Stronglifts 5x5 Summary

mrsartis1

IT may be dumb to ask, but I will ask anyway. DO you guys warm up before the 5x5? what kind of warm up. After the 5x5 is your work out done? thanks

Isakizza

Just joined this group, and planning my first ever lifting workout. Excited and scerrd at the same time, lol

I sorta get the summary, all this lifting talk is alien to me. Might have to read it a couple times and watch the videos. Thank you for posting it! From the sounds of it, I'm sure I wouldn't like reading the PDF version.


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DaniH826

IT may be dumb to ask, but I will ask anyway. DO you guys warm up before the 5x5? what kind of warm up. After the 5x5 is your work out done? thanks

We don't really chat in these sticky threads (I never really read them anymore), so feel free to start your own thread about this so you can get lots of feedback!

Sonjalalala

New to the group. Just want to say thanks

roseymacdoo

Bump! Thanks x

ltowns11

Bump!

brandiuntz

New to the group. Thanks so much for this! Been plodding through that PDF. This summary is great.

Got my Olympic weight set today, so starting the program this coming week (Tues-Thurs-Sat will be my days on). So excited.

LittleDoodlePoodle

bump so i wont lose this! THANKS VERY MUCH!x

HJMAYES

Bump - this is so awesome

emmalousmom1

Since trying to read that PDF report is like having your face shoved into a stranger's hairy, sweaty, muscular armpit I've sent several people a little write up -- and I've now done it like 3-4 times so I think its time to immortalize it somewhere and save people from that dreadful PDF.

The Plan
There are only 2 workouts, which you alternate, and you workout 3x a week with at least 1 rest day between each. So for me I do Mon - Thurs - Sat (you could also do Mon - Wed - Fri or Tuesday-Thurs-Sat -- you get the idea).

These sets are for your WORKWEIGHT (the weight you are lifting that day) and do not include warmup sets.

Workout A
Barbell Squat 5x5
Bench press 5x5
Barbell Row 5x5 (The app and the PDF call them that but they are actually pendlay rows).
Video of Medhi doing the whole thing:
Sesson A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP2g3Sj3qSw

Workout B:
Barbell Squat 5x5 (5 sets with 5 reps)
Overhead press 5x5
Deadlift 1x5 (1 set with 5 reps)
Video of Medhi doing the whole thing:
Session B: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro3Mh9o7JPU

The starting weight should be light -- either 50% of your max 5 rep weight or:

Squat: Empty Bar (Olympic bar weighs 45 lbs, womens olympic bar weighs 35, there are bars out there that are NOT olympic standard and may weigh less so be aware of this).

Bench Press: Empty Bar

Barbell Row: 65 lbs (but if you have a power rack you can start with the bar by placing it on the bars set at a low level and pulling from the rack rather than the floor -- think about where the bar would be height wise if it had 45 lb plates on and that is the highest point you should set it at. This is my own recommendation, I don't believe its specified in any of Medhi's writing because his target audience is big sweaty man-dudes or dudes who want to BE big sweaty man dudes.)

Overhead Press: Empty Bar

Deadlift: He recommends you start at 95 lbs, again because you are pulling from the floor so you need plates on there in order to pull. But if you're a 120 lb lady that's like starting at .8 bodyweight which is kind of..very high. You can start with rack pulls until you work up to getting some 10lb or bigger plates on there, then you can put the bar on the ground with extra plates flat underneath it to elevate the bar. (same goes for the Pendlay Rows, in case that wasn't clear.

Every time you do an exercise add 5 lbs. If its the deadlift, add 10. as you are getting to heavier weights on stuff like the overhead press and bench press where us ladies are likely to fail out earlier than a guy, you might want to invest in these http://www.ironwoodyfitness.com/equipment/fractional-plates/olympic-2-in-fractional-plates.html because 5 lbs is actually a LOT of weight to go up every time - don't feel bad if you can't do it but do plan to progress in SOME manner. (You can also buy large 2 inch drilled washers from a hardware supply which weigh roughly 1.1lb each for much much cheaper).

So for example, Workout 1 will be Squat 45, Press 45, Deadlift 95 (or amount you think is correct). Workout 2 will be Squat 50, Bench 45, Row 65 (or amount you think is correct). Workout 3 will be Squat 55, Press 50, Deadlift 105.

Warm up sets: These articles should more or less cover it:
http://stronglifts.com/5-rules-to-find-your-perfect-warm-up-weight/
http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-warm-up-empty-bar-work-weight/
http://stronglifts.com/why-deadlifts-1x5-stronglifts-5x5-squats/


How to do these lifts, equipment, etc

His instructional pages are actually pretty useful:
http://stronglifts.com/how-to-squat-with-proper-technique-fix-common-problems/
http://stronglifts.com/how-to-deadlift-with-proper-technique/
http://stronglifts.com/how-to-bench-press-with-proper-technique-avoid-shoulder-injuries/
http://stronglifts.com/how-to-overhead-press-with-correct-technique/
http://stronglifts.com/how-to-master-barbell-row-technique/

But it helps to look at several videos/instructional pages because it might take a few perspectives for it to "click".

This is an excellent resource: http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Lifts
For additional videos go to youtube, search for "Rippetoe" and whatever lift you want to watch videos of. Watch those.

These articles are also super helpful and very very detailed:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/whats-the-proper-way-to-squat-qa.html
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/clean-style-deadlift-technique.html
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/bench-press-technique.html

Equipment needed: Barbell. Plates. You can start without a squat rack but you'll need one pretty quickly and a power rack is MUCH better both for ease of use and safety if you are lifting alone. You'll also need a bench (that's why its called a bench press).

Failure is success!
At some point you will get to a weight (it will happen at different times on different exercises) where you can't complete all 5x5. yo'll do something like 5-5-4-4-3 (5 reps, 5 reps, 4 reps, 4 reps 3 reps) -- (so if you squat down on the 5th rep and can't get back up again you'd log that as 4). If this happens, next time you go do that exercise do NOT add 5 lbs, go back and do the exact same weight again. If it happens again, use the same weight the next time. If it happens a THIRD time, then the 4th time you deload by 10% and start your next day from there (so if you are squatting 100 lbs and you fail, you will take off 10 lbs and start again at 90, then go to 95, etc).

If this happens to you 2 ish times, in a row, its time to change to a 3x5 program (I believe). Same deal, but 3 sets instead of 5. Write-up to follow on this if I ever get there or if someone else wants to take it on. (I say 2-ish because you might want to try moving up with the fractionals before you just switch to the 3x5 program, but the basic story is that at SOME weight, you will no longer be able to expect to lift it 25 times in a row, even with rest. At that time, its time to drop your sets.

I think MFP gives me 2 hours to edit a post so if people want updates to this, holla, otherwise we can use this thread to add FAQ type things. I'm sure I've left something out. Oh wells.

save

alisaglem

Going to start it tomorrow!

missdibs1

bump

pintobean

New to this group. Thank you so much for this summary. Makes it a lot easier to read and understand.

mumtoonegirl

Thanks soooo much for posting this so helpful

mumtoonegirl

Thanks soooo much for posting this so helpful

Barribomb

Awesome, thanks for this!! Been looking for infor, this is GREAT!

bahmanygood

Thanks so much for posting this info! I'm so excited to give it a try

phizzylizzy

bump

AbbeyDove

Thank you! Extremely helpful!

Jennacita

This thread took the guess work out of that insane PDF. Thank you for putting it together. It certainly lessens the intimadation factor.

durangocal

Thanks for the summary!

muamontreal

Thank you for the summary ! I'll start lifting in a few weeks (after a little more readings :bigsmile: )

This is very helpful

:flowerforyou:

vanessa915

So happy to have found this summary! I was planning to start NROL4W when I discovered Strong Lifts (thanks to MFP). SL is so much simpler! And this summary makes it even easier to get started (that PDF is a nightmare!). I did a test workout on Saturday, but definitely didn't use heavy enough weights, so I think I'll start for real tonight with Workout A and do the empty bar for all 3 lifts.

catfive1

This is great as I'm starting to do Stronglifts 5x5.

Mischievous_Rascal

Bumping for my hunny...he hates that PDF, too!!! LOL

Thanks!

TriLifter

I started SL5x5 back in March, but eventually stopped becaue I kept stalling out thanks to marathon training. Starting over again tomorrow--thank you for this summary. I really hated that PDF!

Elicur

Are these exercises the only exercises ? You just add weight as you go instead of changing exercises? My computer wouldn't let me download the PDF, claiming it could be unsafe, and I've been seaching online for a week now for answers.

bumblebums

Are these exercises the only exercises ? You just add weight as you go instead of changing exercises? My computer wouldn't let me download the PDF, claiming it could be unsafe, and I've been seaching online for a week now for answers.

Yep, you just bang away at the same lifts and increase the weight progressively. The lifts are deceptive--they are actually quite technical, and there is lots to learn about them.

msgabismit

bump for later..beginner here trying to understand everything and work with the weights I've got in my gym

falafelcat08

bump for when I start