The Lightbulb Effect!

[wooldog]

I've been doing the 5x5 for around 6 weeks now. I started with the DF, then switched to the SF. Made great gains in strength and some good size gains so far.

But I've noticed that most of my gains are in my chest and shoulders and traps. On top of that I had small legs to begin with. So I think I'm becoming a little disproportionate

I've decided to abandon the 5x5 and focus entirely on increasing my leg mass. I will move back into a 5x5 type program when my body becomes proportional again.

Is this a good idea? Any good programs for this out there? I want to do a 3 day a week leg routine instead of full body. Will this be overtraining? How long will it take for the legs to catch up? What exercises should I use?

 

[AEKDB]

Keep going. Just make sure you are working your legs just as hard and they will catch up.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Are you sure you're doing 5x5 like the DF version?

With most 5x5 you squat 3 days a week so your legs should have no trouble growing from 5x5 whatsoever.

 

[blut wump]

Are you giving your squats as much effort as your other exercises? Are you going deep in the hole? If you are only doing quarter squats then don't expect much from them.

There was a joke from Scotsman along the lines of "Squats are like sex: if you're not in the hole, you're wasting your time."

 

[anotherbutters]

 

[wooldog]

Yes I'm doing squate below parallel. Not ATG becuase I can't get that deep yet, but below parallel. And I'm using the SF 5x5 with squatting 3 times a week. It's the exercise I focus on most. I always start with them. Sometimes I skip the others if I'm feeling tired or sore or whatnot, but never skip squats.

It's just that my upper body muscles are much more responsive than my legs. Nobody has this problem??

I dont want to look like those guys I see at the gym who are all upperbody, no legs.

 

[anotherbutters]

How long have you been lifting? What gains have you made on each of your exercises then? You ought to be able to put 5lb per week on your squat for quite a while if you're new to lifting, but you won't do that on bench or overhead press. Maybe for the first few weeks, but that's all.

 

[wooldog]

How long have you been lifting? What gains have you made on each of your exercises then? You ought to be able to put 5lb per week on your squat for quite a while if you're new to lifting, but you won't do that on bench or overhead press. Maybe for the first few weeks, but that's all.

Ok. I've been lifting since march. But I was using mostly machines.

I started off with the DF in mid-sept not having a good idea of what my maxes are so I started off conservatively. I was squatting about 115 and now can do 190. My 1RM on squat is probably around 205.

Overhead press and rows have been a little stagnant. My bench has increased from 1RM of 185 to 1RM of 225

I get stronger but not bigger in legs. I don't think it's my diet because my gains haven't been as much on bench/row/deadlift/incline yet I've put on good upper body mass. I mean everyone who knows me has noticed that. I don't get it.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

There's a chance you need to eat more, then. If you're gaining weight, your lifts are increasing in appreciable rep ranges, and you're squatting, your legs should grow. Make sure you drive through your heels. Also make sure to lead with your hips by pushing your butt up, breaking at the hips before the knees.

 

[anotherbutters]

Are you going by what your legs look like or did you actually take measurements? It's difficult to see changes over time so it's good to measure yourself once in a while to track progress.

Has your weight been going up?

I'd say carry on with the SF 5x5. Your legs will have to grow at some point.

 

[wooldog]

Are you going by what your legs look like or did you actually take measurements? It's difficult to see changes over time so it's good to measure yourself once in a while to track progress.

Has your weight been going up?

I'd say carry on with the SF 5x5. Your legs will have to grow at some point.

well it looks like my thighs have gone up about 1.5 inches. My calved by 1/2 an inch. That's not much. It doesn't look that noticeable either. I still look skinny. Am I doomed to a life with chicken legs then?

Aren't there any good leg specialization routines, like a 5x5 for legs?

 

[Guinness5.0]

well it looks like my thighs have gone up about 1.5 inches. My calved by 1/2 an inch. That's not much. It doesn't look that noticeable either. I still look skinny. Am I doomed to a life with chicken legs then?

Aren't there any good leg specialization routines, like a 5x5 for legs?

Dude if 1.5 inches is anywhere near accurate then you're doing great. Be patient and realistic. Give it some time - to paraphrase madcow2, size and strength have a correlation that is not always linear; you may have a big fat dose of hypertrophy coming. Stay on track for at least 6 more weeks before you switch it up.

And I highly doubt that there are any programs better for leg growth for a relative newbie than SF 5x5.

 

[anotherbutters]

Guinness is right, size doesn't always go up linearly. You might appear to stall for a few weeks, then you'll get a spurt of growth. You didn't say about your weight - if you're putting on say 1lb per week, it has to go somewhere.

 

[wooldog]

Guinness is right, size doesn't always go up linearly. You might appear to stall for a few weeks, then you'll get a spurt of growth. You didn't say about your weight - if you're putting on say 1lb per week, it has to go somewhere.

ok guiness, anotherbutters I'll be a little more patient. What kind of a name is anotherbutters anyway? haha.

What about substituting lunges or leg press for bench press in the SF 5x5? Would that be overtraining?

 

[anotherbutters]

I think I registered as butters when I first found this board, but I was drunk when I did it and forgot the password, so I had to become anotherbutters

 

[blut wump]

I think I registered as butters when I first found this board, but I was drunk when I did it and forgot the password, so I had to become anotherbutters

I can see that. You clearly had no choice on the second pass. I think you have one of the more sensible names on the board but what do I know?

 

[anotherbutters]

Blut Wump's an awesome name. It goes well with your avi - completely freaky.