canadafats Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 I'm anxiously awaiting my trip to the gym today. I will start my stronglifts 5x5 program today. After a few weeks of researching programs I feel that SL5x5 is the one for me. I'm choosing my starting weight based upon my last trip to the gym. Whatever weight I used for bench, squat, and deadlift I will cut it in half and use that as a starting weight. Anyone else having success with SL5x5? Do or do not. There is no try. Link to comment
Bean Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Good luck. Most people seem to use either Stronglifts or Starting Strength when they begin.You won't regret it.I have seen fantastic gains in the last four months - now squatting my own bodyweight and deadlift is approaching 1.5x bodyweight. Do not worry if you have built your castles in the air. They are where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. - Henry David Thoreau Link to comment
canadafats Posted April 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Great job! It is motivating to see/read all of the success stories. I also like the iPhone app that Stronglifts has put out to track your program. Very cool. Do or do not. There is no try. Link to comment
Guest Snake McClain Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 I started strong lifts back in the first week of november. It will go very well for you. Just do it right and follow the instructions. I had some back issues in the past (herniated discs) and when i went with dead lifts i had to start at only 65lbs. I'm a 185lb man (was at the time now i'm 192) and it was embarassing to be deadlifting such a low weight but i had to. in a few weeks my support muscles trengthened and then i was jumping up in weight gradually. I didn't stick with the program all the way until now but if it's any indication here 5 months later my body is ready for bigger weight and i'm Dead lifting 275 as a working set. Bench went from 135 to 185. squat from 135 to 200 ( i don't do much squatting because of an injury). I know those numbers seem scrambled but that's because they are. Basically i was using strong lift as a jump off point for other things I'm doing. My training cannot be that specific with just barbells only. It is the PRIMARY source of my exercise but not the only. So anyway I'll just say that without sl 5x5 I would have been completely helpless in what goals i'm trying to achieve. so yes. it works. Follow the program and be strict and eat right and you will be doing pretty damn well. Link to comment
wildross Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 ditto what snake said. swallow your pride start lite and stick with it. it pays offSent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2 Warriors don't count reps and sets. They count tons. My psychologist weighs 45 pounds, has an iron soul and sits on the end of a bar Tally Sheet for 2019 Encouragement for older members: Chronologically Blessed Group; Encouragement for newbie lifters: When we were weaker Link to comment
Rooks Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Awesome. Let us know how it goes. I'm going to be starting my 5x5 program in May after I finish Tough Mudder. Link to comment
Fakeplastictree Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Good luck!! I was just looking into this program yesterday. Thinking about starting it in two months after I finish up with my Baby Got Back Program. 3 lifts a workout sounds fantastic to me at this point. Workout Log - It may scare you. http://nerdfitness.com/community/showthread.php?9548-Fake-s-Workout-log&p=132496#post132496 Link to comment
WizardTrip Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 I switched from a full body dumbbell and body weight routine I had been doing for about 6+ months to SL5x5 around the start of the year, and have had a lot of success with it. I did similar to what you are preparing for, starting small even though you know you could do more. Doing it steady at first allowed me to ramp up some of my weights pretty quick later on. Starting the program, I had never done a deadlift in my life and my current working set is 385lbs with my current PR at 425lbs (btw, I weigh 225). My BP is lagging behind as I am reaching for a body weight rep, but my squats are finally getting some weight added to them as it seems that the squats have been extremely helpful with a recovering knee injury back in Jan. Level 6 Wizard of Beer Warrior STR 21.25 | DEX 5.75 | STA 7.75 | CON 3.50 | WIS 9.50 | CHA 3.25 Twitter | Epic Trip | Current Challenge Previous Challenges: 1 2 3 4 5 *the warrior formerly known as icedtrip and former dothraki god of thunder furyan* Link to comment
canadafats Posted April 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Nice job, Icedtrip! So session 1 is done.My current weight is 292 lbs.Squat - 135 lbs 5x5Overhead Press - 45 lbs (bar only) 5x5Deadlift - 135 lbs 2x5 (I added an extra set because I was feeling good. Not sure if I should do that. I'm sure I'll knock that off when the weight gets heavier. LOL)I also did 60 minutes on the elliptical. I was a sweaty mess. It's been about two hours since my workout and I'm feeling it now, boy! I'm feeling great.Starting low on overhead press since my left shoulder is messed up. I broke my left arm at the shoulder when I was 15 years old and it never healed properly my arm is underdeveloped and my range of motion is not fantastic.The SL5x5 app is great. So easy to use and it is free. Do or do not. There is no try. Link to comment
Gainsdalf the Whey Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Nice job! I started my squats at 165 lb and I do 275 lb now. Deadlifts I did extra sets at the beginning, it's fine with the light weights and will help you learn the form. Once it gets heavy, you won't be doing that. Massrandir, Barkûn, Swolórin, The Whey Pilgrim 500 / 330 / 625 Challenges: 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 34 35 36 39 41 42 45 46 47 48 49 Current Challenge "No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. " ~ Socrates "Friends don't let friends squat high." ~ Chad Wesley Smith "It's a dangerous business, Brodo, squatting to the floor. You step into the rack, and if you don't keep your form, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." ~ Gainsdalf Link to comment
canadafats Posted April 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Thanks, CoreyD. I definitely wanted to start lighter especially since I am still learning the form. I made sure to focus on form while staring at my fat ass in the gym mirror. IMHO, I did great. I have bad knees and my previous attempts with Squats and Deadlifts hurt my knees due to bad form but now that I've learned proper form by bending myself the right way and pushing up with my hips and butt it really feels like a complete exercise. Do or do not. There is no try. Link to comment
WizardTrip Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Deadlift - 135 lbs 2x5 (I added an extra set because I was feeling good. Not sure if I should do that. I'm sure I'll knock that off when the weight gets heavier. LOL)Nice job! I started my squats at 165 lb and I do 275 lb now. Deadlifts I did extra sets at the beginning, it's fine with the light weights and will help you learn the form. Once it gets heavy, you won't be doing that.My first time I did SL5x5, I didn't notice that the DL was just 1x5, so I did 5x5 @ 135 before realizing it. At the lower weights, I continued to do more than a single set, but as I progressed, I started do a single at my working set, but I still do my warm-ups. Currently, I do:1x5@135, 1x5@225, 1x3@315, then my working set of 1x5@385 Level 6 Wizard of Beer Warrior STR 21.25 | DEX 5.75 | STA 7.75 | CON 3.50 | WIS 9.50 | CHA 3.25 Twitter | Epic Trip | Current Challenge Previous Challenges: 1 2 3 4 5 *the warrior formerly known as icedtrip and former dothraki god of thunder furyan* Link to comment
Gainsdalf the Whey Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 My first time I did SL5x5, I didn't notice that the DL was just 1x5, so I did 5x5 @ 135 before realizing it. At the lower weights, I continued to do more than a single set, but as I progressed, I started do a single at my working set, but I still do my warm-ups. Currently, I do:1x5@135, 1x5@225, 1x3@315, then my working set of 1x5@385Almost exactly what I do, weight and all. Though you have me on working sets by 20 lb at this point. Massrandir, Barkûn, Swolórin, The Whey Pilgrim 500 / 330 / 625 Challenges: 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 34 35 36 39 41 42 45 46 47 48 49 Current Challenge "No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. " ~ Socrates "Friends don't let friends squat high." ~ Chad Wesley Smith "It's a dangerous business, Brodo, squatting to the floor. You step into the rack, and if you don't keep your form, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." ~ Gainsdalf Link to comment
WizardTrip Posted April 24, 2012 Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 Thanks, CoreyD. I definitely wanted to start lighter especially since I am still learning the form. I made sure to focus on form while staring at my fat ass in the gym mirror. IMHO, I did great. I have bad knees and my previous attempts with Squats and Deadlifts hurt my knees due to bad form but now that I've learned proper form by bending myself the right way and pushing up with my hips and butt it really feels like a complete exercise.Yeah, my knees kept me back from squats too. Due to an injury, I actually started at 95 (but had been doing goblet squats prior). Past couple weeks I've been focused on finding a starting point for my testing my 1RMs for the virtual meet, but when I return to SLs next week, I'm hoping to be doing 225 (my last actual 5x5 squat was 205).Almost exactly what I do, weight and all. Though you have me on working sets by 20 lb at this point.Lift MOAR!!! Level 6 Wizard of Beer Warrior STR 21.25 | DEX 5.75 | STA 7.75 | CON 3.50 | WIS 9.50 | CHA 3.25 Twitter | Epic Trip | Current Challenge Previous Challenges: 1 2 3 4 5 *the warrior formerly known as icedtrip and former dothraki god of thunder furyan* Link to comment
Bean Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 Nice job, Icedtrip! I also did 60 minutes on the elliptical. I was a sweaty mess. It's been about two hours since my workout and I'm feeling it now, boy! I'm feeling great.The SL programme is awesome and you did good.Just a thought on the extra elliptical stuff - if this impacts on your recovery for the next work out, don't do it. You will see massive gains from the programme. If you do want to do some extra "cardio" stuff, I would recommend rather going for a shorter (10 or 20 minute) duration and doing intervals. This will kick your butt big time but recovery will be somewhat faster. Mark Rippetoe recommends rowing as the most effective of these exercises as it is a whole body mutliple joint exercise.Keep up the good work! Do not worry if you have built your castles in the air. They are where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. - Henry David Thoreau Link to comment
canadafats Posted April 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 The SL programme is awesome and you did good.Thanks, Bean. My legs are a little sore today but not too bad. I do agree that I will have to cut down my time with the cardio as I progress. I really need to keep my diet in check. I do great during the week but the weekends are a mess. I wish SL5x5 could strenthen my will power. Do or do not. There is no try. Link to comment
Bean Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 Sorry - that one is all you ... but maybe when you see the strength gain this will act as motivation to improve the eating. Even if you get the eating right for 5 out of 7 days, that is already progress.Also, to offset weekends, have you looked at the threads and posts on intermittent fasting? Not sure if this will help? Do not worry if you have built your castles in the air. They are where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. - Henry David Thoreau Link to comment
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