Strong Lifts 5x5

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Nurse_Christy
Nurse_Christy Posts: 276 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been reading about heavy lifting and I really want to try it. After reading several threads on here (thanks for the input!), I checked out the Strong Lifts 5x5 website and did the "A" workout today. I plan on doing this 3 days/week, alternating the A & B plans. Here is my question: I am really not very strong yet, and all I was just able to do 15 lbs tonight, probably 20 lbs with the weight of the bar itself. I have been reading about pushing to failure, so I'm wondering if its better to increase weight quickly as the program suggest (5lbs each time an exercise is repeated) and maybe not be able to complete the 5x5, or increase more slowly and do all the suggested reps. I hope this makes sense. Thank you.

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  • RunDoozer
    RunDoozer Posts: 1,699 Member
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    This would probably be a really good question to ask in the stronglifts 5x5 for women group. They'll have a better estimate on how to gauge your starting point I think. And theyre really good about answering questions.
  • Factory_Reset
    Factory_Reset Posts: 1,651 Member
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    Curious myself.
  • extraordinary_machine
    extraordinary_machine Posts: 3,028 Member
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    Here you go. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/4618-stronglifts-5x5-for-women
    You can thank me later. :laugh:
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Check out this group

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women

    However, you should complete the 5 reps. If you cannot, do not add weight next time - try to the same weight. Do not add until you can do the required reps.


    ETA: I type too slow!
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    Olympic bars weigh 45lbs...
  • RunDoozer
    RunDoozer Posts: 1,699 Member
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    Olympic bars weigh 45lbs...

    Was thinking this myself but not sure she was using an olympic barbell by how it was worded.
  • zorreena
    zorreena Posts: 267 Member
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    Check out the stronglifts for women group is the first big step and ask lots of questions. everyone is at different stages in that forum. At first I struggled being comfortable at the gym and feeling awkward and i might have quit without that group of women. Not even a month later I'm rocking it out. Big tip: try to focus on form while you are doing the beginning weights. The first few times I did the workout I had no clue and overloaded the bar. I didn't know the bar weighed 45lbs. I was 100% newbie.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    Push to failure. Just doing the reps serves to develop form, but it's ok to fail. So follow the weight progression. There is a 5x5 phone app.
  • Nurse_Christy
    Nurse_Christy Posts: 276 Member
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    Thanks for the help. I will definitely check out that group. I don't have an Olympic barbell. It's just a cheap one at home. I think it weighs about 5 lbs.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,454 Member
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    You can keep adding the weight to start with, but I found that eventually 5lbs was too much of a jump for me to attempt at every workout. I ended up buying fractional plates so that I could increase by 1lb at a time instead on some lifts and not ALWAYS fail! The deadlift was the only one where I could continue to add a decent amount of weight. After reading around, I don't think my experience is so uncommon for women.

    If you didn't want to buy fractional plates, you can really add anything that will add the weight you want and be the same at both sides. You could try small wrist weights added to the bar, for instance.

    The Stronglifts group here is great - lots of interesting stuff to read there!

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