My 5 X 5 Plan

[quote]IMCS614 wrote:
I actually had a question about this, as I was considering switching over from a westside-ish split to 5x5 - In the beginning of Bill Starr’s 5x5 article, he says you build up to 5x5 of your previous 5 RM, but when going through the parameters, it actually looks like the 5x5 is actually just one heavy last set x 5, where the others are essentially ramping up the weight, like warmups.

But in his “advanced” article, he says the 5x5 is for straight sets… anyone have any experience with both, that could shed some light on this for me?

Cheers,

ICS[/quote]

I like the 5x5 where you start relatively light and work up to a 5rm on Monday. Friday you do the same first 4 sets as Monday but then a triple with 2.5% above Mondays 5th set. Then the following Monday, you hit 5 reps with your Friday’s triple.

I fry myself trying to do 5x5 with a 6-7 rm (straight sets).

[quote]derek wrote:

I like the 5x5 where you start relatively light and work up to a 5rm on Monday. Friday you do the same first 4 sets as Monday but then a triple with 2.5% above Mondays 5th set. Then the following Monday, you hit 5 reps with your Friday’s triple.

I fry myself trying to do 5x5 with a 6-7 rm (straight sets).
[/quote]

thats basically bill starrs routine right?

[quote]ab_power wrote:
pumped340 wrote:
Standndeliver wrote:
Any help/info/crit welcome!

I have very limited time to workout, so my plan is to simply keep lifting a weight until I can do a 5 X 5. So, for ex, suppose I can do 5 X 3 with 325 in the BP, but only get 4 reps on set number 4. I’ll stay with that weight until I can do 5 X 5.

Monday: Squats Wed: BP Fri: DL

I work about 14 hous a day, 6 days a week, but there is a gym in the same strip mall where I have my business.

Please, any other ideas?

since you keep the same weight until you reach 5x5 are you basically going to failure or at a point where you couldnt get another rep each time?

for others reading this is that a good method or too much?

The good 5x5 programs from bill starr use 5 reps 5 sets, but they are ramping the weights:

For example

135 x 5
155 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 5 ← 205 being your current 5 RM.

So you build up to a final set of 5 with the heaviest you can do. Then next week you try and beat that.
[/quote]
yea but he says he’s doing a 5x5 with a constant weight and once he gets 5 reps for all 5 sets he increases the weight, so basically he’s always going to failure or one set short of failure

[quote]pumped340 wrote:
derek wrote:

I like the 5x5 where you start relatively light and work up to a 5rm on Monday. Friday you do the same first 4 sets as Monday but then a triple with 2.5% above Mondays 5th set. Then the following Monday, you hit 5 reps with your Friday’s triple.

I fry myself trying to do 5x5 with a 6-7 rm (straight sets).

thats basically bill starrs routine right?

[/quote]

Yeah but that’s just a prototype. There’s a bunch or ways to set it up. Linear for less-advanced guys, there’s also the 5th-week deload/intensification etc., etc.

[quote]pumped340 wrote:
Standndeliver wrote:
Any help/info/crit welcome!

I have very limited time to workout, so my plan is to simply keep lifting a weight until I can do a 5 X 5. So, for ex, suppose I can do 5 X 3 with 325 in the BP, but only get 4 reps on set number 4. I’ll stay with that weight until I can do 5 X 5.

Monday: Squats Wed: BP Fri: DL

I work about 14 hous a day, 6 days a week, but there is a gym in the same strip mall where I have my business.

Please, any other ideas?

since you keep the same weight until you reach 5x5 are you basically going to failure or at a point where you couldnt get another rep each time?

for others reading this is that a good method or too much?[/quote]

When I can do 5 sets of 5 with a weight, I would then add weight.

When I feel this doesn’t work so good anymore, I’m going to try some of the other stuff mentioned here, for which I thank everyone.

It is hard to workout on my schedule. I went back to my store yesterday after running down to the gym (it’s in the same strip mall) and the store was packed with people. My father was not a happy man.

[quote]Standndeliver wrote:
pumped340 wrote:
Standndeliver wrote:
Any help/info/crit welcome!

I have very limited time to workout, so my plan is to simply keep lifting a weight until I can do a 5 X 5. So, for ex, suppose I can do 5 X 3 with 325 in the BP, but only get 4 reps on set number 4. I’ll stay with that weight until I can do 5 X 5.

Monday: Squats Wed: BP Fri: DL

I work about 14 hous a day, 6 days a week, but there is a gym in the same strip mall where I have my business.

Please, any other ideas?

since you keep the same weight until you reach 5x5 are you basically going to failure or at a point where you couldnt get another rep each time?

for others reading this is that a good method or too much?

When I can do 5 sets of 5 with a weight, I would then add weight.

[/quote]

right so your always going near your max reps right? as in maybe you hit failure and only get 4 reps one workout on the last set then the next one you just hit 5 and add weight…then the next time you get 3, etc…

[quote]pumped340 wrote:
Standndeliver wrote:
pumped340 wrote:
Standndeliver wrote:
Any help/info/crit welcome!

I have very limited time to workout, so my plan is to simply keep lifting a weight until I can do a 5 X 5. So, for ex, suppose I can do 5 X 3 with 325 in the BP, but only get 4 reps on set number 4. I’ll stay with that weight until I can do 5 X 5.

Monday: Squats Wed: BP Fri: DL

I work about 14 hous a day, 6 days a week, but there is a gym in the same strip mall where I have my business.

Please, any other ideas?

since you keep the same weight until you reach 5x5 are you basically going to failure or at a point where you couldnt get another rep each time?

for others reading this is that a good method or too much?

When I can do 5 sets of 5 with a weight, I would then add weight.

right so your always going near your max reps right? as in maybe you hit failure and only get 4 reps one workout on the last set then the next one you just hit 5 and add weight…then the next time you get 3, etc…

[/quote]

Right. I won’t add weight until I get all 5 sets at 5 reps. I do warm up with several lighter sets.

I usually work around 14 hours a day, so I have to keep workouts really short, usually stealing 30 minutes after our lunch hour rush.

Is my method bad?

[quote]ab_power wrote:
pumped340 wrote:
Standndeliver wrote:
Any help/info/crit welcome!

I have very limited time to workout, so my plan is to simply keep lifting a weight until I can do a 5 X 5. So, for ex, suppose I can do 5 X 3 with 325 in the BP, but only get 4 reps on set number 4. I’ll stay with that weight until I can do 5 X 5.

Monday: Squats Wed: BP Fri: DL

I work about 14 hous a day, 6 days a week, but there is a gym in the same strip mall where I have my business.

Please, any other ideas?

since you keep the same weight until you reach 5x5 are you basically going to failure or at a point where you couldnt get another rep each time?

for others reading this is that a good method or too much?

The good 5x5 programs from bill starr use 5 reps 5 sets, but they are ramping the weights:

For example

135 x 5
155 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 5 ← 205 being your current 5 RM.

So you build up to a final set of 5 with the heaviest you can do. Then next week you try and beat that.
[/quote]

I’ve always done 2 warm up sets and then 5x5 working sets somewhere close to a 6RM, increasing weight every two weeks. I don’t know who’s program this theory came from, but I know I read it here.

[quote]analog_kid wrote:

I’ve always done 2 warm up sets and then 5x5 working sets somewhere close to a 6RM, increasing weight every two weeks. I don’t know who’s program this theory came from, but I know I read it here.

[/quote]

why not every week? So the next week you just repeat what you already did?

[quote]pumped340 wrote:
analog_kid wrote:

I’ve always done 2 warm up sets and then 5x5 working sets somewhere close to a 6RM, increasing weight every two weeks. I don’t know who’s program this theory came from, but I know I read it here.

why not every week? So the next week you just repeat what you already did?

[/quote]

My workouts are never the same as they were the previous workout. I usually don’t do the same movement twice the same week. For example, today(monday)I front squat. Wednsday I will probably box squat, Friday I will probably go lite on the back and work on my sticking point at the bottom.

So to answer your question, I in reality increase weight every two workouts for a given movement when possible. I’m not fucking IronMan here…

SO what kind of split is anyone using on 5x5. The volume seems kind of loso i didnt know if you added assistance exercises, hit bodyparts more than once a week, or maybe used it in a whole body routine about 3 times a week.

hey guys i tried this to have some pretty good results, not great but i think stable and steady

whatever new weights i attempt i go
5 x 5 (same weight) when i am able to attempt 5 x 5
i go
4 x 6 this time round, when i am able to
i go
3 x 7-8 and finally only after this do i increase the weight and go back to 5 x 5 then 4 x 6 then 3 x 7-8 then progress again.

what do u think? on recovery days i still do heavy for e.g i do 5 x 5 for db shoulder presses/db benches/overhead db squats trying to keep the poundage as close as possible to the ones done on BB.

[quote]Standndeliver wrote:
pumped340 wrote:
Standndeliver wrote:
pumped340 wrote:
Standndeliver wrote:
Any help/info/crit welcome!

I have very limited time to workout, so my plan is to simply keep lifting a weight until I can do a 5 X 5. So, for ex, suppose I can do 5 X 3 with 325 in the BP, but only get 4 reps on set number 4. I’ll stay with that weight until I can do 5 X 5.

Monday: Squats Wed: BP Fri: DL

I work about 14 hous a day, 6 days a week, but there is a gym in the same strip mall where I have my business.

Please, any other ideas?

since you keep the same weight until you reach 5x5 are you basically going to failure or at a point where you couldnt get another rep each time?

for others reading this is that a good method or too much?

When I can do 5 sets of 5 with a weight, I would then add weight.

right so your always going near your max reps right? as in maybe you hit failure and only get 4 reps one workout on the last set then the next one you just hit 5 and add weight…then the next time you get 3, etc…

Right. I won’t add weight until I get all 5 sets at 5 reps. I do warm up with several lighter sets.

I usually work around 14 hours a day, so I have to keep workouts really short, usually stealing 30 minutes after our lunch hour rush.

Is my method bad?

[/quote]

No, your method is not bad. You are doing what your able to do with the time that you have. Getting into the gym is 90% of it and puts you ahead of most of the folks walking around. Sometimes it is quality vs. quantity. Do what you can until you can do more.

Workout A:

Squat 5x5
Bench 5x5
T-bar or bent row 5x5
Dip 3xF

Workout B:

Squat 5x5
Press 5x5
DL or alternate row 1x5
Chin or pull up 3xF

Increase the weight by 5lbs when you can do a full 5x5. Ramp the weights till you get to your work set. Squat example:

Body weight 1x10
45lbs (bar) 1x5
95lbs 1x5
135lbs 1x4
185lbs 1x3
225lbs 5x5 (using 225lbs as your working set weight)

The 3xF is three sets to failure. When you can do 3x10, switch to 3x5 and use a weighted dip belt (or make your own, there is a youtube video on how to make your own for cheap that will last for years. It works, I made one for about $7).

If a full 5x5 is taking more time than you have, do 3x5.

Thumbs up for working as much as you do and still getting yourself into the gym. Good ethic.