Post: #1

Hi guys - following the advice of many guys here, I decided to start my Stronglifts workout routine. I am a beginniner at fitness - I have average strength and will aim at improving that.

My goal: Getting ripped and increase my mass and strength.
My body: 175 cm tall, 83 kg weight, aged mid 20's, skinny-fat body type. Body fat % unknown. Average strength but I have a belly - people often tease me with "when are you gonna give birth?"
My weaknesses: My lifestyle makes me travel a lot, and when it comes to working out, I often found excuses to avoid hitting the gym - so I'll be building my own home gym. This time, no excuse.
My program: I'll be following the Stronglifts 5x5 program, which can be found here: https://stronglifts.com/5x5. I'll be starting with the bare minimum weight for each exercise and increase 5 lbs per workout.

On Monday, the staff delivered my fitness equipment to my home gym:
- 1 power rack
- 1 barbell (45 lbs) with a set of plates from 2.5 lbs to 40 lbs
- 1 dumbell rack with dumbells ranging from 5 lbs to 70 lbs
- 1 bench
- A few other machines that I'll find a use for later

Day 1 - 11 May 2017

Squats:
I performed 5 sets, 5 reps, weight is 45 lbs (an empty barbell).
Result: While my upper body is fine, my thighs are extremely sore, showing that I have weak legs and need more. The workout was 2 days ago and I'm still sore, but nevertheless, I'll attempt the next one tonight.

Bench press:
I performed 5 sets, 5 reps, weight is 45 lbs.
Result: Extremely easy, could do way more.

Barbell row:
I performed 5 sets, 5 reps, weight is 65 lbs.
Result: Quite easy, I could do more.

Post: #2

I have tried 5x5 with good results few years ago. Your legs will be huge from squatting. You might have to buy new trousers

It will be easy at first and you will complete it in half an hour. As you progress, you will spend more time in gym due to 3-5 minute rest periods between sets.

I was stalling at shoulder press due to incorrect technique. I was able to progress smoothly after correcting.

Eventually, progress will stop but you are months away.

Good luck.

Post: #3

(05-13-2017 06:16 AM)Denzel Wrote:  I have tried 5x5 with good results few years ago. Your legs will be huge from squatting. You might have to buy new trousers

It will be easy at first and you will complete it in half an hour. As you progress, you will spend more time in gym due to 3-5 minute rest periods between sets.

I was stalling at shoulder press due to incorrect technique. I was able to progress smoothly after correcting.

Eventually, progress will stop but you are months away.

Good luck.

Did you get ripped quite fast, and how was your body when your progress stopped?

Post: #4

Day 2 - 13 May 2017

Squats:
I performed 5 sets, 5 reps, weight is 50 lbs
Result: My thighs were still sore from last workout but I forced myself and went through it anyway. It was less painful than I thought. I did all the reps, although the 5th set was a tad more difficult.

Overhead press
I performed 5 sets, 5 reps, weight is 45 lbs.
Result: Very easy, I could to a thousand reps of them.

Deadlifts:
I performed 1 set, 5 reps, weight is 95 lbs.
Result: Way too easy. I felt like it was a warmup - however slight pain in the legs from the squat.

Post: #5

Are you using the 5x5 guide for proper form in the lifts? Asking because where are a beginning now is the best time to start good habits - form is king take it from me. It will help protect you from injury and allow you to be at the best mechanical advantage in the lifts.

Post: #6

So far, I watch a Youtube video for the form before each workout - and obviously I want to get the form right, especially since deadlifts can cause back injury with the wrong form. I don't have access to a spotter since I workout at home but I try my best to do the form that the pros are doing.

Post: #7

(05-13-2017 11:14 AM)Rawmeo Wrote:  Overhead press
I performed 5 sets, 5 reps, weight is 45 lbs.
Result: Very easy, I could to a thousand reps of them.

Shoulder press is one of those movements that goes from easy to hard from one rep to the next, they say, and that's been my experience as well.

To increase the weight very gradually, you may need 1.25 pound or kilo disks. Or do what I do: just wrap ankle weights around the bar.

I've never really mastered the starting position; supposedly you rest the bar on your collarbone but either I've got the wrong posture or arm position, or my body has some weird dimension that doesn't really allow that.

Post: #8

(05-13-2017 06:33 AM)Rawmeo Wrote:  Did you get ripped quite fast, and how was your body when your progress stopped?

I was already in "not-bad" shape with some gym experience, and eating clean before starting 5x5. I mainly did it for strength. Around six weeks mark, I noticed the first (minor) signs of change. In 3 months, my jeans were feeling tight thanks to squatting, the improvements in my upper body were also noticeable in front of the mirror. And things got better every month after. I think I stopped 5x5 around the eight month when progress stopped even after dropping the weights few times.

The program is designed for strength but one inevitably gains weight as more weight is added so I was looking much better at the end. Very noticeable results even with my daily clothes on. I gained muscles and lost fat. Compliments from friends/girls after 6 months. My only complaint is my biceps were lacking which I addressed later. My goal has never been to be very ripped though. To give you an idea, my deadlift record is 270 lbs (5 rep).

Sure, there might be other programs that are better for getting ripped but following a program is more important than trying to find the best one. You will see very good results within 3 months especially if your diet is fine.

Post: #9

Delete.

Post: #10

(05-13-2017 06:16 AM)Denzel Wrote:  I was stalling at shoulder press due to incorrect technique. I was able to progress smoothly after correcting.

Good luck.

Denzel, I'm curious about this remark as I also have stalled on Shoulder Press (stuck at about 105 for my last 2 or 3 cycles of Stronglifts).

What were you doing? and how did you fix it?

Post: #11

^I put my elbows in front of the bar in the beginning position, rather than right below the bar. That made a difference, and I progressed smoothly.... for a while.

Shoulder press was the first lift that stalled even after the elbow trick. I had to do de-loads at various stages.

Post: #12

Sorry guys, I mixed 5x5 results with another program's results. Please disregard my message quoted below.

I did 5x5 for 11 weeks only, and I did not start with the minimum weights except a few lifts since I had gym experience. My squat went up by 60 pounds, my bench 35 pounds, DL 45 pounds in 11 weeks (approximately). I recommend the program for strength.

(05-14-2017 01:00 AM)Denzel Wrote:  

(05-13-2017 06:33 AM)Rawmeo Wrote:  Did you get ripped quite fast, and how was your body when your progress stopped?

I was already in "not-bad" shape with some gym experience, and eating clean before starting 5x5. I mainly did it for strength. Around six weeks mark, I noticed the first (minor) signs of change. In 3 months, my jeans were feeling tight thanks to squatting, the improvements in my upper body were also noticeable in front of the mirror. And things got better every month after. I think I stopped 5x5 around the eight month when progress stopped even after dropping the weights few times.

The program is designed for strength but one inevitably gains weight as more weight is added so I was looking much better at the end. Very noticeable results even with my daily clothes on. I gained muscles and lost fat. Compliments from friends/girls after 6 months. My only complaint is my biceps were lacking which I addressed later. My goal has never been to be very ripped though. To give you an idea, my deadlift record is 270 lbs (5 rep).

Sure, there might be other programs that are better for getting ripped but following a program is more important than trying to find the best one. You will see very good results within 3 months especially if your diet is fine.

Post: #13

May 15th, 2017

Squat: 55 lbs - still hard on the legs but the pain does not seem to be increasing. All reps completed.

Bench press: 50 lbs - I'm eager to increase the weight, as it's way too easy and it isn't even warmup.

Barbell row: 70 lbs - moderately easy.

Also had a protein shake after the workout. 85% whey protein, 10% cocoa powder, 4% inulin, 1% shit.

Post: #14

Good call on making 5X5 your strength routine, I had really good results with it a few years ago. Since I wasn't a beginner lifter (just new to the compound lifts like squat and dead lift), I didn't want to start with bare barbells so I figured out my one rep max on each of the lifts and began with a percentage (I think 60-70%, its on the website somewhere) and went from there. I completed the 12 weeks with some good strength gains and was surprised that I didn't really get as big as I thought I would (likely due to diet) but I got more ripped and lost fat, which I was happy with overall. One piece of advice is to make damn sure that your technique is correct on the squats and dead lifts because its really easy to fuck up your back like I did once you start lifting heavy, a pulled back muscle cost me two weeks time out of the gym. Once I was ready to go back, I hired a personal trainer to teach me proper technique, he video taped me and gave some great advice, definitely worth it.

Post: #15

Just want to understand something so that people can help you.

When you say squat 55 pounds, are you excluding the bar? That is no way average strength.

That's like just the barbell? If you can really only squat that little, you need to figure out what your body fat percentage is.

It might be best to drop some body fat %'s and just lift weights, any weights, since you can only squat 55 pounds. You will gain muscle that way too. Form is absolute key.

Then consider doing a full-on bulk 5x5.

Post: #16

Squatting 55 pounds is lifting weights. I'm assuming he hasn't lifted much, and he admitted to being a beginner. So this is a good place to start. Figuring out body fat % would be nice, but at end of day he just needs to keep lifting and trying to progress, which is what it seems he is trying to do.

Post: #17

I'm always counting the barbell - I'm following the 5x5 application, and as a beginner, they advise me to start with the bare minimum in order to get my body used to the workout routime. I started with the empty olympic barbell, 45 lbs. Next workout is Thursday and the weight will be at 60. I have no trouble with all exercises, only the squat seems to be hitting my legs hard, and I think there's something wrong because I also have trouble standing still for long periods of time, even when I'm not working out.

Post: #18

(05-13-2017 01:54 PM)Rawmeo Wrote:  I don't have access to a spotter since I workout at home but I try my best to do the form that the pros are doing.

Video your lifts with your phone and review either by yourself or with a coach.

Post: #19

Why 5x5 ?

Is there a science behind this? Just wondering since I was led to believe that 3 sets of 12, 10, and 8 reps was the way to go for most exercises.

Post: #20

So the very rough science is the rep ranges you described are optimal for muscle growth, but shorter rep ranges are better for pure strength. 5x5 is a happy median of both worlds. Obviously for a beginner any range if done properly will boost both growth and pure strength, but 5x5 is a tried and true program that has worked for countless people.

Post: #21

As a beginner it doesn't matter if you use 3x5, 5x5, 3x10, 4x8, ect. Just pick one and stick to it.

However, I suspect you are not really grasping this whole concept if you're only squatting 55 lbs including the bar. That literally means you're putting a 5 lb weight on each side.

Im training a couple middle school women's soccer players, and they're squatting 105 and 120 for 3x5. 12 year old girls.

I think you need to try harder. You're not going hard.

Post: #22

His program specifically told him to start with the empty bar and add five pound per workout. Veteran lifters questioning the program newbies choose only makes it harder for them to make progress. The most important thing for newbies to is be consistent, and filling their heads with other ways to train makes it harder for them to do that.

Rawmeo, keep doing what you're doing.

Post: #23

Agree whether the weight is challenging or not, time under the bar is most important early on. The progression of 5x5 is such that the weight will start to become challenging as you become more comfortable with the movements. Relatively solid plan. The only weakness is that it is strictly a beginner program and you will stall out at a certain point and reach a plateau. When that time comes you will need to move on to a more intermediate program that has you training differently to advance your strength.

Post: #24

Hell I squat 315 and I still start off with just the bar to warm up. Building flexibility and getting the motions correct is the most important part right now, not the weight. That is why the program is written the way it is.

Post: #25

Yea, the squat is a HIGHLY technical lift. There's no shame in starting with just the bar to perfect form, and to improve your hip mobility.

I didn't train legs for a long time for a variety of reasons, but I started back with a 20-rep "breathing squat" program -- with just the bar. Four months later I'm repping 225lbs for 20 now, and I gained 18 lbs of lean mass.

You don't need to squat that heavy to get good gains. Volume is important however...

I would add though that 5x5 makes little sense when your lifting that light. 5 reps isn't even enough for me to bottom out in the squat. As a newbie, higher reps are far better for getting motor movements down and improving "mind-to-muscle" connection.