Strength training called 5 5. What are sets and reps, supersets and maximum weight

The 5x5 training program is hugely popular, but is it right for your goals? A strength training expert discusses the pros and cons of this training protocol!

There are two approaches to organizing training. You can go to the gym and act on a whim, and most often this is tantamount to doing the maximum number of exercises for wear. Or you can adhere to a carefully planned training program, in which the set of exercises, volume and intensity of the load are predetermined. By choosing a good training plan, you can make much more progress with less risk of injury than if you push yourself to the limit every day.

There are a dime a dozen worthy protocols, but in the ranking of the most popular, one of the top lines is occupied by the StrongLift 5x5 training program. According to this scheme, they swing in all corners of the globe. But like any training program, 5x5 has advantages and disadvantages. It is important to understand whether it is right for you? How professional trainer in strength training, I will help you make the right decision!

Analysis of the 5x5 training program

As part of the StrongLift 5x5 protocol, the trainee performs only 5 exercises with a barbell per week: , and . The program is designed for 3 sessions per week and is organized according to the A/B split principle. This means that there are only two workouts (Workout A and Workout B) that follow each other with one or two days of rest.

Workout A - squats, bench press and bent-over rows. Workout B - squats, military press and deadlift. As you can see, you will have to squat in every workout. In each exercise we do 5 sets of 5 repetitions, with the exception of the deadlift, in which only 1 set of 5 repetitions. This may seem strange, but the official website of the program (StrongLifts.com) states that increasing the number of deadlift sets increases the load dramatically, while squatting 3 times a week can equally improve the muscles used in the deadlift.

Deadlift

Not a single set is taken to failure. The program is not for bodybuilders, but for building strength through training with a relatively low number of repetitions. Your goal is to increase the working weight by 2-2.5 kg at each workout, and do this for as long as you have enough strength.

Note that these 5 sets do not include warm-up sets. You will perform 5 working sets with the same weight each set.

The two-week training cycle looks like this:

First week
Monday: Workout A
Wednesday: Workout B
Friday: Workout A

Second week
Monday: Workout B
Wednesday: Workout A
Friday: Workout B

Squats

5x5. New - well forgotten old

The StrongLift 5x5 training protocol may seem like a revolutionary idea to newbies who first stumble upon it, but in the iron world, the 5x5 concept has been around for decades. In 1976, Bill Starr popularized the 5x5 program in his book Survival of the Fittest: Strength Training for Football Players, although bodybuilder Reg Park first wrote about this technique in the sixties.

Since the golden era strength training When the only difference between bodybuilders and powerlifters was diet, athletes and strongmen followed a 5x5 protocol to build a big, strong frame. In a word, the StrongLift 5x5 program deserves attention, but the idea itself is far from new.

5x5: Debriefing

For each exercise, the load starts at 50% of your 5-rep max. This means you have to calculate (or find out by doing) how much weight you can lift 5 and only 5 times, and then divide the number in half. At first, the weight may seem ridiculously light, but every week the load will increase.

In fact, in each workout you add 2-2.5 kg to the bar in all exercises - or 1-1.25 kg on each side (depending on what kind of weight plates are in the gym). The deadlift will be the only exception - here you add 5 kg, or 2.5 kg per side. However, you can only increase weight if you previously completed all 5 repetitions in all approaches (again, 1 set for the deadlift).

This is the essence of the protocol! You stick to a simple progressive overload pattern until you find yourself unable to complete 5 reps with a given weight. A further tactic is to use the same weight in the next workout instead of increasing the weight of the bar again.

If you fail to perform 5x5 with a given weight in three workouts in a row, resort to unloading - drop 10% of the working weight in the next workout. Use unloading in one workout, not all workouts during the week. Then dust off your muscles and try again. Meticulously recording the weight and number of repetitions is important for tracking your progress.

Benefits of the 5x5 program

The 5x5 protocol has a lot of benefits, especially for those new to strength training. It is extremely simple, which is important. Beginners often try to start their careers with overly complex bodybuilding-style programs, or with the ritualistic strength techniques of the Eastern Bloc. No matter what the goal, complexity is the enemy of the beginner.

Simplicity runs throughout this program. For example, you know exactly how many times a week you need to train, and what exercises to do during these workouts. There is no need to invent anything. Simple mathematical calculations allow you to determine working weights for many weeks in advance, which also protects your nerve cells.

This is a 5x5, or 1x5, circuit with five exercises and three workouts per week. It couldn't be simpler!

Simplicity promotes learning. Since there are only five barbell exercises in the program, and you'll be doing three of them three times a week, you have plenty of opportunity to hone your technique and become a better lifter. Frequency of training and good practice basic movements is of utmost importance for entry-level lifters.

Another benefit is the emphasis on strength development. Even if the goal of a novice athlete is muscle mass, strength will pave the shortest path to a muscular body. With this approach, you will have a very strong foundation on which to build a giant building of sculpted muscles.

And finally, the program bypasses machines and secondary exercises. She tells you, “Load the bar, train, and stomp home.” Outside the gym we are constantly sitting and eating something. The 5x5 protocol gets people on their feet, no seated or machine exercises, and teaches them to lift heavy weights.

Army press

Disadvantages of the program

The simplicity we just talked about can be a disadvantage, depending on your point of view. Intermediate and advanced athletes usually have to make their workouts more challenging to continue to progress. You have to look for new exercises or use a different loading strategy. The principle of a monotonous 5x5 approach with adding 2.5 kg each workout will not help guys who can already curl a barbell into a ram's horn.

Lifters who are out of their newbie pants need to increase their training volume to gain mass, and our protocol can't give them that. Nor does it offer the kind of intensity that can make strong lifters even stronger. At some point, a weightlifter should be performing sets of 3, 2, or even 1 rep with weights in the region of 90% of one-rep max or higher. This is the only way he can become stronger.

With some exercises, the authors of the protocol have simplified everything too much. For example, the description says that only one approach to the deadlift is explained by the fact that the exercise is very difficult, and increasing the number of sets can be harmful. The creators of the program believe that squats will help you achieve progress in the deadlift, since they recruit the same muscles. In reality this is not always the case.

The squat and deadlift rely on different movement patterns with different ranges of motion in the muscles and joints. This means that for the nervous system these are completely different movements, and it is not at all necessary that success in one exercise is automatically projected onto the second. The exercises recruit the same muscles, it's true, but they do it in completely different ways.

Bent-over row

Conclusion

5x5 is a great program for a beginner, but not the best choice for the intermediate and advanced athlete. Simplicity and high frequency training are important for people without experience, but veterans of the iron world need a more sophisticated program to continue building muscle and strength.

The first method for overcoming a plateau, which was published on our website, was “10 Sets of 10 Reps”. However, as with any training program, with prolonged use the body adapts and progress stalls. Today I want to talk about another method for overcoming plateaus called “5 Sets of 5 Reps.” From what I have read from various sources, the inventor of this method is considered to be none other than the former “Mr. Universe" Reg Park, who was an idol and source of inspiration for Arnold Schwarzenegger himself. He used this method quite successfully back in the 50s and 60s.

This method is best performed after intense training with a large number of sets and repetitions, such as 10X10. Why is this so? Because this type of training offers the following benefits:

1. Testosterone levels increase in response to prolonged rest and heavy weights.
2. Hypertrophy (muscle growth) occurs due to an increase in diameter muscle fibers and due to increased protein synthesis. In other words, the protein content in the cells increases, as well as the thickness of the muscle filaments. However, at this stage, first there is an increase in strength, and then there is hypertrophy.
3. Since the number of sets and repetitions has dropped significantly, the body is preparing for a new stressful period, like the one it just went through.

The goal of the program is to use the same weight for all 5 sets and perform 5 reps on each set.. The difference from the “10X10” method is the use of more heavy scales. Once you've completed all 5 sets and all 5 reps, it's time to increase the weight. The ideal weight would be one that allows you to complete 5 reps on the first, and maybe even the second, approach. In the 2nd, 3rd and 4th set, your reps may drop to 4, and in the last set you will most likely only manage 3 reps.

Is there a need to use other exercises if you have done 1 exercise using the “5 sets of 5 reps” method? Of course yes! Pair additional exercises - great way stimulate the muscles as much as possible.

Training program “5 sets of 5 reps”

Workout 3 times a week, which will not take you more than 60 minutes if you stick to the allotted rest between sets ( The program is very intense and requires a lot of training experience!).

• Barbell press incline bench 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)
• Pull-ups 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)
• Cable crunches 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)

• Dips 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)
• Bent-over dumbbell rows 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)
• Incline Leg Raises 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)

• Barbell rows to the chin 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)
• Bench press narrow grip 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)
• Scott Bench Curls 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)

• Bent-over dumbbell flyes 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)
• Cable arm extension 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)
• Hammer grip dumbbell curls 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)

• Barbell Squats 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)
• Lying leg curls 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)
• Seated or standing calf raises 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)

• Leg press 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)
• Stiff-legged deadlifts 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)
• Leg Press Machine Calf Raises 5 sets of 5 reps (1 minute rest)

When starting a triset, you perform 5 reps on the first exercise, then rest for 1 minute, move on to the second exercise in the triset and perform 5 reps. Again, rest for 1 minute, perform 5 repetitions in the third exercise and rest for 1 minute. This counts as 1 approach. Once you complete all 5 sets, move on to the next triset.

Remember, to get the most out of this program, you must eat well! Training provides the spark for muscle growth, while food provides the raw materials needed to reap the benefits. The most interesting and useful materials with fundamental information about nutrition:

Rest and recovery

Remember that muscle mass only grows when you are resting, not when you are gym. Therefore, make sure you get your 7-8 hours of sleep and make up for the lost hours by sleeping in on the weekends. By ignoring your rest needs, you condemn yourself to persistently low energy levels and promote a hormonal environment that increases the hormone cortisol (breaks down muscle) and decreases testosterone (produces muscle).

Presented five-day training program for recruiting muscle mass includes basic exercises performed according to the “5x5” scheme for 5 days a week, and isolated ones, with a maximum number of repetitions from 8 to 12. Practice this complex until you stop actively progressing. To build maximum muscle volume, train systematically and strive to regularly increase working weights.

The most effective way to combine this training regimen is with nutrition to gain pure muscle mass. It will be easier to burn some fat afterward than to try to build muscle while lacking calories or, on the contrary, to gain on junk food such as sweets and fast food.

If you want to consistently gain weight and don't know how to increase your caloric intake, here is a list of foods that will allow you to do this without compromising your health:

• buckwheat
• durum pasta
• oatmeal
• any chicken meat
• veal
• pork is not fatty
• any fish
• vegetables, the more the better
• oil (natural 82%)
• cream cheese
• sour cream
• whole milk
• heavy cream
• any cheese
• protein shakes
• peanut butter
• olive oil
• additional sauces and dressings

This will make your food tastier and enrich it with healthy fats. I prefer to fill the calorie deficit this way, instead of going to McDonalds and stocking up on several burgers at a time.

Your health will improve, you will become more alert and energetic, and your stomach will thank you.

Note: These products have significant energy value. Therefore, try not to overdo it, and clearly calculate required amount calories.

Without proper nutrition, any supplements and sports nutrition turn into a waste of money.. I'll probably be the first to advise choosing a can of protein over a couple of kilos of good meat. But I hope that you already know this without me.

For those who do not have problems with the diet, below I provide a list of supplements that enhance the effects of this training method.

Pre-workout supplements

I prefer to train with pretrains while cutting, because with a low calorie diet, I no longer have the strength to maintain the normal intensity of the workout. But when gaining mass, you also need to give it your all, and if you are natural, then you also invest in 1 hour, the maximum is to finish the workout in 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Choose a blend that is moderate in stimulants.

Protein

In my opinion, the most pleasant-tasting protein is strawberry or babana. And there you can safely take it without additives. Oh yes, by company, take any from a store you trust. I personally prefer Optimum Nutrition. But you can take another brand of whey concentrate; this is the best option in terms of price-quality ratio.

Most optimal composition without any “surprises” in the form of an imaginary increased content of amino acids, which are easily digested, or a large amount of fat with carbohydrates, which are already sufficient in the diet.

Calculation daily norm you need to do it based on your protein requirement for the day and the amount you get from food. Personally, I drink one or two scoops in the morning and the same amount after training.

BCAAs

I use this supplement in the morning and after training, and can also take it on time if I haven't eaten well that day. It helps keep muscles from breaking down, especially in the morning and after exercise when cortisol levels rise. You can take from 5 to 30 grams. In essence, this is the same protein, but very quickly digested, which will enter the bloodstream faster than protein from chicken breast or even eggs. If money is tight, you can do without it.

Creatine

I have already written about him. This proven and effective sports nutrition will help you train harder and recover more effectively. Highly recommend. Beginners can start using it no earlier than after half a year of training, or better yet, after a year. This way you will accelerate your body’s own potential and then strengthen your capabilities. It can be taken 5 grams on an empty stomach with grape juice or honey. I personally take it in cycles, as it seems to me that it works better this way.

Endurance is one of the most important goals, trying to achieve which you will increase the strength and duration of muscle work, which will improve the quality of life outside the gym.

This 5-day mass training program is an effective split that simultaneously increases endurance, mobility and core strength because it uses a large number of muscle groups and gives them time to rest and recover.

When you start lifting comparatively heavier weights, the proportions of your form will be disrupted due to weakness of individual muscles, lack of endurance and mobility. Let's try to prevent these problems.

Warm-up

To pre-warm up, start with 3 minutes of walking alternating with 30 seconds of high-intensity sprinting. Finish with 90 seconds of walking.

This stress will prepare the body for a large anaerobic load and raise the overall temperature.

Hitch

I don't like to quote research results, and I certainly won't go too deep into the science, but high-intensity interval training guaranteed to increase muscle strength and quality.

Plan:

• 5 minutes. walking at a fast pace
• 30 sec. running
• 30 sec. walking
• 30 sec. sprint
• 30 sec. walking
• 45 sec. sprint
• 1 min. walking
• 1 min. running
• 1 min. walking
• 30 sec. sprint at maximum speed
• 1.5 min. slow walking with a gradual stop

This may sound like a special formula, but in reality it is not. The above plan is only a rough template and does not need to be followed exactly.

I just want you to understand the importance of pre-warming your body to prepare for the rigors of strength training.

Don't focus on fractions of seconds if you have low endurance and increase your walking (rest) periods and try to rest less.

5x5 training program for mass

An approximate class schedule for 5 days a week is as follows:

• Day 1 – Complex A
• Day 2 – Complex B
• Day 3 – Complex C
• Day 4 – Complex D
• Day 5 – Complex E
• Day 6 – Rest
• Day 7 – Rest

The advantage of starting classes on Monday is that while everyone else is doing chest presses and fiddling with dumbbells, you can calmly do deadlifts at the other end of the gym.

I would also recommend adding 20-30 minute cardio sessions after workouts at least twice a week to stimulate muscle growth and recovery.

When working out in the gym five times a week to build muscle mass, you should eat a lot of healthy and balanced foods. Chicken, broccoli, sweet potatoes, potatoes, bacon, ground beef, plenty of vegetables and Whey Protein will provide your body with everything it needs for growth, strength and agility. The restoration of muscle fibers depends on an optimal diet and proper sleep patterns. Believe me, going to the gym and carrying heavy iron is not the most difficult task.

Complex A

Complex B

Complex C

Complex D

Complex E

* - For planks, the number of repetitions is calculated differently. Perform the plank in three sets of one repetition, recording the result of each of them. Next time, try standing in one approach longer than the total time of the previous three. Reduce your rest time to 60 seconds, and try to tighten your abs and core muscles as much as possible and avoid arching your back.

*** - There are many variations of calf raises: sitting, standing, standing on a calf machine, standing in a Smith machine. Choose the one that suits you best.

If you have the courage to decide on such a tough training, leave a comment below. And after 8 weeks, come back and share your successes.

Remember, in our previous article we looked at theoretical issues in determining the number of sets and repetitions. So, I decided not to procrastinate and wrote its continuation. From this note you will learn about two (and one more, my favorite) methods in determining quantitative indicators training process. We will break everything down piece by piece and as a result, you yourself will decide on the option you like and learn how to derive similar numbers, without even resorting to help. personal trainer, i.e. without throwing money away :).

Make yourself comfortable, there will be a lot of interesting things, let's go.

Number of approaches and repetitions: so how many?

For those who have just joined us (or just in a tank), let me remind you that the first part of the article is here: . And we’ll start the second one with this...

As I said earlier, the numbers regarding the number of approaches and repetitions have long been known and they look like this (see image).

...where, under the numbers, such functional indicators as development are indicated:

1. maximum strength;
2. strength, speed and power;
3. functional muscle hypertrophy (sarcoplasmic, SG);
4. structural muscle hypertrophy (myofibrillar, MG);
5. endurance (including the ability to train for a long time).

Note:

SG – associated with an increase in the size of the non-contractile part of the muscle;

MG - increase in the contractile apparatus of muscles (number and volume of myofibrils).

This is the so-called generally accepted extended (American version) template for the “dosage” of approaches and repetitions. The Russian version, which is most often foisted upon and advised to everyone who actively attends the gym, looks like this (see image).

As can be seen from the figure, to develop strength it is necessary to perform 1-5 reps per set. Here you can use Weight Limit projectile and perfectly stimulate muscles to grow due to MG. Number of reps in range 9-12 times, it has the best effect on SG. As soon as the number of repetitions exceeds the mark in 12 times, processes muscle hypertrophy decrease and anaerobic endurance begins to develop.

It is believed that if you want to get as big as possible you need to balance between the two types of hypertrophy and work both types of fibers (fast/slow), which means that the set should consist of 6-8 repetitions, the total number of them (approaches) should ideally be 3 . Beginners are usually advised to “job” in the gym according to 3 once a week and train the whole body while doing 2-3 exercises for each muscle group. Everything you need to do 2-3 approach to 10-15 repetitions. All this will allow you to pump up well a basic level of physical activity and prepare the body for more serious stress in the future.

So, this concerns the standard scheme for the number of approaches and repetitions, there is also a scientific and intuitive one, which I consider the most adequate and correct and which I will teach you at the very end.

Now let's look at scientific approach regarding the question of the number of approaches and repetitions, so here we go.

Recently, wandering around the Internet in search of new research in the field of bodybuilding, I came across an interesting study on one authoritative foreign resource related to our topic today. It said that clear answers had been found regarding perfect quantity repetitions and repetitions to achieve maximum results. It is precisely his calculations that I will give below.

Note:

The study was conducted on both beginners and advanced athletes, so its results are valid for these categories.

Let's start with...

BEGGINERS

No. 1. Number of approaches.

The study found that newcomers (experience up to 1 of the year) should work with more repetitions and less weight. Per approach it is necessary to perform from 12 before 15 repetitions. This amount allows you to develop the strength of adaptation of the nervous system to the load. Lifting weights teaches the nervous system how to quickly and efficiently recruit the right amount of muscle fibers to lift a weight. Using a high number of repetitions allows the nervous system to get more practice in this matter, because. she must control every repetition performed.

The study says that to get good “volume” results, beginners should perform about 3-4 sets for each body part. Those. must be fulfilled 3 approach one exercise for each muscle group.

Moreover, it should be taken into account that this one exercise should be basic or conditionally basic - not a single muscle group should be included in the work. The following exercises are perfect: bench press lying on a horizontal (incline) bench; dumbbell shoulder press; squats; lifting barbells/dumbbells for biceps, close-grip triceps press. Given the low volume of exercises, you can do one workout for the whole body at once or divide muscle groups into 2 day (1 day – chest, thighs, triceps, quadriceps; 2 day – back, shoulders, calves, biceps).

Note:

The best type of training is considered 2-3 day split (separation of muscle groups on different days).

No. 3. Training frequency.

Beginners should train each muscle group three times a week. They can split their split into two workouts, resulting in 6 days of classes per week. High frequency training trains the beginner's nervous system faster and it adapts to working with iron at a faster pace. At first glance, it may seem that it is nonsense for a beginner to practice so many times. However, at the heart of this concept, “bicycle”, lies one simple phenomenon - practice, i.e. The more often certain actions of the same type are performed, the faster the body learns them. Remember when young children ride a bicycle; the more often they “climb on it,” the faster they begin to ride.

We're done with the beginners, let's move on to a more advanced level...

ADVANCED

No. 1. Number of approaches.

For more advanced athletes (more than 1 of the year) the greatest benefits come from heavy weights and lower (unlike beginners) number of repetitions. The optimal number of repetitions per set for the development of strength and muscle performance is from 6 before 8 . The principle of gradual overload already works here; this is when the muscles have adapted to the weights and they must be retrained with heavier weights.

No. 2. Total training volume.

Research says that the optimal number of sets is from 4 before 6 for each part of the body, i.e. This results in three approaches in two exercises for one muscle group. The most the best option is to choose one main exercise for each muscle and one auxiliary (exercise help).

TO basic exercises may include: chest – bench press/dumbbell; shoulders – vertical barbell/dumbbell overhead press; back – one-arm dumbbell row to the waist, cable row on the machine; legs – squats or “cart” (leg press in platform) followed by lunges; triceps - weight press down on a cable machine, close-grip press, dips; biceps – lifting a barbell while standing or extending an arm with a dumbbell.

As auxiliary exercises, it is necessary to use those that are performed in a similar manner to the basic ones and prepare it for the main work. Examples of such “helpers”: chest - butterfly on the simulator, bringing the arms together in a crossover; shoulders – raising the bar to the chin; legs - extensions in a sitting machine; triceps - extensions on a block with a handle, etc.

No. 3. Training frequency.

Advanced athletes should not train a muscle group more than twice a week. Nervous system such people are already adapted to the loads and therefore increase strength (and as a result muscle mass) occurs due to adaptation of the muscle fibers themselves. Heavy weights and more sets cause a serious blow to the body and therefore it needs more time to recover. During the recovery period, increased regeneration of muscle proteins occurs and the muscles become larger and stronger.

Actually, we’ve also finished with the advanced level, now let’s sum it up...

Global output

The research results presented here tell us what “number chips” work best for most athletes, but this does not mean that these recommendations will work best for you. Try the proposed calculations in practice and record the result. If it is positive (there is an increase in strength/muscle mass), then use them often in your training program, in otherwise change any “variables” and try again.

So, I laid out everything I knew on this topic, now you just have to re-read everything again and draw a conclusion, and it’s simple - listen to your body and determine the required number of approaches and repetitions yourself. Well, in order to do this as correctly and effectively as possible, and in general, in order to once again “settle down” all the above information, remember the following tips:

• don’t adhere to any standard clichés, just take it, try it, record the result and adjust the numbers depending on it;
• include in your training program work in the entire range of “repeats” (for example, Monday - 5 ; Wednesday – 15 , Friday - 10 repetitions);
• Focus on these extreme rep ranges: 1-3 – development of maximum strength; 4-10 – simultaneous increase muscular endurance and strength development; more 11 – working out the relief/burning fat;
• focus on the following extreme ranges of approaches: work on relief - 2-3 ; weight gain – 3-4 ; strength development – 4-5 ;

It is also very important in determining the number of approaches and repetitions to answer yourself simple questions: 1) how old am I; 2) training experience (level physical training) ; 3) body type.

Based on the answers, your logic and the above information, you can easily derive specific digital values ​​taking into account your body characteristics. They will be the starting point in the matter of pulling iron, from which you will have to dance.

Actually, that’s all for me, about three methods (standard, scientific, independent) I told you about determining the quantitative indicators of the training process, so my conscience is clear :).

Afterword

Today we dealt with the questions - “who, what and how much?” do in the gym. I’m just sure that now you can easily answer this question, not only for yourself, but also help your less experienced hardware brethren understand it. Well, something like this, see you again my dears, don’t be bored!

PS. We write down comments, questions, wishes and other miscellaneous things, I will be glad!

P.P.S. Did the project help? Then leave a link to it as your status social network- plus 100 points for karma, guaranteed :).

With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.

Despite the fact that the dynamics of body weight always depends, i.e. from nutrition, Stronglifts 5×5 is traditionally positioned as a tool for weight gain. This is one of the coolest programs for beginners that I have ever seen. And, for sure, the coolest weight training program.

Over the 70+ years of its existence, Stronglifts 5x5 has been honed to perfection by millions of people. It is incredibly visual and effective, has a simple, understandable structure, and contains clear recommendations for increasing the load and rollbacks. Convenient mobile applications have been created specifically for it, which is very convenient.

The program is perfect for beginners who primarily want to get stronger and gain weight. It is ideal for being your first step on a long journey in the world of fitness, introducing you to the barbell, teaching you to love and respect it. After completing Stronglifts 5x5, you will feel stronger than ever before. An exciting journey into the world of your own capabilities awaits you, you will find out for the first time what you are really capable of, and you will be pleasantly surprised.

I truly envy people who start Stronglifts 5×5.

Authors

First general principles programs were set out in the 1960s by Reg Park, one of A. Schwarzenegger’s mentors.

Reg Park with his most famous follower A. Schwarzenegger.

Currently, a guy named Mehdi is promoting and supporting the program (I couldn’t find his last name, unfortunately). He runs a powerful website http://stronglifts.com/, from where I got all the information about the program, and equally powerful applications created specifically for this program: for Android, for IOS.

Mehdi sows without restraint the reasonable, the good, the eternal.

Who is this program created for?

For beginners who came to the gym for the first time or people who have not worked out with a barbell for a long time. The main goal of the program is to increase physical strength. Classic program weight training.

Exercises

• Barbell Squat
• Bench press horizontal bench
• Standing Overhead Barbell Press
• Bent-over barbell row
• Deadlift

Program outline

The program consists of two workouts:

• Workout A: Squat, Bench Press, Bent-over Row;
• Workout B: Squat, Standing Press, Deadlift;

You need to train three times a week, alternating between workouts and resting at least one day in between. Optimal options for days of the week: Mon, Wed, Fri or Tue, Thu, Sat. Thus, the first week will consist of A/B/A workouts, the second - B/A/B, the third - A/B/A, etc.

StrongLifts 5x5. Week 1.

StrongLifts 5x5. Week 2.

5 x 5 means you need to do five sets of five reps each for this exercise. These 5 approaches are called working approaches, before them you need to do warm-up approaches, they are not counted, that is, they are not included in the 5 working approaches and they are not written in the diagram.

1 x 5 means one working set of five reps and is only used for deadlifts. Warm-up approaches are also required before it.

The weight on the barbell in all exercises should increase with each subsequent workout. The increment is 5 kg for deadlifts, 2.5 kg for other exercises. Read about it below.

Starting weight for exercises

If you've trained with barbells before, start with 50% of your maximum for five reps. The apps will automatically calculate this for you.

If you haven’t trained with a barbell, or don’t know your 5RM for these exercises, or simply don’t know what a rep max is, start with the following weights:

• Squat, bench press, standing press – 20 kg. This is an empty Olympic bar.
• Bent-over barbell row – 30 kg. This is an Olympic bar + two weight plates of 5 kg, one on each side.
• Deadlift – 40 kg. This is an Olympic bar + two weight plates of 10 kg, one on each side.

So the first week of Stronglifts 5x5 for a beginner would look like this:

Rest time between sets

Rest between sets for as long as it takes to complete the next set, but no more. During the first weeks you will not need long breaks, but then, as the load increases, the rest time will increase. General recommendations such:

• 1 min 30 sec if last approach was easy for you
• 3 minutes if you had difficulty completing the last set
• 5 minutes if you were unable to complete the last approach completely

Progression, constant increase in load

The most important feature of the program, its main trump card, which ensures results, is constant progression, a constant increase in load. This is the goal you should strive for - increasing the weight of the apparatus in every exercise in every workout. I repeat once again: neither yours appearance, neither muscle pain after training, nor weight gain, but increasing weight in exercises is your goal.

In turn, a constant increase in load will require an increased supply of energy. To cope with progression, you will have to eat a lot and eat correctly. Only in this case will Stronglifts prove itself as a mass training program.

The load increases as follows. If you were able to complete working sets of 5x5 s correct technique, then in the next workout you need to add 2.5 kg to the apparatus in this exercise (1.25 kg on each side of the bar). This applies to all exercises except deadlifts. If you were able to do 1x5 in the deadlift, next time you need to add 5 kg.

You should not start a program with more weight than recommended, even if 20 kg seems ridiculous to you in a squat. The program is designed in such a way that by the end of the first month, over 12 workouts, you will gradually increase the weight of the barbell by 30 kg (2.5 kg in each workout) and the barbell will already weigh 50 kg. After the second month - 80 kg, after the third - 110. This is more than most people in your gym squat. Take your time and you won't find it enough. Follow the program strictly and very soon you will be begging for mercy.

Warm-up

It's about not about a general warm-up like 10 minutes on the treadmill or stretching, but about warming up before each specific exercise with a barbell. This kind of warm-up should always be done without fail. The point is to “remember” the biomechanics of this exercise, warm up the ligaments and muscles, and psychologically prepare for the working weight. You shouldn't get tired during the warm-up.

To start, do two sets of five reps with an empty bar. Then add 10-20 kg and do one set of 2-3 repetitions. Continue adding 10-20 kg and doing 2-3 repetitions until you reach your working weight. Now do 5x5 with it. Don't rest between warm-up sets to avoid prolonging your workout.

For example, my working weight in a squat today should be 70 kg. Warm-up sets for this exercise will be as follows: 2 sets of 5 repetitions with an empty barbell - 20 kg, then one set of three repetitions with 40 kg, then one set of three repetitions with 60 kg. Next will be working 5 repetitions of 5 approaches with 70 kg. In total, I will do 9 approaches to squats, of which 4 will be warm-up and 5 working.

In the first week, no warm-up is needed, because an empty bar weighs 20 kg and this is already the working weight for squats and bench presses. Therefore, in the first week you immediately do working approaches.

This warm-up should be performed before all exercises except deadlifts and bent-over barbell rows. For deadlifts and bent-over rows, the warm-up follows the same principles, but without an empty bar at the beginning. That is, the warm-up for these exercises should begin with some kind of weight plates on the bar. Firstly, because these exercises always come last, and you are already quite warmed up. Secondly, because these exercises cannot be performed technically correctly without plates, because at the lowest point the apparatus must touch the floor.

Unloading, weight rollback

The program clearly regulates your actions if you encounter difficulties in increasing the load and progress has stalled.

If in some exercise you were unable to complete 5 sets of 5 repetitions with the working weight, then next time do not add weight to the barbell in this exercise. That is, in the next workout, perform the exercise with the same weight.

For example, you were unable to squat 70 kg 5x5, but were only able to perform 5/5/5/4/3, that is, you did not do one repetition in the fourth approach and two repetitions in the fifth. Then, in the next workout, squat again with 70 kg 5x5, do not increase the weight by this exercise. At the same time, the rest of the exercises go their own way regardless of the situation with the squat, in them you still increase the weight of the barbell according to the scheme.

If you were unable to complete 5x5 in an exercise three workouts in a row, you need to reduce the weight of the apparatus by 10% in that particular exercise.

For example, you couldn’t do 5x5 squats with 70 kg three workouts in a row. This means that in the fourth workout your working weight in the squat will be 70 – 10% = 63 kg. Since the increment of weight in a squat is 2.5 kg, the new working weight will be 62.5 kg. Thus, you do a 5x5 squat with 62.5 kg and then increase this figure according to the scheme. Do not change the working weight in the remaining exercises.

Duration of the program

The upper limit is individual and can be 16-24-52 weeks depending on many factors: nutrition, regimen, gender, age, etc. You should stick to the program as long as you can increase the load in the exercises, albeit not in every workout, even with kickbacks, but, nevertheless, as long as the weight on the bar grows, keep working. If you can't add any more weight to your weight within a few weeks, you've gotten all you can from the program, move on to the next one.

The approximate figure for the squat is 100-140 kg as a working weight. The vast majority of people cannot increase the load after reaching this figure, but everything is individual. Work your ass off while you can.

Official application

The program has an official mobile application. It is very convenient to use: the load is automatically increased, the program will tell you what weight should be on the barbell today in each specific exercise. After each approach, a rest timer starts, at the end of which you will be given a signal. The application can also draw simple and visual progress graphs; after a couple of months, it’s very pleasant to look at the beautiful “hill” that your squat climbed.

The only drawback of the application today is that it does not have Russian language support. But this is not critical. The design is carefully designed and intuitive, I'm sure you'll figure it out in 10 minutes.

It is strictly prohibited or prohibited:

• change your training plan. It is forbidden. Not at all
• skip training
• skip rest days, that is, train two days in a row
• do two workouts in one day
• change the order of exercises in training, the number of sets, approaches
• replace exercises with other, even minor, from your point of view, variations of exercises. A barbell squat is NOT a Smith machine squat. A standing press is NOT a seated press, etc. If you are not satisfied with this or that exercise in the program, do not do this program.
• increase the weight on the bar faster than the program regulates
• increase the weight on the bar more slowly than the program regulates
• do supersets of exercises

If you violate even one of these points, the program stops working, you are not guaranteed any results, you do not have the moral right to say that you are or have been practicing Stronglifts 5x5, and your point goes to the auditorium.

• If you want Stronglifts to work as a mass training program, you need to be in a calorie surplus every day, that is, you need to eat in the “mass gain” mode from the section on this site, otherwise progress on working weights will quickly stop
• Sleep at least 8 hours every day continuously, in a dark, quiet, well-ventilated room
• Use the official app, it’s very convenient

Compliance with the first two points ensures 90% success.