5x5 stronglifts?

Bare_head

Bare_head

Bluelighter
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
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UK
Hey guys,

So i lack strength, muscle, im skinny , use etiz/valium for anxiety but looking at other routes to fight my anxiety, i know that the gym is a good source of fighting my anxiety..

So i weigh like 65kg , about 5ft'10 weedy top half, glutes untoned, legs in bad condition (used to have pretty toned legs when i was a teen through soccer/footballl :) )

anyways about this old reg parker routine, how effective is this going to be for me, i dont know if i can keep up with the squats =D day two in and its sore like a bitch,

im a vegetarian so i eating lots of oats, eggs, nuts, veg, some dairy, quorn, some good carbs, few bad carbs, nice whey protein shake, l-gluatamine, some creatine (which i dont think i will use but thoughts on this guys?)

I am really looking to get good form first and obviously starting off really light, first day was badish form, second day not as bad, but hell do my legs kill, i can feel the second day of rest isnt as bad as the first but it is sore still..

tips on my diet , as i am really fussy eater and cream cakes are staring at me when i look at them ! i am so lethargic and muscles drained from this short workout, its normal though right for a guy who hasn't done proper exercise in over 2 years.. the shakes helping alot for getting the protein, my stomach isn't used to eating this regularly either.

I obviously want to go away from the 5x5 stronglifts once i have built up some bulk and core strength, but form is important as said beforee and i wont push myself too much to get there (though im still going to increase weights)

Any tips on people that have used this technique that worked/ didnt work for them?

many regards,

bare_head
 
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well you obviously just began so i would suggest like you said lifting light weights and getting form down.

i dont think the 5x5 workout would be good for you and why i think that is because when you do the 5x5 workout, You want to push heavy weights. Just heavy enough to only get 5 reps in hence why its 5x5. This is a good workout to build muscle mass like you are trying to do but you gotta push alot of weight for the routine to be effective. Since you dont even have your form down you shouldnt be pushing heavy weights. So i would suggest keeping rep range 6-12 and really focus on using the muscle you are intending to work out. Alot of people do bicep curls but are barely using biceps due to improper form and trying to lift with their ego. Get familiar with the machines and workouts and see what works for you.
 
I did the 5x5 when I used to work out. I took my max, and lowered the weight by 10lbs (with about ~5 minuet breaks) until I found the max I could do with 5 reps... worked great.
 
I Began working out again hard in december. I started from a very weak state. Like has been mentioned I would start with really low weights and higher reps in the begining. Like has been said form is important. But also pushing to much weight in the begining is a recipient for pain and injury. In the begining i pushed my shoulders way to hard and had one spasm for almost twenty hours.. it was like a twenty hour leg cramp in my shoulder. So I would just start slow.. don't even give a thought to what your lifting compared to others.. In a few months you will be lifting much more.

I use a rotation of sets for many lifts that include a 5x5 day. I run it before a reverse pyramid thing I do and also run a 3x6 day as well. But before i worked into this I started the first few weeks doing very high reps with very low weight. I think I needed to do this to strengthen all the little muscles as well as start working the large ones. Then as I got more into shape I went to a regular pyramid.. then I added in the 5x5.. then I flipped the pyramid and added the 3x6. Its seems to be working well for me.. but if anyone has some better advice for me to try I love to hear it.
 
Ty guys for your responses, i have a forum in healthy living too in which i was directed to someones ice cream training programme but that seems easier, it doesnt give what weights to start off, well i went wednesday got my squats done (up to 25kg going for 27.5 today) so u think more reps less sets will benefit me more? I asked a guy cud i train on the bar whilst he was doing his workout to do some oh presses, he helped me with my form somewhat, but he began pushing me past 5, i got like 3 sets of 8 in but it wrecked, i am really looking to gain strength as you all say so maybe this 5x5 workout wnt work aswell as i think, i will start the creatine today..

about creatine, pre or post workout good? I dont really wanna take in more than 5gram a day (got monohydrate)
 
I also am currently tapering from etizolam (yeh i know im dumb) my sleeps so bad, i fell out about 5am woke up at like 11am shaking a bit and also sweating slightly, dwn to 7 gonna go for 6 again tonight, really need to get up n go workout but my stomach is killing, is this normal for my change in diet (along with whey shakes)

must get some scrambeled eggs into me, so fooking ill, the joys of addiction,

Im pushing myself alot considering i play poker alot to.

Hopefully i get this fucking under control.

Gonna get up and get food and into me now! Need the want, poker takes alot of attention and i need balance in life
 
You should take creatine pre and post workout. 5 grams a day is a good dose.

And good job man, you seem motivated to better yourself. Thats awesome, you'll feel great after you see some progress and that will motivate you even more to drop those bad habits because they will only negatively impact your gains. Good luck
 
Thanks lostsoul.on.e n nolys ty i know it says take 5 1-2 times a day but have enough stuff going into me i dnt need any more :-), forgot my l-gluatamine today but had a quite a bit of protein cud of ate alot more well should of, really found today hard, it was 30kg on the squat i was going up too, i cud only manage 30kg barbell row, i think my back is too weak? It also needs to be propt up on sum weights as the weights are small i find form easier that way... it is definutely something i need to work on.

Chest press is another exercise i still dnt feel my form is 100%, i keep watching youtube videos but i need to video myself n watch back, im only pressed 25kg which was easy (along with two warm up sets on both squats and chest press ie.empty bar) i find my heart is going real fast at the end of my 3rd exercise, like i am really unfit, i smoke cannabis which im also looking to ditch..

few personal problems today (lot of guys in there bigger than me) looked around after my squats got the evil eye of this guy who i jus sorta as i looked around my eyes connected so i jus nodded and went alright mate he gave me total evils, felt a bit hard with loada of bigger guys there but im there to do my own thing.. sort of dnt like confrontation... cud tell the guy uses/used.. are all guys like this? Ino im a weakling but come on man im here for my own reasons, is that a rule dnt make eye contact with anybody? Lol
 
Bare_head said:
so u think more reps less sets will benefit me more?
Click to expand...

If you want to get stronger, do more sets at lower reps. 5 sets of 5, 4 sets of 4, 5 sets of 3, etc. There's no magic formula for what combination of sets and reps will allow YOU to climb weight the fastest. You have to experiment. Through the experimentation, you get way more in tune with your body. Also, what works to build strength on one exercise may not be optimal on the next. But in general, if you want to build solid strength on the most important lifts, keep it under 5-6 reps and do several sets. And give yourself plenty of time between sets.

I personally like to pyramid up on the 3 big lifts. So I'll get on a lift and do 6 reps, then put 5-10lbs more on and do 5 reps, then 5-10 more and do 4... The next time I do that lift, I try and do 6 at the weight I did 5 last time, 5 at the weight I did 4 last time, and so on. I like climbing weight this way (over basing it around 5x5).

As for big guys in the gym, remember that every big guy was a beginner once. Nobody came out of the womb ripped like that. Just develop good form, a sense of gym etiquette and keep to yourself. People will respect you. This thing is a marathon, not a sprint. Just keep going to the gym and keep eating. Things will fall into place regardless if you keep going with the attitude that it's part of your life now - like brushing your teeth or combing your hair. You also lift.
 
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Thanks man appreciated, gonna tske two days off, i kinda wanna do something sunday maybe swimming or w.e, 3x a week is enoufh for me with what i have going on, will hopefully turn into blog asap
 
just a quick update guys , currently in my 3rd week of this routine, it is quite hard for me with the barbell row and deadlift with hex plates (lol why i sign up to gym in first place idk) but im down to 6mg tapering more its hard but im pushing myself .. getting pretty good form on squats i feel and weights getting easier but definitely overheadpress and bench still alot of work to go with them..

anyone manage deadlifts, barbell row with hex plates have any suggestions?
 
If the power rack is usually empty (or your gym has more than one) put the pins in the lowest holes, put the bar on them and stand on something so that the rom is the same as it would be if the bar was on the floor. And it's completely normal for the ohp to progress the slowest and the bench press only a little faster than that. If you put the same effort to training all bodyparts and have no injuries and such your ohp/bench will always be low compared to your squat. And your deadlift should in most cases be higher than your squat (again assuming no injuries and things like that)... if it's not you're either not going low enough on your squats or have a body type that's ideal for squats and not so much for deadlifts (the first one is more likely, but the second one does happen... record your self a few times, it's the best way do judge).
 
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