Stronglifts 5x5

[Ignite]

Why so much assistance work on Sat? If you want to do that much assistance, give it it's own day, or split it up across all 3 days. If you only have those 3 days, I'd put Tricep dips on Tuesday, Biceps on Thursday and add a hamstring movement too after deadlifts, and leave the pull ups and push downs for saturday.

Also is that straight working sets, or ramping the weight up? What's your increment each week? 2.5kg for Bench and Press, 5kg for squat and dead?

Main assistance work is all on saturday to provide more recovery time!? i thought this was the more practical approach to allow maximum recovery? ie dips on Tuesday "may" hinder my overhead press thursday? biceps thursday "may" hinder my rows. If i do them all on saturday it gives me an extra day of recovery. Thoughts?

This is my first time doing a full body split so am a complete noob.

Yeap you got the increments correct!

Assistance should never hinder the main movements. If it does, you're going too heavy. On full body strength templates like this, the assistance is more there to keep the body in balance and maybe provide a little boost to lagging muscle groups whether it be in strength or size.

Trying to fit everything on Saturday, I think you'd be setting yourself up to skip exercises. If you're doing it properly, you should be pretty wiped after the main lifts. No chance you'd get through 4 assistance exercises after that.

Nice reply, ok what im thinking - complete assistance work as i have it at the moment untill my lifts start stalling (i will be starting my 5x5 with very low weights to help condition me for the volume ill be putting in!)

As soon as i start stalling on any exercise switch assistance work to assistance work as you outlined above.

I think thats the best of both worlds, while main lifts are light and not taxing the muscle as much as it could, obliterate with assistance exercises to increase strength while simultanesly(excuse the spelling) conditiong for compound lifts.

As compounds start to stall, switch assitance exercises to exactly that, to help keep lagging bodyparts in cheque and maximise the compund lifts=]

=P~ looks ideal to me!?

[Phedder]

That sounds okay, but I wouldn't wait until your main lifts stall. As soon as there's any hint of them stalling (5th reps beginning to slow down/grind, 1st reps less explosive etc) I'd switch the assistance around and probably drop their weights a little.

If you wait until you stall, it may take more than just switching the assistance around to get you back on track. By that point, your body is already needing more rest to recover. If you do stall, I'd actually suggest dropping all assistance for that week, or maybe 1-2 20-30 rep 'flushing sets' and then if you manage the main lifts the next week, slowly and lightly re-introduce the assistance.

[Ignite]

That sounds okay, but I wouldn't wait until your main lifts stall. As soon as there's any hint of them stalling (5th reps beginning to slow down/grind, 1st reps less explosive etc) I'd switch the assistance around and probably drop their weights a little.

If you wait until you stall, it may take more than just switching the assistance around to get you back on track. By that point, your body is already needing more rest to recover. If you do stall, I'd actually suggest dropping all assistance for that week, or maybe 1-2 20-30 rep 'flushing sets' and then if you manage the main lifts the next week, slowly and lightly re-introduce the assistance.

Soundsgood, it looks like i wont really be hitting anything diffucult in the first 8weeks? at the moment i could complete 5 sets of 5 on the overhead press, bench and row (87.5kg bench 5x5 - 67.5kg Row5x5 - 65kg Overhead press5x5 ). may not be able to do the squat and i would be pushing for the dead ie did 140kgx4 today.

does this seem normal?

[Phedder]

That sounds okay, but I wouldn't wait until your main lifts stall. As soon as there's any hint of them stalling (5th reps beginning to slow down/grind, 1st reps less explosive etc) I'd switch the assistance around and probably drop their weights a little.

If you wait until you stall, it may take more than just switching the assistance around to get you back on track. By that point, your body is already needing more rest to recover. If you do stall, I'd actually suggest dropping all assistance for that week, or maybe 1-2 20-30 rep 'flushing sets' and then if you manage the main lifts the next week, slowly and lightly re-introduce the assistance.

Soundsgood, it looks like i wont really be hitting anything diffucult in the first 8weeks? at the moment i could complete 5 sets of 5 on the overhead press, bench and row relatively easily(if i was to be put in the 8 week mark now). may not be able to do the squat and i would be pushing for the dead.

does this seem normal?

That possibly seems a bit late, but depends how long you plan on running the program for really? I honestly can't really remember exactly how the more basic 5x5 templates are supposed to progress. I generally take 5-10% off maxes for programs and just go from there.

Nothing wrong with a slow build up though, especially if you plan on running it for quite some time. During the build up you could really smash the assistance and then drop right back once it starts getting difficult.

[ohjoshua]

Good luck on the program bro.

I made 20kg increase on my squats first time I did a 5*5 program.

[M.T]

Good luck on the program bro.

I made 20kg increase on my squats first time I did a 5*5 program.

nice gains! also made small increases on all 3 lifts good program gice it heaps.

[Ignite]

Cheers guys - Am going to make a few small changes to the regular guidelines, it seems counter productive ramping the weights up to what i can comfortably do at the moment.

Think i might ramp the weights up abit more earlier on so im hitting my max lifts in week 4 or 5, am still trying to keep more of a Bodybuilding approach to most lifts - just want to get abit stronger as strength = size.

[M.T]

Cheers guys - Am going to make a few small changes to the regular guidelines, it seems counter productive ramping the weights up to what i can comfortably do at the moment.

Think i might ramp the weights up abit more earlier on so im hitting my max lifts in week 4 or 5, am still trying to keep more of a Bodybuilding approach to most lifts - just want to get abit stronger as strength = size.

ramping up by how much? I would suggest sticking to what Drizzt said we both always underestimate out maxes and tend to find it tough (esp me) in the 4th and final weeks, you cannot look at it as a day by day heavy hit out these programs are designed to slowly fatigue the body and the gains are only made on the deload weeks (5 and 10) so keeping that in mind if you think you can manage the demand then by all means go for it just don't see it benefiting you in the long run.

[drizzt]

Cheers guys - Am going to make a few small changes to the regular guidelines, it seems counter productive ramping the weights up to what i can comfortably do at the moment.

It's less about the amount of weight in the beginning, and more priming you for the style of training. I understand the temptation to modify a template to what you think will fit best, and it can be boring/a blow to the ego to do weights less than you're confident with in the beginning, but in reality it is best to leave it as is while you are still new to it, and make changes down the track if things aren't quite working out.

I've personally seen a few guys - some of whom I set up on the program - do exactly what you're suggesting, and crash and burn a few weeks down the track, then blame it on the program not working.

[Ignite]

Cheers guys - Am going to make a few small changes to the regular guidelines, it seems counter productive ramping the weights up to what i can comfortably do at the moment.

It's less about the amount of weight in the beginning, and more priming you for the style of training. I understand the temptation to modify a template to what you think will fit best, and it can be boring/a blow to the ego to do weights less than you're confident with in the beginning, but in reality it is best to leave it as is while you are still new to it, and make changes down the track if things aren't quite working out.

I've personally seen a few guys - some of whom I set up on the program - do exactly what you're suggesting, and crash and burn a few weeks down the track, then blame it on the program not working.

ahh so many choices, 8-9 weeks is a longtime to get back up to sets i do 3x8 of now=/. I think i may curb my aspirations abit and make a comprimise in the middle. increase the base guidelines alittle but not as much as i want!

[greemah]

Soundsgood, it looks like i wont really be hitting anything diffucult in the first 8weeks? at the moment i could complete 5 sets of 5 on the overhead press, bench and row (87.5kg bench 5x5 - 67.5kg Row5x5 - 65kg Overhead press5x5 ). may not be able to do the squat and i would be pushing for the dead ie did 140kgx4 today.

does this seem normal?

Your bench & row are out of proportion, like your bench is higher than your squat. I think you really should work on your other lifts and get them up to par instead of working on increasing your bench

[Ignite]

thats the plan=] am not deviating from Smolov-Jnr starting next week though! Squat and DL will play catch up after this.