Newbie Lifter! Intro & Questions

leggup

Hello everyone! I did my first day of Stronglifts 5X5 yesterday and it was actually a lot of fun. I am already stronger than I thought I was, which was a nice surprise. I'm working out with my husband, which should make it easier to stick to and stay on track.

I've scanned the group threads, but I still have a few questions about Stronglifts, if anyone would like to weigh in (heh):

1. What is the benefit to Stronglifts 5X5 vs Crossfit, other prograns? What made you pick Stronglifts?
2. I really enjoy cardio, mainly walking/wogging the dogs. If you were in my position (with dogs who want to go on walkies most days), would you plan to do that cardio before lifting, or would you try to do the cardio on non-lifting days?
3. How long have you done the program consistently and how long do you think it is sustainable?
4. I know a lot of you use TDEE. If you do NOT use TDEE, how do you log calories burned? I use the standard MFP setup. My first stronglifts session was about 30 minutes. When I logged 30 minutes of strength, it said I burned 203 calories. How much do I need to modify those estimates?

Thank you everyone!

katro111

1. What is the benefit to Stronglifts 5X5 vs Crossfit, other prograns? What made you pick Stronglifts?
- CrossFit just seems really intense and like I'd definitely need to sign up for a program with a trainer in order to show me how to do everything properly. StrongLifts is pretty simple, you progress at your own pace, and you need minimal equipment.

2. I really enjoy cardio, mainly walking/wogging the dogs. If you were in my position (with dogs who want to go on walkies most days), would you plan to do that cardio before lifting, or would you try to do the cardio on non-lifting days?
- I walk my dog every day for 40 to 60 minutes. Usually it's in the later evening after my lifting, but on some days it's before I lift. I don't consider walking the dog an intense cardio workout, so it really doesn't make any difference on my lifting schedule.

3. How long have you done the program consistently and how long do you think it is sustainable?
- This is my 8th week doing SL. The program is supposed to be 12 weeks, but a lot of the ladies here have been doing it for much longer. I'm debating if I want to continue into another 12 weeks after this first session is up or do Strong Curves for 12 weeks and then come back to SL. It's all personal preference. I have strength goals that I'd like to meet sometime this year.

4. I know a lot of you use TDEE. If you do NOT use TDEE, how do you log calories burned? I use the standard MFP setup. My first stronglifts session was about 30 minutes. When I logged 30 minutes of strength, it said I burned 203 calories. How much do I need to modify those estimates?
- Can't say for sure; I use FitBit so I use the calorie burn estimate it has programmed in or I take whatever burn my HRM says and cut it in half. So for me, I usually log 60 minutes of lifting as between 200 and 300 calories (depending on if I do accessory work or not). I really only log it so that I get credit for active minutes. Edited to add: Lifting really isn't about the calorie burn since in the long run, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn at rest. Lifting is about changing your body (and mind for some of us because it's a great outlet for stress).

LishieFruit89

To answer your questions:

1. I've never done crossfit. Im not against it. But I'm cheap and already have a normal gym membership so I wasnt gonna add a crossfit box to my list. Plus a lot of the boxes I looked at didnt have classes that lined up with my schedule. I picked SL after trying NROFLW. I made it through Stage 1 and decided it was too complicated. I liked the simplicity of SL. I'm not running ICF 5x5 which is essentially SL with accessories. This is after I was doing a split due to a lower body injury, I needed to have the option to drop squats but still lift if my knee bugged me so I had a 4 day split. Now thay my knee is better I'm back to compound lifts 3x a week.

2. You have to walk your dogs regardless so on lifting days, I'd walk them. But on non-lifting days, wog them. But play it by ear. You may be able to wog them on your lifting days. Depends how you feel.

3. I ran SL for about 5 months before my knee injury. I believe most run it until they no longer see progress then switch to Wendlers 5/3/1 or something similar. Others have to chime in here.

4. I use TDEE and suggest you switch as well. The MFP calorie burns are inaccurate for most. And you cant really track calorie burns for lifting accurately. LLife will be simpler with TDEE

krokador

Welcome to the group and to the awesomeness that is weight lifting in general!

1. What is the benefit to Stronglifts 5X5 vs Crossfit, other prograns? What made you pick Stronglifts?

That depends on your goals, but I'd say starting out with SL before even going into crossfit would be a good idea. You want to build a foundation of strength before trying to go crazy with it. The progressive overload is what matters, and SL is very streamlined in that effect, making it easy to follow. You'll also make faster strength and muscle gains than on a bro split.

2. I really enjoy cardio, mainly walking/wogging the dogs. If you were in my position (with dogs who want to go on walkies most days), would you plan to do that cardio before lifting, or would you try to do the cardio on non-lifting days?

Low intensity cardio you can do pretty much every day if you're up to it, IMO. I would try to get the lifting done before the walks/jogs, but other than that it's up to how you feel, just listen to your body

3. How long have you done the program consistently and how long do you think it is sustainable?

I'm a bad example as I only followed it for about a month (a spin on it, in fact) and was in such a heavy caloric deficit during that time it wasn't super effective for me. However, as a beginner you should be able to run it for at the very least 12 weeks/3 months with fairly steady gains. After that you can reevaluate what your goals are and go from there.

4. I know a lot of you use TDEE. If you do NOT use TDEE, how do you log calories burned? I use the standard MFP setup. My first stronglifts session was about 30 minutes. When I logged 30 minutes of strength, it said I burned 203 calories. How much do I need to modify those estimates?

I probably shouldn't answer that question as I'm a very inconsistent logger and I "cheat" by setting my goal a slight bit lower so don't have to log my vegetables for the most part. I'll let someone else chime in for this one. Just know that weightlifting is going to make you a lil hungrier. Just sayin' :P

I hope that helps, if you have any other questions don't hesitate!

SezxyStef

1. What is the benefit to Stronglifts 5X5 vs Crossfit, other prograns? What made you pick Stronglifts?
I personally have not done crossfit...so can't commet. I picked SL because it doesn't have power cleans...

2. I really enjoy cardio, mainly walking/wogging the dogs. If you were in my position (with dogs who want to go on walkies most days), would you plan to do that cardio before lifting, or would you try to do the cardio on non-lifting days?
If I do cardio on a lifting day (which is rare) I always do it afterwards. I typically do my cardio/HIIT on my off days.

3. How long have you done the program consistently and how long do you think it is sustainable?
I have been doing SL for 8months straight now...couple deloads, couple missed days...took a week off for vacation but really consistent. For me it is sustainable until I am no longer making progress towards my goals. Those goals may change in 1/2lb as I hit maintenance, then again at the end of the summer but I can see me doing SL until at least Sept.

4. I know a lot of you use TDEE. If you do NOT use TDEE, how do you log calories burned? I use the standard MFP setup. My first stronglifts session was about 30 minutes. When I logged 30 minutes of strength, it said I burned 203 calories. How much do I need to modify those estimates?

This is a hard question and is one of the reasons I switched to TDEE...
If you want to stay using NEAT my suggestion would be to eat back 75% and if you find your weight loss slowing down eat back 50%...kind of a trial and error deal...

hananah89

1. What is the benefit to Stronglifts 5X5 vs Crossfit, other prograns? What made you pick Stronglifts?
My boyfriend convinced me that weights will get me the look vs just losing weight and going skinny fat, etc. He showed me the ropes and I took it from there. I've never done crossfit or another program and the price for crossfit is so ridiculous that I would never do it.

2. I really enjoy cardio, mainly walking/wogging the dogs. If you were in my position (with dogs who want to go on walkies most days), would you plan to do that cardio before lifting, or would you try to do the cardio on non-lifting days?
I have been slacking lately, but like to run on non-lifting days. If I have time to throw in cardio while at the gym, I'll do it after I lift so I can focus my energy on the lifts.

3. How long have you done the program consistently and how long do you think it is sustainable?
I started SLs in August 2013, but have done probably 2 big deloads (took a couple weeks off at 2 different time points). It's been consistent progress each of the 3x. But I've also changed up how I do it now. I switched to 3x5 sometime in the fall because I couldn't fit it all in in the one hour I had before work to workout. I've also gotten fractionals to help continue to increase upper body lifts.

4. I know a lot of you use TDEE. If you do NOT use TDEE, how do you log calories burned? I use the standard MFP setup. My first stronglifts session was about 30 minutes. When I logged 30 minutes of strength, it said I burned 203 calories. How much do I need to modify those estimates?
I'm a bad logger, but use a BodyMedia to get my TDEE. I would suggest using it if you are consistent in your exercise each week. If not TDEE, definitely don't use all those calories MFP says you burned since it might not be accurate. But do eat if you get too hungry. I find MFP calorie burns for lifting is actually about right for me (in the 200 ballpark). But like Stef said, it's trial and error.

jstout365

1. What is the benefit to Stronglifts 5X5 vs Crossfit, other prograns? What made you pick Stronglifts?

Stronglifts is a great beginners program that is simple and straight forward with demanding, but uncomplicated lifts. It provides full body conditioning in an efficient manner. The benefit of any program versus another program is directly related to your goals. I went with Stronglifts because I needed a simple workout that would allow me to gain strength quickly and without spending hours in the gym. I have since moved on to a program called Strong Curves because I am interested in improving my glute activation to help with the "big" lifts of squats, deadlifts, and bench press. I stuck with Strong lifts for a year with a small gap when I was traveling a lot for work.

2. I really enjoy cardio, mainly walking/wogging the dogs. If you were in my position (with dogs who want to go on walkies most days), would you plan to do that cardio before lifting, or would you try to do the cardio on non-lifting days?

My personal opinion is that walking is not something you should be worried about doing. The demands put on the muscles during a leisurely walk of the dogs is limited and will not significantly impact recovery or performance. Now, if you are taking the dogs on a 12 mile hike with a weighted backpack on, then there could be issues. I will often add cardio directly onto the END of my lifting session, but I limit it to about 10 minutes. I also box three nights a week and consider that to be my cardio. I pay close attention to how my body is handling the stress and adjust calories or exercise intensity if I find I am overly fatigued.

3. How long have you done the program consistently and how long do you think it is sustainable?
I did SL for about 6 months consistently. It can be sustainable for quite a while. There are many ways to adjust the program once you start getting to the real grind of progression at the higher weights. Many people will first drop to a 3x5 set plan and then eventually move to an intermediate program like 5/3/1.

4. I know a lot of you use TDEE. If you do NOT use TDEE, how do you log calories burned? I use the standard MFP setup. My first stronglifts session was about 30 minutes. When I logged 30 minutes of strength, it said I burned 203 calories. How much do I need to modify those estimates?

I'm of little help on this one as well since I am another TDEE follower. I find it easier to eat at a consistent level throughout the week than to estimate burn and adjust calories from day to day. Eating a static amount lets me plan out each day in advance easier.

randomtai

1. What is the benefit to Stronglifts 5X5 vs Crossfit, other prograns? What made you pick Stronglifts?
The simplicity. I hate having to think about what I need to do at the gym.

2. I really enjoy cardio, mainly walking/wogging the dogs. If you were in my position (with dogs who want to go on walkies most days), would you plan to do that cardio before lifting, or would you try to do the cardio on non-lifting days?
I do cardio after lifting and on off days because it affects my lifting if I do it before.

3. How long have you done the program consistently and how long do you think it is sustainable?
I never followed the program ever in its linear form. I took the parts I wanted and made my own.

4. I know a lot of you use TDEE. If you do NOT use TDEE, how do you log calories burned? I use the standard MFP setup. My first stronglifts session was about 30 minutes. When I logged 30 minutes of strength, it said I burned 203 calories. How much do I need to modify those estimates?
I wear a BodyMedia FIT and it takes the guesswork out of my calories burned, including the "afterburn" from lifting.

viglet

1. What is the benefit to Stronglifts 5X5 vs Crossfit, other prograns? What made you pick Stronglifts?

I loved the idea of crossfit. I follow a couple bloggers who are into it and occasionally watch the games but in the end, I couldn't fork over 150 bucks a month to be part of a box. In additional to that, I am afraid of how fast a lot of the moves are. I feel that I really need to take my time to perfect my form before a lift and crossfit often has wods that dont give you the time.

2. I really enjoy cardio, mainly walking/wogging the dogs. If you were in my position (with dogs who want to go on walkies most days), would you plan to do that cardio before lifting, or would you try to do the cardio on non-lifting days?

I personally would only do cardio after my lift. I occasionally will do the elliptical for 20-40 minutes after my workout.

3. How long have you done the program consistently and how long do you think it is sustainable?

I started SL in the last week of January. I have already taken probably 3 weeks in total off the program for colds or just straight up exhaustion/busyness. I haven't even thought about changing programs and wont for a while. I feel like I am still building strength and I have deloaded quite a bit. Maybe I am doing the program wrong, but I enjoy it and will continue until I just can any more.

4. I know a lot of you use TDEE. If you do NOT use TDEE, how do you log calories burned?

I started trying to use the TDEE method when I started lifting. Mentally, I just couldnt manage it though.I would see the number (mine was around 1500) and I would just be like "Oh I can go over by a few cals, no biggie" because thats what I was used to. Then I would end up going over by like 100-200. And then I wouldn't work out because I didn't see the number in the red. Mentally it just didnt work.

I am back to the regular mfp method and usually log my calories burnt at about 220 for 60 minutes.

_lyndseybrooke_

1. What is the benefit to Stronglifts 5X5 vs Crossfit, other prograns? What made you pick Stronglifts?
I picked StrongLifts because it was so simple and I could easily do it at home with my own equipment. I was attracted to the idea of 3 compound movements per workout and I'd heard great things about it. I don't know a whole lot about Crossfit, but I don't have much interest in learning.

2. I really enjoy cardio, mainly walking/wogging the dogs. If you were in my position (with dogs who want to go on walkies most days), would you plan to do that cardio before lifting, or would you try to do the cardio on non-lifting days?
I do have a talk that has to be walked daily, but my husband does that because he gets home earlier than I do. I do cardio two days per week and lift three days per week, with two rest days (weekends). I do some cardio right before I lift, but it's really a warm-up. I do a 10-minute warm up, with the first 5 minutes being very light/low-impact, more loosening up and focusing on range of motion. The other 5 minutes involve more high-impact cardio moves like jumping jacks, butt kickers, high knees, and burpees. It gets my heart rate up and I usually break a sweat by the end of it. I don't do any cardio other than that on lifting days. To be honest, I don't consider walking my dog to be a cardio workout. That's just me, though. If I were jogging with her, yes, but not just walking. You should definitely be able to walk your dog daily and lift.

3. How long have you done the program consistently and how long do you think it is sustainable?
I've been doing 5x5 for 6 weeks. I plan to go at least 12 weeks, but will only be moving onto an intermediate lifting routine when I stall on the 5x5. It's a starting program and is not meant to be done for a very long time.

4. I know a lot of you use TDEE. If you do NOT use TDEE, how do you log calories burned? I use the standard MFP setup. My first stronglifts session was about 30 minutes. When I logged 30 minutes of strength, it said I burned 203 calories. How much do I need to modify those estimates?
I use a combination of TDEE and MFP settings. It's my own little confusing thing, but it basically ends up being the same thing. I'm not really eating at a big deficit anymore since I'm almost at my goal. But anyway, I do log my exercise and eat back the calories, mostly on weekends. For lifting, I went to multiple websites and plugged in my info to see what numbers I got, took the smallest one, and logged that. I'd rather underestimate than overestimate. I count 45 solid minutes of lifting as 130 calories burned (I weigh 135 lbs). It may be more, it may be less, but it's worked for me so far. 200 calories for 30 minutes sounds kind of high to me.

sbarella

I'll add my 2 cents!

1. Stronglifts is a heavy lifting program for gaining strength. Crossfit is for a whole bunch of things (strength, endurance, mobility, stamina...). It's nice if you ignore the "religious" aspect, I'd like to try that someday. There is a crossfit box in my town and I know a lot of people going there but I don't really like their attitude. Well,I'm digressing.
I picked Stronglifts because it looked very simple and straightforward and because of all the good feedback (including pics of supah-hot ladies in the "Success Stories" subforum).

2. I walk a lot, every day. Sometimes I walk to the gym (1 mile) and my squats don't suffer at all. I'd say you can walk whenever you want.
However, I also like jogging and biking, and I tend to do it after lifting (90% of the time) because I prefer to give my legs a break. Some people do high impact cardio on non-lifting days and they're doing fine, so I guess it's up to you and your goals.

3. How long have you done the program consistently and how long do you think it is sustainable?
I've been doing it for two months and I added some accessory lifts after the first month IIRC. I'm not adding 5lbs every single time anymore, but I think it's still a sustainable workout. I may switch some lifts to 3x5 in the next few weeks in order to keep progressing.

4. MFP is famous for overestimating, but I think the strength training entry is actually ok. I log my workouts on Fitbit under "weight lifting, low intensity" because I take long breaks between sets, and MFP would give me the same amount of calories. It's 160 for an hour, not much (I burn 60 calories/hour just by staying alive), but I like to have some extra calories to help my body recover. Since it's not affecting my weight loss so far, I'll keep it that way.
Trial and error ftw!

TheStephil

1. What is the benefit to Stronglifts 5X5 vs Crossfit, other prograns? What made you pick Stronglifts?
- Stronglifts looked less complicated and something I could do myself. It also looked like it had shorter sessions than some of the programs. I'm down for the best bang for my bunk. Less time = same/better results. Sign me up. Crossfit just seemed way too intense and expensive. Starting Strength is another popular ones but I didn't want to deal with Cleans.

2. I really enjoy cardio, mainly walking/wogging the dogs. If you were in my position (with dogs who want to go on walkies most days), would you plan to do that cardio before lifting, or would you try to do the cardio on non-lifting days?
-I walk everyday and don't really consider it intense enough to affect lifting. I think you will be fine whenever you take your walks. If you do notice that your lifts begin to suffer and you are doing a lot of walking/wogging then try cardio after lifting and see if that affects it.

3. How long have you done the program consistently and how long do you think it is sustainable?
-I'm on week 8. I'm going to switch to 3x5 soon just not sure when. 5x5 is beginning to tax my strength and my time more than I'd like and Starting Strength starts at 3x5 so I think moving to 3x5 for SL should be fine.

4. I know a lot of you use TDEE. If you do NOT use TDEE, how do you log calories burned? I use the standard MFP setup. My first stronglifts session was about 30 minutes. When I logged 30 minutes of strength, it said I burned 203 calories. How much do I need to modify those estimates?

I use TDEE but I think that 203 is probably pretty accurate if not a little low. You don't burn much during the strength training (compared to cardio) but your body continues to burn more calories after the lifting is done (or so I've been told. I don't know much on the topic, hopefully others do). I would highly suggest going to TDEE, it's easier to use in my opinion and it seems like your cardio/lifting will be pretty regular.