Anything I can add to Strong Lifts?
LiftAllThePizzas
Posts: 17,857 Member
I am doing the 5X5 program with Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, Military Press, and Rows. I am enjoying the strength training and I'd like to either be able to do it more than 3 days a week, or add a few other (strength) exercises. I already added shrugs to see if they do anything for me. The feedback I got from my muscles the next day (not pain but I can tell they were worked) said they did something.
My question is, are there any other things I can do that won't interfere with my Strong Lifts routine? That is, are there other muscles I can work without overtaxing the (main) muscles those lifts are already using.
My question is, are there any other things I can do that won't interfere with my Strong Lifts routine? That is, are there other muscles I can work without overtaxing the (main) muscles those lifts are already using.
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Im assuming youre doing squats, deadlifts, bench press etc all in the same day? All of these are great compound movements and there isnt really much else you can add other than isolation exercises. I can say though you dont have to do shrugs unless you want to because deadlifts will work your traps.0
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Uh oh.....0
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you need to fail more often it sounds like...0
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What week are you in? Its easy to feel like you need to do more early. But trust me you wont be when those weights get really heavy.
Your muscles need time to repair. Let them. Youre going to be really hard pressed to find muscles you can work without using almost all the major muscle groups.
If youre really wanting to do something on off days find some sort of mild cardio that you like.0 -
Your muscles need time to repair. Let them. Youre going to be really hard pressed to find muscles you can work without using almost all the major muscle groups.
^^This.0 -
What week are you in? Its easy to feel like you need to do more early. But trust me you wont be when those weights get really heavy.
Your muscles need time to repair. Let them. Youre going to be really hard pressed to find muscles you can work without using almost all the major muscle groups.
If youre really wanting to do something on off days find some sort of mild cardio that you like.
^ - I agree with this. If you haven't given the program a solid 6 to 8 weeks I would say to hold off before making any changes.
If at that point you're still antsy, things like pullups, dips, light DB upper body and single leg lower body work for musculature imbalances, volume backoff sets, and big lift variations are all things that could be incorporated into a decent program. Just remember that it isn't StrongLifts then.
It's also important to note, as was mentioned above, that your muscles need time to repair. More isn't always more, people can get BRUTALLY strong doing just the basic lifts if they hit them hard and regularly.0 -
Yeah, I'm 3 months in now and was in the same boat earlier on. As the weight has progressed, I've still wanted to do more, so I'll mix in a handful of chin-ups/pull-ups, cardio, and yoga on my off days.0
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Yoga... what good are muscles if you can't stand in tree pose a few minutes? Balance.0
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Uh oh.....
I thought the same thing.0 -
What week are you in? Its easy to feel like you need to do more early. But trust me you wont be when those weights get really heavy.
Your muscles need time to repair. Let them. Youre going to be really hard pressed to find muscles you can work without using almost all the major muscle groups.
If youre really wanting to do something on off days find some sort of mild cardio that you like.
^ - I agree with this. If you haven't given the program a solid 6 to 8 weeks I would say to hold off before making any changes.
If at that point you're still antsy, things like pullups, dips, light DB upper body and single leg lower body work for musculature imbalances, volume backoff sets, and big lift variations are all things that could be incorporated into a decent program. Just remember that it isn't StrongLifts then.
It's also important to note, as was mentioned above, that your muscles need time to repair. More isn't always more, people can get BRUTALLY strong doing just the basic lifts if they hit them hard and regularly.
This.
Additionally, if/when you decide to add more work to the program, make sure the heart of the program (and the majority of your effort) is stronglifts, not all your accessory work. It's called accessory work for a reason. Make sure you're putting in the work on the core lifts.0 -
Thanks for all the responses. (I guess I will find out later what the "uhoh" ones meant, LOL.)
I understand it's possible to overtrain, which was part of what I meant about 'anything that could be added.' Are you(s) saying that SL (when I reach my max lifts) pretty much will take care of what my body is gonna be able to keep up with, especially as a 43 year old? I'm in week 5 or 6 now with 100 lb squats/dl, and 80 lbs on the others.
It seems like something could hit muscles I'm not using intensely, for a quick example my abs. I know the compound lifts use many muscles including the abs, but it seems like some are used more just for minor balance things rather than those muscles being made to work as hard as they could. I mean I can't imagine getting sore abs from doing military presses. Nothing is really working my calves either. I'm using them, but they're not being "challenged" by a long shot right now.
As far as the cardio I get some in already. In the warmer months I bike and kayak, and hopefully will get to do some springboard diving this summer. For now I'm doing a bit of swimming on the weekend, and about 2-3 hours a week of "cardio" playing sports games on the xbox, which sounds stupid but is really fun and burns about 600 calories an hour according to my HRM.
I enjoy being hyperactive but I wanted to incorporate more of the strength-y stuff, if it wouldn't just be overdoing things and making me sore for no benefit, because it's freakin fun too.0 -
Yoga... what good are muscles if you can't stand in tree pose a few minutes? Balance.0
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Another 4-5 weeks and a lot of the muscles that you didn't think you were working are going to be burning big time. Theyre just not being challenged right now as youre still on the lower side of the weights. Once you start getting closer to your failure marks then thats when you will really feel it. Id hold off on adding more till then. And judge by that how much recovery time you need.0
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Don't change the exercises or training splits. However, I see no harm after each session doing one or even two of the following, bodyweight dips, bodyweight chin-ups, glute ham raises (if your gym has one), if not back raises.. Yes you're a new lifter and you'll get great gains from the program as is but those 3 exercises I just mentioned are excellent and very valuable in their own right.0
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The 3 pillars of any program should be Strength, Conditioning, and Mobility. SL5x5 is covering your strength for now. You need some sort of conditioning (cardio, intervals, sprints, sled pushes, burpees, complexes, etc), and mobility (foam rolling / active stretching and/or yoga sort of stuff)0
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I do stronglifts5x5 as well. I mix some cardio(dancing) and yoga into my off days. Its working out well for me - although sometimes after a lifting day I can feel my muscles need a break. So, I listen to my body and rest.0
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I'm not doing SL, but I am taking a powerlifting class. On the days we have class we focus on the main lift for that day and then do 2-4 accessory exercises. So, on Monday we do squats, then 2-4 bicep and shoulder exercises, Wednesday bench with triceps, and Friday deadlift with back. Lots of variation in all of it, too.
In between lifting days I'm usually running, and I do lots of foam rolling.0 -
I did Starting Strength, not 5x5 (and am now doing 5/3/1). But suffice it to say that once your deadlift and squat get up to or over your body weight, you WILL be using your abs.0
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Uh oh.....
I thought the same thing.
Allow me then
If you are brand new to lifting
I personally would add some pull up variant to one or more days and any calf work out of the gate. After a couple few weeks, a few sets of direct ab work. If you want to add anything after that, you might start by adding things on day 3 so you have the extra day of recovery after. When I started a similar routine, I thought to add some arm isos on day 3, but I ended up going with incline db presses and bent rows (was doing power cleans instead with main program). After that add at your discretion while paying attention to not hindering the main lifts as you already stated.0 -
Thanks again for all the responses.
I'm doing it in my house with a rack. No gym, but I can hang a pullup bar from the basement rafters no problem.If you are brand new to liftingBut suffice it to say that once your deadlift and squat get up to or over your body weight, you WILL be using your abs.You need some sort of conditioning (cardio, intervals, sprints, sled pushes, burpees, complexes, etc), and mobility (foam rolling / active stretching and/or yoga sort of stuff)
I mentioned in my other wall of text response all the 'cardio' stuff I do. When I swim, I go during lap time and do "intervals" which means I swim freestyle as fast as possible for 20-30 seconds till I'm gonna die, and then go leisurely until I recover and then repeat. (I'm sure I look like a total idiot doing it, which makes it hilarious as well as good exercise.) I'm reading about foam rolling, but as far as mobility/balance/endurance I think all the stuff I do now is a pretty good mix of everything.
The biggest thing I was looking for is other ways to add a bit more skeletal muscle/LBM if there was an opportunity for it. I should have specified "can I add other strength stuff." My bad on that one.0
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