StrongLifts 5x5

End6ame

Deadlifts are just 1 set of 5 reps because they hit most of the same muscles as squats do, so doing both squats and deads 5x5 would be way too much. You can also do some warm-up sets to get more deadlift practice in.

Maybe I'm "off" here but I was under the impression, for instance, on the Madcow program that he had you doing 4x5 on deadlift days. With the rampup I have been doing 135 x5, 225 x5, 315 x5 (as warmups) and my heavy set of 405-425 x5. Is this incorrect? Also thought it was strange on the Madcow that day 1 is 5x5, day 2 is 4x5 and day 3 is 4x5, 1x3, 1x8.

So on the SL5X5 after doing 5x5 on squats & OHP, it's only one set of 5 reps for deads? That's where he's not very clear because I was lead to believe that in SL5X5 there was one heavy set of 5 on deads and 4 ramp up sets to get there.

Madcow and SL are not the same program and Madcow was not developed by the author of SL, it was actually developed by Bill Starr. Madcow is an intermediate program that varies the intensity of the workouts day-to-day. It is designed this way because you will get to a point where you can not make day-to-day progression any more and will need to switch to weekly progression. Also, when you get to this point three heavy days per week, like you would have in SL, is too much and will not allow enough time for recovery. 

Deadlift day on Madcow is intended to be a low volume day which is why you only do 4 sets, with day 2 being medium and day three being high volume. 

End6ame

Question for you guys, once you pretty much find your max in a lift, how often do you have to repeat a day? For example, I'm struggling with my OHP, I repeated at 115, broke it, repeated 120, and broke through again today. I found adding a little longer rest helped today, so I will be continuing with 3 minute rests.

I have repeated many days as I got towards the end of SL, especially on OHP. You may be at the point where you need to drop to 3x5 on OHP. 

hroush

Question for you guys, once you pretty much find your max in a lift, how often do you have to repeat a day? For example, I'm struggling with my OHP, I repeated at 115, broke it, repeated 120, and broke through again today. I found adding a little longer rest helped today, so I will be continuing with 3 minute rests.

I have repeated many days as I got towards the end of SL, especially on OHP. You may be at the point where you need to drop to 3x5 on OHP. 

I'm only about 3 months into the program and only technically deloaded once on OHP because it was getting heavy fast as I started too high on muscles I hadn't worked before (upper shoulders). I haven't deloaded since then, just repeated a couple days (115 and 120). Today I upped my rest to 3 minutes (from 2 minutes) in between each lift. Today it felt like the first heavy set was the worst because of the minimal rest after my second warm up, so I will be sure to give that a little more rest as well next time.

JNick77

Question for you guys, once you pretty much find your max in a lift, how often do you have to repeat a day? For example, I'm struggling with my OHP, I repeated at 115, broke it, repeated 120, and broke through again today. I found adding a little longer rest helped today, so I will be continuing with 3 minute rests.

I have repeated many days as I got towards the end of SL, especially on OHP. You may be at the point where you need to drop to 3x5 on OHP. 

I'm only about 3 months into the program and only technically deloaded once on OHP because it was getting heavy fast as I started too high on muscles I hadn't worked before (upper shoulders). I haven't deloaded since then, just repeated a couple days (115 and 120). Today I upped my rest to 3 minutes (from 2 minutes) in between each lift. Today it felt like the first heavy set was the worst because of the minimal rest after my second warm up, so I will be sure to give that a little more rest as well next time.

It definitely sounds like you started too high. I actually tried a program once called 5/3/1 which is similar in the approach to this program and I made the mistake of starting to high on OHP too actually. LOL

What type of assitance work do you do for your rear, lateral, front deltoids, and traps?

hroush

It definitely sounds like you started too high. I actually tried a program once called 5/3/1 which is similar in the approach to this program and I made the mistake of starting to high on OHP too actually. LOL

What type of assitance work do you do for your rear, lateral, front deltoids, and traps?

I did start out high (65 lbs), but deloaded at 95 lbs when I quickly discovered that I did. With the deload it put me back as if I had started with just the bar. I had been lifting before I started SL, but only bench, curls, and squats, so I have weak upper shoulders.

I essentially only do the SL 5x5, but will add in push-ups and pull-ups if time allows.

hroush

Decided to push up to failure test after my workout A today, did total of 39, but the last two weren't pretty. I'm definitely thinking I'll be seeing that number increase with me getting into the heavier weights. Did 155 bench today.

JNick77

Decided to push up to failure test after my workout A today, did total of 39, but the last two weren't pretty. I'm definitely thinking I'll be seeing that number increase with me getting into the heavier weights. Did 155 bench today.

I didn't catch it, does the program advocate training to failure?

hroush

Decided to push up to failure test after my workout A today, did total of 39, but the last two weren't pretty. I'm definitely thinking I'll be seeing that number increase with me getting into the heavier weights. Did 155 bench today.

I didn't catch it, does the program advocate training to failure?

No, this was a little extra test I did at the end as a measure of strength gain. The other reason I did this is because I'm thinking of joining the National Guard in a couple months and push-ups are my weak point (I find that sad to say). When I started out I could barely do 34 push-ups, so a nice improvement thus far.

BR1986FB

Still plugging away here. Finally getting used to, and liking, these 4:30am workouts. Hope everyone is getting at it today ! Have a good one!

freerange

Still plugging away here. Finally getting used to, and liking, these 4:30am workouts. Hope everyone is getting at it today ! Have a good one!

I have always been a morning person, love getting up early, right now I'm doing cardio in the morning, might switch to weights as soon as I start my 5X5.

Found a great supply house here locally to get my bumpers when I need them. Think I will get a set of 5 and 10lb to start my rows, and dead lifts with.

What do you guys think about weight lifting belts?

BR1986FB

What do you guys think about weight lifting belts?

I use one for heavy squats, OHP & deads but not bent rows. I have a cracked disc in my lower back from a pro wrestling injury back in 2002 and I'm not taking any chances.

End6ame

What do you guys think about weight lifting belts?

I use one for heavy squats, OHP & deads but not bent rows. I have a cracked disc in my lower back from a pro wrestling injury back in 2002 and I'm not taking any chances.

Personally I don’t use them, even on my max lifts. I am of the mind that I can strengthen my abs/back more without one and ward off injury that way. However, I also recognize that they do have a place. If you are going to use one get a 4’’ (all the way around. The ones that have a larger back are designed by people that don’t actually know how they work.) and only use it on your work weights, not your warm-ups or ramp-up sets. This way you are still strengthening your abs/back as well as gaining the additional support when you need it.


Here is a good article from SL on the topic as well as a link out to another.

http://stronglifts.com/weight-lifting-belts-to-wear-or-not-to-wear/

freerange

Thanks

BR1986FB

and only use it on your work weights, not your warm-ups or ramp-up sets. This way you are still strengthening your abs/back as well as gaining the additional support when you need it.

This is what I do. No sense in using it when you don't need it. I definitely use a belt for my heavy squat sets but not for ramp ups.

NubyGloom

haha! random post did upper body today! and I benched 40lbs! 3 sets, 10 reps!! woot! I think Ill be ready to start stronglift in august!

hroush

I'm starting to find my max grip for deadlifts. Did 255 this morning and started to lose it. I'm still doing 5x5 deadlift, but will probably back down to 3x5 soon. Thinking about getting a pair of those hand grip strengtheners to use at the office on my off days to help.

End6ame

I'm starting to find my max grip for deadlifts. Did 255 this morning and started to lose it. I'm still doing 5x5 deadlift, but will probably back down to 3x5 soon. Thinking about getting a pair of those hand grip strengtheners to use at the office on my off days to help.

Double-overhand or mixed grip?

hroush

I'm starting to find my max grip for deadlifts. Did 255 this morning and started to lose it. I'm still doing 5x5 deadlift, but will probably back down to 3x5 soon. Thinking about getting a pair of those hand grip strengtheners to use at the office on my off days to help.

Double-overhand or mixed grip?

currently doing double overhand. I know about the mixed grip ( and read the new article this morning on the subject), but wanted to put off switching to it until I got over 300. I'm still okay grip wise, but sometimes I have to reset my hands around the third or fourth rep.

thkelly

get some chalk. it's amazing what a difference it makes

lclarkjr

I have a question for those who have done or are currently doing SL 5x5. Do you guys do any cardio exercises as well such as running or biking? I ask this because I am planning to start SL 5x5 soon, but I am also a runner so I run on average about 15-20 miles per week. I don't intend to decrease my running mileage so will that have much of an impact on my progress with the SL 5x5 program. Obviously starting with the bar in the program my running may not have any impact at the beginning. I am just curious what everyone else does or did while doing the SL 5x5 program.

End6ame

I have a question for those who have done or are currently doing SL 5x5. Do you guys do any cardio exercises as well such as running or biking? I ask this because I am planning to start SL 5x5 soon, but I am also a runner so I run on average about 15-20 miles per week. I don't intend to decrease my running mileage so will that have much of an impact on my progress with the SL 5x5 program. Obviously starting with the bar in the program my running may not have any impact at the beginning. I am just curious what everyone else does or did while doing the SL 5x5 program.

In the beginning you will be fine but when the weight gets heavy (around body weight squats) your progress will start to suffer and you will stall frequently. I would say once you hit body weight squats and start stalling to switch to either Madcow or 5/3/1. With the light, medium, and heavy days of Madcow and the flexibility of 5/3/1 these programs will work better with that level of running and will allow you to keep making strength progress, albeit sower than SL. 

lclarkjr

In the beginning you will be fine but when the weight gets heavy (around body weight squats) your progress will start to suffer and you will stall frequently. I would say once you hit body weight squats and start stalling to switch to either Madcow or 5/3/1. With the light, medium, and heavy days of Madcow and the flexibility of 5/3/1 these programs will work better with that level of running and will allow you to keep making strength progress, albeit sower than SL. 

Thanks for the tips. I am interested in improving my strength as well as my overall fitness but right now it won't be until Mid-December that my training stops being so running focused. I don't want to wait until then to start stronglifts 5x5 but I wanted to know how my running will affect my strength gains. I will just take it as far as I can and look to switch to a different program when I really start stalling. Thanks again!

jgdragonfly411

This may have been covered, but I'm gonna ask anyways lol. For those of you lifting, how are you noting calories burned in yoru exercise diaries? I started Jamie Eason's 12 week program today on bodybuilding.com and am trying to figure out how to note that. I know good and well that I'm burning more than 50 calories in one of those workouts

I also do bodyrock, and free weight work on my own at home, as well as running a few times a week. Any idea how accurate the calorie needs on bodybuilding are?

hroush

I have a question for those who have done or are currently doing SL 5x5. Do you guys do any cardio exercises as well such as running or biking? I ask this because I am planning to start SL 5x5 soon, but I am also a runner so I run on average about 15-20 miles per week. I don't intend to decrease my running mileage so will that have much of an impact on my progress with the SL 5x5 program. Obviously starting with the bar in the program my running may not have any impact at the beginning. I am just curious what everyone else does or did while doing the SL 5x5 program.

If you check out this link (#5):

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

he says to add cardio right after the workout. I just found this myself and incorporated it this week, and believe me, it definitely helps as I can already feel a difference in my gut.

hroush

This may have been covered, but I'm gonna ask anyways lol. For those of you lifting, how are you noting calories burned in yoru exercise diaries? I started Jamie Eason's 12 week program today on bodybuilding.com and am trying to figure out how to note that. I know good and well that I'm burning more than 50 calories in one of those workouts

I also do bodyrock, and free weight work on my own at home, as well as running a few times a week. Any idea how accurate the calorie needs on bodybuilding are?

I used to just time it and enter it under strength training. I now have an HRM with a weight training setting and it says about the same number that MFP does.

thkelly

This may have been covered, but I'm gonna ask anyways lol. For those of you lifting, how are you noting calories burned in yoru exercise diaries? I started Jamie Eason's 12 week program today on bodybuilding.com and am trying to figure out how to note that. I know good and well that I'm burning more than 50 calories in one of those workouts

I also do bodyrock, and free weight work on my own at home, as well as running a few times a week. Any idea how accurate the calorie needs on bodybuilding are?

I used to just time it and enter it under strength training. I now have an HRM with a weight training setting and it says about the same number that MFP does.

HRM do not work for weight training. there are a number of threads on here about the topic

End6ame

This may have been covered, but I'm gonna ask anyways lol. For those of you lifting, how are you noting calories burned in yoru exercise diaries? I started Jamie Eason's 12 week program today on bodybuilding.com and am trying to figure out how to note that. I know good and well that I'm burning more than 50 calories in one of those workouts

I also do bodyrock, and free weight work on my own at home, as well as running a few times a week. Any idea how accurate the calorie needs on bodybuilding are?

I tried MFP's calorie recommendations for a while and did t feel like I was getting enough (not enough energy for workouts) so I started to look into how it was calculated. MFP used the Harris-Benedict equation to calculate you BMR and then bases your  calorie deficit off of this number. The problem is that while this method is the most popular it is not the most accurate for most people. In my research I discovered that the Mifflin equation has become known as the most accurate so I started using that and manually configuring my calorie goal into MFP. 

MFP recommendation: 1990 calories for 1lb per week
Mifflin recommendation: 2147 calories for lb per week

This is a really long way for me to say that I do not eat back my exercise calories (I know, shame on me, I'm going to starve, etc...) however I don't deliberately try to stay under on my workout days either, I eat if I am hungry and if I go over some then oh well. This method has allowed me to lose the 1lb per week fairly consistently also. 

That being said, the calorie burn for bodybuilding isolation type exercises is going to be significantly lower than the compound full body lifts done as part of SL, I would just try and eat an extra 100 calories or so to make up for it if you want to go that route. 

hroush

This may have been covered, but I'm gonna ask anyways lol. For those of you lifting, how are you noting calories burned in yoru exercise diaries? I started Jamie Eason's 12 week program today on bodybuilding.com and am trying to figure out how to note that. I know good and well that I'm burning more than 50 calories in one of those workouts

I also do bodyrock, and free weight work on my own at home, as well as running a few times a week. Any idea how accurate the calorie needs on bodybuilding are?

I used to just time it and enter it under strength training. I now have an HRM with a weight training setting and it says about the same number that MFP does.

HRM do not work for weight training. there are a number of threads on here about the topic

As I already said, my HRM is only about 100 over what MFP says, which makes sense because MFP takes out the amount I would have burned any way. The first time I used it, I forgot I had left it on running mode, and it said I had burned 1200 calories, since switching it to weight training mode, it has been consistently either 325 or 400 depending on which workout day I'm doing. I prefer to add what my HRM says because I know I get a good long after burn from weight lifting, so I'd rather have that extra 100 calories, even if I don't eat it.

BR1986FB

HRM do not work for weight training. there are a number of threads on here about the topic

Why is this?

hroush

HRM do not work for weight training. there are a number of threads on here about the topic

Why is this?

My guess is that a lot of heart rate monitors only have a general setting where they assume you'll be running or something similarly strenuous. If this is true, then they would read high ( just like mine did when I accidentally left it in running mode).