How to make better progress with SL 5x5

KDar1988
KDar1988 Posts: 648 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've read the site and he says no need to do any other lifting besides the program. I'm curious if you should add other lifting in order to be able to add weight to the SL lifts? I'm a bit stagnant now, I can't add weight to the OHP or deadlifts.

I know there are women on here (who are awesome by the way!) who lift so much more. I don't know how they got there. I really like SL, I just want to be able to add weight. I do have the fractional plates but I'm not really progressing much with them.

Thanks!
«1

Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    OHP is very hard to make progress on. Just keep plugging away. Deadlifts you should be able to make increases for quite awhile. Chances are your form may be a bit off, but there are some assistance exercises that might be able to aid you. How is your barbell row progressing?
  • journalistjen
    journalistjen Posts: 265 Member
    I love strong lifts. As long as you're getting adequate recovery, you can incorporate other movements to help strengthen smaller muscle groups and muscles used for stabilizing. Also, in terms of gains, consider whether or not you're on a cut. Gains can suffer or stagnate due to intake.
  • KDar1988
    KDar1988 Posts: 648 Member
    It'll be 2 months Friday.
    Here is a comparison of starting vs now
    Squat 45 / (was up to 100lbs doing landmines but switched to front squats at 65lbs on them now)
    Bench 45 / 80
    OHP 50 / 61
    Barbell Row 65 / 100
    Dead 105 / 155

    I can't do the backsquats so that's why I was trying landmines but at 100lbs picking the bar up safely was beginning to be a concern so I switched to the front squats and feel like I'm starting all over.

    I've only been able to add weight the bench press for the last few sessions. I'm sure my form is off...still very much a newbie! I'm going to meet with a trainer next week to look at the squats. Hopefully that will be good!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Dude I can't do OHP 5x5 for 60 lbs lol. You're doing fine. And 80 on bench is great. Have your trainer look at your deads too.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    KDar1988 wrote: »
    It'll be 2 months Friday.
    Here is a comparison of starting vs now
    Squat 45 / (was up to 100lbs doing landmines but switched to front squats at 65lbs on them now)
    Bench 45 / 80
    OHP 50 / 61
    Barbell Row 65 / 100
    Dead 105 / 155

    I can't do the backsquats so that's why I was trying landmines but at 100lbs picking the bar up safely was beginning to be a concern so I switched to the front squats and feel like I'm starting all over.

    I've only been able to add weight the bench press for the last few sessions. I'm sure my form is off...still very much a newbie! I'm going to meet with a trainer next week to look at the squats. Hopefully that will be good!

    You're doing great.......
  • BillMcKay1
    BillMcKay1 Posts: 315 Member
    OHP is the first lift almost everyone stalls on and deloads. It targets the smallest muscle group in the program and in comparison to the bigger compound lifts like Squats and Deads, it will never progress overall at the same pace. In the past I took my deadlifts to 400lbs without stalling once and in the same time had to deload on OHP 3x and maxed out at 150. Just on Monday after starting up again in May I stalled at 105 on OHP and will be deloading on Friday back to 90.

    What is the problem you are having with deadlifts, is it the lift itself or your grip and ability to hold the bar?
  • KDar1988
    KDar1988 Posts: 648 Member
    Thanks everyone. I am trying to lose weight now while doing this. 50lbs to go...determined to make it and keep my muscle at the same time. I guess I just need to be patient and keep going.

    Thanks again :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    If you're dieting, that's gong to be another hindrance...it takes a lot of energy to make those gains and if you're dieting, you don't have that level of energy.
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    Fractional weights can help.
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,406 Member
    Is your goal powerlifting as sport? You seem to be progressing well!

    I ran it for six weeks and began to stall. I tried accessory work thinking that a bit more muscle might help. I also switched to ascending lifts 10, 8, 5, 3, 1(+). I am able to lift a bit heavier and maintain. I also prefer the variation. I am now fine with slow progress as I have other goals that take precedence.

    My biggest help is a 10-minute cardio warm-up, dynamic stretching and foam rolling (when I actually do it).

  • KDar1988
    KDar1988 Posts: 648 Member
    BillMcKay1 wrote: »

    What is the problem you are having with deadlifts, is it the lift itself or your grip and ability to hold the bar?

    At 155 I can barely do 5. I feel my form is being compromised. I think I need to focus in on where that power comes from..using the legs and not rounding the lower back.
  • KDar1988
    KDar1988 Posts: 648 Member
    rileyes wrote: »
    Is your goal powerlifting as sport? You seem to be progressing well!
    No, but being able to lift awesome amounts would be pretty cool! I have lost weight and gained it back so many times I've lost muscle in the process so this time I'm hoping the weight loss will be permanent and I can gain strength.

  • BillMcKay1
    BillMcKay1 Posts: 315 Member
    KDar1988 wrote: »
    BillMcKay1 wrote: »

    What is the problem you are having with deadlifts, is it the lift itself or your grip and ability to hold the bar?

    At 155 I can barely do 5. I feel my form is being compromised. I think I need to focus in on where that power comes from..using the legs and not rounding the lower back.

    It might be worth deloading a bit and working on your form. Watch some videos like

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1IGeJEXpF4

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AObAU-EcYE

    If possible have someone record your deadlift and compare you video to the above.
  • KDar1988
    KDar1988 Posts: 648 Member
    Thanks everyone for the tips and advice. I appreciate it.
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    KDar1988 wrote: »
    Thanks everyone. I am trying to lose weight now while doing this. 50lbs to go...determined to make it and keep my muscle at the same time. I guess I just need to be patient and keep going.

    Thanks again :)

    As written, calorific deficit is not recommended with the SL program. That is not to say you can't do it or that you will not make progress but that progress is likely to be slower or maybe even stall.

    That in itself is not an issue if fat loss is your priority, you will maintain your lifting performance (or at least stay close to your peak) and drop fat. If however, your lifting performance is your priority you may need to will need to sacrifice your fat loss for increased performance (by taking in more cals).

    There is a saying "Sooner or later you need to decide why you lift weights" - I think that this saying is applicable in this instance.
  • deluxmary2000
    deluxmary2000 Posts: 981 Member
    KDar1988 wrote: »
    It'll be 2 months Friday.
    Here is a comparison of starting vs now
    Squat 45 / (was up to 100lbs doing landmines but switched to front squats at 65lbs on them now)
    Bench 45 / 80
    OHP 50 / 61
    Barbell Row 65 / 100
    Dead 105 / 155

    I can't do the backsquats so that's why I was trying landmines but at 100lbs picking the bar up safely was beginning to be a concern so I switched to the front squats and feel like I'm starting all over.

    I've only been able to add weight the bench press for the last few sessions. I'm sure my form is off...still very much a newbie! I'm going to meet with a trainer next week to look at the squats. Hopefully that will be good!

    You worked up to a 5x5 80-lb bench in 2 months?! I hate you. (Not really, but kind of). That's impressive.

    As others have said, you're at the point where you have to pick your priority. If you have 50 lbs left to lose, and are determined to do that, then it should be your focus. Lose the 50 lbs, keep your current lifts where they're at now (or close to it), and then reassess your priorities after you've lost those 50.

    I'm in the same boat as you, and I get that it's frustrating. When I first started I was focused solely on lifting and improving, and ate whatever I wanted. My lifts improved quickly and I was having a great time, but it got to a certain point that I wanted to be able to SEE the muscle I had put on, so I started to cut weight. Since then my lifts have stalled, and in some cases regressed a little bit, and it can get depressing, but I keep reminding myself that I need to focus on one thing at a time.
  • KDar1988
    KDar1988 Posts: 648 Member
    StealthHealth wrote: »
    KDar1988 wrote: »
    Thanks everyone. I am trying to lose weight now while doing this. 50lbs to go...determined to make it and keep my muscle at the same time. I guess I just need to be patient and keep going.

    Thanks again :)

    As written, calorific deficit is not recommended with the SL program. That is not to say you can't do it or that you will not make progress but that progress is likely to be slower or maybe even stall.

    That in itself is not an issue if fat loss is your priority, you will maintain your lifting performance (or at least stay close to your peak) and drop fat. If however, your lifting performance is your priority you may need to will need to sacrifice your fat loss for increased performance (by taking in more cals).

    There is a saying "Sooner or later you need to decide why you lift weights" - I think that this saying is applicable in this instance.

    Thanks this makes sense and definitely need to get the rest of this weight off! I've actually lost maybe 3 or 4lbs in the past 2 month since starting SL. That is frustrating.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    KDar1988 wrote: »
    StealthHealth wrote: »
    KDar1988 wrote: »
    Thanks everyone. I am trying to lose weight now while doing this. 50lbs to go...determined to make it and keep my muscle at the same time. I guess I just need to be patient and keep going.

    Thanks again :)

    As written, calorific deficit is not recommended with the SL program. That is not to say you can't do it or that you will not make progress but that progress is likely to be slower or maybe even stall.

    That in itself is not an issue if fat loss is your priority, you will maintain your lifting performance (or at least stay close to your peak) and drop fat. If however, your lifting performance is your priority you may need to will need to sacrifice your fat loss for increased performance (by taking in more cals).

    There is a saying "Sooner or later you need to decide why you lift weights" - I think that this saying is applicable in this instance.

    Thanks this makes sense and definitely need to get the rest of this weight off! I've actually lost maybe 3 or 4lbs in the past 2 month since starting SL. That is frustrating.

    It takes me like a month to lose a pound. You wanna talk about frustrating lol.
  • KDar1988
    KDar1988 Posts: 648 Member
    deluxmary2000 wrote: »
    KDar1988 wrote: »
    It'll be 2 months Friday.
    Here is a comparison of starting vs now
    Squat 45 / (was up to 100lbs doing landmines but switched to front squats at 65lbs on them now)
    Bench 45 / 80
    OHP 50 / 61
    Barbell Row 65 / 100
    Dead 105 / 155

    I can't do the backsquats so that's why I was trying landmines but at 100lbs picking the bar up safely was beginning to be a concern so I switched to the front squats and feel like I'm starting all over.

    I've only been able to add weight the bench press for the last few sessions. I'm sure my form is off...still very much a newbie! I'm going to meet with a trainer next week to look at the squats. Hopefully that will be good!

    You worked up to a 5x5 80-lb bench in 2 months?! I hate you. (Not really, but kind of). That's impressive.

    As others have said, you're at the point where you have to pick your priority. If you have 50 lbs left to lose, and are determined to do that, then it should be your focus. Lose the 50 lbs, keep your current lifts where they're at now (or close to it), and then reassess your priorities after you've lost those 50.

    I'm in the same boat as you, and I get that it's frustrating. When I first started I was focused solely on lifting and improving, and ate whatever I wanted. My lifts improved quickly and I was having a great time, but it got to a certain point that I wanted to be able to SEE the muscle I had put on, so I started to cut weight. Since then my lifts have stalled, and in some cases regressed a little bit, and it can get depressing, but I keep reminding myself that I need to focus on one thing at a time.

    LOL...well, I made a mistake one day and put 50 pounds on the bar (total 95) and I lifted it twice and couldn't figure out why it was heavy! Had to put it down on my chest and roll it to my hips because I couldn't rerack it! LOL

    Thanks for your perspective. I also want to SEE the muscle :) My priority really is to get this weight off so I see a shift in gears for a bit.

    Thank you all very much.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    I'm going to dissent a little here. With 50lb to lose your body has a TON of energy to burn and as essentially a beginner you should still progress (I'm not saying it won't be hard though). Keep the SL going and keep pushing for progress. You may not progress as fast as someone eating in a surplus, but you should still progress if your deficit isn't too large. You've been at this for 2 months and it takes a lot of time. I've been at it 1.75 years and I'm still far from where I want to be strength wise.

    I went from 215lb with a 5x175lb squat to 172lb with a 5x290lb squat all while losing weight. I hit tough points that were hard to break though (I was stuck at 240lb for a while), but I kept going. It took me over 9 months to make that much progress (while the majority of the weight was lost over the first 6 of those months). I still haven't really eaten in a surplus (outside of just not dieting) and can now squat 8x300lb at 172lb.

    Yes, now with only a few lb of fat to lose I can feel it when I eat in a deficit and try to get all my reps, so I'm not saying that isn't a thing, but there is a big difference between 50lb of fat to lose and 5lb to lose. Follow the program, focus on form, and just see where you end up. I'll also note he says to switch from 5x5 to 3x5 if you have to deload a couple times ( http://stronglifts.com/what-to-do-after-12-weeks-of-stronglifts-5x5/ )
  • KDar1988
    KDar1988 Posts: 648 Member
    nordlead2005 wrote: »
    I'm going to dissent a little here. With 50lb to lose your body has a TON of energy to burn and as essentially a beginner you should still progress (I'm not saying it won't be hard though). Keep the SL going and keep pushing for progress. You may not progress as fast as someone eating in a surplus, but you should still progress if your deficit isn't too large. You've been at this for 2 months and it takes a lot of time. I've been at it 1.75 years and I'm still far from where I want to be strength wise.

    I went from 215lb with a 5x175lb squat to 172lb with a 5x290lb squat all while losing weight. I hit tough points that were hard to break though (I was stuck at 240lb for a while), but I kept going. It took me over 9 months to make that much progress (while the majority of the weight was lost over the first 6 of those months). I still haven't really eaten in a surplus (outside of just not dieting) and can now squat 8x300lb at 172lb.

    Yes, now with only a few lb of fat to lose I can feel it when I eat in a deficit and try to get all my reps, so I'm not saying that isn't a thing, but there is a big difference between 50lb of fat to lose and 5lb to lose. Follow the program, focus on form, and just see where you end up. I'll also note he says to switch from 5x5 to 3x5 if you have to deload a couple times ( http://stronglifts.com/what-to-do-after-12-weeks-of-stronglifts-5x5/ )

    Thank you!
  • BalletAndBarbells
    BalletAndBarbells Posts: 334 Member
    Hey, you're doing really great! Just stick with it. In two months you've made give progress and I think you are at the point where many of us would stall. I have been doing this a bit longer than you and I can still only do 5x5 OHP at 30kg (66lbs) and my bench is stuck at 40kg (88lbs). I have added some accessory work just to stave off boredom but I don't think it necessarily helps with increasing the weight on the big lifts.
    You're doing great, just keep going!
    If you are dead set on upping weights each week then make sure your form is good and drop the rep number down to just 1 or 2 for one of your sets so you can add a little weight. Next time add a rep and so on.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    The only thing I would add is "use the deloads." If you fail three times, deload like the app tells you to. It really helps. I deloaded several times on OHP and squats.
  • stapark
    stapark Posts: 35 Member
    I'm right about where you are on my lifts, and I progressed fairly steadily to here but I've been having a really hard time progressing the past couple weeks. I've deloaded a couple times and it's still really, really heavy. And I have about 20 lbs to lose, but I've been eating at maintenance the past 6 months! My thinking is that it's okay to plateau for awhile, better to deload, focus on form, and keep trying to break past that plateau. I'm glad to read that I'm not the only one though, it's crossed my mind that it's because I'm old lol.
  • 34blast
    34blast Posts: 166 Member
    Why can't you do back squats? Look at videos of proper form to parallel or just below. I know very few people who can do front squats and can't do back squats. Back squats are in the program because it is the best overall exercise for strength and sort of required by the program for novice progression.
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    Great point by @quiksilver620 about adding in deloads when required - these are important when lifting on deficit.
  • KDar1988
    KDar1988 Posts: 648 Member
    34blast wrote: »
    Why can't you do back squats? Look at videos of proper form to parallel or just below. I know very few people who can do front squats and can't do back squats. Back squats are in the program because it is the best overall exercise for strength and sort of required by the program for novice progression.

    I had posted here a while back that I get bad upper arm pain/strain when I try to get in that position. I've tried countless times and I just can't do it. I'm meeting with a trainer next week and we're going to go over form for both front and back and see. I've even tried just holding a broom handle that way and can't. The only way I get no pain is if I set the bar on my neck and that's not happening!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    As another option to deloading, which would probably be my first suggestion, is consider modifying the volume a bit on the the moves you are having problems with; meaning instead of doing 5 sets of 5 reps, do 5x3. I found that if I do that for a few weeks, and then roll back to the original program, it gets me over the hump.
  • robdowns1300
    robdowns1300 Posts: 152 Member
    We're all stuck on the OHP! As stated previously, use the deloads. Stick with it. It hasn't been that long & you're doing great. Also, it seems like 50 pounds was a high starting point for you. BTW, your 155 DL is awesome! It all takes time. It is a lifestyle, not a race.

Categories