# stronglifts 5x5 advice



## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

Anyone done this routine with good results? I've just finished my first week liking the fact you train 3days a week just wanting some advice on when increasing the weight, I did two warm up sets of bench then 5working sets of 5reps, I did the set with 5reps but I only managed 4reps on 2nd set then 3reps on last two, are you suppose to stay at same weight until you get all 5x5? Then increase 2.5kg. And also Is this routine good for people who have been training a few years or is it just for beginners? Goal is to get my size back and increase strength


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2011)

Hi mate, I did it and increased strength very well.

Go for 80% of your 1 rep max and get to 25 reps each exercise. So if you do 4 on your 3rd set, get 6 in on the 4th or 5th.

Hope that helps.


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## paul81 (Jun 3, 2010)

i'm doing this myself, very much enjoying it.

thing is its easy to take sort cuts, i've been guilty of it myself. trouble is your only kidding yourself. i'd try the same weight again the next time you get to bench. if you fail then, deload 2.5kg. then make sure you nail 5x5 on that again.

you've probably read this, but if not, give it a couple of reads, and download the pdf file as it goes into its in depth :

http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/


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## 12 gauge (Jul 16, 2011)

Yeah only increase the weight once you manage to get 5 reps for 5 sets, I think maybe you've started too heavy as the first week you should be hitting 5x5 comfortably.


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## paul81 (Jun 3, 2010)

12 gauge said:


> I think maybe you've started too heavy as the first week you should be hitting 5x5 comfortably.


the above is a very good point


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## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

Yeah I was thinking should I keep with the same weight but I'm used to always increasing, I haven't trained for a week and half before last week due to health so that might be why I struggled a bit but will def aim for reps then increase weight.

How do people do the workout eg 1set squat 1 set bench 1 set bent over rows or do you do all sets for squat then the bench then rows? Just wondered if it made a difference to gains? Also will this routine add a good amount of size with a good diet


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## engllishboy (Nov 1, 2007)

You do all 5 sets for each exercise, then move on to the next one.


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## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

Cheers that's how I trained


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## thecoms (Nov 1, 2010)

Without wishing to ambush this thread , has anyone tried this routine whilst on a cycle ??


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## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

I'm natural but there's a few lads down my gym who I've heard say there doing 5x5 and there all benching deadlifting and squatting a fair few plates a side


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## T3hscott (Dec 29, 2011)

I'm 2 weeks into it and I started day 1 by just doing the bar, you only increase the weight once you are able to do 5x5, I was unable to finish my presses this week at 55kg so next time I do them I'll still be at 55kg, it's a great workout and I've lost a lot of fat and can feel mysel getting stronger (70kg squats  )


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## Si Train (Jul 21, 2009)

Im currently doing this too and the way i see it is if you are lifting the 5 sets without too much trouble add 2.5 kg until you can do that weight comfortably and so on.


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## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

A think I'll have to take a couple weeks to get to no where n which weights I can lift for 5x5 but after that looking forward to seeing how things go. Has anyone kept a log of starting weight to like what they are now lifting etc really hoping this routine with bulking diet adds size back to my frame


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## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

Also on workout B on deadlifts do any of you do a warm up set?


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## paul81 (Jun 3, 2010)

andymc88 said:


> Also on workout B on deadlifts do any of you do a warm up set?


yes, gotta get the back/legs used to the motion, use maybe 3 warm up sets to get you to your target


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## Barker (Oct 1, 2009)

Can anyone post their training split for this as i never properly understood it and want to try it

Do you have to do deadlifts? I'm working out at home and only have 100kg to play about with and im doing like 15 reps of deadlifts with that, starts to become a bit of cardio. So i wouldnt be able to do 5x5 of that.


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## paul81 (Jun 3, 2010)

it usually goes routine A and B

A:squats, military press, deads

B:squats, Bench, Rows

and regards to deads, would imagine their a keeper. cant you get to a gym? or get more weights and do those outdoors? (wouldnt recommend deadlifting 180kg upstairs! :lol: )


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## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

So if I normally dead lift 3 20plates plus the bar should I work my way up then add the extra 5kg


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## paul81 (Jun 3, 2010)

andymc88 said:


> So if I normally dead lift 3 20plates plus the bar should I work my way up then add the extra 5kg


what weight did you last deadlift 5x5? that you actually hit all 5 reps for each set?


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## Barker (Oct 1, 2009)

paul81 said:


> it usually goes routine A and B
> 
> A:squats, military press, deads
> 
> ...


So would it go

Week 1

Mon- A

Tues- Rest

Wed -B

Thurs - rest

Fri - A

Sat - rest

Sun - rest

Week 2

Mon - B

Tues - rest

Wed - A

Thurs - rest

Fri - B

Sat - rest

Sun - rest

Then rinse and repeat?

Id still deadlift, id just be doing a silly amount of reps 

Weight is expensive, but im starting a part time job on monday so should hopefully be getting to a gym in a month or so


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## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

Yeah that's basically what i think is the routine


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## Barker (Oct 1, 2009)

Nice one, and just use the same weight for all sets for the exercise?

I did a 10x10 amd hated it and got no results at all but i think i respond better to lower reps.


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## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

@paul81

I didn't do dead lift last week as hams felt so tight I've just getting back into training lately but I can usually dead lift 3 20 a side for 5 I work my way up like this 20 a side, 20+10 a side 2x20 a side then 3x20 a side


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## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

@baker

Yeah I've tried 10x10 and hated it lost loads of strength plus size, doing the dead lifts and squats felt like cardio


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## engllishboy (Nov 1, 2007)

Sim6 said:


> Im currently doing this too and the way i see it is if you are lifting the 5 sets without too much trouble add 2.5 kg until you can do that weight comfortably and so on.


Yea, that's how you're supposed to do it. Once you've hit the 5x5, you up the weight for the next workout. TBH, if i wasn't having so much success with PPL, i'd go back to 5x5 for a few months.


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## paul81 (Jun 3, 2010)

andymc88 said:


> @paul81
> 
> I didn't do dead lift last week as hams felt so tight I've just getting back into training lately but I can usually dead lift 3 20 a side for 5 I work my way up like this 20 a side, 20+10 a side 2x20 a side then 3x20 a side


so your talking 140kg if your using an oly bar. doing those warm ups are fine chap, quite similar to what i do myself. so if you managed all 5 sets of 5 last time, time to up the weight a little


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## paul81 (Jun 3, 2010)

Barker said:


> Nice one, and just use the same weight for all sets for the exercise?
> 
> I did a 10x10 amd hated it and got no results at all but i think i respond better to lower reps.


strength gains will usually be alot better with lower reps, hence why 5x5 works so well. and yeah, you use the same weight for all 5 sets, if you nail them all, then up the weight a tad the next time you come to that exercise.


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## Ginger Ben (Oct 5, 2010)

Just a quick note but I think you are only meant to do 1 set of 5 reps for your max deadlift weight. Pretty sure that's what the stronglifts website says but apologies if im wrong and you guys are following a different version where it says to do 5x5.

I'm doing SL 5x5 and 5 sets of 5 on deadlifts

would kill me! Mine is going up nicely doing 1x5 plus warm ups.

I usually do [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] then 5 at my target weight which last time was 175. Got 4 reps so doing it again Monday! As target weight increases I'll adapt my warm up sp the jump from last warm up set to working set doesn't get too big.

If I've totally misread where I thought somebody mentioned 5x5 for deads then just ignore me!


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## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

Sl does say 1x5 on dead lifts but off past experience lifting my max weight with out warming up wasn't the best idea but I might try 2warm up sets 1 at 60kg 1 at 100kg then this time I'll try 140 plus the increase weight sure I read you up dead lifts at 5kg so my target next time is 145kg


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## Barker (Oct 1, 2009)

paul81 said:


> strength gains will usually be alot better with lower reps, hence why 5x5 works so well. and yeah, you use the same weight for all 5 sets, if you nail them all, then up the weight a tad the next time you come to that exercise.


Nice one mate cheers. What sort of weight should i be aiming to use? For example at the minute i bench 90kg for 4 reps, thats after a couple of warm up sets though.

Really want to give this a go, just my deadlifts will be poor.


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## 12 gauge (Jul 16, 2011)

andymc88 said:


> Sl does say 1x5 on dead lifts but off past experience lifting my max weight with out warming up wasn't the best idea but I might try 2warm up sets 1 at 60kg 1 at 100kg then this time I'll try 140 plus the increase weight sure I read you up dead lifts at 5kg so my target next time is 145kg


The one set of five is your work set, the workout states you should do a few warm up sets as you are doing but only 1 work set of 5x5 of dead lifts.


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## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

@12gauge so if my working set next time i deadlift is 145kg I am ok to do 3warm up sets then my working set and once I achieve 145kg up it to 150kg


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## 12 gauge (Jul 16, 2011)

andymc88 said:


> @12gauge so if my working set next time i deadlift is 145kg I am ok to do 3warm up sets then my working set and once I achieve 145kg up it to 150kg


Yes do your 3 warm up sets then your work set and yes once you hit 5 reps on your work set increase the weight for the next time, I read the workout a little while ago so don't remember exactly how much the author recommends to increase the weight by but a 5kg increase sounds good.


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## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

Cheers really looking forward to seeing if I can gain well on this diet and routine


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## 12 gauge (Jul 16, 2011)

andymc88 said:


> Cheers really looking forward to seeing if I can gain well on this diet and routine


All the best mate, I wish you well.


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## Ginger Ben (Oct 5, 2010)

andymc88 said:


> Cheers really looking forward to seeing if I can gain well on this diet and routine


I've found it to be a great routine as the target of new weight each session is motivating and when you hit it you know you are making progress which is great. I've adapted it a little and added a few isolations in so it's still the essentials of the SL programme but a little extra here and there to suit my personal requirements. Good luck with it. Hope it goes well.


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## 1adf1 (Jun 15, 2010)

for everyone asking what weights to start at and that use this link

http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

go to the bottom of the page and click the big yellow download now button then read throw the exel week by week then select a week 2 start at that is not to heavey for you but not to light

hope that helps


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## Barker (Oct 1, 2009)

Yeah i got the Excel spreadsheet, but the weight its telling me seems far too light to start off on :| its less than what i was using for 10x10, hows that work?!


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## 1adf1 (Jun 15, 2010)

Barker said:


> Yeah i got the Excel spreadsheet, but the weight its telling me seems far too light to start off on :| its less than what i was using for 10x10, hows that work?!


ya thats for the very start say you could just squat 100kg for 5x5 try starting on about 75-80kg for that exsersise to alow you to build up no point stating at 20kg if you can do that just start where you feel comfortable so you have a buildup till you hit your 5x5 max


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## Barker (Oct 1, 2009)

Yeah for example yesterday i squatted 100kg x 5, now its telling me to do 50kgx5x5 which is an embarrasing weight!

Think im going to have to start a few weeks in on the spread sheet


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## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

Yeah I'm starting at what I feel ok to do 5x5 then up the weight


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## littlesimon (May 24, 2010)

Good program.

I squatted 170kg 3x5 and Deadlifted 190kg x5 within 5 months of starting it. Only a broken hand got in the way of my progress.


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## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

My best back squat was 144kg hoping to smash that like


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## Umry (Jun 17, 2010)

is this programme good for packing on mass aswell as strength ? Thinking of starting it next week


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## andymc88 (Aug 18, 2011)

Duno mate I hope but will let you know in 12weeks time


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## Tassotti (Feb 27, 2011)

Umry said:


> is this programme good for packing on mass aswell as strength ? Thinking of starting it next week


Yes mate..Just eat big


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