Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below I have read the Bill Starrs 5X5 and i know it says not to change anything however i am bringing in the famous "but". When progressing in weight each week there is a % being used. Since this is my first week in stead of using a % i am just adding 5 lbs. for each exercise and then on fridays adding 10. Please advise as to what the positives and negatives are of doing this.
New to the 5X5. Need advice
- Thread starter brett0430
- Start date
I am talking about ramping the weight for each lift and at the top set. This is what my program looks like for this week for chest and DL, BO rows and ML are the same as well.
Monday
Chest 125x5 130x5 135x5 140x5 145x5
Friday
Chest 130x5 135x5 140x5 145x5 155x5 (ramping up 10lbs on my 5th set) 140x8
Like i said i am doing this for the other exercises as well. What do you think?
Monday
Chest 125x5 130x5 135x5 140x5 145x5
Friday
Chest 130x5 135x5 140x5 145x5 155x5 (ramping up 10lbs on my 5th set) 140x8
Like i said i am doing this for the other exercises as well. What do you think?
djeclipse
New member
brett0430 said:
To be honest I would strongly suggest to stick to the work out program the way it is written. Madcow made a note to say don't fuck with it for a good reason.
I know it doesn't seem like much at all as far as work goes, you may even be tempted to add in a few isloaation movements, but I strongly suggest you leave it as it.
The program is meant to be fairly easy for the first 4 weeks, it is to get your body ready/ momentum for the following weeks where you are making PR's every week.
Ramping the weights you want to is not a good way to go about doing it. For one it's way too much volume, you will not be able to lift that much volume and make a 5lb (or what ever) PR every week. Also, the ramping weights are to get your CNS ready for the final set (the PR set).
Do what you want, but know that those that have followed his program to a T have made great gains with it, those that fuck with it always end up failing early and then blame the program.
I've been able to put on 5lbs to my bench press for the past 6 weeks. It doesn't seem like much doing only 5lb's at a time increases, but over 6 weeks that's 30lbs to my max bench and going.
Run it the way it is, don't fuck with it.
djeclipse
New member
Also, go back and really read his site, find out why you are lifting/ ramping the weight's he does. The 5 x 5 program is just a starting block, the web site is to get you to learn about proper lifting, so you will be able to figure out things for yourself in the future.
Read the site and find out why you're supposed to ramp the weights the way he ahs it instead of just going out and following it. You will learn a lot.
Read the site and find out why you're supposed to ramp the weights the way he ahs it instead of just going out and following it. You will learn a lot.
I appreciate your response. I have read the whole thing and i understand. Its just i had someone in my gym that has used the 5x5 and he said to just add 5 lbs and not mess with %. Im kinda like you though i think if something is working dont ___ with it. That goes for anything though really. Again, i appreciate your help and i am going to stay with what it says and go with %.
djeclipse
New member
brett0430 said:
Unfortunately like everything in the world of weight lifting, people take something good like Madcow's 5 x 5 and bastardise it and the try and use the same name. There are a few other crappy versions of training "routines" that have 5 x 5 in the title, but they are changed to be more "body building" oriented. Maybe what your buddy was using was one of these versions. Either that or he made these changes himself because he thought he knew better.
The ramping weights are not that important, you don't have to be exact as far as percentages. They are warm up weights leading up to the main PR set. They are there for volume and to get you ready for your PR set. They are spread out nicely so you work up to your PR set, get a lot of work in but not overload you so you can still get the top set of 5 (pr set).
Have you downloaded the spread sheet off his website? It makes things much easier as all you have to do is plug in your 5 rep maxes and everything is laid out for you.
If you don't have smaller plates you can round up to the nearest 5lbs for the ramping weights. But it is really nice to have smaller weights as it will get hard to make a 5lb jump every week, and a 2.5lb jump works nice. I use some chains I got at the hardware store to add 2.5lbs tot he bar.
They have the smaller weights at my gym. I downloaded the spread sheet, but i changed everything and raised the weights 5lbs. I am going to delete that one and download it again and put in my 5 rep max and go from there. I know friday i benched 155 4x 3 were by myself and one was spotted. So i would say 150 is my 5 rep max. What do you think?
djeclipse
New member
brett0430 said:
It is better in the long run to be concervative with your 5 starting rep maxes. Tje more momentum you have in the first 3 weeks getting to week 4 the more likely you'll be able to add weight to the bar (pr's) for the weeks after.
Use 145 or 150 as your 5 rep max, but be true to yourself, forget about ego, in the long run you'll make more gains that way.
