5x5 dont understand it

[morf33]

ok i cant tell you what the hell is it even after reading differnt post on it
could someone assist in describing what it is i know its reps but not exactly
is this good for lossing weight ,if not what program should i run ?if this one isnt it ?i just need help and reading about the 5x5 and not understanding it is frusterating .. help a rookie please

 

[Cynical Simian]

Basically, it's just what the name implies: you do full-body workouts (typically three times per week) with 5 sets of 5 reps on compound lifts as their foundation. Losing weight is a matter of diet, not routine, but the 5x5 would be as good as anything for retaining muscle while hypocaloric.

And if you don't know what the 5x5 is after reading this thread, I don't know what to tell you:
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=375215

 

[blut wump]

The essense of the 5x5 is working the heavy compound exercises multiple times per week in the basic range of 5 sets of 5 reps. The program as presented here is based around the squat and will have you squatting 3x per week with heavy, light and medium sessions. The Single Factor version is here:
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4497774&postcount=15

Take a look at AnotherButter's log on here for a real-world example of the program and his ongoing progress.

 

[majutsu]

He probably wonders why it's called "5x5" when there is "1x5" "3x3" "1x3" etc, and 5 sets of 5 is less than a fraction of the routine. It also doesn't explain how this is different than any other workout.

"5x5" is a stupid term. Forget it.

This is a "olympic workout". This is how the Russians worked out for the olympics. You basically bench, squat and deadlift constantly. It doesn't have anything to do with bodypart splits.

What makes a squat workout hard? Either doing 100 reps (high volume), or 800lbs (high weight).

If you bench, squat and deadlift all the time, you never have time to recover. Eventually you will get sick. This is called loading.

In this olympic routine, you work for one month with high volume. Right before you get sick, you take a week off. You dump the load right before you crack.

In the following month, you increase the weight to sickening levels, while keeping volume low. You should finish at new maxes right before you break.

So its volume ---> break ----> heavy weight ----> break

The volume phase is 5 sets of 5.

The heavy weight phase is 3 sets of 3.

There are many ways to take breaks.

If a routine says "1x5", that means you might do 5 sets of 5, but the weight pyramids up, so your 5 sets might be at weights like 135/155/185/205/225. This is not very hard, and is a way of doing an exercise when you don't want to put much into it.

Even though you might squat monday, wednesday and friday, only on monday do you do 5x5. On friday you do a 1x5 pyramid set. On fridays, you 5x5 bench is getting your attention (and the bench is 1x5 on monday when squats get your attention ).

Now if you keep the big picture and read the madcow routine it should be very clear.

If that doesn't make sense, then forget it, you're not going to get it.

Obviously, this routine is good for football or powerlifting. Is this good for bodybuilding? I think so. While everyone knows a guy who's very small who can bench 405lbs. But, if a man who can bench 225lbs takes his bench to 405lbs, he will be a larger, more muscular man by far. There is no doubt. There is no error. Bringing your bench, squat and deadlift up 200lbs is the simplest, clearest way to be more athletic and look fantastic. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line!

 

[Jim Ouini]

majustu, didn't you run 5 x 5 recently? IIRC, you ran WSB previously. Any thoughts or comparisons on the respective programs/gains/etc?

 

[blut wump]

Good post Majutsu.

Confusion here is further compounded by there being a Dual Factor version, as described above, and a Single Factor version where you do less work and simply keep setting PRs week after week. The Single Factor version is preferable for anyone unused to this kind of full-body, compound-exercise workout.

 

[majutsu]

I'm a bigger fan of the 5x5 right now. I'm on my second run. My first run, I deloaded poorly (this time I will deload 2x week). I also didn't peak my 3x3s right. I have excellent targets this time.

People know I'm an anabolic board denizen, so I'll comment on that too. The problem with setting my weights the first time was exactly what madcow said in a post on 5x5 and steroids, that my gains were hard to anticipate, leading to loading irregularities.

This time I am using test/deca/dbol during volume phase, switching to test/eq/deca/estrogen and cortisol blockade in the conversion phase.

It's going very well. I plan to do this once or twice this winter, before another westside run. My thoughts on westside are well documented in the powerlifting forum. And it's kind of an apples and oranges discussion . . .

I love the 5x5, because I get truly strong on the big lifts. I believe (like Franco and Lou show) that strength and muscle density show aesthetically. Power can be seen and felt!

 

[anotherbutters]

I don't know much about gear, but with the enhanced recovery you get, wouldn't it be better to run a higher volume version of the single factor and just gain from week to week?

 

[majutsu]

No, because there comes a point where you don't gain single factor any more. Then you pretty much need some sort of progression to reach new levels. I came to 5x5 after exhausting HIT, Weider, HST and all sorts of other single factor programs. Only dual factor ideas like westside or 5x5 were providing new gains, with or without gear. All gear enables me to do is to set my weight increases on a 5x5 cycle very aggressively. I do the same routine off cycle with less aggressive weight increases.