5x5 SF problem

[danbo]

I am now on week 9 of the 5x5 SF, since the start of this programme i have been able to increase the weight of most lifts every week. I am now stuck because for some exercises i really can't lift anymore (for some exercises i have been doing the same weight for weeks).

What should i do about this?

The exercise are:

Bench Press
Bent-Over Rows
Deadlifts
Inclinded Bench
Declines Bench
Close-Grip Bench

Thanks.

 

[Dposey]

I'm still a beginner and definitely no expert on the subject, but I think you should try scaling your lifts back a few weeks and working back up to your current PRs. Some advice I've received is to scale back to 80% of your 5RM, then 90%, then hit your current 5RM and then try and break the plateau the next week using smaller increments. How much have you been increasing each week? If you've been increasing by, say, 5 pounds, maybe try getting smaller plates and increase by 2.5 pounds instead.

If you stall on the majority of the lifts (It looks like you're still doing ok on squats) then you would probably want take a week off (Maybe lift light) and then revamp and start a new 5x5. The more experienced will have a lot more advice to offer I'm sure but I hope this helps!

How's the SF 5x5 been treating you thus far by the way? How much have the gains been?

 

[Protobuilder]

I am now on week 9 of the 5x5 SF, since the start of this programme i have been able to increase the weight of most lifts every week. I am now stuck because for some exercises i really can't lift anymore (for some exercises i have been doing the same weight for weeks).

What should i do about this?

The exercise are:

Bench Press
Bent-Over Rows
Deadlifts
Inclinded Bench
Declines Bench
Close-Grip Bench

Thanks.

OK. Some obvious problems leap out here: you're stalled "for weeks" now on THAT MANY EXERCISES? That means you've pretty much finished the SF run, IMO. If you were missing on one or maybe two exercises, you could reset them. But stalling on pretty much everything means time to take a deload and maybe switch to the DF version. If you've only been doing it for 9 weeks, and you were "able to increase" for several weeks (what? 3? 4?) but then you've stalled now "for weeks," (3? 4?) it means you may have started your weights too high. You should've hit old PRs in roughly week 3 or 4. That would mean you maybe pushed one or two weeks of PRs but then stalled out? Maybe something is off.

Second problem: you're doing bench press, "inclinded" bench, and "declines" bench, and close-grip bench? What program are you doing exactly? You should be working one flat pressing movement and maybe the close-grip as a light assistance exercise. No wonder your bench/chest is stalled.

Bottom line -- if you've stalled on pretty much everything, you're done here. Time to move on. Or, possibly, dependig how bad you Fucked up the SF run, you could try again and this time, try setting more reasonable starting weights.

 

[Cynical Simian]

I agree with Protobuilder that there appear to be some, um, execution issues with your "SF 5x5," but I disagree about considering the DF version. While you'd be implicitly incorporating periodization by having a lighter period of training (whether it's a full deload, reramp, or the light first few weeks of a new program), a switch to full-blown DF programs should be well down the list of options the first time you stall on a linear one.

 

[Protobuilder]

Yeah, I suppose that's right. I guess I'm thinking: backoff, reramp, push PRs for a few weeks (but don't reach the point where you're stalling), then backoff again, and run an intensity phase. That's what I tried and it pretty much is winding up to just be the DF template although my volume phase is going past the "template time" of 4-5 weeks.

What would you suggest, CS, in terms of another linear phase?

 

[anotherbutters]

I agree. Danbo, you're supposed to be putting all your benching effort into one movement and getting better at it. Forget the inclines, declines and close grips and set a goal of adding 50lbs to your bench. You should make progress towards it every week.

If you've hit a plateau on a few movements but others are still going up, it's probably best to try to eek out a few more increases on the stalled ones until you stall on everything. You could try dropping some of the warmup sets, e.g. 5, 4, 3, 2, 5 and/or making even smaller increases.

Once you've stalled out on everything, go back to the weights you were using 3-4 weeks ago and ramp up again. Glenn Pendlay suggested changing something, anything, when you ramp up again, e.g. do sets of 3 instead of 5, or sets of 8. After 3-4 weeks of ramping, you might have another 3-4 weeks of PRs, then you'll stall and have to ramp up again. That's still more PRs in an 8 week period than the DF version, which is why you ought to put off the DF for as long as possible. Actually, you'll end up doing the DF implicitly, since you'll be re-ramping every couple of months and the number of PRs for each re-ramp will get smaller. At some point, you'll have to start making conscious decisions around how much load to use in each re-ramp, so you start loading and deloading.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Here's what I would do:

If you feel really run down, take a week off. If not, hop right into another run, and ramp up.

Do the ramp as follows:

Week 1: 80-85% of current PR
Week 2: 90-95% of current PR
Week 3: Current PR or higher

From week three on, continue to try and break records for 4-6 weeks. Reset and do it again.

 

[danbo]

I'm still a beginner and definitely no expert on the subject, but I think you should try scaling your lifts back a few weeks and working back up to your current PRs. Some advice I've received is to scale back to 80% of your 5RM, then 90%, then hit your current 5RM and then try and break the plateau the next week using smaller increments. How much have you been increasing each week? If you've been increasing by, say, 5 pounds, maybe try getting smaller plates and increase by 2.5 pounds instead.

If you stall on the majority of the lifts (It looks like you're still doing ok on squats) then you would probably want take a week off (Maybe lift light) and then revamp and start a new 5x5. The more experienced will have a lot more advice to offer I'm sure but I hope this helps!

How's the SF 5x5 been treating you thus far by the way? How much have the gains been?

I like it, its the best programme i've done so far. As far as gain. My strength has increased quite alot. I haven't put loads of muscle on because my diet is wrong (don't have the time to eat enough) and i'm also what might be called "a skinny bastard" (shit genetics, etc...)

One of my main goals was strength though, so i guess you could say i'm meeting that goal slowly.

OK. Some obvious problems leap out here: you're stalled "for weeks" now on THAT MANY EXERCISES? That means you've pretty much finished the SF run, IMO. If you were missing on one or maybe two exercises, you could reset them. But stalling on pretty much everything means time to take a deload and maybe switch to the DF version. If you've only been doing it for 9 weeks, and you were "able to increase" for several weeks (what? 3? 4?) but then you've stalled now "for weeks," (3? 4?) it means you may have started your weights too high. You should've hit old PRs in roughly week 3 or 4. That would mean you maybe pushed one or two weeks of PRs but then stalled out? Maybe something is off.

Second problem: you're doing bench press, "inclinded" bench, and "declines" bench, and close-grip bench? What program are you doing exactly? You should be working one flat pressing movement and maybe the close-grip as a light assistance exercise. No wonder your bench/chest is stalled.

Bottom line -- if you've stalled on pretty much everything, you're done here. Time to move on. Or, possibly, dependig how bad you Fucked up the SF run, you could try again and this time, try setting more reasonable starting weights.

"For weeks" means maybe 2 weeks.

Also, i am doing inclined bench instead of dips, and CG bench for tricep work. Can't remember what i'm doing declined bench for, maybe i'll remove it.

 

[danbo]

Here is my current 5x5 SF programme, can you point out what is wrong with it and maybe correct it, or make suggestions for correction?

Note - Take no notice of the weights (in KG), they are just numbers in order to have some example there

Example 5x5 programme


Day #1 (Heavy Day)

Squats: 70,80,90,95,100. [5x5] ([Sets, Reps])

Bench Press: 30,35,40,45,47.5. [5x5]

Bent-Over Rows: 30,35,40,45,47.5. [5x5]

Good Mornings: 30,35. [2x5]

Weighted Situps: 10,15,20. [3x10]

Day #2 (Light Day)

First 3 sets done as on day #1 for Squats only.

Squats: 70,80,90,90. (Set 4 done with same weight as set 3) [4x5]

Inclined Bench: 40,45,50,55. [4x5]

Deadlifts: 65,70,75,80. [4x5]

Situps (not weighted): [3x15]

Day #3 (Medium Day)

First 4 sets done as on day #1.

3 reps for a triple.

Squats: 70,80,90,100,107.5(triple),90(back off). [4x5,1x3,1x8]

Bench Press: 30,35,40,45,50(triple),40(back off). [4x5,1x3,1x8]

Bent-Over Rows: 30,35,40,45,50(triple),40(back off). [4x5,1x3,1x8]

Close-grip Bench: 45,50,57.5. [3x8]

Dumbbell Curls (x2 dumbbells): 15,20,25. [3x8]

 

[Leather99]

That looks good to me danbo. I have just completed a SF 5x5 - kept it going for about 10 weeks before I stalled. Just took a week off and restarted working with up to my new maxes.