5x5 questions

[knockdown]

Sup bro's, I've been doing 5x5 for three weeks now and I have a few questions. I've added DL's twice per week, will this cause any problems later on down the road? I've added 15lbs to my max bench so far but I was wondering if adding bench 3 times per week is ok or a no, no? My chest feels to fresh once Friday rows around so this is why I asked about benching three times per week. I just feel like I can do more. And can i add weighted dips if adding a bench day is a no, no? On my squats, I took out my low weight squat day and just lift with my monday max, I seem to recover just fine so I don't see any reason to have a low weight squat day. So it looks like this, M 275x5 Wen. 275x5 Fri. 300x5, is this ok to do or should I still have a 20% drop on Wen? Thanks for any infor.

-thank you-

 

[monsoon]

If you are deadlifting heavy, I think it is too much. I find that I can't really improve both my squat and dead at the same time. As for wenesday squats, I personally go really light like 155 and just work on my form.

 

[AnimalMass]

I'm confused. I thought I wrote out a long program for you to do to get your deadlift up? If you didn't think you were ready for that yet, then fine. Maybe you decided you wanted to do the 5x5 first, that's fine too. But there is no need to bastardize the program.

So Monday you are doing 275 for 5 sets of 5 (All five sets you are using 275 and you are squatting ass to ankles?) - Have you tried to set records yet? The 5x5 is horribly, horribly hard and you absolutely CANNOT recover from it if you are doing it right. That's why it's set up to drop down to 3s and then peak because if you are going all out with it you can't handle anymore.

So you are doing something wrong.

Matt

 

[AnimalMass]

Why don't you post EXACTLY your workouts since the beginning of the program and we'll work from there. Also post your maxes before you started the program.

Matt

 

[knockdown]

AM, Im trying to incortorate that routine you gave me and 5x5's for everything else. Im sick on reps of 10-12, ill post every thing now.

P.S i just re-read you post, man I read everything you reply to, please don't misunderstand my stance on you infor. I think the infor that you give would take years for some to reach, i would never ask for info and then toss it to the waste side. Thank you for all your advice it's much needed.

-thank you-

 

[knockdown]

Mondays
Bench: warm up with 135x5 then 295 5 sets of five
squats: warm up 205x5 then 275 5 sets of five
rows: 225 5 sets of 5

Wed
squats warm then 275 5 sets of five
standing presses: 155 5 sets of five
DL's: I use the routine that you wrote oout for me with my squats
chins: weighted with 45lbs

Friday
squats: work up to a new max, I do reps of 5,5,3,1,1 then shoot for a new max 5 reps
DL: I use the routine that you wrote for me, 285 for 8 fast singles
Bench: I add 5 pounds
rows: I add 5 pounds

and I squat more like ass to calves, I can't seem to go any lower, I make sure that im like resting in a squat postion with a pause

 

[knockdown]

The first 2 weeks i started everything pretty much the same with 5 lbs added every week. I didnt have a spotter when i was finding out my maxes so i sure they were a little under weighted. I didn't really plan on peaking, but if it's a must i have no problem doing so, there's just never any one at my gym who I trust to spot me. I hit the gym late nite and there's almost never anyone there who looks like that know what they are doing, so I don't ever ask for help.

 

[AnimalMass]

OK, here's the thing. Lots of guys try to do this sometimes and I'm not sure why.

If you want to run the 5x5 (which is a great program) - do it. But you need to follow the EXACT protocols for it. Do deadlifts for 5x5 (or 3x5 if you pull 2x bodyweight). Really study the 8 week squat program and figure out how you are going to peak. Run it for 8-12 weeks or so and you'll make huge gains. Then, if you want, you can go to my program I wrote for you, which is very, very similar to the Dual Factor Strength training.

Matt

 

[AnimalMass]

Also, 135x5 is NOT a warm up. That's crazy. Do barx20, 95x10, 135x5-10, 185x3, 225x2, 275x1, 295x5x5.

Same for squats. That's so horrible on your CNS to jump right into the weights. There is no way possible you are getting your core temperature up with only 5 warm up reps. You need to get some blood pumped into the muscle before you kill yourself on the 5x5.

Oh man, I keep looking at what you are doing, and you just basically bastardized the whole program, which was written by one of my really good friends, someone I consider the best S&C coach in the nation, and the smartest training mind of our time.

Please just go back and read how the 5x5 is written (by JS) - my little tweaks are for bodybuilders. - Then sell yourself that it is one of the best programs ever done and stick to it for the entire period.

Matt

 

[knockdown]

Am, thank you for your reply, maybe the problem is i don't really understand how to set up 5x5. I like both 5x5 and the routine that you wrote out for me, but the routine yoou worte for me was only for squats and Dl's. This is why I did a poor piss job of connecting the two. Im going for strenght only, i want to build up my core lifts before I diet in Apirl. I don't really understand peaking if you can explain thaT A litlle for me I'll really love that. Hell im starting to think that I don't understand it at all...lol.. i think I hear the yellow bus coming. With the weight im using can you walk me thru how this program should go please. Again thank yoou for any info that yoou provide.

-thank you-

 

[knockdown]

bump

 

[AnimalMass]

Time has been hard to come by this weekend. I'll have some time tomorrow to help explain things more in depth and set stuff up for you.

AM

 

[knockdown]

Thanks AM, I appreciate any and all help that you give, thank you.

-thank you-

 

[AnimalMass]

Knockdown,

First, do me a favor....write down the exercises and weights you used last week, and for each exercise rate how hard it was to complete all the reps...Rate it from 1-5, with 1 being very, very easy, and 5 being all out, you barely got all the reps (you couldn't have gotten them all with even 5 more pounds on the bar.) - If you didn't get all your reps, tell me how many you got. - That will give me a good starting point for your program.

But with that being said (I may have to change the weights a tad after I see what you did last week)...let's give this a whirl this week....

Tues:

1) Olympic Squats 5x5 (same weight) (GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TILL YOU CAN'T GO ANY FURTHER - ASS TO ANKLES, BUTT TO THE FLOOR, ETC, ETC.)
BARX10, 95X5, 135X5, 185X3, 235X2, 280x5X5.

2) Flat Benching (pinkies just inside rings) - barx10, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 275x1, 300x5x5 (that's sad that you can do 300for 5x5 on bench and only 280 on squats - lol)

3) JS Rows 5x5 (same weight) - warm up if you need it, 225x5x5 (stay strict)

4) Lying dumbell tricep extensions (2x10)

5) Abs

Thurs: ( won't write warm-up weights for the next two workouts, but they should be the same as before - do plenty of warm-ups - it excites the CNS.

1) Olympic Squats 250x5x5.

2) Standing Strict Military Press 165x5x5 (This is very weak compared to your bench strength - you need to work on overhead strength, bent over rows, rear delts, and rotator work - feel free to do some light, high rep rotator work after each workout - nothing crazy though)

3) Deadlifts 300x5x5

4) Pull ups 5x5 (use weight if you need it)

5) Barbell or EZ bar curls (3x10)

6) Abs

Sat:

1) Olympic Squats: barx10, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 245x5, 260x5, 275x5, 290x5, 305x5

2) Low Incline Benching 5x5 (wide grip) 275x5x5

3) JS Rows 235x5x5

4) ELbows-Out Dumbell Extension (Tate Press) (2x10)

5) Abs

OK, Give that a whirl - let me know if any of those weights seem off. You should be able to complete all the reps this week for sure. Start conservatively. If any of those weights look too high at all, let me know, and I'll lower them.

Matt

 

[knockdown]

Good day AM, ok first i have to thank you for your assistants, and what does CNS mean? Ok last monday
squats: 135x5 155x5 175x5 195x3 215x2 245x1 275 5x5 rate 3
bench: 135x5 170x5 225x3 255x1 295 5x5 rate 2
rows: barx5 85x5 135x5 170x5 215 5x5 rate 5

wen:
squats: same as monday rate 3-4
Dl's: 135x5 165x5 205x5 245x5 275 or something like that 5x5
chins: I don't have a belt yet so I just did 3 sets of 10
standing presse: barx5 85x5 115x5 135x5 165 5x5

Fri:
squats: 135x5 155x5 175x5 195x3 215x2 245x1 275x1 300 5x5 rate 5
bench: stayed the same, just like monday. I did 7 on the last set just to see if I needed to increase the weight same.
rows: same as monday

Lol, yes my squat does suck, I've been lifting for a little over a year now. When i started, for a good six months I wasted time in my basement, lol there was nothing for me to squat. So im proud of my 275..lol it's more then most people can do. Hell when I first started to squat, 135 on the smith machine was pretty damn hard. I also did nothing for delts, and I mean nothing, no type of over head presses at all. So again, thank you for all your help.

-thank you-

 

[AnimalMass]

Well, I was hoping you would rate all the exercises, not just the squats. So you did 275 for 5x5 on monday which was pretty easy?

And just to make sure, you are going all the way down until you are sitting on your calves when you squat?

If that's true, then 300 for 5x5 is really good. Thats' nothing to be ashamed of.

275 deadlift for 5x5 isn't very good though. - how hard were they?

Matt

 

[AnimalMass]

CNS = Central Nervous System.

 

[knockdown]

AM, the Dl's weren't hard to me because I no that i could have done more. The squats weren't easy as hell, I was able to do all of my sets on mon, and wen but fri was damn hard but I was able to do all 5 sets. Yesterday was a little different tho, im looking at my pad right now. I felt feaking weak, I used 255 and had a hard time doing them, well I stood there with the bar on my back looking crazy during each rep wasting 15-30 just to do one rep. I dont think i'll be using 275 on wen, im not sure why but I just couldn't do them yesterday the only difference was that i didnt have Redbull. My bench is alright but what does 300 mean when guys like you are doing 500 plus? Any how about how long should I stick with 5x5's 12-14 weeks? And whats this peaking all about, I get losted when I read it. Again thank you

-thank you-

 

[knockdown]

P.S with my bench how much should I be Dling and squating? how badly am I off

 

[AnimalMass]

Well,

1) 300 for 5x5 on bench is good. I couldn't do much more, but then again I don't do reps. Reps are hard and 300x5x5 is good for anyone.

2) Don't worry about squat and deadlift - they'll come around - nothing makes your squat stronger than 5x5. Period.

3) You'll only run this for about 4-6 weeks, and then we'll peak, which means we'll do a bit less frequency and go for triples and eventually singles.

4) - See I told you you couldn't do that much work and get away with it. Many, many elite athletes have a hard time with this program. - So we need to be very conservative on the start. - Forthe first 3 weeks, it is absolutely necessary that you get all 25 reps in - so if you are feeling like crap and think the weight is too heavy for the day, drop the weight a bit and still do the 5x5. you might drop all of the squat weights by a few pounds for this week. - Shoot for a "3-4" intensity for each exercise for this week. - Again, if you feel I prescribed the weight a tad high, drop it down a bit and get all your reps. There will be plenty of time to up the weight in a few weeks.

Matt