StrongLifts 5x5

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  • BR1986FB
    BR1986FB Posts: 1,515 Member
    Actually today was my last "semi-SL5X5" day. I spent this morning finding my working set maxes for the 531 workout. BTW...Wendler recommends bicep curls in this program which I won't be doing.

    Finished up today so my body could recoup for the first workout on Saturday. Will TRY to slowly ease my body back into bench presses with an "elbows tucked" vs "flared" approach.
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
    If I see one more bro curling in the squat rack, imma scream. Way to waste perfectly functioning gym equipment for something you can go do elsewhere....:explode:
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
    Today is B day, Squats, OHP, and Deadlift
  • hroush
    hroush Posts: 2,073 Member
    If I see one more bro curling in the squat rack, imma scream. Way to waste perfectly functioning gym equipment for something you can go do elsewhere....:explode:

    I haven't had this problem at my gym. I will definitely miss this gym when I move next month.
  • ganesha303
    ganesha303 Posts: 257 Member
    On a side note, is it just me or as you get heavier in the bent rows do they seem to blow you up (get winded) almost as bad as squats?

    I do not have this issue yet. But I do get tingling and weird sensations in my hands / wrists when I do the rows. Anyone else experience this / know how to stop it? It seems like I am starting to get awkward feelings in my hands now even after lifting or on off days.
  • hroush
    hroush Posts: 2,073 Member
    I do not have this issue yet. But I do get tingling and weird sensations in my hands / wrists when I do the rows. Anyone else experience this / know how to stop it? It seems like I am starting to get awkward feelings in my hands now even after lifting or on off days.

    Just rows, or deadlifts as well? Is it like your hands are falling asleep? I haven't had this occur to me and I think I'm further into it than you are (about 4 months).
  • ganesha303
    ganesha303 Posts: 257 Member
    I do not have this issue yet. But I do get tingling and weird sensations in my hands / wrists when I do the rows. Anyone else experience this / know how to stop it? It seems like I am starting to get awkward feelings in my hands now even after lifting or on off days.

    Just rows, or deadlifts as well? Is it like your hands are falling asleep? I haven't had this occur to me and I think I'm further into it than you are (about 4 months).

    Yeah, just like hands falling asleep. I do not notice it during Deadlifts. I am rowing about 140.
  • hroush
    hroush Posts: 2,073 Member
    I do not have this issue yet. But I do get tingling and weird sensations in my hands / wrists when I do the rows. Anyone else experience this / know how to stop it? It seems like I am starting to get awkward feelings in my hands now even after lifting or on off days.

    Just rows, or deadlifts as well? Is it like your hands are falling asleep? I haven't had this occur to me and I think I'm further into it than you are (about 4 months).

    Yeah, just like hands falling asleep. I do not notice it during Deadlifts. I am rowing about 140.

    I did 165 rows today, but I'm starting to stall. I did a quick google search and found this:

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/435921-my-arms-hands-fall-asleep-after-weight-lifting/
  • Furrytreats
    Furrytreats Posts: 132 Member
    I did my A and B workouts this week. I was intimidated by the bench press and OHP, since my upper body isn't as strong as my lower body and I was worrying I wouldn't have been able to do the minimum weight, but I was able to do both and it was fairly easy so I'm not as bad off as I thought I would be.

    It will be hard to get used to how little time the workouts last. Until they start getting harder I will probably do a bit of cardio afterward just so i feel like I've burned a bit.
  • hroush
    hroush Posts: 2,073 Member
    I did my A and B workouts this week. I was intimidated by the bench press and OHP, since my upper body isn't as strong as my lower body and I was worrying I wouldn't have been able to do the minimum weight, but I was able to do both and it was fairly easy so I'm not as bad off as I thought I would be.

    It will be hard to get used to how little time the workouts last. Until they start getting harder I will probably do a bit of cardio afterward just so i feel like I've burned a bit.

    yay for the ease of bench and OHP.

    If you read this page:

    http://stronglifts.com/fat-loss-101-how-to-lose-fat-fast-with-free-fat-loss-diets/

    he suggests if you wish to burn more fat, start with 15 minutes of cardio after working out and then add 1 minute to each workout. I am doing this as well and plan to work my way up to 30 minutes.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    It will be hard to get used to how little time the workouts last.

    Don't be tempted to rush the initial weeks. If anything they are the most important part. You are bedding in good form with a lighter weight so that it is ingrained. Then when you move up to a higher weight you don't have to overthink the movement.

    Really your workouts should be lasting about an hour + even at this stage.
  • ganesha303
    ganesha303 Posts: 257 Member
    Really your workouts should be lasting about an hour + even at this stage.


    In my experience in the first few weeks my 5x5 workout was about 45 min, even with taking time on my form. Now it is about twice that. the biggest change is the recovery between sets, especially on squats.
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
    For me they are lasting between 30-45 minutes, at this early stage. The weights just are not making me feel like I need much rest between sets. I’m sure that will change as the weights get heavier. Last night I did my second A day, and added 3 sets of 5 100 yard sprints, I’m sore as hell today from the sprints. But that’s ok, I needed to take my cardio up a notch anyway, so I’m planning on doing sprints on my weight days and my normal walks on non-weight days.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    Actually, seems that I may have overestimated. I had a chat with a friend on a different forum who followed the SL 5x5 routine and he echoes what you guys are saying (45 minutes or so.)

    It does surprise me given the volume and presumably a slow(ish) rep tempo if you are concentrating on form but that seems to be the way it plays out...
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    But that’s ok, I needed to take my cardio up a notch anyway, so I’m planning on doing sprints on my weight days and my normal walks on non-weight days.

    Seems like the way forward to me. Doing it that way gives your body sufficient recovery time.

    I tend to bunch my high intensity work together in that way and taper it off as the week goes by (heavy/medium/light days) when I am running a calorie deficit if I need to lean out a bit. Helps with recovery and prevents over reaching.
  • thkelly
    thkelly Posts: 466 Member
    Actually, seems that I may have overestimated. I had a chat with a friend on a different forum who followed the SL 5x5 routine and he echoes what you guys are saying (45 minutes or so.)

    It does surprise me given the volume and presumably a slow(ish) rep tempo if you are concentrating on form but that seems to be the way it plays out...

    i guess it depends if you're including a warm up and stretching
    15 sets in 45 minutes isn't bad if you're keeping your rest periods short, but half an hour seems like either a person is rushing or they're not lifting heavy enough.
  • lclarkjr
    lclarkjr Posts: 359 Member
    I'm on week three now and my SL workouts are around 30-35 minutes. I rest only about a minute between sets. After I finish lifting, I finish my workout with 35-45 minutes of running.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    If you superset the antagonistic exercises (ie. bench and rows) you can really get it done quickly. You won't be able to do this forever though.
  • End6ame
    End6ame Posts: 903
    You won't be able to do this forever though.

    Agreed. Once the weight gets heavy you will fatigue your CNS pretty quickly with supersets.
  • BR1986FB
    BR1986FB Posts: 1,515 Member
    My workouts were never over 40 minutes with this and I was going pretty heavy (350+ squat/400+ DL at the end).

    One thing I like about this Wendler 5/3/1, as someone mentioned above, is that I can superset the assistance exercises to get them done fairly quickly. Concentrate big time on the "major" (bench, squat, dead, OHP) lifts.
  • End6ame
    End6ame Posts: 903
    My workouts were never over 40 minutes with this and I was going pretty heavy (350+ squat/400+ DL at the end).

    One thing I like about this Wendler 5/3/1, as someone mentioned above, is that I can superset the assistance exercises to get them done fairly quickly. Concentrate big time on the "major" (bench, squat, dead, OHP) lifts.

    You can superset your assistance work with SL, I would just not recommend supersetting your core lifts, at least not for very long.
  • ganesha303
    ganesha303 Posts: 257 Member
    You can superset your assistance work with SL.

    This is an interesting idea. Is this effective. Can you do as many sets / reps of the assistance exercises without rest?
  • End6ame
    End6ame Posts: 903
    You can superset your assistance work with SL.

    This is an interesting idea. Is this effective. Can you do as many sets / reps of the assistance exercises without rest?


    Since the assistance work is broken up as push-ups/dips and reverse crunches in workout A and then pull/chin-ups and bridges in workout B the muscle fatigue should not carry over to the other exercise much at all allowing you to complete as many, or close to as many, reps as you normally would. The caveat is whether or not your CNS can handle it. Under light (bodyweight) load you should have no problems but if your dips or pull/chin-ups are heavily weighted, this will become more taxing. Everyone would be different in this regard though, it would be best just to experiment if you wanted to try it, rather than over-analyze it.

    Although supersetting your assistance work will only buy you roughly 10 minutes or so in the gym.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    You can superset your assistance work with SL.

    This is an interesting idea. Is this effective. Can you do as many sets / reps of the assistance exercises without rest?

    Everyone's work capacity will be different. I've found that it brings your fitness/cardio levels into play moreso than just muscular strength and endurance. I like this as I like to get huffing and puffing and test fitness levels as well. As said though, the heavier you go the harder it will be to make your allocated reps.

    I'm not doing SL 5x5 as this stage but yesterday e.g. I did OH press 105lbs x 8 x 4 SS with wide grip pullups with 30lbs x 10 x 4
    Took about 20mins all up including warm up time.
  • BR1986FB
    BR1986FB Posts: 1,515 Member
    An article that might be interesting regarding the knee "popping/cracking" we discussed earlier in the thread...

    http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=4661225
  • ganesha303
    ganesha303 Posts: 257 Member
    An article that might be interesting regarding the knee "popping/cracking" we discussed earlier in the thread...

    http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=4661225

    Good article, thanks. Don't know if I will stop hitting parallel though, but I will try the stretches. Also, they describe a symptom of outer thigh tightness, but if anything my tightness is inner thigh...
  • BR1986FB
    BR1986FB Posts: 1,515 Member
    I'm sure that most of you get the e-mails updates from SL5X5 but Mehdi posted a nice instructional bench press video from Andy Bolton this morning on proper technique/increasing poundages. Yesterday he had a video on squats from Bolton. Good stuff !
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    I'm sure that most of you get the e-mails updates from SL5X5 but Mehdi posted a nice instructional bench press video from Andy Bolton this morning on proper technique/increasing poundages. Yesterday he had a video on squats from Bolton. Good stuff !

    Nice post. Did you see his deadlift video? He's a beast.
  • BR1986FB
    BR1986FB Posts: 1,515 Member
    I'm sure that most of you get the e-mails updates from SL5X5 but Mehdi posted a nice instructional bench press video from Andy Bolton this morning on proper technique/increasing poundages. Yesterday he had a video on squats from Bolton. Good stuff !

    Nice post. Did you see his deadlift video? He's a beast.

    Just got it this morning. Will watch it later today. Bolton is a beast.

    Started the Wendler 5/3/1 this morning. Think I'm gonna like this making constant progress. So far, so good on the bench (left shoulder). Concentrated on keeping the upper back tensed, butt clenched and elbows tucked. Got 10 reps on my last set of 5.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    I'm sure that most of you get the e-mails updates from SL5X5 but Mehdi posted a nice instructional bench press video from Andy Bolton this morning on proper technique/increasing poundages. Yesterday he had a video on squats from Bolton. Good stuff !

    Nice post. Did you see his deadlift video? He's a beast.

    Just got it this morning. Will watch it later today. Bolton is a beast.

    Started the Wendler 5/3/1 this morning. Think I'm gonna like this making constant progress. So far, so good on the bench (left shoulder). Concentrated on keeping the upper back tensed, butt clenched and elbows tucked. Got 10 reps on my last set of 5.

    Have you ever tried the Decline Press? Supposidely it's better for folks with shoulder issues.
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