5x5 Routine

[Flojo]

I've seen quite a lot of people talking about the 5x5 routine and how effective it has been for them so I'm looking to try it for a month and see how effective it is for me but my main problem is that I don't think I'll enjoy this workout that much as it seems to short and it doesn't include any of the exercises I like doing.Has anyone here done the 5x5 routine and do you think the specific exercises are of importance or is it more the structure of sets and reps?For those that aren't familiar with the 5x5 routine check out http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beg...aining-program/

[Guillermo Rigondeaux]

yep1 month aint enough3 months at least u needur squats will be aloti like it cause u can be in and out of the gym in 45 mins

[Flojo]

Do you follow the routine that's on that link or have you customised it for yourself?Have you seen good gains strength/bulking wise?

[carpedeum]

its good for strength building. i did this last yr and will go back to it later in the yr if i decide to bulk up again.90-2mins rest, and make sure you are damn lifting the heaviest you can possibly lift if you really want it to work. so if for example you're lifting 60kg bench and doing about 10 reps normally.. with the 5x5 you should be lifting at least 90kg to do 5 reps.

[Flojo]

Defo gonna give this a try for a few months, do you remember which routine you followed Carpe?I was thinking of using the principle of the 5x5 routine but swapping some of the exercises around, as long as I'm covering the same muscle groups as the original it should be cool shouldn't it?

[YFSD]

I'ma try this soon

[Guillermo Rigondeaux]

i onnly changed 1 excerciseinstead of inverted row i do barbell rowyes sick gains i been doing it 9 monthsbe warned ur legs will be in AGONY for a while when u hit 2-3rdvmonth are and squatting near ur body weightwhat carpe said is correct, be sure to lift as much as u can. u will get dirty looks in the gym too cause u will be using the squat rack for 45 mins + a bar + bench and doing all sorts of other madness in between, but it works. i do 15 mins cardio after my workout so im in and out of gym in 1 h flat. u will also get quite tired and maybe sweat alot because u need to bang out 1 excercise after another with 1 min in between. u shoud definiley try it.even if u dont stick 2 it u will of learned good form for the most important excercises and it will stand u in good stead when u come to learn new ones

[Guillermo Rigondeaux]

ps make sure to do proper press ups, they r the best excercise when done properly and in conjunction with bench ur chest gets a sick work out on that day

[djbmc]

i'm kind of doing 5x5, but i just carried on doing the same exercises i was doing before but replacing the sets/reps with 5x5. I'm basically doing it for about 3 months until i've increased all exercises by about 10k.Can anyone tell me - should i be doing one muscle group per session, or a split, say, 4 times a week? Coz if u work ur chest on one exercise doing 5x5 and u max out, surely it's pointless doing another one coz you're already too tired from the first one.

[Guillermo Rigondeaux]

that program in the link is devised to give u max gains in minimum timeid suggest u follow it to the tee ull be certain ur doing the best excecisesthey specifically say not to deviate from the program at all, not even small changes here n therethe 5x5 in the link is an a/b program, so you go on monday - do a, go on wed - do b, go on fri etc no need to worry about if ur excercising too much too little or wrong muscle group cos its all on the site for u already

[jagz1992]

is 5x5 routine good way to get lean muscle in the quickest time?

[carpedeum]

Defo gonna give this a try for a few months, do you remember which routine you followed Carpe?I was thinking of using the principle of the 5x5 routine but swapping some of the exercises around, as long as I'm covering the same muscle groups as the original it should be cool shouldn't it?

i just did a big mass routine. two body parts a week. u can keep the same body parts to train as ur doing now as long as its a good split. u can do back and biceps, and chest and triceps. try and keep it to only two body parts which doesnt include abs. 2mins rest so u can recover fullya two day on two day off routine is also good. and slengteng its not for getting lean muscle its for building strength and mass.

[NO SUNSHINE]

The routine looks very basicSay you do it for 6 months - that means you're only doing 10 exercises the whole time, does that not get extremely tedious?

[Em Dott]

Want to try this, but don't have access to a gym right now. What I like is the approximate time it takes. 45-60 mins is sick.Gonna try and find a decent gym when I get back to London and put this into action.

[carpedeum]

The routine looks very basicSay you do it for 6 months - that means you're only doing 10 exercises the whole time, does that not get extremely tedious?

6 months is too long. 2-3 months then change it up again

[djbmc]

Defo gonna give this a try for a few months, do you remember which routine you followed Carpe?I was thinking of using the principle of the 5x5 routine but swapping some of the exercises around, as long as I'm covering the same muscle groups as the original it should be cool shouldn't it?

i just did a big mass routine. two body parts a week. u can keep the same body parts to train as ur doing now as long as its a good split. u can do back and biceps, and chest and triceps. try and keep it to only two body parts which doesnt include abs. 2mins rest so u can recover fullya two day on two day off routine is also good. and slengteng its not for getting lean muscle its for building strength and mass.

so i can do a chest day and do maybe 4 exercises, 5x5?

[Guillermo Rigondeaux]

The routine looks very basicSay you do it for 6 months - that means you're only doing 10 exercises the whole time, does that not get extremely tedious?

looks can be deceivingi dont actually enjoy lifting a weighted bari enjoy the results of doing soimo it'll be boring whatever happens learning how to squat, bench press, dead lift correctly is far from basic, those are some of the hardest techniques to master in the gym

[Guillermo Rigondeaux]

is 5x5 routine good way to get lean muscle in the quickest time?

yes3 months minimum thoughand make sure ur lifting the most u can possibly lift

[t-dan]

5x5 is a good routine, never really used it myself but its the basics.A good variety of compound movements, and your hitting every muscle hard as f*ck. it would be impossible not to gain on that routine.

[Roscoe]

yeah these routines are sick, other variations that are similar and are known to work sick:3x5 ripptoes4x6push/pull/legs or push/pull/shoulders & legs

[A Bit Better]

This is me now for chest and legs. Should've been all along really. Dunno wtf I've been doing.

[djbmc]

This is me now for chest and legs. Should've been all along really. Dunno wtf I've been doing.

do you have spotter? i'm scared to try this 5x5 thing on squats or bench press without one.

[A Bit Better]

Lol no I don't. Will probably have to ask someone close for the last set or two.

[Guillermo Rigondeaux]

u don't need a spotter IMOa major point of 5x5 programmes is correct techniqueif u need a spotter lifting 80KG then just drop down to 70.. its not a competition. it what works for u. when u cant do 5x5 with correct techniqe and need a spotter on the last 2 reps ur wasting ur time.also another thing, i got a couple friends who started gym/have little experience. they all asked what routine to do and i told them 5x5. now these idiots did 5x5 for 2 weeks then i go in the gym the other day and one of them is doing flys. i ask why and he tells me he likes doing flys. my other friend is doing dumbell press instead of bench press and doesn't bother with pull ups cause "he cant do one".whats the point in modifying a programme which a professional trainer has spent hours developing, so that it gives YOU the best results possible? its dumb. just stick to the programme and you will not fail. the moment u start modifying it because u think ur some gym guru is when the fails start to occur and u realise u wasted 3 months all because u thought u knew better.

[A Bit Better]

Didn't realise it involved that much sh*t. Just thought it was 5 sets of 5 reps of exercises. Can't be arsed with the real version. Tried 5 sets of 5 of 90KG as well. f*ck that also. Got to the 3rd set, couldn't finish it. Still haven't clicked the link but why do I have a feeling it's just 5 reps of 5 exercises? Would make more sense coz the sh*t I did was impossible.