Another Strong Lifts 5X5 Question

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dbkyser
dbkyser Posts: 612 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Those doing the strong lifts 5X5, do you stick to doing just 3 days a week or do you do it more often?

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  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    I've seen some folks run as 2x a week, some 3x a week, some 4x a week. Anything more than 4x is going to be insufficient recovery time for the vast majority of people.
  • mbcieslak87
    mbcieslak87 Posts: 206 Member
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    I pretty much stuck to the 3x a week - sometimes i could add in a 4th time when i was still still early in the process but once the weight got heavy (relative to my novice abilities) i found that three was plenty to see results and i needed the rest days to recuperate. I did run 2-3x a week as well, so just get exercise in more often, and that didn't seem to negatively affect me.
  • Wombat468
    Wombat468 Posts: 191 Member
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    I'm doing it 3-4 times.
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
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    Stick to the program.
  • llUndecidedll
    llUndecidedll Posts: 724 Member
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    I lift every other day.
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
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    When I run 5x5, maybe once a year, I always stick with the schedule of 3 days a week. Once the weight gets heavy I need the extra rest days.
  • dxlee7
    dxlee7 Posts: 23 Member
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    Stick to the program. Stick to it and be firm. 3 times is good. The weight increases every workout. I used to try and do it 5 times a day and it caused me to have to deload in the first month because I thought I was a badass.
  • kylegeldmaker
    kylegeldmaker Posts: 21 Member
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    I do cardio and accessory training on the rest days. Once the weight gets "heavy" I'll be sticking to the 3x per week.

  • ivanfawcettgibson
    ivanfawcettgibson Posts: 193 Member
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    During football (soccer) I do 2X, as the season is now done for me I go back to 3X.
  • Wombat468
    Wombat468 Posts: 191 Member
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    dxlee7 wrote: »
    Stick to the program. Stick to it and be firm. 3 times is good. The weight increases every workout. I used to try and do it 5 times a day and it caused me to have to deload in the first month because I thought I was a badass.

    I'm really hoping you meant 5 times a week ;)
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    follow the program.
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    edited May 2016
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    LazSommer wrote: »
    Stick to the program.

    ^^this

    If you're not following the program, then you are not doing stronglifts - you're doing a variation based upon stronglifts. Trust the program.
  • dbkyser
    dbkyser Posts: 612 Member
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    Well after this week, I have to totally agree to following the program.
    It seemed that 5 lb increase was pretty easy, until this morning. I realized it sneaks up on you and wow what a workout.
  • HamsterManV2
    HamsterManV2 Posts: 449 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Do it 3 times a week. It is very intentionally designed to be a full body day, rest and rebuild muscle, full body day, rest and rebuild, etc. As a beginner, you can stress your body enough (workout day) so that it illicits muscle growth (rest day) and constantly increase the weight.

    Look at your squat - it gains 15lbs per week, or 60lbs in a month. Show me any other program that can increase the weight so quickly (hint: only other 5x5 strength programs). This isn't exercise where you just get a sweaty body and sore muscles... this is training where you have a goal to increase your squat, bench, deadlift, and row by lots of weight in the shortest amount of time possible.

    When you are squatting 1.5x your bodyweight x 5 reps, you'll know that sticking to the program 3x a week was the correct decision.

    Leave your ego at the door, focus on form early on. IF you need to add something, add abs work, and chin/pull ups OR bicep curls (squats and deadlifts are plenty for legs).
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    dbkyser wrote: »
    Well after this week, I have to totally agree to following the program.
    It seemed that 5 lb increase was pretty easy, until this morning. I realized it sneaks up on you and wow what a workout.

    This is a good time to video your lifts. As you go up in weight, you generally start to cheat on form (especially on squat depth). Catch it early, so you don't have to waste time deloading later to fix the issue.
  • ivanfawcettgibson
    ivanfawcettgibson Posts: 193 Member
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    /\ I can't stress this enough. I was humping weight very well, but I realised I wasn't getting my *kitten* down. I adjusted to use proper form by dropping weight. I've recently started this programme again and I'm dropping properly. Bare in mind, today's squat was a measly 42.5 kg (I had knee surgery in September, couldn't jump back to 86 kg - my pb is 90kg.
    In addition to HamsterManV2, I add pull ups, seated and standing calf raise. After the rows or OHP, they're pretty rubbish.
    But my calves can stand a lot of punishment.
  • dbkyser
    dbkyser Posts: 612 Member
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    hill8570 wrote: »
    dbkyser wrote: »
    Well after this week, I have to totally agree to following the program.
    It seemed that 5 lb increase was pretty easy, until this morning. I realized it sneaks up on you and wow what a workout.

    This is a good time to video your lifts. As you go up in weight, you generally start to cheat on form (especially on squat depth). Catch it early, so you don't have to waste time deloading later to fix the issue.

    I have thought about video and am so subconscious about lifting I built a home gym. I guess I need to do it though.
  • ivanfawcettgibson
    ivanfawcettgibson Posts: 193 Member
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    You don't have to post it for everyone to see. There are tonnes of vids on the interweb you can compare your form to.

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