SL 5x5: Three Month Progress Update (with pics)!

I wouldnt move to isolated workouts unless you have plateaued.
Keep getting those beginner/novice gains till they stop.

Congrats on your SL 5x5 progress! Great job! Have been doing it myself, but I would also recommend continuing until plateau. Mehdi mentions 12 weeks because that;s a good time frame, but your gains on the initial program can continue far beyond that!

I've already had to tweak the program in order to go up in weight. According to the Strength Standards site, I've reached Intermediate level on all of my lifts. I'm definitely not going up 5lbs each workout anymore - far from it.

You look great! I am also doing stronglifts, but I am having difficulty up'ing the weight each time - it seems like you had no problem based on where you started and ended. I had to start at 20 lb barbells (curl barbell) and am up to 40, but I can't seem to make it to 45 to lift the bare barebell! Was there something that helped you?

Also you have fantastic shoulder definition - while I am getting upper arm muscle definition, i still don't see shoulder definition - was there a point when that kicked in? Or do you any other weight lifting? I admittedly really would like well-defined shoulders.

Thanks and great job!

I dabbled in lifting before beginning 5x5, but nothing to brag about. I was able to start with the 45-lb bar from the very beginning, but there's nothing wrong with having to start lower than that. I was able to add 5 lbs every workout for the first few weeks until it started to get heavy, and then it slowed down. I sometimes use fractional plates if I can't go up the whole 5 lbs or I'll go up in weight and reduce my reps to push through that block. For example, I was stuck at 55 lbs on OHP for WEEKS - I tried deloading and everything. I started to add fractionals and now I'm finally up to 60 lbs two weeks later. I was stuck at 75 lbs on bench press, so I did 80 lbs 5x3 and I was able to do 80 lbs 5x5 during the following workout.

Thanks for the compliment on my shoulders, but I must say I don't see great definition in mine. I didn't take any before pictures of my back, so I'm not sure if they started off looking like that or if the definition came in after I started lifting. Sorry! But no, I don't do any other weightlifting aside from 5x5 at this point. With this program, you really aren't supposed to do accessory lifts.

Just stick with it and you'll start seeing results. Get some fractional plates and go up that way. Reduce the reps. Really push yourself to your max.

I've got to ask - how are you doing back squats with a curled barbell? Seems like that might be a tad difficult in itself.