Stronglifts 5x5
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cushman5279 wrote: »Has anyone been doing this? If so, what have your results been?
I just started today. I really like it! My days will be set up for Thursday/Saturday/Monday with Tuesday and Wednesday as my non-lift days. As a beginner today was 45lb / 45lb / 65lb. I'm looking forward to going up in weight for the next one
Like others have said, the simplicity of the program is nice. It's taken me a little longer than I would like to up my weight though, but that's simply because when I go heavier I sometime lose my form, so I've been working hard to build a stronger foundation and really get the form down. Good luck with working out!
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What does everyone do for a warm up? After a few arm flaps and bodyweight squats and lunges and some stretching I have been doing 1x10 of the empty bar, then 15kg then up in 5kg increments until it gets a strain, then 2x5 reps until I get to the number I am aiming for on that day. I do that for each of the 3 exercises for the day. My workout is beginning to take a long time! I do feel that I get a good workout though. I like to do 10x5 deep squat over head thrusters at the end - that gets the heart rate up !
I'm a little worried about finding my 1rep max. So far I have found that if I can lift it once I can probably lift it again in a minute or 2. I can't imagine lifting a weight and then simply being unable to lift it again.
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midwesterner85 wrote: »midwesterner85 wrote: »midwesterner85 wrote: »I didn't like it because the workouts were not specific enough. I suppose if I was just looking for generic strength training without any specific activity or muscles in mind, this might be a useful app.
What's not specific about the program? They are compound lifts, they work the most amount of muscles per movement............
Yes, that is what I'm saying. It's generic lifts and not specific lifts that target particular muscles.
Generic or Boring lifts? What are your goals, what is your current program, and how does a compound lift not target your specific muscle?
Generic. Boring is subjective, and can't be used for comparison because boring differs from person to person. When I say generic, I mean the exercises target several larger muscles that are common for those who want to build strength for the sake of building strength rather than for a particular activity.
In my case, I'm trying to follow a program to build muscles for rock climbing. Halos, skiers, pull-up retractions, to name a few, are a part of my program and are not on Stronglifts.
Makes perfect sense. Your program is geared for your goal, which it should be! Glad to hear.
I love seeing people get along on the Internet.
It's a good thing :-) I ask more questions for understanding rather than making assumptions. I'm on these forums to help, support, and educate when I can.
get out now while you still can
Where were you 12 hours ago? Lol
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Karen_libert wrote: »What does everyone do for a warm up? After a few arm flaps and bodyweight squats and lunges and some stretching I have been doing 1x10 of the empty bar, then 15kg then up in 5kg increments until it gets a strain, then 2x5 reps until I get to the number I am aiming for on that day. I do that for each of the 3 exercises for the day. My workout is beginning to take a long time! I do feel that I get a good workout though. I like to do 10x5 deep squat over head thrusters at the end - that gets the heart rate up !
I'm a little worried about finding my 1rep max. So far I have found that if I can lift it once I can probably lift it again in a minute or 2. I can't imagine lifting a weight and then simply being unable to lift it again.
For squats I'm doing 2x5 of the bar, then 1x3 of 65lbs, then my 5x5 of 95lbs. The stronglifts app has warm ups built in. All of my other weights are "too low" according to the app to do a warm up. Barbell rows I usually do a 1x5 of just the bar. 0 -
Karen_libert wrote: »What does everyone do for a warm up? After a few arm flaps and bodyweight squats and lunges and some stretching I have been doing 1x10 of the empty bar, then 15kg then up in 5kg increments until it gets a strain, then 2x5 reps until I get to the number I am aiming for on that day. I do that for each of the 3 exercises for the day. My workout is beginning to take a long time! I do feel that I get a good workout though. I like to do 10x5 deep squat over head thrusters at the end - that gets the heart rate up !
I'm a little worried about finding my 1rep max. So far I have found that if I can lift it once I can probably lift it again in a minute or 2. I can't imagine lifting a weight and then simply being unable to lift it again.
The program tells you the warm up procedure...
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Wow... a ton of really great replies, information and opinions here. Thanks!
A lot of really great results too!
My reason and/or goals for doing this program... well, I have pretty much lost all the weight that I can at this point and my body fat % is extremely low. While I engage in several physical activities I needed something different, to increase my over all strength and achieve more tone while keeping my body fat low. I researched a few programs and liked this one because it is simple, basic and doesn't take a lot of time. I had never used a barbell prior to this, just hand weights and a heavy bar. I'm doing the program with a friend so that we can watch/help each other to make sure we have proper form and avoid injury.
Speaking of injury, I practice MMA and Krav, I think if I'm going to get injured it will most likely be during one of those sessions and not lifting weights
I have to say that going into day one yesterday I thought "wow, this is easy", I can certainly lift more weight than what's required for day one. My friend and I completed our warm up and five sets and I felt wonderful. A couple of hours later I had the most delightful muscle soreness and felt somewhat fatigued. That is huge for me because these days it takes A LOT for me to really feel any physical effects of a work out. I am a happy girl! Looking forward to adding weight on Saturday!
Also, it seemed like a great way to maintain my current weight and add additional foods back into my diet without the risk of gaining fat.
Since this type of lifting is new to me I thought this would be a good starting point. Again, I'm not looking to get into body building, just a good simple and solid starting point to recondition my body.
So I completed day one and I loved it. I also had the manager of my fitness center (at work), assist us with the first round. I don't go into anything uneducated and due to my boxing back ground I am usually overly concerned with form and technique when it comes to physical activity, especially lifting weights.
I guess my end point will be at the point where my body no longer responds to whatever weight I'm lifting. At that point I'll change it up again. Like any exercise, the body adapts and you have to shock it back to life. I'm just guessing here... again, I've never really lifted serious weights so I'm not sure how my body will respond. But I like what I'm reading so far about the results!
I am also hoping this will help me to improve upon my MMA skills in terms of overall body strength and stability. I can throw a pretty vicious roundhouse kick but would like to be more spot on for my target. Additional lower body strength and stability may improve that. We'll see.
Thanks again for all of the great responses! Onward and upward!0 -
cushman5279 wrote: »Wow... a ton of really great replies, information and opinions here. Thanks!
A lot of really great results too!
My reason and/or goals for doing this program... well, I have pretty much lost all the weight that I can at this point and my body fat % is extremely low. While I engage in several physical activities I needed something different, to increase my over all strength and achieve more tone while keeping my body fat low. I researched a few programs and liked this one because it is simple, basic and doesn't take a lot of time. I had never used a barbell prior to this, just hand weights and a heavy bar. I'm doing the program with a friend so that we can watch/help each other to make sure we have proper form and avoid injury.
Speaking of injury, I practice MMA and Krav, I think if I'm going to get injured it will most likely be during one of those sessions and not lifting weights
I have to say that going into day one yesterday I thought "wow, this is easy", I can certainly lift more weight than what's required for day one. My friend and I completed our warm up and five sets and I felt wonderful. A couple of hours later I had the most delightful muscle soreness and felt somewhat fatigued. That is huge for me because these days it takes A LOT for me to really feel any physical effects of a work out. I am a happy girl! Looking forward to adding weight on Saturday!
Also, it seemed like a great way to maintain my current weight and add additional foods back into my diet without the risk of gaining fat.
Since this type of lifting is new to me I thought this would be a good starting point. Again, I'm not looking to get into body building, just a good simple and solid starting point to recondition my body.
So I completed day one and I loved it. I also had the manager of my fitness center (at work), assist us with the first round. I don't go into anything uneducated and due to my boxing back ground I am usually overly concerned with form and technique when it comes to physical activity, especially lifting weights.
I guess my end point will be at the point where my body no longer responds to whatever weight I'm lifting. At that point I'll change it up again. Like any exercise, the body adapts and you have to shock it back to life. I'm just guessing here... again, I've never really lifted serious weights so I'm not sure how my body will respond. But I like what I'm reading so far about the results!
I am also hoping this will help me to improve upon my MMA skills in terms of overall body strength and stability. I can throw a pretty vicious roundhouse kick but would like to be more spot on for my target. Additional lower body strength and stability may improve that. We'll see.
Thanks again for all of the great responses! Onward and upward!
Sounds like you found something you like. Keep at it! And as a strength program it is a good addition to other work. However, if you are looking to improve positioning and stability in kicking with a 5x5 program you can initially expect it to decrease precision - building for strength requires readjustments - just keep practicing those kicks. I'd also suggest you add power (vs strength/"hybrid") into your program - the strength part is great but something like plyometrics to improve power, speed under tension might also be worth looking into.
Edit: also thinking about the 5x5 program - consider shifting the deadlifts to a straighter leg version (Romanian, SLDL, etc.). Or working specifically the hamstrings as an add on. 5x5 tends to be a bit quad/glut heavier and may result in an imbalance - which, with kicking can lead to ACL knee injury.0 -
EvgeniZyntx wrote: »cushman5279 wrote: »Wow... a ton of really great replies, information and opinions here. Thanks!
A lot of really great results too!
My reason and/or goals for doing this program... well, I have pretty much lost all the weight that I can at this point and my body fat % is extremely low. While I engage in several physical activities I needed something different, to increase my over all strength and achieve more tone while keeping my body fat low. I researched a few programs and liked this one because it is simple, basic and doesn't take a lot of time. I had never used a barbell prior to this, just hand weights and a heavy bar. I'm doing the program with a friend so that we can watch/help each other to make sure we have proper form and avoid injury.
Speaking of injury, I practice MMA and Krav, I think if I'm going to get injured it will most likely be during one of those sessions and not lifting weights
I have to say that going into day one yesterday I thought "wow, this is easy", I can certainly lift more weight than what's required for day one. My friend and I completed our warm up and five sets and I felt wonderful. A couple of hours later I had the most delightful muscle soreness and felt somewhat fatigued. That is huge for me because these days it takes A LOT for me to really feel any physical effects of a work out. I am a happy girl! Looking forward to adding weight on Saturday!
Also, it seemed like a great way to maintain my current weight and add additional foods back into my diet without the risk of gaining fat.
Since this type of lifting is new to me I thought this would be a good starting point. Again, I'm not looking to get into body building, just a good simple and solid starting point to recondition my body.
So I completed day one and I loved it. I also had the manager of my fitness center (at work), assist us with the first round. I don't go into anything uneducated and due to my boxing back ground I am usually overly concerned with form and technique when it comes to physical activity, especially lifting weights.
I guess my end point will be at the point where my body no longer responds to whatever weight I'm lifting. At that point I'll change it up again. Like any exercise, the body adapts and you have to shock it back to life. I'm just guessing here... again, I've never really lifted serious weights so I'm not sure how my body will respond. But I like what I'm reading so far about the results!
I am also hoping this will help me to improve upon my MMA skills in terms of overall body strength and stability. I can throw a pretty vicious roundhouse kick but would like to be more spot on for my target. Additional lower body strength and stability may improve that. We'll see.
Thanks again for all of the great responses! Onward and upward!
Sounds like you found something you like. Keep at it! And as a strength program it is a good addition to other work. However, if you are looking to improve positioning and stability in kicking with a 5x5 program you can initially expect it to decrease precision - building for strength requires readjustments - just keep practicing those kicks. I'd also suggest you add power (vs strength/"hybrid") into your program - the strength part is great but something like plyometrics to improve power, speed under tension might also be worth looking into.
Edit: also thinking about the 5x5 program - consider shifting the deadlifts to a straighter leg version (Romanian, SLDL, etc.). Or working specifically the hamstrings as an add on. 5x5 tends to be a bit quad/glut heavier and may result in an imbalance - which, with kicking can lead to ACL knee injury.
Great suggestions, thanks!
I always expect a few weeks of readjustment when starting a new exercise so I'm ready for that, but I hear you on improving power and speed. It took me close to two years to perfect my kicks and like anything, it's hot and cold. Some times I am on fire, each one perfect in form, speed, power, timing... other days I feel like I have cement blocks on my feet haha! But hey, practice makes better! Thanks again!0 -
OP --you posted the following less than a week ago ("It's never enough"):
Sorry I was unclear. I'm trying to drop a few additional pounds and get to athlete level body fat percentage.
1,000 is my baseline and I do tend to go over by a couple of hundred a day, I try to stay within a cron type of diet and slowly lower my calories while getting maximum nutrients from the foods that I eat. It's a challenge, not sustainable I know. I'm trying to build additional muscle/tone. For activities I practice MMA and kickboxing, HIIT and various calisthenics, I lift weights 3 to 4 times per week, I dance a couple of times per week. I use the machines (cross ramp elliptical) I walk and sometimes run (interval sprints), I practice barre and legitamate ballet and I do wavemaster and some free-weight classes. Aside from the low calorie range I try to eat to perform in terms of eating the appropriate foods to fuel my daily activities before/after a work out.
What's the deal with over training? Sometimes in my mind I feel like I'm overtraining but my body doesn't feel that way at all. I'm not tired, I look forward to my workouts, I'm able to give a lot of effort, I get plenty of sleep...
Are you wanting to add SL5x5 to your existing activity menu? On a "calorie restriction diet"?
I am in week 4 and I can tell you that SL5x5 can wipe me out. And I eat!
Yes... so obviously I am looking for something completely different where I can maintain my low body fat, maintain my low weight but gain muscle. All of the activities I currently engage in are great but keep where where I am. So I am adding this to my existing activity menu and yes I am increasing my calories. I eat to perform depeding upon the activity. With that said, I know calorie restriction just won't work with this program
I am looking forward to a workout actually making me feel exhausted! I haven't gotten around to changing my diary settings yet. Currently on light days I keep the calories very low and the nutrients very high, coming close to my macro's and all that. That will change as I further engage in this program 0 -
I started at the end of March, with the minimum weights prescribed.
Ive been sedentary for years and recently lost weight to end up at a good weight but woefully unfit. I had to move some furniture and struggled massively, a while back it would have been easy - so I figured time to do something about it.
I chose this because its primarily a strength program, and because of the simplicity. As a starter program is less intimidating - and I agree with all the advise Ive seen about getting the compound lifts right as a first priority.
Little over 2 months in and Im doing well so far (have just deloaded having had a week off, previous weight in brackets):
Squat 70kg (80)
OHP 37.5kg (42.5)
Deadlift 90kg (95)
Bench 45kg (50)
Row 52.5kg (57.5)
At the moment I feel much, much stronger. All round I feel firmer or tighter, rather than spongey like before. For the most part Ive just firmed up what was there, though my biceps, thighs and calves have definitely grown some.
Ive had the feeling the weights Im at are approaching my max, so the deload will hopefully help with that.
When I get to the recommended 12 weeks Im going to introduce more accessory work to suppliment, will probably go with ICF 5x5 as I like the nature of having a plan to follow.
If you are enjoying it Id say stick to it, its a great program in my opinion. The other thing I like is that the simplicity allows you to intuit when you need to make changes.0 -
EvgeniZyntx wrote: »cushman5279 wrote: »Wow... a ton of really great replies, information and opinions here. Thanks!
A lot of really great results too!
My reason and/or goals for doing this program... well, I have pretty much lost all the weight that I can at this point and my body fat % is extremely low. While I engage in several physical activities I needed something different, to increase my over all strength and achieve more tone while keeping my body fat low. I researched a few programs and liked this one because it is simple, basic and doesn't take a lot of time. I had never used a barbell prior to this, just hand weights and a heavy bar. I'm doing the program with a friend so that we can watch/help each other to make sure we have proper form and avoid injury.
Speaking of injury, I practice MMA and Krav, I think if I'm going to get injured it will most likely be during one of those sessions and not lifting weights
I have to say that going into day one yesterday I thought "wow, this is easy", I can certainly lift more weight than what's required for day one. My friend and I completed our warm up and five sets and I felt wonderful. A couple of hours later I had the most delightful muscle soreness and felt somewhat fatigued. That is huge for me because these days it takes A LOT for me to really feel any physical effects of a work out. I am a happy girl! Looking forward to adding weight on Saturday!
Also, it seemed like a great way to maintain my current weight and add additional foods back into my diet without the risk of gaining fat.
Since this type of lifting is new to me I thought this would be a good starting point. Again, I'm not looking to get into body building, just a good simple and solid starting point to recondition my body.
So I completed day one and I loved it. I also had the manager of my fitness center (at work), assist us with the first round. I don't go into anything uneducated and due to my boxing back ground I am usually overly concerned with form and technique when it comes to physical activity, especially lifting weights.
I guess my end point will be at the point where my body no longer responds to whatever weight I'm lifting. At that point I'll change it up again. Like any exercise, the body adapts and you have to shock it back to life. I'm just guessing here... again, I've never really lifted serious weights so I'm not sure how my body will respond. But I like what I'm reading so far about the results!
I am also hoping this will help me to improve upon my MMA skills in terms of overall body strength and stability. I can throw a pretty vicious roundhouse kick but would like to be more spot on for my target. Additional lower body strength and stability may improve that. We'll see.
Thanks again for all of the great responses! Onward and upward!
Sounds like you found something you like. Keep at it! And as a strength program it is a good addition to other work. However, if you are looking to improve positioning and stability in kicking with a 5x5 program you can initially expect it to decrease precision - building for strength requires readjustments - just keep practicing those kicks. I'd also suggest you add power (vs strength/"hybrid") into your program - the strength part is great but something like plyometrics to improve power, speed under tension might also be worth looking into.
Edit: also thinking about the 5x5 program - consider shifting the deadlifts to a straighter leg version (Romanian, SLDL, etc.). Or working specifically the hamstrings as an add on. 5x5 tends to be a bit quad/glut heavier and may result in an imbalance - which, with kicking can lead to ACL knee injury.
(Bolded areas) Please see the statements you made in the collapsed quotes above.
OP:- What is your bodyfat percentage?
- Do you have room for up to an hour of SL5x5? (Warm-up, practicing form, research...)
- Speaking of injury...
- Are you adding SL5x5 to add some more food calories to your diary?
@EvgeniZyntx made excellent points. If your main sport is kick-boxing/Martial Arts/Zumba/Ballet... you may want to refocus.
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EvgeniZyntx wrote: »cushman5279 wrote: »Wow... a ton of really great replies, information and opinions here. Thanks!
A lot of really great results too!
My reason and/or goals for doing this program... well, I have pretty much lost all the weight that I can at this point and my body fat % is extremely low. While I engage in several physical activities I needed something different, to increase my over all strength and achieve more tone while keeping my body fat low. I researched a few programs and liked this one because it is simple, basic and doesn't take a lot of time. I had never used a barbell prior to this, just hand weights and a heavy bar. I'm doing the program with a friend so that we can watch/help each other to make sure we have proper form and avoid injury.
Speaking of injury, I practice MMA and Krav, I think if I'm going to get injured it will most likely be during one of those sessions and not lifting weights
I have to say that going into day one yesterday I thought "wow, this is easy", I can certainly lift more weight than what's required for day one. My friend and I completed our warm up and five sets and I felt wonderful. A couple of hours later I had the most delightful muscle soreness and felt somewhat fatigued. That is huge for me because these days it takes A LOT for me to really feel any physical effects of a work out. I am a happy girl! Looking forward to adding weight on Saturday!
Also, it seemed like a great way to maintain my current weight and add additional foods back into my diet without the risk of gaining fat.
Since this type of lifting is new to me I thought this would be a good starting point. Again, I'm not looking to get into body building, just a good simple and solid starting point to recondition my body.
So I completed day one and I loved it. I also had the manager of my fitness center (at work), assist us with the first round. I don't go into anything uneducated and due to my boxing back ground I am usually overly concerned with form and technique when it comes to physical activity, especially lifting weights.
I guess my end point will be at the point where my body no longer responds to whatever weight I'm lifting. At that point I'll change it up again. Like any exercise, the body adapts and you have to shock it back to life. I'm just guessing here... again, I've never really lifted serious weights so I'm not sure how my body will respond. But I like what I'm reading so far about the results!
I am also hoping this will help me to improve upon my MMA skills in terms of overall body strength and stability. I can throw a pretty vicious roundhouse kick but would like to be more spot on for my target. Additional lower body strength and stability may improve that. We'll see.
Thanks again for all of the great responses! Onward and upward!
Sounds like you found something you like. Keep at it! And as a strength program it is a good addition to other work. However, if you are looking to improve positioning and stability in kicking with a 5x5 program you can initially expect it to decrease precision - building for strength requires readjustments - just keep practicing those kicks. I'd also suggest you add power (vs strength/"hybrid") into your program - the strength part is great but something like plyometrics to improve power, speed under tension might also be worth looking into.
Edit: also thinking about the 5x5 program - consider shifting the deadlifts to a straighter leg version (Romanian, SLDL, etc.). Or working specifically the hamstrings as an add on. 5x5 tends to be a bit quad/glut heavier and may result in an imbalance - which, with kicking can lead to ACL knee injury.
(Bolded areas) Please see the statements you made in the collapsed quotes above.
OP:- What is your bodyfat percentage?
- Do you have room for up to an hour of SL5x5? (Warm-up, practicing form, research...)
- Speaking of injury...
- Are you adding SL5x5 to add some more food calories to your diary?
@EvgeniZyntx made excellent points. If your main sport is kick-boxing/Martial Arts/Zumba/Ballet... you may want to refocus.
Yes they are excellent points and I'm keeping them in mind.
As of today I'm not sure what my body fat percentage is but I'll know tonight at kick boxing, my trainer has calipers and the hand held, I'll use both. Yes I can always fit in more time for warm ups, practicing, etc. I am def concerned about avoiding injury. I don't equate exercise to burning calories. I equate exercise to improving my performance, focus, strength, etc. The weight loss, body recomp and/or additional calories are just a bonus of those activities.
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Day three of my SL complete
Today I did the squats at 55 lb's, bench at 50 lb's and row at 50 lb's. I know I was supposed to be at 60 lb's for the row but I literally couldn't budge it! I did it once and went down a little bit. So for the next time I'll back track and should be able to go to 60 lb's. Not a biggie, if I can't I'll just go up smaller until I can get there It feels excellent! I'm looking forward to Thursday! 0 -
cushman5279 wrote: »Day three of my SL complete
Today I did the squats at 55 lb's, bench at 50 lb's and row at 50 lb's. I know I was supposed to be at 60 lb's for the row but I literally couldn't budge it! I did it once and went down a little bit. So for the next time I'll back track and should be able to go to 60 lb's. Not a biggie, if I can't I'll just go up smaller until I can get there It feels excellent! I'm looking forward to Thursday!
awesome job!
I had invested in some 1.25 pound plates, mainly for OHP. That way I could advance my weight by 2.5lbs instead of 5 if I was having some difficulty. Just food for thought, it may help you to invest in some. 0 -
cushman5279 wrote: »Day three of my SL complete
Today I did the squats at 55 lb's, bench at 50 lb's and row at 50 lb's. I know I was supposed to be at 60 lb's for the row but I literally couldn't budge it! I did it once and went down a little bit. So for the next time I'll back track and should be able to go to 60 lb's. Not a biggie, if I can't I'll just go up smaller until I can get there It feels excellent! I'm looking forward to Thursday!
awesome job!
I had invested in some 1.25 pound plates, mainly for OHP. That way I could advance my weight by 2.5lbs instead of 5 if I was having some difficulty. Just food for thought, it may help you to invest in some.
I did something similar.
I have fractionals in 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.25#.
Others have used large washers from a hardware store as they're cheaper than fractionals0 -
Where did ya'll get your fractionals?
I'm going to need to order some soon, but the places I've looked charge a fortune for shipping...0 -
I got mine off of Amazon- I didn't realize they came in lower weights too... I may need to invest in smaller ones. OHP will be the death of me.
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lishie_rebooted wrote: »cushman5279 wrote: »Day three of my SL complete
Today I did the squats at 55 lb's, bench at 50 lb's and row at 50 lb's. I know I was supposed to be at 60 lb's for the row but I literally couldn't budge it! I did it once and went down a little bit. So for the next time I'll back track and should be able to go to 60 lb's. Not a biggie, if I can't I'll just go up smaller until I can get there It feels excellent! I'm looking forward to Thursday!
awesome job!
I had invested in some 1.25 pound plates, mainly for OHP. That way I could advance my weight by 2.5lbs instead of 5 if I was having some difficulty. Just food for thought, it may help you to invest in some.
I did something similar.
I have fractionals in 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.25#.
Others have used large washers from a hardware store as they're cheaper than fractionals
man those are some crazy small fractionals
never heard of the washer idea but that's pretty legit. should be cheap as dirt too
I just do more reps at the current weight until I can go up to the next 5# (2 x 2.5#)0 -
cushman5279 wrote: »Has anyone been doing this? If so, what have your results been?
I started StrongLifts almost two years ago.
Results: For the first 16 weeks or so, I progressed in a linear fashion according to the prescribed programming. That is, I increased weight 5 lbs. every session, on all lifts. The overhead press and row maxed out first in a matter of a few weeks. Then the bench press. Squats and deadlifts were the last to max out.
I did some de-loading after that, and re-loaded to work my way back up and try to break through plateaus.
After about 6 months I started to focus on the deadlift and squats. I became very enamored with the ability to make PR's in the gym and I had set a goal for myself to hit 405 on the deadlift and get over a 315 squat. I stopped counting calories and simply ate at or above maintenance, despite having a very high body fat percentage, and just kept lifting heavy. My lifting goals became more important to me than trying to cut fat (this was a mistake).
About 9 or 10 months into it, I hit 405 on the deadlift and a 330 squat. Having reached those goals, I stopped worry about PR's, started counting calories again, and started working on losing fat. I got a FitBit Zip and started walking. I dropped a few pounds.
Then winter set in, and the walking became a very cold, dark prospect, so I started eating more and, once again, lifting as heavy as I could in the pursuit of PR's.
I bulked up fairly heavy this past winter, and still had a lot of body fat on me. But my PR's kept coming, so I was very attracted to that aspect of my workouts. I started to modify my program, incorporating more isolation exercises at the end of my compound lifting sessons. I don't do StrongLifts anymore, but I still do all five lifts it prescribes, and I do a progressive loading program, but it's much slower.
Over time, I've modified my routine. I do more of a "ladder" on my squats, bench and deadlift routines. I still do a basic 5x5 for overhead press and rows.
I go to the gym 3 days a week, still, with rest days in between. Though sometimes it's four days. I still squat every day I go, and I typically do deadlifts 2x or 3x per week, depending on how my body feels. It's my favorite lift.
I typically do two big lifts (squat, dead, bench) then one of the 5x5 lifts (row or overhead press) and then some isolation work (dips, pull-ups, dumbell press).
I've been focused on cutting since March. The heavy lifting is still my favorite thing to do.
I've definitely gotten stronger due to all of this. I hit a PR on deadlift last week of 440 lbs. I'm 10 lbs. away from 1,000 lbs. on the three big lifts. And I've been cutting for three months.
I think StrongLifts is a great gateway program into lifting heavy. It's simple and effective.0
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