A suggestion for those new to the 5x5

[GeaR_and_SauCe]

I started my 5x5 and the only difficulty I've come across is guessing the right amount of weight I can handle for 5 sets of 5. If on the first set I, I max out at 5 then I am realizing that I probably won't be able to complete all 5 reps on the 5th set. The weight you think you will be able to hand for 5x5 might not be as realistic as you think. What I reccomend is that when you begin this routine, the first time you do each excersize, work your way up to your max at 5 much like it were a friday workout. That way, you can tire out the muscle and find your true max of 5 on the 5th set. If you are a better guesser than I am, then forget about this thread. This is the only thing I have found tricky but I have been recording the amount of weight I've been using and the workouts are great and getting better everytime.

My legs and ass are taking a beating. I love it tho, there are actually veins popping out of my legs now and its only been a week. I never had veins in my legs but I'm assuming that after a couple more weeks of this, the changes will be incredible. Thanks to you guys for teaching me this.

 

[Freddy]

Do the 5x5 as it is written. Stop trying to change it.

This is what you do to figure out your 5x5 numbers:

Take your 5 rep max. Your 5x5 max is probably 20-30 pounds less than your 5 rep max, depending on the individual athlete and ability level.

Make the approximations from there.

 

[Bob Smith]

Freddy, when doing the 5x5, is it ok if I do 2x12 instead? Its almost the same number of reps so it should be ok, right?

 

[GeaR_and_SauCe]

Freddy, when doing the 5x5, is it ok if I do 2x12 instead? Its almost the same number of reps so it should be ok, right?

Ok stop being little bitches and understand how I was trying to help people with something I had difficulty with. It wasn't saying "move the wieght up everytime" it was ment to be recommended only for the first time. I'm not trying to change anything asshole. Re-read the thread, I didn't say change the 5x5 and I only recommended it to help find the right wieght for you. I knew when I was typing this that I would get responses like this that why I said "If you are a better guesser than me, skip this thread." I can't believe you guys are such assholes, stop being babies. This thread was only ment to help people and I see nothing wrong with what I reccomended. To everyone else, I hope it helped.


I didn't change shit and I didn't ask what was ok. I just said what worked for me. So suck my cock.

 

[Bob Smith]

Somebody's panties are in a knot today.

 

[GeaR_and_SauCe]

Do the 5x5 as it is written. Stop trying to change it.

I didn't change anything, jerkoff

This is what you do to figure out your 5x5 numbers:

Take your 5 rep max. Your 5x5 max is probably 20-30 pounds less than your 5 rep max, depending on the individual athlete and ability level.

Make the approximations from there.

Great, this is how you figured out the right weight for you. Good for you. All I did was reccomended how I found the right wieght for me, which was the only difficulty I had with the rotuine. Sorry if I was trying to help people who want to try it. You fucking guys make me so angry.......>(

 

[GeaR_and_SauCe]

Somebody's panties are in a knot today.

Mabye if you guys weren't so predictable in your responses I wouldn't be as dissappointed by them. There wasn't even a need to respond to this at all, unless mabye you had another suggestion.

 

[Bob Smith]

Yes, exactly what Freddy suggested, which IIRC, is exactly what the article suggested....start at about 80% of your 5RM and work up to a full 5x5 over the course of 2-4 weeks.

 

[monsoon]

Lol

 

[GeaR_and_SauCe]

Listen all I wanted to say is that I started the routine and I was used to more reps. It was difficult for me to judge my max at 5x5 hence it was difficult to even judge what 80% of it would be. I still don't understand your point. All I reccomended was that, instead of playing a guessing game like you guys are reccomending, was to use the first workout to find your right range. So once again, you guys are just trying to break balls but getting nothing but the cock.

 

[Bob Smith]

Whatever, do want you want, its been what youve been doing all along anyway.

 

[kibrood]

Listen all I wanted to say is that I started the routine and I was used to more reps. It was difficult for me to judge my max at 5x5 hence it was difficult to even judge what 80% of it would be. I still don't understand your point. All I reccomended was that, instead of playing a guessing game like you guys are reccomending, was to use the first workout to find your right range. So once again, you guys are just trying to break balls but getting nothing but the cock.

Actually, the folks here are not reccomending guessing as you have stated. The program requires that you know your 5RM (both Freddy and Bob have stated this as well as given a suggested percentage of your 5rm from which to start). There is a procedure for determining this number. Your method will not give an accurate 5RM and you will be guessing your weights as you go along.

Do a search on determining your rep maxes, go through the procedure to determine the correct number, and then perform the routine as written.

 

[Grizzly]

Hey, bro, I'm not trying to jump on your ass. However, what's hard about finding a 5RM? It's just like finding a 1RM except you do four more reps.

1) Pick a weight
2) Lift it until you hit 5 repetitions
a) if you succeed in reaching 5 reps, then up the weight and go back to step 1
b) if you don't succeed in the 5 reps then lessen the weight and try again.

Summation: Whatever is the heaviest load you can lift for 5 reps is your 5 rep max.

edit- you do this on a day separate from an actual workout. Technically, it should be done before starting the program. After having figured out your 5RM by using the above method, you use 80% of that number for your 5X5 sets. No guessing involved.

 

[kenneth]

..

maybe freddy's comments were just trying to prevent you from causing confusion for the rest of us. I just mean that every since you started this 5x5 hype (i've seen your threads and posts), you've been making modifications and adjustments all the way thru when all you need to do is follow the program to a 'T'. Overthinking can be your worst enemy, then everyone who reads your posts are too going to start overthinking.

 

[knockdown]

Dude just listen to what these guys have to say. It was pretty easy for me to find my 5x5 max, 93% off my max 5 rep.

 

[Madcow2]

maybe freddy's comments were just trying to prevent you from causing confusion for the rest of us. I just mean that every since you started this 5x5 hype (i've seen your threads and posts), you've been making modifications and adjustments all the way thru when all you need to do is follow the program to a 'T'. Overthinking can be your worst enemy, then everyone who reads your posts are too going to start overthinking.

I used a funny analogy when talking to someone else (actually 2 people) who are also in their first or second week and constantly trying to change things (damn you BBers and your Weider Instinctive Training Principle).

I told them this program was designed by Bill Starr who many regard as one of the finest strength coaches ever and setup by another who is currently one of the best in the nation. It is like Sesame Street's Elmo providing neurosurgery tips at NYU.

 

[Freddy]

"Gear and Sauce" you need to relax. You can't whine like a pussy just because you keep opening yourself up for criticism.

The biggest problem with the 5x5 is that its boring, and its hard. It works amazing, but few people actually have the balls to do it right. They think, "oh, this looks ok, but I'll make it even BETTER because I know my body better than Bill Starr does."

Well, the truth is, NO, you really don't know your body better. If you want to change the program, I'm not going to stop you. But DO NOT tell newbies that its ok to go ahead and do the same thing.

Don't drag them down with you.

I really think some people are just crazy. They'll spend stupid amounts of money buying Flex or M&F just to do their lame-ass routines. Then...when someone gives them a REAL routine developed by the best coaches in the country...FOR FREE, they actually CHANGE IT so that its more like the lame-ass expensive, no results programs they've always done.

Madcow, that was hilarious. Thats very, very true.

 

[Freddy]

Ok, one more post on the subject. I'm turning into a post whore here, but a little more needs to be said.

I'm a decent enough powerlifter, I've done ok for my weightclass. I've medaled in state, regional, national, and international competitions. I don't brag, because honestly, I'm not a great powerlifter. But I am a decent powerlifter. And in my offseason I ALWAYS come back to doing something VERY SIMILAR to the 5x5 in the off-season. I do that because it just fucking works, man. If you are willing to work hard it just works.

AnimalMass is a damn good powerlifter. He's almost squatting 800, and benching high 600s. When he's in his offseason he STILL goes back to the 5x5.

JS is an awesome strength coach and one helluvan athlete. He's done some ridiculous feats of strength, and coached even BETTER athletes, but here's a run down. He's squatted 900 DEEP in an exhibition. He can stiff-legged deadlift 700 for reps. He can squat 600 ass-to-the-floor so quickly that he can THROW THE BARBELL OVER HIS HEAD ONTO THE FLOOR at the top of the lift. He trains elite olympic-style weightlifters FOR A LIVING and has given you THE SAME PROGRAM THAT HE GETS PAID TO GIVE TO HIS KIDS...again, for free. This is his livelihood, he gets paid to send these kids to the Pan-Am games, the world championships, and the olympics...if the programs he uses don't work, HE LOSES HIS JOB.

And he STILL chooses to use the 5x5, because it works that well.

I know its boring. I know its hard work. I know it sucks. You know this too.

Now. Knowing all that...do you think we would do a BORING, SHITTY, HARD program if it didn't work?

We don't do this program to prove our manliness or how tough we are. We don't do it because it makes us cool.

I would love to do a lame-ass, easy program from FLEX or M&F that only involves tiny isolation movements pyramided up. Unfortunately though, I like to make progress.

 

[AnimalMass]

Perfectly said.

Matt

 

[GeaR_and_SauCe]

God I wish I never even made this post. Anyway, my point was I started the 5x5. I started to bench press and I did my first set of 5 and it was fairly difficult to get up the last rep on the first set so I figured I would probably be good for 5 sets of this. Anyway, I pushed out the second set, fine. The third was tougher but still made it. The fourth set I was struggling by the 3rd rep but I managed to push it out. This fourth set really tired me out. So when I went for the 5th set, I had no spot and didn't feel confortable going down for the 4th rep because I knew in my mind there was a big chance I would get stuck. Hence, I learned that I needed to use mabye 5 - 10 lbs less in order to get the truely be doing the routine. On the next excersize, I worked my way up through the 5 sets and found my appropraite range. Next time I went to the gym, I knew what amount of weight to use and I think it was easier for me to find the correct amount by pyramiding for the first excersize, JUST THE FIRST! I don't see anything wrong with this hence I dont know why everyone snubbed their noses at me, I just thought it would be good to reccomended to other people starting out. Then, as soon as one popular guy here goes against me, I have to hear it for 10 more who just reitterate what the first guy said. Stop dick riding and breaking balls, this isn't the place to protray such an effeminate trait. Its very girly of you guys to be like this. I feel like I'm dealing with highschool sophmores in an all girl's prep school. Next time I will keep my solutions to myself.