Anything I can add to Strong Lifts?

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LiftAllThePizzas
LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
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.
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Replies

  • bungholesoup
    bungholesoup Posts: 12
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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.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Uh oh.....
  • n0ob
    n0ob Posts: 2,390 Member
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    you need to fail more often it sounds like...
  • RunDoozer
    RunDoozer Posts: 1,699 Member
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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.
  • dare2love81
    dare2love81 Posts: 928 Member
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    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.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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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.

    ^ - 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.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    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.
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
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    Yoga... what good are muscles if you can't stand in tree pose a few minutes? Balance.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Uh oh.....

    I thought the same thing.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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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.

    ^ - 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.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    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.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    Yoga... what good are muscles if you can't stand in tree pose a few minutes? Balance.
    Agreed, I can stand in tree pose all day, it's comfy and relaxing for me. :) Chair pose is pure evil though.
  • RunDoozer
    RunDoozer Posts: 1,699 Member
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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.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
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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.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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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)
  • victoriannsays
    victoriannsays Posts: 568 Member
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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.
  • SatchGallamax
    SatchGallamax Posts: 549 Member
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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.
  • jimmie65
    jimmie65 Posts: 655 Member
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    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.
  • FullOfWin
    FullOfWin Posts: 1,414 Member
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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.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    Thanks again for all the responses. :smile:

    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 lifting
    Yep, just started in Dec. I will try the calf raises too.

    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.
    Awesome. One of my goals is by this summer to have the strength to do this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6IDjyi3_94 (Except you spin faster off the lower board to do that.) A few years ago I did that when out of shape, ONCE, and my abs all hurt like hell for 3 days, LOL.
    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 totally agree. I used to dive all the time and back then I could place my palms flat on the ground with my knees locked and ankles together. I can almost touch my toes now, LOL.

    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.

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