Stronglifts - lifting on the rest days
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GuybrushThreepw00d
Posts: 784 Member
So I'm doing SL5x5 Mon,Wed,Fri.
I hit the gym for a bit of light cardio on the other days of the week, just so I can eat a reasonable amount those days and still maintaining a calorie deficit.
However, I miss the weights on those days.. I've started just going chin ups, but ideally want to get a few lifts going that wont interfere with my muscle recovery from the strong lifts days. Make sense?
What d'ya reckon?
Any isolation lifts that I can take on that wont interfere?
I hit the gym for a bit of light cardio on the other days of the week, just so I can eat a reasonable amount those days and still maintaining a calorie deficit.
However, I miss the weights on those days.. I've started just going chin ups, but ideally want to get a few lifts going that wont interfere with my muscle recovery from the strong lifts days. Make sense?
What d'ya reckon?
Any isolation lifts that I can take on that wont interfere?
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Replies
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if you're really going at it hard, I'd try to not lift between a full body, MWF type workout.
That program and starting strength were designed to be done with a calorie surplus for people wanting to gain btw.0 -
That program and starting strength were designed to be done with a calorie surplus for people wanting to gain btw.
Yep, I know. I'm still progressing up through the weight, but am sure if I stall it'll be because of the calorie deficit.0 -
...is a bad idea, especially as I assume you are a beginning lifter AND you are eating at a deficit?
You need rest to make progress lifting. Stronglifts has 2 full body workouts 3x a week If it was a workout that had upper/lower splits you could move to 4 days....and based on your own personal experience with lifting a more advanced lifter could gauge whether or not something else (and what lifts made sense for what days and stuff) was appropriate. But since I'm assuming you're just starting out here, I would really really really advise against doing too much. If you're really desperate for more, you could add dips/chins on off days I suppose, or maybe some easy direct arm work if you want bigger arms. But take it really really easy. Don't burn yourself out doing dips one day and find you can't bench. If y
Did you just start it? In a few more weeks, you probably won't WANT to do anything on off days.0 -
Did you just start it? In a few more weeks, you probably won't WANT to do anything on off days.
I've been doing compound lifts since September last year.
I'm not advanced, and am still working on perfecting form.... But I wouldn't say I was a complete beginner.0 -
4 months is usually still considered a beginner.
so you've done 16 weeks of SL then? Incrementing 5lbs/lift? Are you still doing 5x5? I'll just wait for Sara or SS to comment I guess. By week 16 my husband and I were plenty exhausted just doing SL. I had no desire to do ANYTHING on off days. I'm pretty sure right around then is when he threw a hissyfit and said he refused to squat 3x a week anymore.0 -
I got good at squatting while lifting for football, and had 3 guys to spot me at all times. It's a HARD lift to really push yourself on, but you HAVE to do it to really see good gains.
Not saying you're not, but finding a good spotter can be tough for an individual trying to make gains on their own.
Just wanted to throw that out there for folks reading along.
I emphasize the squat because it's the lift that will help build the most muscles as it basically works everything but your chest pretty hard. The negative of holding the bar on the back is the best trap exercise in the gym IMO.0 -
4 months is usually still considered a beginner.
so you've done 16 weeks of SL then? Incrementing 5lbs/lift? Are you still doing 5x5? I'll just wait for Sara or SS to comment I guess. By week 16 my husband and I were plenty exhausted just doing SL. I had no desire to do ANYTHING on off days. I'm pretty sure right around then is when he threw a hissyfit and said he refused to squat 3x a week anymore.
I haven't aligned myself with the SL week weight thing. I just do those 5 lifts as per workout a/b/c. I'm still adding 2.5kg each time I lift. But I perhaps wasn't as diligent at doing that when I first started, in an effort to concentrate on form I stuck to the same weight ( and f****d around with some other lifts)
My squat is currently 62.5kg and deadlift is 77.5kg.
I also had a month off for an operation which halted/reset progress.0 -
Just remember, your muscles grow when they are repairing themselves. They do this when they are at rest, not while in use.0
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If you are doing compounds, you need the rest days in between. You can do some active recovery or cardio but you should not be lifting the next day after a full body workout.0
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I got good at squatting while lifting for football, and had 3 guys to spot me at all times. It's a HARD lift to really push yourself on, but you HAVE to do it to really see good gains.
Not saying you're not, but finding a good spotter can be tough for an individual trying to make gains on their own.
Just wanted to throw that out there for folks reading along.
I emphasize the squat because it's the lift that will help build the most muscles as it basically works everything but your chest pretty hard. The negative of holding the bar on the back is the best trap exercise in the gym IMO.
I never use a spotter as I squat in a squat rack/power cage.0 -
How about doing some sprints, intervals, prowler pushes, burpees, barbell complexes.. that sort of thing. Though complexes may interfere with your lifting; I don't like doing them prior to a deadlift or squat day.0
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4 months is usually still considered a beginner.
so you've done 16 weeks of SL then? Incrementing 5lbs/lift? Are you still doing 5x5? I'll just wait for Sara or SS to comment I guess. By week 16 my husband and I were plenty exhausted just doing SL. I had no desire to do ANYTHING on off days. I'm pretty sure right around then is when he threw a hissyfit and said he refused to squat 3x a week anymore.
I haven't aligned myself with the SL week weight thing. I just do those 5 lifts as per workout a/b/c. I'm still adding 2.5kg each time I lift. But I perhaps wasn't as diligent at doing that when I first started, in an effort to concentrate on form I stuck to the same weight ( and f****d around with some other lifts)
My squat is currently 62.5kg and deadlift is 77.5kg.
I also had a month off for an operation which halted/reset progress.
Make sure you include the progressive loading. A 5 x 5 type routine is better for someone that has been lifting as long as you, and who is on a deficit, than a split imo.0 -
Don't lift on your rest days doing SL. If you really can't handle the days off, maybe SL isn't the right program for you and you should consider a program with splits for more days of lifting. If it were me, I would try to adjust the intensity of my 3 days of lifting so that rest days are a relief.0
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Thanks for the advice everyone.
I'm not finding SL so easy that I could squat every day, but if I'm at the gym it just seems a waste to just do a bit of cardio and leave. I like the idea of just doing chin ups and dips. It may be a throwback to my early gym days, but I want to give my biceps some dedicated time
. Something that chin ups will help with. I'll drop them if I find they are interfering with my main lift days.
I'm happy with the format and don't really want to move to a split routine.
I'm under no illusion that I'm still at newbie to lifting, and I'm pretty focused on getting my form perfected so I can lift some heavy weight with minimum risk of injury.0 -
There is a stronglifts C?0
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Thanks for the advice everyone.
I'm not finding SL so easy that I could squat every day, but if I'm at the gym it just seems a waste to just do a bit of cardio and leave. I like the idea of just doing chin ups and dips. It may be a throwback to my early gym days, but I want to give my biceps some dedicated time. Something that chin ups will help with. I'll drop them if I find they are interfering with my main lift days.
I'm happy with the format and don't really want to move to a split routine.
I'm under no illusion that I'm still at newbie to lifting, and I'm pretty focused on getting my form perfected so I can lift some heavy weight with minimum risk of injury.
There is nothing wrong with throwing some dips and chins at the end of the routine in my opinion. A lot of people modify to throw in some assists and in fact I think it can be a good idea, assuming they get tacked onto the end.0 -
There is a stronglifts C?
maybe i made that up, i was thinking the 3rd time i go in the week. However the routine is the same as A.0 -
My 2 cents would also be to follow the program as it's designed in terms of how you are to progress. You can most certainly work on form while doing so, many of us started with bar weight even if it was on the light side just to get the form down. I think that you might be underestimating yourself on that end of things and could potentially be seeing better gains
Also, if you follow the program this way you really won't want to lift on your rest days! If you have an iPhone there is a great app for SL too!0 -
Only to add - I am dead jealous of people who can 'throw in' a few chin ups/bar dips at the end of a workout!
They are my target exercise and I can just about do 8 chin-ups (palms facing, narrow grip - ie easy) at the start of a workout...I rest for a minute and then can manage maybe 6....and so on.0
