Strong lifts 5 x5

DuncanDoughnut

What's your views on the strong lifts 5x5 program? Has anyone tried it? I'm thinking of giving it a go, alongside some other stuff that I do at the moment.

dartstothesea

Did it for 6 months, still sort of do it. I think it's pretty good.

People say anything works for a beginner so this anecdotal testimony of mine probably doesn't mean much, but, during the time I did it, I added about 80kg to my squat, 30kg to my bench, 20kg to my OH press and 80kg to my deadlift. For the 5x5 and 1x5 rep ranges involved.

murphthesmurf

It will mostly come down to the individual. I know of people who swear by it and have achieved great results. I have never tried it personally, though I have used many other types of training.
Give it a go, see how it suits you.
Just remember your diet is more important than any training routine, if you dont get this right it wont matter what routine your doing.

DuncanDoughnut

thanks for the replies lad, yea i'm considering giving them a try except instead of doing it 3 times a week, i'll do it twice and throw in a full body workout targeting the muscles not really used in the strong lifts for the 3rd session of the week

Nwm2

DuncanDoughnut wrote: »

thanks for the replies lad, yea i'm considering giving them a try except instead of doing it 3 times a week, i'll do it twice and throw in a full body workout targeting the muscles not really used in the strong lifts for the 3rd session of the week

In my opinion, you should try Stronglifts 5x5 for a period of a few months 3x per week or whatever it suggests, without your own modifications. If you're not happy with it, then change. But at least give it a chance for that short period of time. Stronglifts 5x5 involves squatting every session. Dropping your squat frequency by 33% is going to be a huge change to the program, and really messes with the fundamental approach - so why bother with it at all in that case?

Brian?

DuncanDoughnut wrote: »

thanks for the replies lad, yea i'm considering giving them a try except instead of doing it 3 times a week, i'll do it twice and throw in a full body workout targeting the muscles not really used in the strong lifts for the 3rd session of the week

If you're a complete novice targeting muscles could well be a mistake.

I wouldn't do stronglifts, or reccomend it to anyone anyway. But picking a program and then bastardising it before even giving it a go doesn't make any sense.

If you're worried that it doesn't target the gunz, calfs or whatever put it aside for now and concentrate on getting stronger.

TommyKnocker

briankeating wrote: »

If you're a complete novice targeting muscles could well be a mistake.

I wouldn't do stronglifts, or reccomend it to anyone anyway. But picking a program and then bastardising it before even giving it a go doesn't make any sense.

If you're worried that it doesn't target the gunz, calfs or whatever put it aside for now and concentrate on getting stronger.

Just curious as to why you would recommend somebody to concentrate on getting stronger but then not recommend Strong Lifts 5x5?

Is there a reason that you would not recommend Strong Lifts specifically? other than it is a rip off of Riptoe's Starting Strength program? It is aimed at beginners with the goal of increasing their strength after all

I used the Strong lifts program myself starting off and made good gains in both size and strength. So apart from the Mehdi Vs Riptoe rivalary, I don't see any reason not to recommend it to a beginner.

As I said, just curious. Not looking to start a Mehdi Vs Riptoe war

RobAMerc

I did the stronglifts 5x5 program for the best part of 6 months keeping to it to about 80% (I think)


I lost weight ( admittedly coupled with diet change - spawned by reading the site ), have built some decent muscles ( not body building standard by any means but I am not ashamed to take my top off and MrsAMerc sure ain't complaining ) and have really enjoyed having a proper format to follow and plenty of research to do.

I found it fantastic - no program I ever did showed results like it ( I've done lots - cycling, circuits, swimming etc). I am aware its not just the program itself that's great it's partially the fact you have a program to follow at all - but SL5x5 has a fair bit of background support on the site, much more than I ever got from any trainer I have dealt with.

As many have pointed out before - anyone will do well once they have a proper structured program to follow. If you view SL5*5 as just that its excellent.

Brian?

TommyKnocker wrote: »

Just curious as to why you would recommend somebody to concentrate on getting stronger but then not recommend Strong Lifts 5x5?


Is there a reason that you would not recommend Strong Lifts specifically? other than it is a rip off of Riptoe's Starting Strength program? It is aimed at beginners with the goal of increasing their strength after all

I wouldn't reccomend it because I never did it so would be in no position to do so.

TommyKnocker wrote: »

I used the Strong lifts program myself starting off and made good gains in both size and strength. So apart from the Mehdi Vs Riptoe rivalary, I don't see any reason not to recommend it to a beginner.

As I said, just curious. Not looking to start a Mehdi Vs Riptoe war

I'm sure the OP would get stronger doing stronglifts, but seeing that it's a rip off of starting strength which in turn is basically a bastardisation of Bill Starrs 5x5 why would anyone do it?

Satanta

I'm sure the OP would get stronger doing stronglifts, but seeing that it's a rip off of starting strength which in turn is basically a bastardisation of Bill Starrs 5x5 why would anyone do it?[/QUOTE]

Would that make it any less effective? Sometimes tweaks can help.

Scuba Ste

Squatting 5x5 heavy three times a week makes it less effective once you get to any appreciable weight.

Also what's to rip off? 5x5 is just a rep scheme, poorly applied in this case.

jaggiebunnet

interesting this, I am doing bill starrs 5x5 and have done starting strength previously. I hit bigger weights doing SS as it is a more radical increase regime, but I was constantly f**ked and burned out on the squats pretty quickly. I find the BS 5x5 allows me old body to recover more easily while still increasing and making gains. Also I think I have become stronger all round.

There are pros for all the programs out there, even the 5/3/1, if I was a beginner, I would definitely recommend SS, at least for 6 months - gets to a level of strength and then BS 5x5. Not to say others are better or worse, my limited experience is with these programs is all.

Zamboni

Y'all wanna be hitting the Zamboni 4x6 program ©
I'm gonna trademark every rep range going and make a fortune...

OP do Starting Strength.
It is written by an actual coach who has walked the walk.
Stronglifts is written by a guy with a pc.

jaggiebunnet

Scuba Ste wrote: »

Squatting 5x5 heavy three times a week makes it less effective once you get to any appreciable weight.

Also what's to rip off? 5x5 is just a rep scheme, poorly applied in this case.

I don't find the BS 5x5 as hard as SS was doing Squatting 3x a week. Although arguably the weight I am at is not really an appreciable weight (except for me when I am trying to stop myself folding up under it )

Scuba Ste

jaggiebunnet wrote: »

I don't find the BS 5x5 as hard as SS was doing Squatting 3x a week. Although arguably the weight I am at is not really an appreciable weight (except for me when I am trying to stop myself folding up under it )

I don't understand. You find it easier to squat 5x5 three times a week than to squat 3x5 three times a week. Using the same weight?

Hanley

I can’t believe people are still buying into this Stronglifts bullsh*t, and DEFENDING it, after all the discussions that have been had here over it.

To the guys who got results on it and are now recommending it to people - the only reason it ‘works’ is because when you’re a raw beginner ANYTHING will work. That doesn’t mean it’s good. You could get better results much quicker doing pretty much anything else in the gym.

To the guys following this advice – it’s very much the blind leading the blind. Before anyone starts getting defensive, I’m right. If you’ve only been lifting 6-12 months, you don’t really have the perspective to start telling people what to do. They might get results with your recommendations, but again, at that level it’s because anything will work.

I know people who’ve made progress in 3-6 months that would blow half the guys progress on heres year with Stronglifts out of the water, but at the end of the day, it’ll do if you’re looking for a start point. It’s not great, it’s not perfect and it’s not the best way. But it’ll do.

Just don’t start talking about it like it’s the holy grail of beginner training. Because it’s not.

Rossin

what would you recommend for a beginner? just a balanced program?

jaggiebunnet

Scuba Ste wrote: »

I don't understand. You find it easier to squat 5x5 three times a week than to squat 3x5 three times a week. Using the same weight?

Not as daft as it sounds

BS 5x5 -- does not have you squatting 5x5 on your top weight, just 1 x 5 on the top weight for the day. Where as SS has you squatting 3x5 on your top weight each day of the week.

Also BS is split into heavy, light and medium days, where as SS is max every day.

RobAMerc

Hanley wrote: »

it’s very much the blind leading the blind.

I'm afraid its the internet.......

Hanley wrote: »

Before anyone starts getting defensive, I’m right. If you’ve only been lifting 6-12 months, you don’t really have the perspective to start telling people what to do.

I don't think its totally unreasonable for me to tell a guy who asks about a program I have experience with that I was delighted with the results is it ?

Hanley wrote: »

I know people who’ve made progress in 3-6 months that would blow half the guys progress on heres year with Stronglifts out of the water, but at the end of the day, it’ll do if you’re looking for a start point. It’s not great, it’s not perfect and it’s not the best way. But it’ll do.

This was my point - having done a bit of research SL 5*5 was the most accessible to me a bloke starting from nowhere trying to build some strength and some muscles.

To be fair I understand as a serious strength trainer you see SL 5*5 as a middle of the road, "easy listening" sort of program, but you cannot expect guy's who come here looking for an accessible program that shows some results to begin with to look for the ultimate body ripper program immediately can you ? Is there a better starter program that's available 24/7 for free with answers to most of the q's posed by the complete novice ?

Scuba Ste

jaggiebunnet wrote: »

Not as daft as it sounds

BS 5x5 -- does not have you squatting 5x5 on your top weight, just 1 x 5 on the top weight for the day. Where as SS has you squatting 3x5 on your top weight each day of the week.

Also BS is split into heavy, light and medium days, where as SS is max every day.

Damn acronyms. I thought BS was back squat.

Squatting heavy once a week is obviously 'easier' than three times a week though.

That level of intensity isn't possible to keep up three times a week for very long. Bill Starr varies the intensity so it's more sustainable in the long run.

Scuba Ste

[QUOTE=RobAMerc;72113751Is there a better starter program that's available 24/7 for free with answers to most of the q's posed by the complete novice ?[/QUOTE]

Pretty sure Rippetoe has a forum that offers all this and his books are a lot more detailed than anything on stronglifts. Plus you can ask here.

I don't think either programs are perfect but stronglifts is by far the lesser.

dartstothesea

Hanley wrote:

I know people who’ve made progress in 3-6 months that would blow half the guys progress on heres year with Stronglifts out of the water,

Sounds ****in' sweet. Share the knowledge, what sort of program'd they do?

SpaceCowb0y

dartstothesea wrote: »

Sounds ****in' sweet. Share the knowledge, what sort of program'd they do?

BUMP!

murphthesmurf

There is nothing wrong with 5x5 training. It will provide a good foundation for anyone starting up lifting weights. It isn't perfect, but no routine is. It mostly comes down to the individual, and what level of training suits you best. What doesn't work for 1 person, may work a miracle on someone else. The main mistake so many begginners make is overtraining. Most enter the gym full of enthusiasm, and think the more they train the bigger they'll get. Doing 6 months of 5x5 training to get your strenght up and give yourself a good foundation for future routines is a good idea. I began training 18 yrs ago, when I was 18 yrs old. I started off just doing bits of this, and bits of that, not really having a clue what I was doing. I have never tried 5x5, but have tried many others. It took me a long time to find a routine that worked well for me. I started off at around 156lbs, and eventually reached 212lbs at 23yrs old. But I gained practically nothing for the 1st yr or 2.
Give it a try and see how it suits you.
The main thing though is always diet, this is always more important, but often comes last.

Amaru KGB

Hanley wrote: »

I can’t believe people are still buying into this Stronglifts bullsh*t, and DEFENDING it, after all the discussions that have been had here over it.

To the guys who got results on it and are now recommending it to people - the only reason it ‘works’ is because when you’re a raw beginner ANYTHING will work. That doesn’t mean it’s good. You could get better results much quicker doing pretty much anything else in the gym.

To the guys following this advice – it’s very much the blind leading the blind. Before anyone starts getting defensive, I’m right. If you’ve only been lifting 6-12 months, you don’t really have the perspective to start telling people what to do. They might get results with your recommendations, but again, at that level it’s because anything will work.

I know people who’ve made progress in 3-6 months that would blow half the guys progress on heres year with Stronglifts out of the water, but at the end of the day, it’ll do if you’re looking for a start point. It’s not great, it’s not perfect and it’s not the best way. But it’ll do.

Just don’t start talking about it like it’s the holy grail of beginner training. Because it’s not.

The reason I found it good was because it got me into squating and deadlift. Starting at a low weight and generally increasing every time I went to the gym was certainly a confidence builder.

I was looking for a program for a long time before I started it and I found it brilliant. My routine now still incorporates some parts of it and I would certainly recommend it to someone who want to start a whole body workout without having any experience.

Is there a workout you would recommend Hanley or do you do your own mix of things?