No problem. I started SL at a gym without barbells so did everything with dumbbells. I was surprised at how much effort I'd have to put into the squats with just the bar. Now that I'm trying a barbell I'm finding it hard to get a strong grip on the barbell when it is on my shoulders. As far as nutrition, it pretty much sucked throughout, but I did make sure to eat around 190 grams of protein 90% of days and took creatine everyday. On the graph I marked my major de-loads starting on the left side. There are two different workouts alternated throughout the week. At the time I was still high bar squatting and obviously wasn't doing it right, but I kept pushing it. I thought a dude as big as me would look a little funny doing squats and benching with only the bar. Video: (Black Shirt):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck7DMlbqdXA (Red Shirt):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2OiEdy669w. Could you post a before and after picture from yourself? Thanks for reading. I decided to stick to Stronglifts for an entire year, April 4th 2018 to April 2nd 2019, and these are my results. StrongLifts 5x5 12 week program review I often see questions here about SL—whether it's worth doing it, how much progress one can expect, whether accessory exercises should be added, etc. In total I did 134 out of a potential 156 workouts over the course of the year, averaging 2.5 per week. It is a simple program that works with minor drawbacks which I would recommend to anyone who wants to build real strength with a barbell.I started in June 2014 and finished in March 2015. In the recent e-mail I had recieved from Mehdi, he recommended for those who seek an additional arm workout to do chin ups, with palms facing towards you. But you need angled barsto adjust it. I have loved the first week of it got love the pain of muscles being sore again after workout. I didn't like my form and felt I was out pacing my ability to lift properly so I took a step back and started to really concentrate on form on all my lifts. I used the reddit search, and other people seem to be asking about arms too. So even with shitty nutrition, I am a lot stronger than I was a year ago, although it could have been better. This works fine if you have an average build… Thank you. Although I see results with stronglifts, I feel it is giving me better strength results than it is a beach bod. Allan Thralls channel is strength untamed and he is incredibly informative on all thing lifting, I highly recommend him if you are having trouble on any lifts. They got results, called it StrongLifts 5×5, and made it go viral. Since then, thousands of people worldwide have gained strength and muscle with StrongLifts 5×5. Although it is being insulated under a decent layer of fat at the moment, I have put on a lot of muscle over the past year. Alan Thralls strength untamed is a great resource, or anything with Mark Rippetoe in it. In fact, my little brother used this program (“StrongLifts 5×5”) to increase his Squat from 45 to 297lb, Bench to 225lb and Deadlift to 368lb… in only 7 months. For the entire year I was going back and forth between wanting to loose fat and get stronger, so some weeks as far as calories go, I would under eat and some I would over eat, I could never make up my mind. Can I just switch to front squats (they don't bother my shoulder) or machine leg presses? Even if I was eating 5000 calories of fried food and pizza, I made sure to get protein and creatine. 34 years old 6'3" 215 lbs. This will keep you busy for at least three months on StrongLifts 5×5. This is really encouraging and impressive. If the graph shows up properly, there a few variations at the end, but those are not completed weights so I excluded them in my final numbers. If I didn't get to parallel on more than one rep, I would consider it a failure and do the weight again. I did StrongLifts 5x5 first to get stronger as fast as possible. I only use the belt on my highest weight, not for warm ups, but man that made a huge difference for me. It took a little while to work up the "courage" or whatever to start the workout. I was a little nervous going into the gym on my first day. I was also skinny fat. Many peoplehave doubled their Squat to 300lb, gained 24lb and lost 12lb in a year on this program. I figured squatting 3 times a week there really was no rush. I still carry the same fat around my stomach and chest, but my legs and arms are pretty solid now. So, if you want to gain both strength and size at a faster pace and that too in a drug-free manner, the StrongLifts 5×5 workout program is the perfect one for you. After much searching, asking people for recommendations and trying to pick myself up some cheap equipment I discovered this ‘Stronglifts… Good luck! Simplicity and practice pays off for the less-experienced individual, but lifters already aged with iron need a bit more programming complexity to make continued gains in size and strength. I've meant to do stronglifts for months, and finally started 3 weeks ago. Im going to start training for a marathon soon and Im wondering, would that be too heavy of a load for me? My results for this particular program are as follows: Exercise Start weight End Weight Devised by Mehdi it is one of the most popular training routines around and is based on the original 5x5 concept that has been used with tremendous success since at least the 1950s. Only thing is, I messed up my left shoulder a few days ago squatting (I think my shoulder was too inflexible, so holding the bar strained it too much). Thousands of beginners around the world flock to this program and many have seen amazing results. Turns out...people won't say anything to you. The StrongLifts 5×5 then added and substituted a few exercises and further evolved to create what they have today. Everyone struggles around the 35kg range. With the StrongLifts 5×5 workout, you perform just five compound exercises each week: the deadlift, squat, bench press, overhead press, and barbell row. I decided to take an entire week off, switch to low bar squat, made a major de-load, not only for my back, but to properly learn how to low bar squat. 0. Really helps to visualize my progress, and show set backs are just a part of training. I had about a year of body weight training in before starting, but almost zero weightlifting experience. I think if it hadn't been ingrained in me already at that point, it would have been a lot tougher to keep pushing. Take some love from your new Euro buddies like me. Thanks for all the encouragement and hopefully soon i'll be posting more updates. 35 years old probably still 6'3" 235 lbs. My number really shot up from that point. I reccommend switching to 3x5 or 3x3. Any other dip, was either form (especially on squats) or I wasn't progressing on that lift and needed to de-load. So my friend being doing 5x5 for ages and kept telling me start it. Cheers ! Then I plan to switch back to powerlifting, probably Madcow 5x5, because one major thing I have taken away from all of this, is a love for powerlifting. Thanks man. You can only do so well at building strength and losing fat via cardio. My Results (BEFORE) Before starting the Stronglifts 5×5 program I had literally never lifted a weight in my life, I was a skinny 135lbs, roughly 16% body fat and struggled to lift the bar (20kg). How would this go about? The … In the mean time, though, I don't wanna lose momentum. And deadlifts the most straight forward! Stronglifts is not only great to get stronger but also gives crazy amounts of volume if followed in a good manner. I took a couple days off, de-loaded again, figured last time I was overly cautious with my pace when I came back and tried to push my self a little faster, which leads to.... 4th de-load, same fucking muscle, but so much worse. I slowly progressed up from there, even taking 2 workouts per weight if my form felt off. If not, then your current, slower-than-what-you'd-like rate of fat loss will need to be accepted as reality. Big difference. Building strength and adding weight each week to make progress. But the way you’ve laid it out your progress gives me encouragement. Although there are numerous variations of the program, one of the most popular is StrongLifts 5×5. Let’s have a rundown of this program. Is your username a leftover crack reference? Great job, assuming that all lifts are with good form, you've done well. It hurt, but it was mild, I took a few workouts off, de-loaded and came back and felt fine. I realize I live in a backwards ass country when it come to measuring things, and pretty much everyone else uses metric. I still do my big lifts at the weight I ended Stronglifts at so I can maintain that strength, but there is more upper body work, and only squatting once a week. I end up with a weird 3 finger grip that isn't too secure. Watch Allen Thrall and Mark Rippetoe videos on deadlift. Absolutely! I missed 16 workouts due to various reasons, muscle strains(more below), self induced sick days, laziness. I did chin-ups, 3 max sets on deadlift day, and dips, 3 max sets on bench day, after most workouts, but I did miss a few. Only thing is, I messed up my left shoulder a few days ago squatting (I think my shoulder was too inflexible, so holding the bar strained it too much). Is there any better substitute? r/Stronglifts5x5: This subreddit if for anyone who is starting Stonglifts5x5, has previously done Stronglifts5x5, anywhere in between, or even just … Made very little 5x5 progress over the last few months, but it is one of my favorite exercises to do. SezxyStef Member Posts: 15,248 Member Member Posts: 15,248 Member. Most people at my gym can't squat or deadlift 3 plates, so it's kind of cool to get respect for being able to do that. Disclaimer: This Stronglifts 5×5 Review is not a sponsored post.Strongerrr.com or any of its authors are not associated with Stronglifts 5×5 in any way. I did Stronglifts for a year. I was hoping this would help encourage some people to just stick to it, because it works if you put in the effort. Stopped caring about what people thought or would say. Beer is so much better after a good workout. But these results are atypical for older lifters or females with less test… 5th de-load was when 5x5 on squats was burning me out, so I switched to 3x5 and I finally bought a weight lifting belt. The Stronglifts website. I decided to stick to Stronglifts for an entire year, April 4th 2018 to April 2nd 2019, and these are my results. Include your 20kg/45lb and you can Deadlift 137.5kg/303lb with this setup. Already looking forward to the next workout. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck7DMlbqdXA, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2OiEdy669w. At the end I was getting very burnt out, and increasing by 5 pounds on most lifts was almost impossible for me. This review is completely self-initiated and solely based on personal experience, with the goal of sharing the pros and cons of the program to help people decide if the program is right for them. I'm gonna rest it till it gets better, and see a doctor in a week if there's no change. How StrongLifts 5×5 Changed My Life… 6 years ago I was a newcomer, browsing the internet looking for the perfect workout routine I can perform with minimal equipment as there wasn’t a gym nearby my house. What can I do to increase flexibility in my wrists, arms and shoulder so I can start gripping the barbell properly? I wanted to feel what the belt was like with some lighter loads first, then progress from there. Badass! Wider shoulders thus need a wider grip. It only takes 3 exercises, 3x/week, 45min per workout. Damn bro I can relate to everything you posted Haha we seem like we on the same diet and beer plan too. StrongLifts 5x5 is a great beginner's program, but may not be a great choice for intermediate and advanced lifters. Press J to jump to the feed. Maybe 60 t0 70 percent of what my working weight was. This article will discuss the pros and cons of Stronlifts 5x5 and German Volume Training in detail inclusing my first hand experience and sources from the web to help you to decide which program is … The numbers first, because I didn't take pictures, this is probably the most interesting part. I switched to a 4 day a week Wendler 531 variant. The hard work finally payed off.12 Weeks of StrongLifts.10 Weeks of StrongLifts Madcow.All lifts are 5 reps. And the size gains are, of course, a side effect (That’s a good thing).So, you can use this program if you’ve hit a plateau or if you just need to change up … Stronglifts 5x5. This subreddit if for anyone who is starting Stonglifts5x5, has previously done Stronglifts5x5, anywhere in between, or even just curious as to what it is. I think this is going to be fun. Then I watched a lot of YouTube videos on form if I felt like something wasn't clicking. Stronglifts 5x5 vs. German Volume Training. Obviously the more you put in the more you get out. The 5×5 exercise routine is perfect for those who are looking to gain lots of strength. I'm looking at starting weightlifting but I worry that I'll hurt myself because I don't have any experience with free weights. Funny. Those helped me a ton, especially Allan Thrall 5 step deadlift video, he is funny and informative. I needed to do something different for awhile, so I will probably use this program until I get to 10 or 12 percent body fat. Have to admit. As you can tell in the graph, I really struggle with OHP. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the Stronglifts5x5 community. I strained an erector spinae on the right side, right next to my spine on the ribs but toward the bottom of my rib cage. How did you learn about form? The best part? I also like beer, and probably drank to much of that as well. Than I switched to Ivysaur 448 for a more optimal training program. Am I to do sets? I did put on 20 lbs, and my body fat did drop a little, but not much. It’s been featured in Men’s Fitness, Men’s health, Bodybuilding.com, Reddit, Strengthcamp, etc. Have a kick ass day. 1st was for form, on everything. Even a few guys in way better shape than me at the gym I go to have commented on the fact that I am actually starting to look like someone who lifts. I went to google images and searched 5x5 Stronglifts results and found a lot of before and after pictures. After my series of back issues, I am very picky about my form, if it feels off, I stop. So I think I took it to its limits, for me. But the thing that stood out more was the amount of … Finally I dropped my ego and just started. Following this program for 4-6 weeks can certainly provide you with the results that you would surely be proud of. You should do something like it to build a base of strength and learn the basic barbell movements. The workout was tough. It was hard at times, but I think the year of body weight training I had helped a lot. Is there anything you guys see in the video that we can improve on? So I just got our of 4yr relationship and thought no better time to start being healthy. 3rd was another back strain, same muscle. Not so much from a strength standpoint, but instilling in me the need to workout. Just started doing Stronglifts barely 2 weeks ago. When you run out of plates, buy extra 20kg/45lb. Stronglifts 5×5 is a more advanced program, which also focuses on ~5 rep range and compound movements, but allows for a way higher volume, which will boost the muscular/strength development furthermore. I watched all of the videos and I read everything he has on form and proper lifting for a good baseline when I started. If you stuck with it, thanks for reading. Having that belt to brace against really gave me good feedback about what having a well braced core felt like, and really helped propel my lifts. I have done the Stronglifts 5x5 program for ten months. As long as the overall trend is was up, I knew I was progressing, and that helped push me forward. So just for this reason alone, my numbers could have been better. Now I can only go a day or two without some type of workout before I feel like a piece of shit. Anyway, if it's that big a deal to you to lose the weight, maybe you'll need to sacrifice 5X5 for more cardio. My bars are parallel so my grip width follows my equipment. Mehdi (SL creator) suggests sticking with SL for 12 weeks before passing judgement on … Extensive Stronglift 5x5 ten month review. I saw you linked some videos for deadlift form, did you just use videos for your other lifts, too? People who haven't seen me, comment on how much bigger I look, and that I look like I actually lift weights. Also - Stronglifts is a beginning strength program. Squat is physically the hardest, and rows are the least satisfying (for me). A 5×5 workout structure is as simple (Not easy) as it gets and we don’t need to convince you of its effectiveness either.. September 14, 2014 11:52AM. Now I can't move it back past a certain position without pain. Hopefully Madcow will give you some more gains :). It’s worth noting that, like many skinny guys who decide to follow a strength based beginners routine I coupled it with GOMAD. So Ive been doing Stronglifts 5x5 for about a month and a half and have been running occasionally. Thanks for sharing. It's fun being able to pick up heavy shit, and see what I am capable of. If you search online for 'strength training' one of the first results you will get is the Stronglifts 5x5 workout program. At this point I can tell if I'm lifting properly or if I need to adjust something. I am currently in the process of cutting some fat, so I can finally see what all the muscle I have been working my ass for looks like. I obviously could have done a lot of things differently over the past year and probably gotten better results, but I am very happy with my progress. As in, how many reps? If done along with a great diet, many men can change their body. Hi guys, my friend and I have recently started working towards perfecting our squat form. 2nd was my first mild back muscle strain. I really appreciate that you put in KGs ni the description. I'm used to doing squats holding dumbbells up to my shoulders. Nice. Thank you. This keeps your arms close to your body. Now I can't … StrongLifts 5×5 with Power Cleans: 110-130 reps for lower body (Squat, Deadlift, Power Clean), 75 reps for upper-body (Bench, Press). It should get you results faster than StrongLifts 5x5. 5x5 is to movement what keeping a food log is to eating -- a great starting point where you'll learn a lot, and build a foundation for living a healthy rest of your life. Actually loved reading this. Semi-new to SL5x5 and I'd like to work a tad more on arms (since the weight is still pretty easy, no difficulty yet). If start StrongLifts 5×5 with the recommended weights of 40kg/95lb, consider two full diameter plates of 25lb/10kg. One thing that helped me was doing 1 or 2 lighter AMRAP sets after 5x5. I didn't have a clue what I was doing, and Stronglifts 5x5 has been very good for me. Thank you. The Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Routine.