gives me an advantage in the squat. I may not have the best depth, but I have fought to get to that weight.
Did you have accurate maxes to calculate what to start with?0 -
I started at the same weight on squat and DL. With squatting three days a week, of course my number is going to be higher. Can I DL more weight, yes. I'm following the program as it's written. Another thing too note, I'm relatively short, and have short legs. Which gives me an advantage in the squat. I may not have the best depth, but I have fought to get to that weight.
You sound defensive. So, allow me to apologize if you have taken my comments as critical. They were intended to be helpful but I'm sorry if they did not come across that way.
I have done both Stronglifts (SL) and Starting Strength (SS) which are similar programs. The problem (as I view it) that you are experiencing with StrongLifts is an over emphasis in the program on SQTs.
If you are following SL strictly and have already reached 340 doing SQTs 3x/wk and need to deload, you have essentially already maxed out on SQTs and need to switch to an intermediate program for SQTs.
If you don't and persist in trying to lift even heavier doing SQTs at the same frequency of lifting, you will only risk serious injury w/o the likelihood of achieving any significant additional strength gains.
On the other hand, you obviously are lagging in DLs as compared w/your SQTs while your progress w/BP and OHPs seems to be on par.
My suggestion would be to flip DLs and SQTs in the program and do DLs 3x/wk instead.
I would also suggest NOT increasing the weights significantly (if at all) any further doing SQTs while you are still doing SL. Just maintain your SQT strength where it is until your strength in the other lifts matches what you are doing w/the SQT.
When you max out all of the the lifts and all of the easy novice strength gains have been achieved, you're done w/SL and it's the time to move onto an intermediate program like 5/3/1 or the Texas Method, which will help you get stronger in a slower and more sensible way that you would if you continued to try to get stronger using SL.
Also, it is ridiculous for a man of your obvious strength to have started DLs at only 145 and to only do them for a 1x5 set once (or twice) a week. That's another problem w/SL (and SS), which really undervalues the DL (vs SQT) and underestimates how much even a novice can lift doing a DL.
If you can DL 1x5x240 easily now, try doing 5x5x240 instead. If you can't do 240, deload to the weight where you can do 5x5 and then start over raising the weight 10# per session 3x/wk until you max out on the DL.
I also urge you to use the Strength Level calculator to compare your strength level w/the other men in the database.
The other problem w/SL and with lifting in general is the idea that you have to ALWAYS try to lift heavier and heavier w/o regard to the risk of injuries due to your personal physical genetic limitations
and w/o an understanding of your strength when compared to others.
If you compare your strength w/other men your same age/weight and find that you are in the advanced and elite levels (ie., stronger than 95-99% than other men your same age/weight), do you really "need" to try to get any stronger?
For example, in my case at age 67 & 158#, I can do a 1x6x345 DL which is equivalent to a 1RM of 400 which is more than 99.5% of the men my age/weight can lift according to the Strength Level database.
Do I need to lift any more in the DL in order to try to become stronger than all the other men my age/wt? No, I do not.
Could I get seriously injured if I try to lift more just to try to get stronger than the other 0.5% of other men my age/wt? Yes, I could.
So, I no longer try to lift more doing the DL the risk of injury does not justify the limited additional strength I could gain doing that lift.
My guess is that the same may apply to you in the SQT.
Good luck!
I'm not being defensive. I'm just following the program. I just de-loaded my squat on Wednesday of this week by 20%. So I did 275 today, and 285 on DL.0 -
CWShultz27105 wrote: »And, 340 @ 5x5 on the squat? Nice. I find this awesome.
But, most folks can dead lift more than they can squat. Usually (whatever that means) the numbers would be the opposite (you would squat 275 and deadlift 340).
Yes.
Squatting more than deadlifting is very unusual. With a 340 SQT, I'd expect at least a 400 DL.
Frankly, given the OP's other numbers, I would guess that he is not doing a full parallel deep squat and, without a video, I'd have to question it but, if he's really doing back SQTs for 5 sets of 5 reps at parallel, that would be truly impressive.
I'm squatting three days a week. Where as I deadlift twice in one week, and only once the next, repeat. That is why my squat is higher right now. In terms of depth, I go as low as I can while keeping a neautral spine. Which is just above paralell for me. I'm not doing half or quarter reps.
If you say so but "just above parallel" still makes it a bit easier to SQT heavier weight.
Also, Stronglifts is designed so that you do SQTs 3x/wk and DLs 1x/wk but, even so, most people can who do SL (as well as Starting Strength which is similar) can DL more than they can SQT. But everyone is different.
My only suggestion would be that you work more on the DL because there seems to be an imbalance between your glute and quad strength based on your DL and SQT numbers.
BTW, a good way to compare your relative strength to other men your age and weight is to run your numbers through the Strength Level calculator that you can find here:
https://strengthlevel.com/
I suspect that when you enter your data, you will find that your are far ahead of men your age/wt for the SQT and but behind for the DL. If so, that would just be more reason to work more on the DL.
I started at the same weight on squat and DL. With squatting three days a week, of course my number is going to be higher. Can I DL more weight, yes. I'm following the program as it's written. Another thing too note, I'm relatively short, and have short legs. Which gives me an advantage in the squat. I may not have the best depth, but I have fought to get to that weight.
Did you have accurate maxes to calculate what to start with?
I had not squated or deadlifted in a long time. So I started with a comfortable weight. The rest I had a good idea from previous training.0 -
CWShultz27105 wrote: »And, 340 @ 5x5 on the squat? Nice. I find this awesome.
But, most folks can dead lift more than they can squat. Usually (whatever that means) the numbers would be the opposite (you would squat 275 and deadlift 340).
Yes.
Squatting more than deadlifting is very unusual. With a 340 SQT, I'd expect at least a 400 DL.
Frankly, given the OP's other numbers, I would guess that he is not doing a full parallel deep squat and, without a video, I'd have to question it but, if he's really doing back SQTs for 5 sets of 5 reps at parallel, that would be truly impressive.
I'm squatting three days a week. Where as I deadlift twice in one week, and only once the next, repeat. That is why my squat is higher right now. In terms of depth, I go as low as I can while keeping a neautral spine. Which is just above paralell for me. I'm not doing half or quarter reps.
If you say so but "just above parallel" still makes it a bit easier to SQT heavier weight.
Also, Stronglifts is designed so that you do SQTs 3x/wk and DLs 1x/wk but, even so, most people can who do SL (as well as Starting Strength which is similar) can DL more than they can SQT. But everyone is different.
My only suggestion would be that you work more on the DL because there seems to be an imbalance between your glute and quad strength based on your DL and SQT numbers.
BTW, a good way to compare your relative strength to other men your age and weight is to run your numbers through the Strength Level calculator that you can find here:
https://strengthlevel.com/
I suspect that when you enter your data, you will find that your are far ahead of men your age/wt for the SQT and but behind for the DL. If so, that would just be more reason to work more on the DL.
I started at the same weight on squat and DL. With squatting three days a week, of course my number is going to be higher. Can I DL more weight, yes. I'm following the program as it's written. Another thing too note, I'm relatively short, and have short legs. Which gives me an advantage in the squat. I may not have the best depth, but I have fought to get to that weight.
Did you have accurate maxes to calculate what to start with?
I had not squated or deadlifted in a long time. So I started with a comfortable weight. The rest I had a good idea from previous training.
OK, well I don't mean to pile on, or anything, but I'm going to give it to you straight.
Contrary to what you said, you aren't quite following the program as written. Per Mehdi's instructions, you either need to know your maxes, then calculate where to start, or start with the empty bar for squat, bench, and OHP, 65 lb for row, 95 lb for deadlifts.
Not that there's necessarily anything "wrong" with arbitrarily choosing comfortable weights. But, that's why your squat and deadlift numbers are the same - you manipulated your start weights.
Regarding squat depth, I saw your video - I don't remember if it was earlier in this thread, or a different thread - and I think I saw why you were having depth issues. You were breaking too hard at your hips and turning it almost into a good morning right away. Your hip break should be very slight - not shooting way back. Maybe try thinking of just "relaxing" your hips - with LOW weight!!! - so that you can sit back/down without getting too far out over your toes.0
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