SF or DF 5x5?

[RipStone]

Just wanted to get some opinions on what you guys would think would be better for me; SF or DF 5x5?

Some background: Natural lifter, 5'8", 160lbs. I have been training correctly for about 6-8 months. Before that, I was lifting for about a year, but didn't know much about lifting theory and how it would optimize my results. Started to read up on lifting theory and since then I have put on a good deal of muscle. My last 10 week DFT cycle(4 day upper/lower body routine using DUP) I put on 8lbs, mostly muscle. My max bench is 210lbs, deadlifts 275lbs, squat, 255lbs.

My concern with either routine is that my body seems to respond well to cojugate routines and neither 5x5 version is cnojugate.

Opinions?

 

[seizer]

Single Factor, without a doubt. Both are excellent programs, but for you, you'll benifit more from single factor. Keep doing it for aslong as you can and start your numbers conservatively so you can go the distance. Once you start to really come to a hault, have a deloading phase.

 

[Protobuilder]

But isn't that ^^ dual factor, if you advise a deload phase? or is still single b/c you don't "schedule" the deload?

 

[Cynical Simian]

But isn't that ^^ dual factor, if you advise a deload phase? or is still single b/c you don't "schedule" the deload?

No, his recommendation is clearly for the single-factor, which I second. The mention of a deloading phase was just a statement about the eventual (and inevitable) need to move to a dual-factor program or at least incorporate elements of periodization to break through plateaus and push on with the single factor.

 

[Madcow2]

But isn't that ^^ dual factor, if you advise a deload phase? or is still single b/c you don't "schedule" the deload?

It's not so much a question of dual factor or single factor so much - dual factor theory is simply the body's response to training, i.e. fitness and fatigue components. Fatigue is always there to some degree. A trainee using a single factor/unperiodized/linear program still has fatigue, the idea is that the volume and workload are set low enough to where it doesn't overtake them. Of course sometimes it still happens and they need time off or alterating in training or whatever.

 

[anotherbutters]

Bump for the single factor. Milk it for all you can whilst you can. Welcome to the fold

 

[RipStone]

So go with SF even though I had very good results from my lst 10 week cycle with a DF program?

Also, with SF I assume you do not train to failure since you work muscle groups mutiple times per week with compound lifts and training to failure would stress the CNS way too much.

Finally, when you say start conservativley, I assume you mean start below what I know my 5 RMs are and then ramp the weight up over the weeks to set new PRs, correct?

Thanks for your help every one.

 

[anotherbutters]

How do you know you won't get even better results from the SF without trying? Lifting well for 6-8 months isn't that long, so the SF ought to still serve you well. This is a good thing! If you can still gain on the SF, you're going to get stronger quicker because you simply try to increase the weights from week to week.

Training to failure isn't something to aim for, but if it happens, it happens. Most of the time, the top sets will be close to failure because by definition, you're trying to set a new 5 rep PR each week.

Some people won't know their 5RM in each of the lifts, hence starting conservatively. If you know them, then I'd say start just below them and try to match them in the second week. You don't really want to fail in your first week do you?

 

[RipStone]

How do you know you won't get even better results from the SF without trying? Lifting well for 6-8 months isn't that long, so the SF ought to still serve you well. This is a good thing! If you can still gain on the SF, you're going to get stronger quicker because you simply try to increase the weights from week to week.

Training to failure isn't something to aim for, but if it happens, it happens. Most of the time, the top sets will be close to failure because by definition, you're trying to set a new 5 rep PR each week.

Some people won't know their 5RM in each of the lifts, hence starting conservatively. If you know them, then I'd say start just below them and try to match them in the second week. You don't really want to fail in your first week do you?

All of that makes perfect sense, thank you for the great reply.

I guess SF can and hopefully will work better for me. I have been lifting for a while, probabaly over 2 years pretty consistently. But like I said the last 6-8 months I have actually been following solid routies made by pro-stregnth coaches like Joe DeFranco, Chad Waterbury, and Alwyn Cosgrove and most all of these routines have periodization and/or been conjugated routines. But perhaps I don't even need that sort of advanced training to reach my goals and get stronger and gain mass. I'll give SF 5x5 a shot a see how it works. Probabaly gonna start a journal here.

Thanks again everyone and if anyone has anything else to add I would appreciate it.