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StrongLifts 5x5

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Replies

  • laurad8911
    laurad8911 Posts: 99
    hey guys so I just today completed my 6th SL workout, so 2 weeks in, and i'm having a problem with overhead presses. My upper body strength is pretty terrible and I started out every exercise with just the 45 lb bar. its been going well except for the ohp. The first time i did it I could only do max 2 reps each set (I think I did 1 rep for most of them). The second time I did 3 reps for the first 3 sets and then only 2 reps for the last two sets, so still not 5x5 but definitely better. Today was the third time, and i could only do 3 reps the first time and 2 reps each for the following 4 sets....so I regressed? I don't know what to do....any suggestions?
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    The 45lb bar might be too heavy for you and that's fine there are options. First, may gyms have a 25lb mini-bar or pre-set standard weight bars that usually start at 10 or 15lbs.

    You can probably find videos on form, so do searches on YouTube and stuff. One important thing is to keep your elbows tucked at the beginning. Often people start with a very wide elbow spread and creates a weakness in that lift.
  • irridia
    irridia Posts: 527 Member
    On OHP, it seems weird, but they are just much harder for me than the others, even rows or benches and I've pretty much lived w/virtually 0 upper body strenth, even in my youth when I was active and somewhat athletic, but I didn't have the right way to work on it and girls weren't realyl encouraged to lift then. One thing I have found that is critical for me is warming up all of the small muscles of the rotator cuf first. Here's some stuff to try:

    grab your hands behind your back and then while holding hands, rotate your sholders front and back for 10 reps. Then with both hand s still behind your back turn your hands palm up and palm down, iniitiating the movement from the sholder, 10 reps. Then do sholder rolls both sides one at a time frontward and backward 10 reps each. Then hold your right arm out paralell to the ground with your palm facing the wall behind you (there's gotta be a wall behind you somewhere, right? ;-) ). Now pretend there's a rope and you are going to grasp it, one finger at a time starting from the pinky. As you make a fist with your last finger, pull that rope toward your body, initiating the movement from your shoulder blades, this is a small movement with elbow barely flexed at the end. 10 reps, then hold your arm next to your ear and do the same, again initiating from the shoulder blade area. repeat on the other side, then repeat the parallel to the floor with both arms at the same time and again with the arms next to your ears. I tend to start these between squats and finish before starting OHP and Bench and Rows. I find since I've started, my shoulder is less crunchy during the OHPs.

    Hope this helps.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    hey guys so I just today completed my 6th SL workout, so 2 weeks in, and i'm having a problem with overhead presses. My upper body strength is pretty terrible and I started out every exercise with just the 45 lb bar. its been going well except for the ohp. The first time i did it I could only do max 2 reps each set (I think I did 1 rep for most of them). The second time I did 3 reps for the first 3 sets and then only 2 reps for the last two sets, so still not 5x5 but definitely better. Today was the third time, and i could only do 3 reps the first time and 2 reps each for the following 4 sets....so I regressed? I don't know what to do....any suggestions?

    If you don't make progress for 3 weeks in a row drop the weight 10%. But I agree the 45lb bar may have been too much to start with. SOHP will always be the first of the SL exercises to stall on though. Also, try making smaller increments. I only increase 2lbs per workout if I make the reps. Longer progression is better IMO. Marathon not a sprint
  • irridia
    irridia Posts: 527 Member
    Well it's a day after my 51st birthday and my stats are at:
    Squat 105
    Bench 85
    OHP 70
    Row 85

    I started with a standard bar.
    Not sure I can keep going at 5 lbs each time I row.
  • lakersfan4life
    lakersfan4life Posts: 322 Member
    is it normal to get pain where your legs and crotch meet? Sorry, dont know how else to explain it. It feels like sore tendons.
    I assume this is a result from doing squats 3x a week. should i maybe rest a week or just keep going?
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    is it normal to get pain where your legs and crotch meet? Sorry, dont know how else to explain it. It feels like sore tendons.
    I assume this is a result from doing squats 3x a week. should i maybe rest a week or just keep going?

    Kind of like your hip flexors?
  • lakersfan4life
    lakersfan4life Posts: 322 Member
    is it normal to get pain where your legs and crotch meet? Sorry, dont know how else to explain it. It feels like sore tendons.
    I assume this is a result from doing squats 3x a week. should i maybe rest a week or just keep going?

    Kind of like your hip flexors?

    yes, thanks. i guess its called a hip flexor strain? i guess i should just ice it?
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    is it normal to get pain where your legs and crotch meet? Sorry, dont know how else to explain it. It feels like sore tendons.
    I assume this is a result from doing squats 3x a week. should i maybe rest a week or just keep going?

    Kind of like your hip flexors?

    yes, thanks. i guess its called a hip flexor strain? i guess i should just ice it?

    Yeah, that happened to me with frequent squatting too. Make sure you get some good stretching in before hand and after the squatting. Also, make sure to stretch your hip flexors even on non-leg days. Basically stretch them everyday. Ice might help I guess, not sure.

    One thing that I like to do is some light plyometrics in the form of Frog Jumps for warm-ups before squatting and deadlifting. Take a wider than shoulder width stance and squat all the way down, touch your finger tips to the floor, jump up, land, go back down, repeat. I'll do like 3 or 4 reps, then do a warm-up set, do another 3 or 4 reps, warm-up set, and by the time I get to my work sets I'm more than ready for the lift.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Well it's a day after my 51st birthday and my stats are at:
    Squat 105
    Bench 85
    OHP 70
    Row 85

    I started with a standard bar.
    Not sure I can keep going at 5 lbs each time I row.

    That is awesome! You're an inspiration.

    Re groin pain: if it is a sore muscular pain then it is probably not something you have to worry about. As always, RICE is a good starter. If it is a sharp pain, then I would be seeing a doctor/physio. I tore an adductor and hip flexor 5 months ago and I can tell you that you will definitely know about it. Most pain I've ever been in in my life.

    Good news though. Squatted 111kg(245lb) x9 yesterday. 143kg (315lb) calc 1rm and my actual is 130kg(286lb) so very happy :smile: First time squatting heavy since hip/groin injury.
  • lakersfan4life
    lakersfan4life Posts: 322 Member
    thanks JNick. i will try that.
  • JustQue
    JustQue Posts: 157
    Never heard of this before. I will def read up on it later. Thanks Q
  • lakersfan4life
    lakersfan4life Posts: 322 Member
    Good news though. Squatted 111kg(245lb) x9 yesterday. 143kg (315lb) calc 1rm and my actual is 130kg(286lb) so very happy :smile: First time squatting heavy since hip/groin injury.

    Damn, Nice!

    I did 145 yesterday. Friday, on to 150! LOL
  • brent_corkins
    brent_corkins Posts: 3 Member
    HI! I am new to the site and the group. I am currently doing stronglifts and love it so far. 6 weeks into program and Just Did 245lb on squats and deadlifts and 100 ohp. Wanting to hit the 1 x bw bench, 1.5 x bw squat, and 2 x bw deadlifts.
  • irridia
    irridia Posts: 527 Member
    Well it's a day after my 51st birthday and my stats are at:
    Squat 105
    Bench 85
    OHP 70
    Row 85

    I started with a standard bar.
    Not sure I can keep going at 5 lbs each time I row.

    That is awesome! You're an inspiration.



    Good news though. Squatted 111kg(245lb) x9 yesterday. 143kg (315lb) calc 1rm and my actual is 130kg(286lb) so very happy :smile: First time squatting heavy since hip/groin injury.

    THANK YOU!!!

    I have however, stalled on OHP again @75 and have back down again to 65. Got up to 120 on squats and figured out that my form is wrong. I'm crumpling forward in order to muscle the bar up. I blame my hamstrings, so accessory exercises for me. Pretty sure I can't yet do ham raises. I bought some of the type of shoes that work your hamstrings, I'm also planning on walking backwards up hills and maybe doing mountain climbers. I also need to do some ab work. I'm also keeping squat position when I sit anywhere. :blushing: looks silly but I don't care :tongue: So my current de-loaded stats are
    Squats 115
    OHP 65
    Bench 80
    Dead 130
    Rows 85

    Need to find abwork that focuses more on psoas and less on hip flexors, my hamstring work along w/squats and deads should be enough there. Ideas on how to proceed w/this accessory work would be most welcome.
  • ashkaps
    ashkaps Posts: 32
    I read about StrongLifts the other day and am quite intrigued by the concept. I'm thinking of starting it sometime this week but have a few questions to those who are undertaking it or have done it before.

    Can you add cardio to the StrongLifts regime as I am currently doing 2-3 sessions of HIIT? My main goal is to get rid of my fat as I still have a lot to lose but also, if possible, gain some strength and muscle in this process.

    Can I still remain on a low carb diet (all my carbs are coming from veg and fruit) on this programme. I have stopped eating rice, bread, pasta and potatoes to quicken my fat loss. Do I need more intake of carbs for StrongLifts?

    If anyone could help that would be great.

    Thank you!!
  • irridia
    irridia Posts: 527 Member
    well poop. :grumble: looks like I need to deload all the way down to 85 on my squats and I still am breaking form a little on the last rep. 2 more sets to go. oy.

    got those done... barely.
    stalled at 3.75 sets of 95 on bench.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Well it's a day after my 51st birthday and my stats are at:
    Squat 105
    Bench 85
    OHP 70
    Row 85

    I started with a standard bar.
    Not sure I can keep going at 5 lbs each time I row.

    That is awesome! You're an inspiration.



    Good news though. Squatted 111kg(245lb) x9 yesterday. 143kg (315lb) calc 1rm and my actual is 130kg(286lb) so very happy :smile: First time squatting heavy since hip/groin injury.

    THANK YOU!!!

    I have however, stalled on OHP again @75 and have back down again to 65. Got up to 120 on squats and figured out that my form is wrong. I'm crumpling forward in order to muscle the bar up. I blame my hamstrings, so accessory exercises for me. Pretty sure I can't yet do ham raises. I bought some of the type of shoes that work your hamstrings, I'm also planning on walking backwards up hills and maybe doing mountain climbers. I also need to do some ab work. I'm also keeping squat position when I sit anywhere. :blushing: looks silly but I don't care :tongue: So my current de-loaded stats are
    Squats 115
    OHP 65
    Bench 80
    Dead 130
    Rows 85

    Need to find abwork that focuses more on psoas and less on hip flexors, my hamstring work along w/squats and deads should be enough there. Ideas on how to proceed w/this accessory work would be most welcome.

    Squat accessory work: I would recommend Good Mornings for specifically helping your back, you mentioned crumpling forward.

    Accessory work specific to legs: This has become my favorite accessory work and my legs have improved a ton. Walking lunges, Romanian Deadlifts, Lying Leg Curls. I'm still following 5/3/1 and so my accessory work is 5 sets of 10 reps but I superset the RDL's and Leg Curls and you can probably do the same. If you have a Glute Ham Raise bench at the gym that would be great.
  • tigeratty
    tigeratty Posts: 75 Member
    Nice to see some other ladies on the SL thread!!! (Nothing against you guys, of course!)
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    irridia: stiff leg dead lifts and good mornings for hammies and planks for ab work with minimal hip flexor involvement.

    ashkaps: I would be doing some HIIT after a SL workout and taking the in between days off. It will eat into your recovery ability for strength a bit so you have to listen to your body. Low carb is fine IMO. Maybe not optimal for strength gains but as you are in calorie deficit the focus should be on getting adequate protein and fats anyway.

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