Question about 5x5 routines

[sashi]

Hi everyone!

I know, I'm just full of questions! So, yesterday I started the 5x5 plan. To go by the StrongLifts website, you do 3 exercises 3 days per week. However, looking through some battle logs, I see most folks doing 5 exercises.

Two days of my week, I'm usually in my cardio/weight class and plan to hit this routine afterwards (it worked pretty well yesterday, although I'm sore as hell today). However, am I shortchanging myself by only doing three of the exercises on the day when I'm just going into the gym for weights? (If this makes any sense at all.......)

[m00se]

If you're just starting out then three a day is fine. You can do more if you like, bit try and get a squat, and an upper body push and upper body pull in there too. Anything on top is a bonus. I throw in some deadlifts once a week and mix up the actual exercises, but each day is squat, push, pull. Unless im feeling quirky in which case I might do some shovelglove, Tabata jump squats and a shitload of pullups for example. Just for shits and giggles

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[Damzie]

I'm new to this too, and I'm doing sort of a combination between SL and the design-your-own program described by Steve here. So I'm doing 5 exercises, squats, push, pull, core, and butt/hamstrings. I do squats and inverse bodyweight rows every workout, but rotate the other exercises. I'm sure 3 is fine too, but that's just what I decided to do. Good luck!

[SuperVitali]

Not short changing yourself at all.

Stick with the program and you should see great results provided you recover properly (eat, sleep, mobility work). Once you get a feel for how your body reacts (especially ocne the weights start getting heavier) then try adding more.

The only advice I'd give is to try not to do too much too soon, or you may risk injury/burning yourself out.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

I only do 3 a day (workout A: squats, press, deadlift, workout B: squat, bench, row) unless I know I'm going to have more than the standard 2-3 day rest, in which case I'll do all 5 of the workouts. This has been happening a lot due to the holiday season, but when I'm hitting the gym more regularly after, I'll be doing the 3 again.

Doing too many different heavies in one session can cause you to be fatigued during the later exercises and not get as much out of them as you would otherwise. I see 3-5 heavies recommended a session, so 5 is pushing it, especially for a beginner. Once your muscles are used to it, 5 should be fine, until you get to REALLY heavy weights, which I would say you would probably have to go back down to 3, but I'm not there yet, so i don't know.

[scotticus]

I've been following SL5x5 pretty strictly, based on the fact that I have no qualification whatsoever in terms of designing a strength program. Basically, I'm following the progression as prescribed, save for a one workout increase of 10lbs (rather than the usual 5). Initially, I found the weight way too light and thought I might be sacrificing some quality work.

I think I was wrong.

A few observations:

- starting off light lets you practice good form, so when things get heavier it's ingrained (it's hard to practice good form when you're tired)

- SL5x5 progresses pretty quickly: 5-10lbs per exercise every workout, so things ramp up in a hurry

- depending on your level of strength the squats get hard really fast, so having to do even two high intensity exercises afterwards can be challenging

In short, I don't think that you would be shortchanging yourself at all if you stick with the three. Take a look a few weeks ahead in the SL spreadsheet and ask yourself if you'll still feel shortchanged at the stage in the game, and then consider that whatever you do now is just preparing you for that future For my part, the prospect of moving former PRs (or more!) for 5x5 in another month and a half is more than enough to help me stick with it.

[sashi]

Thanks for all the advice!

I keep hearing about "rest times" between sets. I understand the concept; however, I'm doing my sets in a circuit (e.g, on Thursday, I did one set of 5 squats, then one set of 5 rows, then one set of 5 bench presses, rinse repeat 5 times). Is this bad? Should I do all sets sequentially and rest 1-3 minutes between?

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

Mehdi officially recommends no circuits, citing lack of focus and that it makes it harder to track progress, especially after you stall and are progressing at different rates on different lifts. Have you read the handbook?

[Shortkaik]

Thanks for all the advice!

I keep hearing about "rest times" between sets. I understand the concept; however, I'm doing my sets in a circuit (e.g, on Thursday, I did one set of 5 squats, then one set of 5 rows, then one set of 5 bench presses, rinse repeat 5 times). Is this bad? Should I do all sets sequentially and rest 1-3 minutes between?

From everything I've read, it's better to do all 5 sets in a row and then move on to the next one. With breaks in between the sets (1 minute or so to start) The idea is to build strength, not to tire yourself out too much or not get adequate recovery time. But if you're at a gym where you have to take turns on weights or something, well, that might make it different. But ideally you would do all your squats, then all your presses, then all your rows.

[Hermione Gainser]

Two days of my week, I'm usually in my cardio/weight class and plan to hit this routine afterwards (it worked pretty well yesterday, although I'm sore as hell today). However, am I shortchanging myself by only doing three of the exercises on the day when I'm just going into the gym for weights? (If this makes any sense at all.......)

I'll second what everyone has said above. The only additional exercise I add is farmer's walk (farmer walks, farmer walk, whatev) to help with grip.

OTHERWISE, do cardio after your lift, not before.

Edit: Marietta, ga?

[sashi]

@Corey: I admit, I didn't read all of the manual. It started to get a little too self-help for my taste (I teach college English, so that kind of of over-the-top writing grates on me and makes me want to get out the red pen). I went back and started reading it again.

@Shortkaik: My gym is almost never very busy, at least not since I've started going.

@Laura: Yup, Marietta, GA. Btw, why do weights and then my class?

[Hermione Gainser]

That's awesome. Hi neighbor!

Doing cardio beforehand depletes your glycogen stores and your lifts are very likely to suffer. It's harder to keep correct form and that increases the possibility of injury. With 5x5 I can tell you as the weights get up there you will definitely need all the energy you have to complete it.

Also, some say, and I find this to be true but I do not know the technicalities behind it-forgive me, cardio after helps recovery.

[kg4ghn]

I felt the same way when I first started and now a month and a half later I am sweating pretty good and tired just after the 3 exercises a day.