Share your Heavy Lifting Routine :) (Stronglifts 5x5, etc.)

cjl2535
cjl2535 Posts: 89
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I've been looking into heavy lifting and I would really love to start it but I don't know where to start!
I have been looking at Stronglifts 5x5...wondering if anyone has experience in that??

Or can anyone just share their personal heavy lifting routine and whether or not you include cardio to lose fat?

In addition, if you are lifting, and you want to lose fat, do you eat at a deficit or at you TDEE?

Replies

  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    This is what I do. It's very similar to SL 5x5 with a little more isolation on arms/shoulders.
    http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/jason-blaha-ice-cream-fitness-5x5-novice-workout

    I do that M-W-F and jog on T-Th.

    Currently I'm in a very slight deficit and doing a slow re-comp. Scale isn't moving much but I'm still shifting inches.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    I will let you know on my next bod pod appointment if what I am doing is truly working.\
    As for heavy lifting I guess I do not really do it so much. The heaviest I have gone is 7/5/3.

    I am working of my size for a little while because my endurance is trash for lifting.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    I can't recommend Stronglifts 5 x 5 highly enough. I love that in only 3 sessions a week that really don't take all that long I've seen real gains in how much I can lift and also in how I look and feel.
  • _benjammin
    _benjammin Posts: 1,224 Member
    I did SL 5X5 for about 16 weeks (started in August 2013) but the last few weeks I cut squats down to 3X5 and then switched to MADCOW. I've been doing MADCOW since the first of the year with a number of deloads/re-sets, still love it.
  • _benjammin
    _benjammin Posts: 1,224 Member
    Or can anyone just share their personal heavy lifting routine and whether or not you include cardio to lose fat?

    In addition, if you are lifting, and you want to lose fat, do you eat at a deficit or at you TDEE?

    I started SL 5x5 eating a surplus trying to "Lean Gain". That didn't work so well. I cut for about 2 months while doing MADCOW and have been having better success lean gaining the last 2 months while doing MADCOW and paying closer attention to calories and macros. No cardio for me except for doing glute bridges and bulgarian split squat reps of 15. ;-)
    Generally, eating at maintenance and lifting heavy will result in fat loss and "re-comping" but at a slower pace than just eating a deficit. Assuming you are new to lifting, you can make strength gains (and lose fat) while eating a deficit.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Or can anyone just share their personal heavy lifting routine and whether or not you include cardio to lose fat?

    In addition, if you are lifting, and you want to lose fat, do you eat at a deficit or at you TDEE?

    Assuming you are new to lifting, you can make strength gains (and lose fat) while eating a deficit.

    I do not think it only involves being new to lifting.
  • Rose6300
    Rose6300 Posts: 232 Member
    Or can anyone just share their personal heavy lifting routine and whether or not you include cardio to lose fat?

    In addition, if you are lifting, and you want to lose fat, do you eat at a deficit or at you TDEE?

    Assuming you are new to lifting, you can make strength gains (and lose fat) while eating a deficit.

    I do not think it only involves being new to lifting.

    Actually, it does. You can't gain muscle without eating at a surplus, unless you're an overfat individual achieving newbie gains. Here, read this. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/general-philosophies-of-muscle-mass-gain.html
  • Healthy_4_Life2
    Healthy_4_Life2 Posts: 595 Member
    This is what I do. It's very similar to SL 5x5 with a little more isolation on arms/shoulders.
    http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/jason-blaha-ice-cream-fitness-5x5-novice-workout

    I do that M-W-F and jog on T-Th.

    Currently I'm in a very slight deficit and doing a slow re-comp. Scale isn't moving much but I'm still shifting inches.

    ^^^^I will check this out!! It does sound very similar to Stronglists. I currently do SL at this point.
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
    Or can anyone just share their personal heavy lifting routine and whether or not you include cardio to lose fat?

    In addition, if you are lifting, and you want to lose fat, do you eat at a deficit or at you TDEE?

    Assuming you are new to lifting, you can make strength gains (and lose fat) while eating a deficit.

    I do not think it only involves being new to lifting.

    Actually, it does. You can't gain muscle without eating at a surplus, unless you're an overfat individual achieving newbie gains. Here, read this. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/general-philosophies-of-muscle-mass-gain.html

    I think you misunderstood the pp. You can make strength gains without adding new muscle. Strength gains=/= muscle gain.

    Strength gains in a deficit are slower but you can gain quite a bit of strength without adding new muscle.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Or can anyone just share their personal heavy lifting routine and whether or not you include cardio to lose fat?

    In addition, if you are lifting, and you want to lose fat, do you eat at a deficit or at you TDEE?

    strength gains

    I do not think it only involves being new to lifting.

    Actually, it does. You can't gain muscle without eating at a surplus, unless you're an overfat individual achieving newbie gains. Here, read this. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/general-philosophies-of-muscle-mass-gain.html

    Strength gains can be made in calorie deficit. My friend who has been lifting longer than me of 12 years. Has got stronger in his cut faze. I have been lifting for 8 years with time off from sideline injury and being lazy. I am still making progress in lifting gains on a deifict.

    Muscle mass takes surplus not muscle gains.
    muscle gains =/= muscle mass
  • MissHolidayGolightly
    MissHolidayGolightly Posts: 857 Member
    I do 5x5 about once a week then about two days per week doing other lifts at higher reps and fewer sets (3x8). I still incorporate the full body lifts but modified and I include other types. For example, intead of regular barbell squats and OHP one day, I'll do front squats with a jerk. Another example is incline bench instead of regular. On the other day, I'll add in stiff-legged dead lifts. I'll also add in some ab work and lat pull downs. In sum, I do a hybrid of NROL and strong lifts. I love the essential 5x5 but this routine enables me to do other lifts from which I benefit.

    I haven't been doing much cardio on a routine but since it's summer, I end up kayaking, biking, and working in the yard often anyway. I notice that lifting regularly has improved my performance in these areas, too. I haven't really lost weight and I'm not really trying to at this point but I feel I look much better.
  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
    I do this workout: http://hypertrophyspecific.com/hst_index.html (see page two for actual workout)
    3 days a week.
    I do light cardio 3 days a week as well (walking, biking, etc)
  • tough_cookie40
    tough_cookie40 Posts: 3
    I use a Max OT style of training. I have found that my body responded most effectively and quickest to this routine. Heavy sets, low reps. I currently use three days of 60 minute crossfit style sessions for cardio.
  • MyssPhytt
    MyssPhytt Posts: 51 Member
    I've only been doing StrongLifts for about 3 weeks but so far I really feel that it is giving me the results I want. I already feel so much stronger and I'm starting to see more of a physical transformation than with my previous weight training which really only consisted of body weight exercises or small hand weights with lots of reps. What I love about StrongLifts is that its so incredibly easy to follow and it seems that I'm getting results super-fast; however, I do feel that eventually I'm going to need to change thing's up. I like how MissHolidayGo is modifying hers and may do something like that because I would like to work on some separate muscle groups eventually. I do however still incorporate other strength training with doing cross-fit type workouts, body weight exercises, lots of push-ups, and still do toning with hand weights, just not near as much as I am doing heavy lifting with StrongLifts. Also, I do not let my cardio suffer because I am somewhat of a runner and like to participate in 5ks, etc. Getting that delicate balance of both is somewhat of a challenge. So I run at least a mile before I lift just to get my heart rate up enough before lifting. Its basically just a warm-up to prepare me for lifting and I've noticed it really helps boost my heart rate while I lift. Also after lifting, I will occasionally do other strengthening exercises like wall sits and pull-ups. My weekly routine usually goes like this:
    Mon: Cardio kickboxing class
    Tues: 1 mile run/StrongLifts
    Wed: Cardio/toning
    Thurs: 1 mile run/StrongLifts
    Fri: Rest or mild cardio (walking etc)
    Sat: 1 mile run/StrongLifts
    Sun: I play on an adult softball league

    Here are my results after just 2 weeks of StrongLifts

    28klvg2.jpg

    Before and after:
    24d2brr.jpg
  • turbojn997
    turbojn997 Posts: 28 Member
    SL 5x5 works. Period. Start the way it is outlined with the empty bar and you will progress. Progressive loading. Oldest strength training program.
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    Or can anyone just share their personal heavy lifting routine and whether or not you include cardio to lose fat?

    In addition, if you are lifting, and you want to lose fat, do you eat at a deficit or at you TDEE?

    strength gains

    I do not think it only involves being new to lifting.

    Actually, it does. You can't gain muscle without eating at a surplus, unless you're an overfat individual achieving newbie gains. Here, read this. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/general-philosophies-of-muscle-mass-gain.html

    Strength gains can be made in calorie deficit. My friend who has been lifting longer than me of 12 years. Has got stronger in his cut faze. I have been lifting for 8 years with time off from sideline injury and being lazy. I am still making progress in lifting gains on a deifict.

    Muscle mass takes surplus not muscle gains.
    muscle gains =/= muscle mass

    Serious question: What is the difference between muscle gain and muscle mass in terms of your last statement?

    OP: I started with Stronglifts, did it without cardio for several months before switching to 5/3/1 for another several months, and ate at a deficit. I lost my first 20# doing just that. I went back to Stronglifts a month ago because I also started running 3 days/week in preparation for a Spartan race.
  • bluetuesday5
    bluetuesday5 Posts: 99 Member
    Jim Wendler's 5/3/1

    Monday - Overhead Press - 5/3/1, Bench Press, 5x10, Chin Ups, 5x10
    Tuesday - Deadlift - 5/3/1, Front Squat, 5x10, Abs
    Thursday - Bench Press - 5/3/1, Overhead Press, 5x10, Dumbbell Rows, 5x10
    Friday - Back Squat - 5/3/1, Good Morning, 5x10, Abs

    Where 5/3/1 specifies to a set of percentages you alternate over 3 weeks, basically the "heavy lifting" stuff and the rest is accessory work.

    Cardio is 10 minutes on the heavy bag at the start of each weights workout, and when I want to cut I usually add in some walking and hill sprints.
  • civilizedworm
    civilizedworm Posts: 796 Member
    I'm a 4x8 for work sets kind of lifter, preceded by warm-up sets and at least one or two heavier sets scaling up by 10 or 20 pounds - depends how I feel after my work sets. Once I master a given weight - own it - with perfect form and for the 4x8 formula, the work-set weight increases by 10 pounds. Step and repeat.

    01. Quads/Calves (Squats, lunges, raises)
    02. Pecs/Tris (Presses, Flys, Pushups, Press-downs)
    03. Cardio/Core (Treadmill, planks, crunches)
    04. Hams/Lats/Lower Back (Deadlifts, pull-ups, chin-ups, extensions)
    05. Shoulders/Biceps/Forearms (Military press, shrugs, raises, EZ curl preacher, eccentric cable curls, dumbbell curls, reverse curls)
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
    I've been doing SL5x5 for 4 weeks now and love it. I'm excited to wake up every other day and add weight. I've always been athletic (20+ years of competitive soccer) but never done any kind of weight lifting before outside of the P90X program. Its exciting for me to basically have PRs every time that I go lift.

    I also incorporate weighted pull-ups on "workout B" days and do 5x5 on those.

    Squat: 60 to 160
    Bench: 70 to 155
    D. Lift: 135 to 215
    O. Press: 85 to 110
    Row: 85 to 140
    Weighted Pull-ups: 185lb body weight + 45

    I also try and run 3 times a week for cardio. Usually two "short" runs of 2-4 miles on Tues./Thurs. and then a long run of 5-8 miles on Sat.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    I change things up usually every couple of months but every week I typically do a heavy compound workout (low rep), compounds+isolation workout (higher rep), 2 leg workouts, and 1-2 sessions of cardio & abs.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Currently running Bill Starr's 636 routine.

    It's not a routine I would recommend to a beginner (or on a cut unless you're a masochist...).

    I am currently cutting...

    Anyway, it's full body, twice weekly. I've thrown in a deadlift day mid-week because there's no DL on the 636 and, well, who doesn't love to deadlift?

    ETA: Cardio? Well, I walk literally everywhere, so my activity level besides lifting is quite high. Not strictly cardio, but I do like to go at a good clip. I might bung in some running like a 5-miler or some hill sprints depending on how I feel. But I can equally go without. Too much activity doesn't really go well with fat loss. You're better at focusing on doing something well for one aspect of fitness and getting your diet in order for weight loss.
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    Jim Wendler's 5/3/1

    Monday - Overhead Press - 5/3/1, Bench Press, 5x10, Chin Ups, 5x10
    Tuesday - Deadlift - 5/3/1, Front Squat, 5x10, Abs
    Thursday - Bench Press - 5/3/1, Overhead Press, 5x10, Dumbbell Rows, 5x10
    Friday - Back Squat - 5/3/1, Good Morning, 5x10, Abs

    Where 5/3/1 specifies to a set of percentages you alternate over 3 weeks, basically the "heavy lifting" stuff and the rest is accessory work.

    Cardio is 10 minutes on the heavy bag at the start of each weights workout, and when I want to cut I usually add in some walking and hill sprints.

    I would suggest the 5's Pro from the Beyond 5/3/1 book, but something similar to that.

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