Life after SL 5x5
Judas_Queen
Posts: 251 Member
Hi, I'd really appreciate some advice please.
I've got less than 5 weeks of SL left and thinking about what to do after I finish.
I've decided I'm going to do a month of 3x5 starting from a weight of approx 2/3 or 75% of my end weight on SL with some slightly increased cardio. I'm looking at ways to keep this interesting and working out cardio and BW circuits to do as I really dislike steady state cardio like jogging or the elliptical. Thinking of incorporating HIIT in the phase after that.
I was toying with the idea of working more towards 'hypertrophy' for 12 weeks and then reverting back to focusing purely on strength, possibly looking at a 5/3/1 programme which I'm going to continue to look into.
My overall aim is strength.. Without a shadow of a doubt I want to be strong. But I feel like I'd like to work to getting size and burning more fat. SL has been great so far for this. I've lost 3lb overall which I am happy with but I'm definitely smaller in places
So after my month of 3x5 and increased cardio I was thinking of moving to a 3x8 (possibly 3x10) programme and wondered if anyone here has any plans they can recommend. I still want to incorporate the big exercises like squats, deads, rows and bench but I will be adding 'isolation' moves in too.
If anyone can either recommend a programme they've followed or even created I would be really grateful
Thanks
Aimee
I've got less than 5 weeks of SL left and thinking about what to do after I finish.
I've decided I'm going to do a month of 3x5 starting from a weight of approx 2/3 or 75% of my end weight on SL with some slightly increased cardio. I'm looking at ways to keep this interesting and working out cardio and BW circuits to do as I really dislike steady state cardio like jogging or the elliptical. Thinking of incorporating HIIT in the phase after that.
I was toying with the idea of working more towards 'hypertrophy' for 12 weeks and then reverting back to focusing purely on strength, possibly looking at a 5/3/1 programme which I'm going to continue to look into.
My overall aim is strength.. Without a shadow of a doubt I want to be strong. But I feel like I'd like to work to getting size and burning more fat. SL has been great so far for this. I've lost 3lb overall which I am happy with but I'm definitely smaller in places
So after my month of 3x5 and increased cardio I was thinking of moving to a 3x8 (possibly 3x10) programme and wondered if anyone here has any plans they can recommend. I still want to incorporate the big exercises like squats, deads, rows and bench but I will be adding 'isolation' moves in too.
If anyone can either recommend a programme they've followed or even created I would be really grateful
Thanks
Aimee
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Replies
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I did AllPro's routine for 3 weeks and stopped at 3x11 because at that point it became clear to me that I'd rather go for strength than hypertrophy. However, as hypertrophy goes, it's a proven program that also has isolation moves for biceps and calves. You increase weight every 5 weeks as the cycle resets and you start from 3x8 again. You can do that pretty much for months and months.
Here is the link if you're interested:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843&page=1
It's always good to mix things up a bit to stay interested and have new goals to work toward, eh?
I will tell you though that doing cardio on that program was a no-go for me because I was just too wiped in between lifting days to bother, as you do all of the lifts, every workout. By the time you get up to 3x10 and 3x11 it gets pretty hairy (did for me anyway). I'm much happier in the 3x5/5x5 range pushing for strength and having some energy left over for cardio if/when the mood strikes. But, to each their own, and you won't know if you like something unless you give it a try.0 -
Where ware your lifts at now? Are you stalling at all?
5/3/1 is very flexible and can be configured as a mixture of hypertrophy and strength, but I wouldn't switch until you are pushing you limits as far as basic strength is concerned.
Also a lot of people use an online calculator to generate a pre-created template for 5/3/1 but you can customize it more than that.0 -
@Dani - thanks for that, I'll look that up I've never really liked isolation moves and like I said my overall aim is strength. Saying that I am overweight and i could do with some higher intesty weight training - rep wise. Higher weights make me so happy but I always undertood that slightly lower weight and higher reps were better for fat loss? Is that wrong? Theres so much conflicting info out there!
@tameko ive stalled on OHP at 27.5kg because im a.weakling and on BP at 42.5kg. I have barely no upper body strength. Tomorrow is 77.5 squats and 85 deads so they're ok I think. I think thats why when I finish the 12 weeks I want to move to higher reps so I dont get stuck in the mindset of "im not progressing quickly anymore". With higher reps I can increase weights slower and not get stuck on that as the only progress if that makes sense. At least I wont have underlying expectations of going up 2.5kg each session? So when I go back to strength training I wont be so hung up and I can enjoy the process like I am now.
I dunno. I'm v new to all of this so guidance is much appreciated from those such as.you that actually have a clue!
ETA: stalled at 42.5kg on rows through choice rather than necessity just to ensure form is good for all reps as the last couple were suffering slightly!0 -
If you like this, just keep sticking with it. Don't worry about metabolic work for now. When you still have a fair bit to lose, almost anything you do is great. When you find your weight loss slowing down, that's a great time to add something. I'd suggest you save those things to add as you go.
Also see if you can grab anything to use as fractional weights - washers, rolls of tape, actual machines weights.
Almost all of us struggle with the overhead lifts and going up in smaller amounts helps a lot.
If you can't find that, you can do increased reps on the weight you know you can do. So go for 6 one week, then 7, then 8, then try going up a weight and back to 5. Other than that stuff though, as long as you continue to make good progress on your squats I'd stick through 5x5 and 3x5.
Don't put a time limit on it. Just keep going until you can't, or you get bored or tired, then switch off.0 -
I did 12 weeks 5X5 and then switched to 3x5 for squats and deads and 3x8 for upper body, I can't take my plates to the gym, so that was the best solution to keep progressing on upper body. I have been doing that for 5 months and it's working great for me.0
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So I am just about done my second cycle of SL, however I did do some slight modifications to the program.
I switched to 3x5 and have stopped progressing on weight every workout....rather I focus on form and increase reps BUT increase in reps is small as in only 1 rep because when you are still pushing substantial weight, eeking out that 1 extra rep is hard work....but still very rewarding.
3x5 is a shorter workout so I have time to fit in either some interval training on the end or lately I have been playing with barbell and dumbbell complexes as finishers. If you like some of the higher rep/lower weight stuff you would probably really like these.
After this cycle I feel like the next best move for me is Madcow 5x5 purely because I love the exercises so much.
If your goal is strength, you can still progress and you like the lifts, then I would stick with it and just find a couple small modifications to suit your need to keep it interesting
BTW....I took a 1 week deload in between cycles (in retrospect probably could have done 2 weeks) and then started back up from my deloaded weights.
ETA: I do still increase weight....just not every workout....not sure if I missed that part lol0 -
Ok... I took ages typing a response on my new phone but it disappeared!! (Omg!)
(A) stalls si far OHP 27.5 (it's just hard) chest 42.5 its hard ad row 42.5 just to keep form good!
(B) squats 75kg yesterday- not too bad
(C) deads 85kg tomorrow - hand grip starting to give but otherwise its ok.
Ive never seen big changes in the past from 8-10 rep training, and my aim IS strength. Issue is mainly my training partner. She is my MIL and hung up on hypertrophy. She has never focused on big movements. my bf thinks it's a good next.move. I dunno. I just know I gotta burn more fat than I am now because its not going to go else.0 -
Right now, your diet is really all that matters. Beyond that do what you enjoy, not what other people say they think you should do for fat loss.0
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Right now, your diet is really all that matters. Beyond that do what you enjoy, not what other people say they think you should do for fat loss.
Thank you for this.
I thinnk (having also spoken to bf) ill do a couple weeks deloading as I have a short holiday 2 weeks after I finish SL so it fits nicely, then a month of 3x8 to keep things moving and juml back into 5 or 3x5 for a further cycle before reconsidering matters. Quite happy wuth my progress so far and excited for the future!
You ladiea are realoy supportive abd helpful, thanks again 0 -
If you don't want to get swole (that's bro-speak for "hypertrophied"), then a hypertrophy bodybuilding program (which is what AllPro's is) isn't going to help you. It's for bodybuilding, and if your MIL wants to do that, then introduce her to it and she can get as swole as her little heart desires.
If you're really after strength, then stick with 3x5/5x5 and just keep going up in weight. Your OHP and bench are going to stall first, so maybe look into some fractionals for those, so you can keep going up but just in smaller increments. I've already decided it's going to take as long as it'll take, and if you add 2 kg a month to your OHP, then in a year you'll lift 24 kg more than today. So smaller increments are nothing to sneeze at, because in the long term you will still have made significant gains.
My suggesion is to do what you want to do that serves your goals, and ignore what your MIL is doing and let her go after her goals, while still training together and support each other. So if you do 5x5, then that's 25 reps and if she does 3x8 then that's 24 reps, and the only difference is one stinkin rep. Who cares? You'll still burn fat while focusing on strength, and 5x5 is a good choice for that.
You could check into dumbbell/kettlebell/barbell complexes if you're allergic to running or other such cardio and want to step up your game a bit. Or just do more cardio on non-lifting days if you're wanting to crank up on that end of the spectrum. I just purchased a pedometer and am increasing my walking steps to burn a little more cals that way without hindering my lifting progress.
I'm with tameko and would encourage you to just do what you enjoy, because that's what you'll actually stick with. And burning fat with strength training is something that's not going to be visible immediately, but is certainly already happening, so just bring your patience and stick with what yo'ure doing. It's 3 months later for me, and my body is just now starting to slim up somewhat to where it's actually visible (then again I only have about 30 lbs to lose so I knew it was going to be a long-term investment for me anyway without those initial huge losses).
Some things take however long they take.0 -
If you don't want to get swole (that's bro-speak for "hypertrophied"), then a hypertrophy bodybuilding program (which is what AllPro's is) isn't going to help you. It's for bodybuilding, and if your MIL wants to do that, then introduce her to it and she can get as swole as her little heart desires.
If you're really after strength, then stick with 3x5/5x5 and just keep going up in weight. Your OHP and bench are going to stall first, so maybe look into some fractionals for those, so you can keep going up but just in smaller increments. I've already decided it's going to take as long as it'll take, and if you add 2 kg a month to your OHP, then in a year you'll lift 24 kg more than today. So smaller increments are nothing to sneeze at, because in the long term you will still have made significant gains.
My suggesion is to do what you want to do that serves your goals, and ignore what your MIL is doing and let her go after her goals, while still training together and support each other. So if you do 5x5, then that's 25 reps and if she does 3x8 then that's 24 reps, and the only difference is one stinkin rep. Who cares? You'll still burn fat while focusing on strength, and 5x5 is a good choice for that.
You could check into dumbbell/kettlebell/barbell complexes if you're allergic to running or other such cardio and want to step up your game a bit. Or just do more cardio on non-lifting days if you're wanting to crank up on that end of the spectrum. I just purchased a pedometer and am increasing my walking steps to burn a little more cals that way without hindering my lifting progress.
I'm with tameko and would encourage you to just do what you enjoy, because that's what you'll actually stick with. And burning fat with strength training is something that's not going to be visible immediately, but is certainly already happening, so just bring your patience and stick with what yo'ure doing. It's 3 months later for me, and my body is just now starting to slim up somewhat to where it's actually visible (then again I only have about 30 lbs to lose so I knew it was going to be a long-term investment for me anyway without those initial huge losses).
Some things take however long they take.
I apologise for my terrible typing! Dunno how to use my new android phone! Im an iphone girl! And im so confused!
Anyway!
I do really enjoy SL and squats are just my favorite exercise ever! So much so that on lifting days my cardio now includes 3x10 squat jumps. I just love squats.
I think I mighg- try-maybe a month of 3x8 but not so many isolation. Perhaps standard SL a and b workouts but add in one extra exercise per session which is what I had considered anyway (not very inventive and SL works!)
MIL will probably do whatever I do save for "making running easy" which is her new obsession. I will stick to my small high-er intensity cardio too as I cba with steady state... suicidal comes to mind!
Interested in the earlier idea of adding a rep rather than weight.. I don't have access to fractionals so this sounds good.
Im currently 220 lbs and my *ideal* (read BMI calc) says I should be 150-160. Weight doesn't necessarily bother me but I'd definitely like a bit of movement and jd kike to be much smaller- im a UK 18. Still making sense of my diet and what I should be eating and what my body will let me eat. Struggling a bit really but at least I know that im not gonna get slim over night. My mini goal shows this.. I have a dress I want to wear for my bday this year. It's a UK 16 so actually it fits but doesnt look good at all!
Just trying to get my head round this all tbh. But you're all really helping thank you.0 -
So diet is still going to be critical in terms of the fat loss. I would also encourage measurements and pics just because the scale *may* not co-operate.
I will be honest, if you aren't feeling 3x8 then don't do it. If on the other hand 3x8 excites you, then do it. But I agree with Dani and Tameko in terms of doing what you enjoy. As long as you are progressing (after your deload of course) you will still be making gains.....but to do 3x8 for the purpose of doing 3x8? Meh you're better off to keep in heavier and do 3x5 IMO. Which leads me to my next point....OHP and bench are common lifts for the ladies to stall on first and switching to 3x5 could very well push you through your plateau, which is totally something to think about.
I use contractor size rolls of masking tape for my "fractionals". They are 0.5lbs each and not the prettiest looking things but they do the job just great. Plus it gives me the opportunity to only increase by 1 or 2lbs which I am really loving.0
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