Another 5x5 question

[e6er]

Can the 5x5 routine be used in conjunction with any workout, will it still net results?

Say I am working chest. My normal chest routine looks like this:

Flat DB bench - 3x10
Incline DB 4x10
Flys 3x10
Decline DB 3x10

New routine would be:

Flat DB bench - 5x5
Incline DB 5x5
Flys 5x5
Decline DB 5x5

 

[thesuaveone]

No, your body would shut down after a week of that. 5x5 is setup for compound lifts and designed for a full body workout.

 

[e6er]

No, your body would shut down after a week of that. 5x5 is setup for compound lifts and designed for a full body workout.

Ahh, thanks for the info. Glad I didn't try it without asking.

 

[Cynical Simian]

You're missing the point of the style of training that '5x5' refers to on this site. There's nothing magical about doing 5 sets of 5; the real key to long-term development is progressive loading and management of fatigue, which is what the cookie-cutter 5x5s are designed to teach.

But with that said, 5x5 (or similar schemes that give you 20-30 reps at a fairly heavy weight) is a good general setup for compound lifts. Maybe do 5x5 on your main lifts and higher reps for isolation stuff at the end.