Life After Stronglifts?

hypotrochoid
hypotrochoid Posts: 842 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm currently doing StrongLIfts and really like the program. However it doesn't seem to be the sort of thing that would be continued indefinitely, though his site has people claiming to do it for years. So, here's the question for the hive mind: What (in your opinion) would be a good workout to move to after StrongLifts? Should I go back to New Rules of Lifting for Women? Other options?

Thanks!

Replies

  • Plates559
    Plates559 Posts: 869 Member
    Depends on the goal really...I'd something along the lines of:

    Figure athlete - a BB split
    Powerlifitng - smolov, 5/3/1, etc
    Olympic Lifting - Conjugate method
    Overall fitness - A mix of all 3
    Runner - Couch to 5k
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
    It depends on what your goals are. As far as how long Stronglifts should last, it would be until you can no longer add weight each workout after having done proper deloads on the lifts, provided you are eating a calorie surplus, because you can't get stronger forever without one. SL is very similar to Starting Strength. The usual time people say to move on is after either 2 or 3 stalls on squats, I can't remember which right off hand. I am not sure if it would be different for women, but usually for men this time coincides with the time that you are in the neighborhood of your 1 rep maxes being 1.2x BW for bench, 2xBW for Squats, and 2.5xBW for Deadlifts. Routines that would be examined after could be Madcow's 5x5, PHAT, 5/3/1, Lyle McDonald's Generic Bulking Routine, Texas Method, depending on what you want to accomplish and which one strikes your fancy.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    I reached a point on Stronglifts were I just started to hate it. Every single lift was really freaking hard. I was constantly sore, constantly failing on my lifts, had no energy for mountain biking ect. This also corresponded to when I really go serious eating at a calorie deficit. I changed all my lifts to 3x5 instead of 5x5, and added a few things to the end of each routine. I think it's more of a "muscle maintenance" routine than a strength, or size building routine. I read a Lyle McDonald article on weight lifting for fat loss and he said that cutting volume is okay, and that it's a lot easier to maintain strength than it was to build it.
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
    No hate! but stronglifts is absolutely a strength building routine. But as I said, one can not build strength forever in a calorie deficit which is what the majority of people using this site are on. Once you have reached the end of "noob gains" which are heavily based on neural adaptation, ANY routine will be muscle maintenance until you eat at a surplus.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    Depends on the goal really...I'd something along the lines of:

    Figure athlete - a BB split
    Powerlifitng - smolov, 5/3/1, etc
    Olympic Lifting - Conjugate method
    Overall fitness - A mix of all 3
    Runner - Couch to 5k

    great answer here. pretty much covers the basics.
  • GreekByMarriage
    GreekByMarriage Posts: 320 Member
    bump
  • Plates559
    Plates559 Posts: 869 Member
    No hate! but stronglifts is absolutely a strength building routine. But as I said, one can not build strength forever in a calorie deficit which is what the majority of people using this site are on. Once you have reached the end of "noob gains" which are heavily based on neural adaptation, ANY routine will be muscle maintenance until you eat at a surplus.

    Just wondering here... Can you explain how an experienced lifter (read 1 year +) can make strength gains while on a deficit of 500-1000 calories varying each day?
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
    No hate! but stronglifts is absolutely a strength building routine. But as I said, one can not build strength forever in a calorie deficit which is what the majority of people using this site are on. Once you have reached the end of "noob gains" which are heavily based on neural adaptation, ANY routine will be muscle maintenance until you eat at a surplus.

    Just wondering here... Can you explain how an experienced lifter (read 1 year +) can make strength gains while on a deficit of 500-1000 calories varying each day?

    Well it would depend on how optimal the training in that 1 year+ was, but if it were fairly optimal, it would be very difficult if not impossible to do. Why do you ask?
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Looking forward to Wendler 531 myself.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,984 Member
    No hate! but stronglifts is absolutely a strength building routine. But as I said, one can not build strength forever in a calorie deficit which is what the majority of people using this site are on. Once you have reached the end of "noob gains" which are heavily based on neural adaptation, ANY routine will be muscle maintenance until you eat at a surplus.

    Just wondering here... Can you explain how an experienced lifter (read 1 year +) can make strength gains while on a deficit of 500-1000 calories varying each day?
    Better focus. Better muscle/mind connection. Better technique. Repetition. Lots of powerlifters (who want to STAY in their weight class to compete) work on increasing strength without calorie surplus.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Plates559
    Plates559 Posts: 869 Member
    I did about 12 weeks of a 500 calorie deficit a few days a week dropping 1,000 cal below BMR, starting at about 14% body fat.

    I would do a refeed about once every 2 weeks, I was doing an Olympic squat conjugate routine and PR'd my back squat 340 -> 380 and my front squat 240 -> 300 pounds.

    14% is no way close to BB standards but it isn't obese either... is it my fat storage that allowed me to still build strength or better training? I mean my training has to be pretty decent to already squat 340# at 1 year training.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    I went to LRB...liking it quite a bit more.
  • heatheralia
    heatheralia Posts: 79 Member
    bump
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
    I did about 12 weeks of a 500 calorie deficit a few days a week dropping 1,000 cal below BMR, starting at about 14% body fat.

    I would do a refeed about once every 2 weeks, I was doing an Olympic squat conjugate routine and PR'd my back squat 340 -> 380 and my front squat 240 -> 300 pounds.

    14% is no way close to BB standards but it isn't obese either... is it my fat storage that allowed me to still build strength or better training? I mean my training has to be pretty decent to already squat 340# at 1 year training.

    Would fall out of my range of knowledge and experience to answer properly, but your speculation may be correct along with some of what was mentioned above, perhaps a genetic benefit of some sort, and either way some obvious hard work\proper training\intensity etc.

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