Starting Stronglifts: Switching Lifting Routines

msbeeblebrox

I've been doing Starting Strength since September 2012, and am looking to change up my routine. I'm stuck in my lifts and think that switching up (and scaling back to start) will allow me to break through a lifting plateau. In Starting Strength, I finished squatting at 150, deadlifting 215, and benching 110. My overhead press has stalled out at 75lbs for quite some time. I'm taking two weeks off lifting, and starting Stronglifts in June. Has anyone here done Stronglifts, and added pullups/chinups into the workout routine? What about pushups? I don't want to lose progress on those two exercises, but I don't want to overload my system either.

As for other factors, I don't do much cardio (ride my bike as part of my commute, mostly) and do yoga three times a week. I take one complete rest day. I'm interested in losing body fat, gaining strength and muscle, and progressing in my yoga practice. I'd love to hear some advice. Thanks!

geek23ka

i started with SS not SL, but when i stopped progressing, i was able to progress with 531.

it's probably going to feel strange to you to start light (he has you calculate using 90% of your 1rm) and also do less volume than with SL, but it is a program that so many people from so many different walks of life have seen great progress.


here is a link which will help you with your calculations.
http://blackironbeast.com/5/3/1/calculator

also, IMO, when you deload, don't stop lifting alltogether. lift at 60% or so, 3x/week. i have taken a full deload like that and have always suffered coming back, with a loss in lifts as well. just lifting a 3x5 at 60% will prevent comeback DOMS/loss of strength.

cwolfman13

If you really need/want to move on, I would suggest 5/3/1 rather than Stronglifts. SL5x5 and SS are pretty much the same routines save for the number of sets....basically add two more sets to what you're doing with SS and you're doing SL5x5. I just wouldn't bother going from one beginner routine to another beginner routine. 5/3/1 is probably the best intermediate to advanced strength routine out there and it is exceptionally flexible in that there are numerous assistance templates to go along with your basic lifts so you can really taylor and customize your routine without going against the basic principles of the programming.

I would also suggest that one possibility here is that you simply aren't eating enough...if you're dieting you're going to plateau in your lifting sooner rather than later...so if you're dieting you might want to stick it out depending on how long you've been doing it.

SunofaBeach14

If you really need/want to move on, I would suggest 5/3/1 rather than Stronglifts. SL5x5 and SS are pretty much the same routines save for the number of sets....basically add two more sets to what you're doing with SS and you're doing SL5x5. I just wouldn't bother going from one beginner routine to another beginner routine. 5/3/1 is probably the best intermediate to advanced strength routine out there and it is exceptionally flexible in that there are numerous assistance templates to go along with your basic lifts so you can really taylor and customize your routine without going against the basic principles of the programming.

I would also suggest that one possibility here is that you simply aren't eating enough...if you're dieting you're going to plateau in your lifting sooner rather than later...so if you're dieting you might want to stick it out depending on how long you've been doing it.

^ I agree with this. The only thing I would caution on 5/3/1 is that you very likely won't need the deload every 4 weeks and would be better served by limiting those deloads to no more than once every 8-12 weeks. That's only from my own personal experience though.

msbeeblebrox

If you really need/want to move on, I would suggest 5/3/1 rather than Stronglifts. SL5x5 and SS are pretty much the same routines save for the number of sets....basically add two more sets to what you're doing with SS and you're doing SL5x5. I just wouldn't bother going from one beginner routine to another beginner routine. 5/3/1 is probably the best intermediate to advanced strength routine out there and it is exceptionally flexible in that there are numerous assistance templates to go along with your basic lifts so you can really taylor and customize your routine without going against the basic principles of the programming.

I would also suggest that one possibility here is that you simply aren't eating enough...if you're dieting you're going to plateau in your lifting sooner rather than later...so if you're dieting you might want to stick it out depending on how long you've been doing it.

Thanks, I'll look into it. I'm eating 1800 calories a day, and 150 grams of protein. Do you really think I'm not eating enough?

geek23ka

Not eating enough is individual. i don't know your TDEE, your weight or bodyfat percentage, or goals.

The easiest way to progress is to eat slightly higher than maintenance (100-200 cals is fine for women) and get the lifting in.

If you need to cut, that's fine, too. 531 is actually ideal for cutting, if you don't bother with BBB or mess around too much with accessories. Low volume like that is great when you're cutting. Last summer I lost 25 pounds and gained 30 pounds in my deadlift at the same time following 531. Heck, my squat gained 40 pounds. I don't think about that much, because I have since completely torn apart my squat and am reworking it.

DavPul

If you really need/want to move on, I would suggest 5/3/1 rather than Stronglifts. SL5x5 and SS are pretty much the same routines save for the number of sets....basically add two more sets to what you're doing with SS and you're doing SL5x5. I just wouldn't bother going from one beginner routine to another beginner routine. 5/3/1 is probably the best intermediate to advanced strength routine out there and it is exceptionally flexible in that there are numerous assistance templates to go along with your basic lifts so you can really taylor and customize your routine without going against the basic principles of the programming.

I would also suggest that one possibility here is that you simply aren't eating enough...if you're dieting you're going to plateau in your lifting sooner rather than later...so if you're dieting you might want to stick it out depending on how long you've been doing it.

Thanks, I'll look into it. I'm eating 1800 calories a day, and 150 grams of protein. Do you really think I'm not eating enough?

agreed with everything wolfman said.

1800 cal still sounds like a deficit at your weight and activity level, and if you've been at a deficit for as long as you've been doing SS (2 years) eventually your strength gains were going to peter out.

msbeeblebrox

Not eating enough is individual. i don't know your TDEE, your weight or bodyfat percentage, or goals.

The easiest way to progress is to eat slightly higher than maintenance (100-200 cals is fine for women) and get the lifting in.

If you need to cut, that's fine, too. 531 is actually ideal for cutting, if you don't bother with BBB or mess around too much with accessories. Low volume like that is great when you're cutting. Last summer I lost 25 pounds and gained 30 pounds in my deadlift at the same time following 531. Heck, my squat gained 40 pounds. I don't think about that much, because I have since completely torn apart my squat and am reworking it.

I am at slight deficit, per the iifym calculations. I'll look into scaling it up when I start the program. 40 pounds on my squat would be so awesome!

geek23ka

i hope you like 531!

wendler will always have me as a fan. the joker sets are fun, too. at blackironbeast, where you can do the calculations, you can add in joker sets if you enjoy working at 90% or above.