Question about 5x5

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thatch1234
thatch1234 Posts: 276 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So im doing mon-wed-fri as usual guys. Following the a and b workout routines. I'm just wondering if people do extra work or is the program your full workout lifting wise? I do a little tri and bi workout after my workout some days but not sure if I'm suppose to or not really and should I do more. Also managed to add 5kg to squats/deadlifts and row this week but bench was just too heavy with the 5kg so is that normal also? Should I go up same weight in all lifts? My aim is to be muscly all round and lose fat and weight. Just hoping this routine will get me there with some cardio thrown in. Any advice appreciated. Thanks for reading.

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  • thatch1234
    thatch1234 Posts: 276 Member
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    Does anyone have any answers? :)
  • vwbug86
    vwbug86 Posts: 283 Member
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    You might try joining one of the Strength/Lifting Groups and ask your question there.
  • Junken_Diraffe
    Junken_Diraffe Posts: 716 Member
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    Mostly bumping so my smart friends can look and answer this for you.

    I do know, though, that not all lifts will progress at the same rate. They'll likely all be different before long. I'm far from a pro at this, and only did SL5x5 for about 6 months, though I'm planning on starting again soon!
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    It's not wise to add your own exercises as a novice. It makes more sense once you are more advanced because you will know your body better and also be able to identify your weak points and the weaknesses in your program better. As a novice, your entire body is weak. If you are doing SL and missing arm work, consider using Jason Blaha's novice program instead of doing your own thing.

    You should progress and reset/deload as your program directs. It's normal for upper body to progress more slowly than lower. However, bench press is a more technical lift than many beginners realize. It's possible you don't know how to bench.
  • teaparty75
    teaparty75 Posts: 170
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    i've added tri/bicep , some shoulder dumbbell lifts (as a warmup to the OHP), and dips to my stronglift routine ....i don't think it hurts anything BUT as per the stronglifts website "the goal is never to get sore" so you don't want to stray too far from the program by doing too much accessory isolation stuff .....all lifts won't progress at the same rate , i use the app strong log to keep track - this helps motivate me to increase weight if i've been scared for too long to increase LOL
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,228 Member
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    If you add other exercises you will likely stall out on your increases on 5x5. Follow the program as listed, including starting out with the empty bar and adding weight from there. Your biceps and triceps get plenty of work from the bench press, overhead press, and bent over rows.
  • thatch1234
    thatch1234 Posts: 276 Member
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    Hey guys, sorry should have added I've been lifting weights for about a year. I've just only started this program recently. Not really a novice. I bench 85kg to do 5x5 going to 90kg was too much. Just to give an idea where I'm at. Thanks
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    you dont have to go up the same weight in all exercises. that's just not feasible after awhile because then that would mean you'd expect your OHP to be as much as you DL which would be hilarious.

    your gym should have the lighter 1.25 pound plates and that way you can increase by increments of 2.5 pounds. again, it's not feasible to expect to increse your weights by 10 pounds everytime you do the movement. you do eventually stall and if i'm not mistaken mehdi gives instructions on the site on how to work through a stall.

    if you really have gas in your biceps and triceps after properly executed challenging bb rows, bench press and OHP and you want to train then, them by all means go ahead. it's not like some SL mercenaries are going to swoop in to stop you :laugh: you might end up discovering that you dont need the auxiliary work
  • thatch1234
    thatch1234 Posts: 276 Member
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    Hey, well I have my own gym in my garage. Full equipment after 2 years of saving up to buy. I do have small 1.5 kg weights also so yeah that's an idea. I did lift 2x5 but then kinda felt annoyed with myself I couldn't do more but yeah it makes sense. Ohp are really the worst lol. The only reason I was putting extra work into them is because I don't want them to fall flat while back legs,shoulders and chest expand. But I may be worrying about nothing. I like to be sore next day which i know isn't a good indicator. :s
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    the weight plates i mean are these little guys

    http://www.amazon.com/Grey-Machined-Olympic-Plates-Pair/dp/B004QJ2ZOK/ref=pd_sim_sg_6

    so even smaller than your 1.5 kgs ones. these are about .57 kg .

    i'm coming back from a shoulder issue and i find that these little ones have been really helpful. they are also helpful if you're close to a stall and want to eek out as much increase as you safely can before a change in sets or a deload
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,228 Member
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    From what I remember of 5x5 the increase is 5Lbs, not 5Kg each time. Increasing 5Kg would be the equivalent of increasing 11Lbs, twice what the program is calling for. Doing this you are sure to stall quickly. Whether you are an experienced lifter or not, I tend to go with the programs insistence of starting with just the bar. The weight will go up quick quickly. If not starting with the bar, I would start substantially lighter than you are lifting at the moment and build back up.

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