A couple 5x5 questions.

[Kabeetz]

OK I am deep into a really successful Bill Starr Intermediate 5 x 5 workout. I have a couple questions. I've read most of the 5x5 questions and have seen a lot of these asked but not so much answered though I am sure they have been asked endlessly. Forgive me.

My overall strength has shot up dramatically, the size gains have been solid, I am noticing no gains in the following areas however:

Traps, arms.

The arms don't so much concern me, and I realize that according to the geocities site, some extra arm work is OK if warranted, but I am not sure how to implement trap work, specifically power shrugs.

Should I do them once a week (if so separate day or best after which workout), add it to the squat/bench/row progression, add it to the squat/military/deadlift progression? Swap out one of the exercises in one of the progressions? Or just not mess with a good thing until I am done w/ the present 5 x 5 cycle?

Second question...

Should I be adding 2.5% weekly to the military and deadlift the once a week these are performed? So far I have been but it clearly doesn't come as easy and I expect a plateau soon. The table on the geocities site just says ramping weight up to a top set of 5.

How about the barbell curls and extensions? I try to improve in little ways on a week to week basis but I feel as though I am taking a step back, which is fine as long as its due to the intensity of the increasing load of the front and middle of the workout rather than symptoms of atrophy.

guidance would be really appreciated!

 

[super_rice]

i didn't really experience any significant trap growth until i started doing olys, but this was probably because of the previous lack of explosive pulling and shrugging. i know the the pulling is usually substituted in place of the rows and such, but in all honesty, i would just do the power shrugs as warm ups to the deadlifts, or drop weight on deadlifts a little bit and tag in a shrug at the top of every rep.

 

[super_rice]

as for the arms, hit all your core lifts hard and add in a couple of sets 1-2x a week, probably on the Mon and Fri in 5x5...

remember hit the good lifts hard

 

[Jim Ouini]

First of all, congrats on the strength and size gains so far. I remember how amazed I was the first time training this way after years of spinning my wheels.

As far as power shrugs, I'd probably just run the 5 x 5 as is for this cycle and find out your tolerances before adding powershrugs, since if done from a low hang can really add to your workload (BTW, anyone else find themselves paraphrasing MC2 a lot? )

After that it's kind of up to you. I added them to my M-F workout and did them last - they were no joke let me tell ya .

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5530546&postcount=1

 

[Guinness5.0]

You can also warm up to your deads with power cleans, then when you're decent at 'em start subbing out the bb rows for pwoer cleans.

Traps really seem to respond to explosive pulling.

 

[Kabeetz]

Thanks for the thoughts so far re: traps.. how about the second question regarding increasing poundages on the military press and deadlift, any thoughts?

Also is it common to have less than impressive bi/tri results? perhaps due to them getting worked out already versus an actual decrease in the strength of the tis and bis?

 

[Ilovetolift]

Thanks for the thoughts so far re: traps.. how about the second question regarding increasing poundages on the military press and deadlift, any thoughts?

Also is it common to have less than impressive bi/tri results? perhaps due to them getting worked out already versus an actual decrease in the strength of the tis and bis?

I think you started this program to heavy? your supose to work UP to your max in 4 weeks...

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Throw in some direct arm work. Do something like skull crushers and incline DB curls. Or regular curls. Whichever. Just don't focus too much on this area. Hit higher reps, like 12-15.

 

[Kabeetz]

I think you started this program to heavy? your supose to work UP to your max in 4 weeks...

Yeah, did that. And therefore have been setting pr's every week since. Which is great except for the fact that my arms and traps haven't responded to the program as much, although it looks like that's to be somewhat expected.

I'll add some of the recommended arm work in the mean time and definitely add on power shrugs next time I go through the program.

Thanks bros.