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Another SL 5x5 question

BoxerBrawler
BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello, I have another question regarding Strong Lifts.

I did them as scheduled for a while until I absolutely couldn't go any further. Then I took a small break, still lifted a few days per week but changed it up some. I just re-started again from the beginning. Is this OK or am I wasting my time? On another note, I can't believe the changes in my body just from following the program :smile:

Thank you!

Replies

  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member
    When you say from the beginning, do you mean with the bar and no weight? If so, you'll probably want to add some weight to it unless you're purely working on form. I stopped the programmed for a good 6 months and started back up at around half the weight I ended off with.
  • sscarmack
    sscarmack Posts: 210 Member
    Yes its okay to start a program over. I've restarted many times.

    Its a marathon, take your time and have patience, which you seem to have. Best of luck :)
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    Starting over is completely ok. It only takes ~10 weeks to hit 200lb in squats, which is a significant amount of weight for most people. It is also ok to increase by 10lb a time instead of 5lb if you are far away from your 1RM.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    Thanks :smile: I only took a couple of weeks break and started back up with about a quarter of the weight. I didn't start at just the bar again.
  • sistrsprkl
    sistrsprkl Posts: 1,010 Member
    I recently re-started after a 2 1/2 month break. I started with the bar but added weight faster and am just about back to what I left off at - after about 2-3 weeks.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Doesn't SL have deload instructions? And I thought that you were supposed to move to 3x5 at some point? (And maybe 5x3 after that? I've never done it so I'm not sure that's right.) Barring an injury or long layoff, reducing the weight by 75% seems drastic.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    Yes there is some information about deloading, which I did quickly. I haven't read about 3x5. For now I am content to re-start the 5x5 :)
  • rick_po
    rick_po Posts: 449 Member
    For just a two week break, I would just start where you left off, repeat your last successful weights and then move forward normally. If it seems hard to get back in the swing of things, maybe cut back 10%. Two weeks is too short an off-time to start from the empty bar again.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    rick_po wrote: »
    For just a two week break, I would just start where you left off, repeat your last successful weights and then move forward normally. If it seems hard to get back in the swing of things, maybe cut back 10%. Two weeks is too short an off-time to start from the empty bar again.

    Yes that's what I thought too. I didn't want to go back to just the bar so I went down in weight but not back to ground zero.
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,286 Member
    I took almot two years off when I had my third and fourth babies, and I did not start at the beginning either, I started about half of what I had been at and it took me nearly a year to get back up to where I had been.
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    If you're using the app, it'll suggest deloading to about 60% of max if you've taken a week or two off. Don't have to do that, but you'll definitely be sore for a few days if you don't. And as others have mentioned, SL recommends dropping to 3x5 on the working weights once you start having recovery problems with 5x5. And once 3x5 recovery becomes an issue, moving to an intermediate program like Madcow or 5/3/1.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    hill8570 wrote: »
    If you're using the app, it'll suggest deloading to about 60% of max if you've taken a week or two off. Don't have to do that, but you'll definitely be sore for a few days if you don't. And as others have mentioned, SL recommends dropping to 3x5 on the working weights once you start having recovery problems with 5x5. And once 3x5 recovery becomes an issue, moving to an intermediate program like Madcow or 5/3/1.

    Thanks! This is helpful.
This discussion has been closed.

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