Is 5x5 enough?

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LannyM74
LannyM74 Posts: 25 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been doing cardio to lose weight and now find myself in the 'skinny fat' catagory. I have started doing the 5x5 program three times per week...but is it enough? Should I be doing more isolation work or are compound exercises enough to firm me up (particularly my core).

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  • jpierc
    jpierc Posts: 31 Member
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    Initially, it seems too easy doing the 5x5 stuff, but wait until you get more weight on the bar. When you're squatting 300+ lbs 25 times, overhead pressing 185 lbs 25 times and deadlifting 400 lbs 5 times in a single day, that is more than enough. You won't want any more.

    Stick with it. It works. It just takes time.
  • _Moose51_
    _Moose51_ Posts: 86
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    Agreed, it works. Just keep increasing your weight. Do core work on days that you don't do the 5x5.
  • LannyM74
    LannyM74 Posts: 25 Member
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    Well...I'm a 128 lb, 39 year old woman...so I'm not sure if I'll ever be squatting 300lbs x 25! LOL! But I thank you for your response.
  • quellybelly
    quellybelly Posts: 827 Member
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    It starts off easy but the real work comes once you work your way to the heavier weights!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Initially, it seems too easy doing the 5x5 stuff, but wait until you get more weight on the bar. When you're squatting 300+ lbs 25 times, overhead pressing 185 lbs 25 times and deadlifting 400 lbs 5 times in a single day, that is more than enough. You won't want any more.

    Stick with it. It works. It just takes time.

    Agreed.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,154 Member
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    It definitely gets harder. I'm on week 7 now, and it's reaching a point where I am sweaty and spent at the end of the workout. The first few weeks, I didn't feel like I was really getting a workout, but as the weight creeps up, it starts to really work you.
  • fatboymax1
    fatboymax1 Posts: 5
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    Once you are challenged to the point that when u are on ur 4th and 5th set and you can only do 3-4 reps (of whatever weight works for u)...that is when u will be seeing and feeling the results.
  • cmsmj1
    cmsmj1 Posts: 66 Member
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    Well...I'm a 128 lb, 39 year old woman...so I'm not sure if I'll ever be squatting 300lbs x 25! LOL! But I thank you for your response.

    he point of it is to aim to be lifting more weight each week. It is not a "routine" to just follow and do some exercises - you are aiming to lift more and more...and I bet you'd be surprised at what you can do after 12 weeks...
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    If you want to add more do bodyweight chinups and dips.
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
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    It's a program designed by professionals, of course it's enough. This kinda stuff takes time.
  • LannyM74
    LannyM74 Posts: 25 Member
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    It's a program designed by professionals, of course it's enough. This kinda stuff takes time.

    I'm not looking for a quick fix. I simply want to choose the right program from the start and not overestimate its value. There are many programs design by 'professionals' that claim to be "all you need for a full body work-out". But I think it's fair to say that a lot of these programs have ambitious claims.
  • _benjammin
    _benjammin Posts: 1,224 Member
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    It definitely gets harder. I'm on week 7 now, and it's reaching a point where I am sweaty and spent at the end of the workout. The first few weeks, I didn't feel like I was really getting a workout, but as the weight creeps up, it starts to really work you.
    Yep.
    I'm in week 7 too. I've been steady at it every other day since Aug 1. I made some 10 lb jumps early on because it was easy, 60 sec rests and done in less than 40 minutes. Now I'm taking about 2 minutes to rest and feeling spent afterwards.
  • chuckyp
    chuckyp Posts: 693 Member
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    It's enough because the program uses compound movements that train almost everything. I add pull-ups and dips just because I want to get better at those also, but they are also compound movements. I still do some running too, just because I want to be comfortable running those 5ks and obstacle races.

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