StrongLifts 5x5
mikeshealth2016
Posts: 17 Member
I'm wondering if any of you have used the strongest 5x5 program and if so what you thought of it also wondering if anybody 45 years and older has used this program and what they thought of it
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I started lifting at 42 with StrongLifts. I loved it and started my passion for lifting. Eventually, I moved on to PHUL. I now have my own lifting equipment & use it 5x week. I guess you can say I really liked SL 5x5
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I started with SL 5x5 last year, but switched to Starting Strength after about a month, at 46 I personally found 5x5 3 days a week hard to recover from. The 3x5 of Starting Strength fits me at a more advanced age.2
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I'm 51 and after doing some random lifting for the past year or so I have been doing SL for a few weeks, along with some supplemental exercises. I like it so far.3
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I'm 56. I did SL 5x5 for just under a year. I followed the program exactly (with the app). I pushed it heavy. The gains were very good, better than I thought would be for my age. I think that the volume of squats jump started & drove those gains (my gut feeling). Over time however, squatting 3 times a week caught up to me. My legs really started to hurt. I started deloading & skipping the squat. more experienced lifters suggested squatting only once a week. I'm now in the second week of 5/3/1. We'll see how it goes.4
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SL 5x5 and Starting Strength 3x5 are good programs for beginners regardless of age.
I started SL at 62, did SS for awhile and am now doing my own thing. I can now lift at the Advanced and Elite levels for men my age/weight (based on various charts).
You'll gain strength (as measured by how much weight you can lift) quickly but with both programs you will eventually plateau when you get to the heavier weights.
That's when you're DONE w/those programs. Typically, this will take 4-6 months.
DO NOT bother to deload 10% and work your way back up, again and again. It's pointless and you will just end frustrated and feeling like a failure. When this happens, you need to switch to an Intermediate based program, like 5/3/1, the Texas Method or others.
If you have Rippetoe's Starting Strength (or better yet his Practical Programming) book, you'll find suggestions about how to go about doing this.
In the meantime, enjoy the quick gains in strength that you will experience using either program. Good luck!2 -
Following! I'm 61 and about to start Strong Lifts3
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SL 5x5 and Starting Strength 3x5 are good programs for beginners regardless of age.
I started SL at 62, did SS for awhile and am now doing my own thing. I can now lift at the Advanced and Elite levels for men my age/weight (based on various charts).
You'll gain strength (as measured by how much weight you can lift) quickly but with both programs you will eventually plateau when you get to the heavier weights.
That's when you're DONE w/those programs. Typically, this will take 4-6 months.
DO NOT bother to deload 10% and work your way back up, again and again. It's pointless and you will just end frustrated and feeling like a failure. When this happens, you need to switch to an Intermediate based program, like 5/3/1, the Texas Method or others.
If you have Rippetoe's Starting Strength (or better yet his Practical Programming) book, you'll find suggestions about how to go about doing this.
In the meantime, enjoy the quick gains in strength that you will experience using either program. Good luck!
^Great post.
I did SL 5x5 at 40yo, after no weight training for 10 years. Loved it. After about 4 months, progressed to MADCOW for a few more months. I've since hired a coach and gotten into powerlifting.
As mentioned, after 4-6 months, evaluate your goals and move on to another program.1 -
My mom and I did StrongLifts together last summer, she was 44. She followed it exactly, and I did it 6 times a week. She's still continuing the program actually, but has not added extra weight, just wanted to maintain. She went from a 50lb bench to now a 80lb bench so it definitely works.0
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My mom and I did StrongLifts together last summer, she was 44. She followed it exactly, and I did it 6 times a week. She's still continuing the program actually, but has not added extra weight, just wanted to maintain. She went from a 50lb bench to now a 80lb bench so it definitely works.
You did stronglifts 6x a week?!?0 -
I started SLs at 40, and did it for about a year before I plateaued on it and moved to a more advanced program (Layne Norton's PH3). I have an abiding love for SLs!0
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singingflutelady wrote: »My mom and I did StrongLifts together last summer, she was 44. She followed it exactly, and I did it 6 times a week. She's still continuing the program actually, but has not added extra weight, just wanted to maintain. She went from a 50lb bench to now a 80lb bench so it definitely works.
You did stronglifts 6x a week?!?
My thought, too!
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singingflutelady wrote: »My mom and I did StrongLifts together last summer, she was 44. She followed it exactly, and I did it 6 times a week. She's still continuing the program actually, but has not added extra weight, just wanted to maintain. She went from a 50lb bench to now a 80lb bench so it definitely works.
You did stronglifts 6x a week?!?
Lol yeah, instead of resting every other day, Ijust did ABABAB and cardio on Sunday. I was determined haha.1 -
singingflutelady wrote: »My mom and I did StrongLifts together last summer, she was 44. She followed it exactly, and I did it 6 times a week. She's still continuing the program actually, but has not added extra weight, just wanted to maintain. She went from a 50lb bench to now a 80lb bench so it definitely works.
You did stronglifts 6x a week?!?
Exactly what I was thinking. Recovery time is just as important!3 -
singingflutelady wrote: »My mom and I did StrongLifts together last summer, she was 44. She followed it exactly, and I did it 6 times a week. She's still continuing the program actually, but has not added extra weight, just wanted to maintain. She went from a 50lb bench to now a 80lb bench so it definitely works.
You did stronglifts 6x a week?!?
Lol yeah, instead of resting every other day, Ijust did ABABAB and cardio on Sunday. I was determined haha.
Determined to get injured and not reach your strength/ muscle gain potential? Lol3 -
singingflutelady wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »My mom and I did StrongLifts together last summer, she was 44. She followed it exactly, and I did it 6 times a week. She's still continuing the program actually, but has not added extra weight, just wanted to maintain. She went from a 50lb bench to now a 80lb bench so it definitely works.
You did stronglifts 6x a week?!?
Lol yeah, instead of resting every other day, Ijust did ABABAB and cardio on Sunday. I was determined haha.
Determined to get injured and not reach your strength/ muscle gain potential? Lol
Basically...
I was new so I thought more = better. There wasn't a day I was not sore that summer lol.3 -
No wonder!0
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singingflutelady wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »My mom and I did StrongLifts together last summer, she was 44. She followed it exactly, and I did it 6 times a week. She's still continuing the program actually, but has not added extra weight, just wanted to maintain. She went from a 50lb bench to now a 80lb bench so it definitely works.
You did stronglifts 6x a week?!?
Lol yeah, instead of resting every other day, Ijust did ABABAB and cardio on Sunday. I was determined haha.
Determined to get injured and not reach your strength/ muscle gain potential? Lol
Basically...
I was new so I thought more = better. There wasn't a day I was not sore that summer lol.
This tends to get in peoples head and it's the opposite. Inadequate recovery can slow gains. I honestly don't know how you could even walk.1 -
Why do people follow a program, whether it for weights, or CICO, or whatever then think that they in their ignorance know better than a tested plan?? The programs I've looked at give detailed explanations of the why's and wherefores so it's not like there isn't info available. [Rant off.]1
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Why do people follow a program, whether it for weights, or CICO, or whatever then think that they in their ignorance know better than a tested plan?? The programs I've looked at give detailed explanations of the why's and wherefores so it's not like there isn't info available. [Rant off.]
Probably mostly due to the general stupidity that is put forth by magazines and bros like, "no pain, no gain" and other such nonsense. If you don't actually know, you hear it and go with it.1 -
I'm 44. Great program that is simple. Still use with added volume and accessories. I recently saw a Christopher Reeves interview on how he got in shape for Superman. He started training and was not getting anywhere. Then he switched trainers and they started a 5x5 basically. He saw huge gains etc. His new trainer was Darth Vader-David Prowse. 3
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I started back to lifting four years ago with Starting Strength which is similar, but in a 3x5 format which I found to work better for me when I was dieting. I ran it for about 6 months before switching over to 5/3/1.
My biggest issue was that with squatting 3x per week and deadlifting 1-2x per week, my legs were shot for much of anything else and I wanted more out of my fitness than just being able to squat a lot of weight. I did 5/3/1 for awhile and then met my trainer who is also a cycling coach and I lift now primarily in support of and to cross train my cycling.
I was 38 when I started...42 now.1 -
I did SL 5x5 for about 6 months last year when starting out. The gains were great but the plateau hit and I had to change it up. I still subscribe to the lower rep/higher weight philosophy and have added some bicep and back work to my workouts. The squats 3x per week were a killer at the beginning but my legs got stronger and way more defined! I got stronger and saw the difference in my legs, shoulders, arms and chest.
I'm 47 and would recommend SL 5x5, along with proper nutrition, if you're looking for a place to start.0 -
Stronglifts is just a rip off of starting strength. You'll probably stall quick on SL by eating at maintenance. Also doing 5x5 is going to make you lift less weight on your sets than 3x5 would. If you want to get strong as fast as possible then do Starting Strength. It's the gold standard for linear progression. There are also starting strength coaches all over the US as well as online if you really want to nail down the mechanics of the program.
Also keep in mind that these programs are for beginning strength athletes, not aesthetics. If you care about aesthetics then you will probably want a different program or to add a little bit of assistant exercises on your off days. Mainly if you're on one of these Strength programs for a long period of time you'll start to see that your upper chest, arms, abs and calves will be under developed in comparison with the rest.0 -
I've used it for several months now and am completely amazed at the strength I have added!!! I have also added a few of the add on lifts the app has, in the last month month or so, absolutely love it!!!0
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Never been stronger than I was when doing 5x5 or 5x3, despite them being beginner programs. They are great for keeping you focused on strength and gains-- something i lost once I moved to routines focused on periodization, etc.0
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Will be starting SL5x5 next week, I'd like to know other than strength did you notice any changes to your bodies, like firming up?0
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Will be starting SL5x5 next week, I'd like to know other than strength did you notice any changes to your bodies, like firming up?
No guarantees but, if you are eating at a caloric deficit on a high protein diet and are working out 3x's/wk per the program, you should lose weight (mainly fat) and should see some muscle toning w/in 3-4 months which should become more noticable as you begin to lift heavier weights until you plateau at around 6 months.
From there on, you will need to change to an Intermediate program in order to see further strength gains and corresponding physical changes.
Good luck!2 -
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I think a lot can be said for the diversity of training in this thread. One aspect that gets overlooked is what is best for you personally. But one most important ascpect is consistency. Whatever programs you pick stick to them.4
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