5x5 question

Orando Broom

How many times a week would you want to be doing say the main compounds to increase weight weekly? I am doing a programme about twice a week for the last three weeks, would not be massively confident of increasing weight yet. Should I up he number of days? Now I've noticed improvements no doubt but am Ibeing too conservative or too work shy?

danlen

For a beginners 5 x 5 (e.g. stronglifts) you should be increasing the weight every workout. This cannot be stressed enough.

These programs are based on linear progression. If you are not confident enough to increase the weight, your starting weight is too high! Drop the poundage down and start increasing every workout.

Ideally training is 3x week, on a ABA-BAB two week structure.

Nervous Wreck

danlen wrote: »

If you are not confident enough to increase the weight, your starting weight is too high!

Or you're being overly cautious and would be well able for an increase if you tried.

danlen

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

Or you're being overly cautious and would be well able for an increase if you tried.

Yeah more than likely the case, but seeing as I don't know what level the OP is lifting at I thought I better err on the side of caution when giving advice... Don't want to get the blame for any injuries around here!:D

Orando Broom

danlen wrote: »

Yeah more than likely the case, but seeing as I don't know what level the OP is lifting at I thought I better err on the side of caution when giving advice... Don't want to get the blame for any injuries around here!:D

Bench 80kg, dead 100 squat 100. 6 f 4i 108kg weight.

Brian?

Ideally you be increasing every workout.

What's the program?

Deedsie

Everytime you lift a weight successfully 5x5 accross you increase the weight the next time you train?

Corvo

Im just about to start this program also, and a friend mentioned it is vital to increase the weight (think its only a minor increase) every workout and you should be doing it around three times a week, with a rest day between so Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday etc etc.

The increase and rest days are vital.

Pace2008

5x5 programs generally involve working out 3 times a week. There are plenty of different types of 5x5's: beginner ones like Stronglifts have you upping the weight each workout; intermediates like Madcow, every week. Whatever the case, progressive overload is key: whether it's every workout, week or month, you have to up the weight if you want to see results. Judging by your size and the weight you're lifting, you're still in the early stages of heavy weight training so try to add 2.5kg to each lift every workout (you won't be able to do this for long on the overhead press, though).

However, I think I recall you saying in the past that you play GAA? If you're training and playing matches I don't think you'll be able to squat heavy 3 times a week. Perhaps someone with a knowledge of GAA/sport programming might be able to help you out if this is the case.

Orando Broom

Pace2008 wrote: »

5x5 programs generally involve working out 3 times a week. There are plenty of different types of 5x5's: beginner ones like Stronglifts have you upping the weight each workout; intermediates like Madcow, every week. Whatever the case, progressive overload is key: whether it's every workout, week or month, you have to up the weight if you want to see results. Judging by your size and the weight you're lifting, you're still in the early stages of heavy weight training so try to add 2.5kg to each lift every workout (you won't be able to do this for long on the overhead press, though).

However, I think I recall you saying in the past that you play GAA? If you're training and playing matches I don't think you'll be able to squat heavy 3 times a week. Perhaps someone with a knowledge of GAA/sport programming might be able to help you out if this is the case.

That's it I'm playing GAA and Soccer, plus I'm training to run two 10k's in April (I'm a bollix, I know).

Thanks everyone for all the replies on this thread.

Orando Broom

Ok followed people's advice on here and I genuinely noticed the difference. I have now reached a crossroads in my general routine. I play ball on Monday and now again on wednesday night starting from last night.

Went to the gym on tuesday at lunch did bench squat and deadlift. I had decided to switch back to 3x10 and lighter weights for a few weeks to change things up a bit. bench 80kg 3x10 squat 100kg 3x10 and deadlift 100kg 3x10. (My deadlift is lower because I don't think my technicque is brilliant and much heavier I find a bit of a strain on my back. It nearly always matches my squat.) At 5x5 I was up to 130kg squat 95kg bench and 130kg deadlift.

Now last night during the game my legs just died, slowed right up. I don't think I can maintain the weight programme and the football but I don't want to lose the gains I've made on the weights. What can I do. I'm heading into exams season in the coming weeks so time will be tight for a while. should I lower the weights waaay down and high reps or just stop and start back up at a later date.

I feel myself I've been going well. I feel lioke I am heaidn towards where I'd be happy with myself self both in performance levels and in physical condition so any help is as always gratefully accepted.

Nervous Wreck

Things were going well.
You were seeing great progress.
And then, for no reason at all, you abandoned what was working in favour of doing 3x10 in all three lifts in the one day.
And now you're wondering why you were fatigued.

Read that back again and see if it makes sense.

Orando Broom

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

Things were going well.
You were seeing great progress.
And then, for no reason at all, you abandoned what was working in favour of doing 3x10 in all three lifts in the one day.
And now you're wondering why you were fatigued.

Read that back again and see if it makes sense.

I was only playing football once a week. I'm up to twice a week. My rest day is gone.

Here is my schedule. I try my best to stick to it but I have evening college committments too. Wednesday evenings were taken up with classes but I'm done with them now.

M Gym lunch / eveningsoccer
T Gym Lunch/ Sprints on Grass
W Rest (Now 1hr game)
T Yoga
F Rest or GAA training/light gym depending on game.
S Rest orGym depending on game
S GAA game or other Exercise

I decided to switch up for a few weeks just for the change, to break out of any comfort zones. That is all. I was going to go back into the 5X5 after a couple of weeks. The Wednesay game then came about but I was frigged for it. I thought I'd be able to last the hour of soccer on Wednesday night.

The Wednesday slot is new and the 3x10 switch was not as a result of the soccer, just did it for the sake of change. I don't know if it was/is the right or wrong thing to do but I do all this on my own and the only people I ask advice off are on this board to be honest.

Nervous Wreck

K, well firstly, don't do all three lifts in one day again. Secondly, rest is important so cut some shít out. Better to get 3 good sessions in than 5 crap ones where you're too tired to do a good, strong session. Ideally, do one of the main lifts per session, separated by at least one rest day (by rest day, in the context of what you're doing, I just mean a day where you're not lifting weights). Also, yoga doesn't count as exercise unless you're doing it to strengthen your vagina

Keep asking questions on here though; there's lots of good knowledge on this board (when you get used to who you should be ignoring*).






*hopefully not me....

Orando Broom

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

K, well firstly, don't do all three lifts in one day again. Secondly, rest is important so cut some shít out. Better to get 3 good sessions in than 5 crap ones where you're too tired to do a good, strong session. Ideally, do one of the main lifts per session, separated by at least one rest day (by rest day, in the context of what you're doing, I just mean a day where you're not lifting weights). Also, yoga doesn't count as exercise unless you're doing it to strengthen your vagina

Keep asking questions on here though; there's lots of good knowledge on this board (when you get used to who you should be ignoring*).


*hopefully not me....

Cheers. I do the Yoga to formalise my stretching and to act as a guaranteed rest day. I have classes that night so the yoga before work says that I was off my ass doing something but nothing taxing. Thanks for the advice, I'll reevaluate my approach.