Here is a program that is kind of similiar to the 5x5,Mark Rippetoe actually advised me to do this when I e-mailed him a few weeks ago.Mark Rippotoe(one of the top strength coaches in the U.S) uses this program on his new lifters and he makes them eat like crazy.Muscle gains of 30-40lb in six months are possible for a well fed lifter as well as massive strength gains in the major lifts.
Workout A
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
1x5 Deadlift/Power Clean 5x3,alternate every workout ''A''
Workout B
3x5 Squat
3x5 Military Press
3x5 Chinups
3x8 Weighted hyperextensions/ Good mornings
Warm up using several sets before doing the 3 work sets (or 1 for the deadlift). If you're using 175, for example, it would look like this:
Warm up sets
2x5xbar (sets x reps x weight)
1x5x85
1x3x125
1x2x155
Work sets
3x5x175
You alternate workout A and B, 3 non-consecutive days per week. So you might do:
Week 1
M
Workout A
W
Workout B
F
Workout A
Week 2
M
Workout B
W
Workout A
F
Workout B
Add weight to the bar whenever possible. If you're very new to lifting weights, or if most of your lifting has focused on curls and other isolation movements, you'll probably be able to add some weight each workout. Maybe 5-10 lbs each time in the squat and deadlift, and about 5 lbs in the other three lifts. Eventually you won't be able to sustain such progress, and you'll have to get microplates so you can increase by smaller increments. Or you could make them out of chain:
http://davedraper.com/forum/showflat...3/Main/126754/
And eat a lot of food. A whole lot.
It's fine to add some assistance work such as abs, hypers, or maybe some direct biceps and triceps work, but don't overdo it. For direct arm work, 3 sets of 8 of one lift for each muscle at the end of your last workout of the week will be plenty. Your arms are getting hit hard all week on this routine, so you don't want to blast them with iso stuff as well.
The part about food is important. You MUST eat big to get big. Rippetoe recommends 4 meals per day, plus a gallon of milk spread throughout the day.
Here is a quote from an interview on
http://readthecore.com/200507/trenches4.htm
Matt: So how long does it typically take before a kid starts to stagnate from all the squatting without backing off?
Rip: Your standard 5’8” 150 junior in high school that will not eat will get stuck in about a month. Then he’ll quit anyway, so let’s talk about your non-standard 5’8” junior that actually will do the program. He’ll gain 5-7 pounds the first week, 15 lbs. the first month, and put 100 lbs. on his squat before he even slows down. Remember that as his squat goes up, his bodyweight does too, so it’s really not the same kid every workout. It’s a little bit bigger kid doing the workout, one that responds a little bit better than the previous version of the kid. He literally adapts fast enough that the concept of “1RM” or “5RM” is not valid, since the tested max applies to a kid that doesn’t exist anymore. The weight gain drives the strength increase, and the strength gain makes him bigger if he eats enough. Most practitioners do not get to see this happen (since trainees that will actually comply with such a program are very rare), and most academics will argue that it can’t (since they’ve never seen it in a peer-reviewed study). But I’ve had several trainees gain 60 pounds their first year at the gym. I’ve had lots of kids gain 30 pounds in 4 months. Lots. It obviously varies with the individual, but simple linear progress can continue for 3-6 months before any changes at all to the program need to be made.
Stick to this program and you will gain lots of strength and muscle,good luck.
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