Am I doing the 5x5 Program correct ??

[SirDingo]

I know this is like my 10th post asking if I am working out right or should I change or switch something, sorry but bare with me here Just want to make sure I am not wasting my time working out, but instead using all this hard work to actually make gains by doing it right, I am looking to add lbs of muscle, mainly arms, shoulders and chest

I finally moved to the 5x5 routine beginning of June, so 10weeks later I have gained around 10lbs, some of it is a little belly too after drinking Protein shakes. I started at first 5'11" 165lbs and now I range from 173-178lbs, I can see a difference in the mirror mainly in my shoulders look bigger more defined, and chest is a little bigger, but the arms still seem skinny, yeah they have gotten somewhat bigger but not too much.

My routine was given to me by tow BB friends who love the 5x5 too, and they told me to break up my workouts / exercises into three different programs, a PUSH, PULL, and LEG days.

PUSH days are;

- Bench press = 5x5 style with ramped up weight each set
- Military Press = 5x5 style with barbell again first set is light warm up weight and every set gets heavier
- Dip's = I do that 3x10
- Pushup's = 3x10 with weight belt

PULL days;

- Bent-Row = 5x5 with barbell
- Pull Ups = 3x10 with weight belt
- Curls = 5x5 with dumbbells
- Bent-Row again now with dumbbells 5x5
- Curls again but with barbell 5x5

LEG days;

- DeadLift 5x5
- Squats 5x5
- Other misc leg exercises


Each program I day lasts approx 45-60minutes, with 60-90seconds rest between each set, but is doing ONLY 5reps enough to shock the muscles into growth ?? I have read that the magic number for hypertrophy is at least 8reps ?

Should my first warm up light weight sets of the 5x5 be done instead starting with 8reps, and worked down to 5reps by the 4th set ?? Anything to add to each exercise day ??

Thank you for the advice, so far you have all been very kind to help this novice body builder, I would prefer constructive advice instead of I told ya a million times to this or that.

 

[StuWard]

I see one problem here. You've kind of bastardized the program by splitting it up the way you're doing it. The 5x5 works because of the high frequency. That makes up for the low volume per workout. You're back to a once a week cycle which never did make any sense. You need more frequency. By the time a body part comes in cycle again it's starting to decondition and you're loosing the gains you made from the previous workout.

Either go back to the original 5x5 and stick with it or else look up the ABC system on Dr. Squat's site. Either way you need to work more frequently.

Stu

 

[SirDingo]

I see one problem here. You've kind of bastardized the program by splitting it up the way you're doing it. The 5x5 works because of the high frequency. That makes up for the low volume per workout. You're back to a once a week cycle which never did make any sense. You need more frequency. By the time a body part comes in cycle again it's starting to decondition and you're loosing the gains you made from the previous workout.

Either go back to the original 5x5 and stick with it or else look up the ABC system on Dr. Squat's site. Either way you need to work more frequently.

Stu

Thank's part of the reason I changed it was my friend mentioned it to me so I don't get injured or burnt out. At first I was doing like the PUSH+PULL routine sort of combined 2-3 times a week, and my shoulder and elbows always hurt the next day. Now they never hurt, I just feel the a slight muscle ache sometimes the next day which feels good.

One of my buddies said to add Military Press to my PULL day and then add Pull Ups to my PUSH day, so I will always be doing both Military and PullUps more often, is that a good idea ??

 

[Sim882]

Thank's part of the reason I changed it was my friend mentioned it to me so I don't get injured or burnt out. At first I was doing like the PUSH+PULL routine sort of combined 2-3 times a week, and my shoulder and elbows always hurt the next day. Now they never hurt, I just feel the a slight muscle ache sometimes the next day which feels good.

One of my buddies said to add Military Press to my PULL day and then add Pull Ups to my PUSH day, so I will always be doing both Military and PullUps more often, is that a good idea ??

The 5x5 starts with a light deloading period, which allows your muscles time to adjust to the frequency of workouts.

I thought squatting 3 times would be too much for the legs, but in fact my legs have responded well

 

[StuWard]

One of my buddies said to add Military Press to my PULL day and then add Pull Ups to my PUSH day, so I will always be doing both Military and PullUps more often, is that a good idea ??

This is a good move. This will offset that lack of frequency issue. They don't have to be particularly heavy, just enough to hold you over until the next workout.

 

[SirDingo]

Another question I do everything in a 5x5 routine, so my first set of any exercise is a very easy light weight I don't even feel much out of it, and then the second set is heavier but still very easy, It doesn't start to get hard until third set. Meaning I am ramping up each set so by the fifth set it is ball busting to get that last rep up. Is that the correct way to do 5x5 ?? I just feel the first two beginning sets are too easy, do I even get anything out of those ?? Also I know that every week I am supposed to add a little weight like 2.5 or 5lbs and over time that is how I make the gains ??

I just confused I will read a MensFitness article and it will say to get t-shirt bursting arms in 8weeks do this program of like 4sets of 8-12reps each, all of the sets in the mag are nothing less than 6reps. My question is by doing every exercise or set I do with only 5resp is that enough to get hypertrophy that I have read takes at least 8reps to get your muscles strained enough to grow ??

 

[s8nlilhlpr2]

I just confused I will read a MensFitness article and it will say to get t-shirt bursting arms in 8weeks do this program of like 4sets of 8-12reps each

There's the problem....stop reading muscle rags. If they posted a decent routine that actually WORKED, no one would need to buy another one.

 

[SirDingo]

I just did the straight 5x5 for my PUSH day today of Bench, Military, Dips, and weighted PullUps, took about 50 minutes

And just doing the light warm up weight of 5 reps each the first two sets, instead of experimenting with 8 or 10 reps the first two for each exercise, allowed me to push harder on the final 4th and 5th sets, going heavier than I have ever been before by about 10lbs on bench and like 5lbs on military, doesn't sound like much but if I can make those type of gains on a regular schedule that should help bulk me up more and more ??

 

[StuWard]

That's the whole point, making steady gains on a regular schedule. The light weight sets get you warmed up and gets your body used to each set being heavier than the last. When you get to set 5, you're ready. Do it as written and you will gain steadily. Don't be impatient, 10lb jumps on bench is a lot. I do 10 lb on Squats and deadlifts, 5lb on bench and cleans and 2 1/2 on mil press.

 

[SirDingo]

That's the whole point, making steady gains on a regular schedule. The light weight sets get you warmed up and gets your body used to each set being heavier than the last. When you get to set 5, you're ready. Do it as written and you will gain steadily. Don't be impatient, 10lb jumps on bench is a lot. I do 10 lb on Squats and deadlifts, 5lb on bench and cleans and 2 1/2 on mil press.

Thank's. the Military seems to be the hard one to add weight too, it kicks my butt by the fifth set, I can only max in Barbell like little over 100lbs so ,far, but I was doing 5lbs more than last time

 

[StuWard]

That's normal. I made some weights out of chain that weigh 2#. On the military I go up by 2# and 3# from week to week. I have some chains to make 1# weights and I plan on going up 1# per week once I start slowing down.