Help a newb with 5 x 5 program!! (I also included my diet here)

[eitan27]

The 5 x 5 challenge: Help a Newb! (Diet Already Included!!)

Hi!!
So previously I didn't really have a strict workout program, other than working out every other day of the week, alternating between back-tricep and chest-bicep-shoulder days, and at most once a week devoting an off day to work the legs.
So this is what im thinking so far...and btw if u don't know who i am, my one of my first posts was:http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=315704
***Chest-Bi Day ***
----Chest---
Flat Bench: 5 sets of 95 lbs (My max right now, I would estimate is approx 130)
Incline Bench: (normally don't do this one, but I'll start, say with 85 lbs)
Should I do more than this? Someone please help me...
----Biceps----
5 sets of 5 reps 27.5 freeweight curl.
The way I do it is sitting down, legs sorta open, with my back kind of bending forward, and my elbow of the curling arm supported by my inner leg.
What else should I do?

***Back-tri day***
---Back---
Pulldowns, 5s of 5r of ~ 75-85 lbs ... (I'll get a feel for what I can do 5 sets of...)
5sets of this:

with 35 pounds on each side
I'll start doing deadlifts...I shouldn't have too much of a problem finding someone to show me how to do them in person.
---Tris---
Eh, too lazy to type, I know pretty well how to work them...I'll probably start to incorporate skullcrushers, but not just yet...

So please if you have any suggestions, advice (other than sticking with it and eating more) than I'd love to hear it.

And now for my diet. This is what I ate today.
1. Bowl of cereal with milk, Est. 17-20g protein
2. Bagel with peanut butter.. Bagel has 10 g of protein, PB has 7 g per serving so I'll estimate 18 grams.
3. Subway footlong sweet onion chicken teriyaki with lots of veggies. (LOADED with chicken I might add) I'll be generous and say 30g.
It's like 4:40 pm here so I haven't eaten dinner yet. Normally, and especially on a day of a workout, I'll eat a nitrotech protein bar (35g) . I ran out of them last night but I'm going to go buy either more protein bars or protein powder today. My dinner usually involves some type of meat, so I'll say another 30 grams right there, plus I'll have a 10g glass of milk before I go to sleep each night.

My stats, for those of you who didnt read the last thread or are to lazy to look at the link I will provide below, are 140-142 lbs, anywhere from 7.5% to 10% BF, and 5'9'' .

THANKS FOR READING THROUGH EVERYTHING!!

 

[lavi]

From my post it's obvious I'm no 5x5 expert, but I'll give my advice anyway from what I've picked up here.

1. Learn proper form and Squat! - they make you grow all over
2. Learn proper form and Deadlift! - they make you grow all over
3. Try adding in standing barbell curls.
4. for tri's i recommend close-grip bench. You want to have compound movements for your main exercises (bench squat etc) instead of isolation stuff (pushdowns, flyes)

Yeah I'm afraid to say too much. Good luck! I hope some of the more experienced people help you out.

 

[eitan27]

Thanks brother, I'll really take those into consideration!

 

[Buddy_Christ]

here's my 5x5 routine.

Monday
Flat Bench 5x5
Incline dbs
Standing Cable Flies
Box Squat 10x2
Standing Calf Raises 5x15

Tuesday
Seated OHP 5x5
Side Laterals - 4 sets - 12, 10, 8, 5-6 reps, increasing weight every set
Deads 5x5
Pullups 2x10
Shoulder Shrugs
Close Grip Pulldowns

Wed - OFF

Thurs
Close Grip Bench 5x5
Standing BB Curl 5x5
Dips 2x10
Incline Curls OR db Preacher Curls (i switch every week)
Tricep pushdowns

Friday
Squats 5x5
Stiff Leg Deads
Seated/Reverse calf raises 5x15

Saturday & Sunday - OFF

used to do Hack Squats on leg day but i don't feel right doing them. they hurt more than they did good. can't seem to get my form right on them. i stopped doing hack squats maybe 2 or 3 weeks ago, i have yet to put a replacement exercise in the routine.

the exercises i didn't list a rep/set for are all done in 3 sets, 10, 8, 5-6 reps, in that order, increasing the weight every set. i pretty much hit failure on every one of the sets. if i can hit 6 reps with good form on the last set, then i know the following week to bump the weight up across all sets. i didn't like doing 2 sets of 8-10 reps.

start off with humble weights and you'll progress. that is the KEY to 5x5. you don't want to "stall" at a weight after the 3rd week. if you do, it means you started off too heavy (or your diet completely sucks).

i like having box squats on Monday and regular squats on friday. my legs felt like they were really suffering only being worked once a week. i thought my chest wasn't getting enough work either, but according to a new PR i set this past week, my chest isn't doing too bad strength wise.

my routine is just a sample, you can throw anything else in there you want for the isolation exercises, but those are pretty much the basic 5x5s you want. split your week up like that and you'll benefit from it.

 

[lavi]

Here's a thread with some examples: http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=297174



lol crak600's is the first one

 

[BrandonXJ]

Re: The 5 x 5 challenge: Help a Newb! (Diet Already Included!!)

And now for my diet. This is what I ate today.
1. Bowl of cereal with milk, Est. 17-20g protein
2. Bagel with peanut butter.. Bagel has 10 g of protein, PB has 7 g per serving so I'll estimate 18 grams.
3. Subway footlong sweet onion chicken teriyaki with lots of veggies. (LOADED with chicken I might add) I'll be generous and say 30g.
It's like 4:40 pm here so I haven't eaten dinner yet. Normally, and especially on a day of a workout, I'll eat a nitrotech protein bar (35g) . I ran out of them last night but I'm going to go buy either more protein bars or protein powder today. My dinner usually involves some type of meat, so I'll say another 30 grams right there, plus I'll have a 10g glass of milk before I go to sleep each night.

My stats, for those of you who didnt read the last thread or are to lazy to look at the link I will provide below, are 140-142 lbs, anywhere from 7.5% to 10% BF, and 5'9'' .

might wanna run that past some people in the diet forum. Mention to them that you're 18 too. If you want to get stronger, you're going to have to eat right.

 

[Backlash]

You can check the subway calories at their web site. I did that the other day and was a bit surprised (though not totally surprised). For a place that claims to be healthy their sandwiches mostly suck. That sandwich (which I used to eat a lot) has about 40g of sugar! The turkey and ham is like the only good one to get there.

 

[GEEK2FREAK]

my 5x5 i do:
m-chest/back: incline, bench, and decline....pull-ups, db rows, and low rows
t-legs/lowerback: leg presses, curls, extentions. and calves...lower back extentions
w-abs/cardio: crunchs, leg lifts, obliques
t-tris/bis: dips, ext.-ropes and ez-bar.....dumbell curls, hammer curls, and ez bar curls
f or sat: shoulders/traps: military presses, lat raises, rear delts....db shrugs

eat everything and not anything...protiens and carbs are going to make your get bigger...while i bulk i consume 300 grams of protien and 300 grams of carbs...while i am cutting i eat 300 grams of protien and 200 grams of carbs...i am currently bulking now so here is an example of my diet:

breakfast: eat a bowl of cereal and 1-3 peices of fruit
snack 1: protein shake (50g's) and cereal bar
lunch: 2 cans of tuna on 8 peices of bread
snack 2: protein shake (50g's) and peice of fruit
dinner: 4 chicken breast, 2 sides of veg. and some bread
snack 3: protein bar or shake before my workout (30-50g's)
snack 4: left over chicken breast sandwich before bed

while im cutting my diet would be similar but i would cut out some bread and fruits

 

[eitan27]

thanks a lot everyone i'm gonna go post my diet in the diet forum!