Great advice, CS.
oso0690 (you need to pick an easier name, LoL): Like CS said, make small changes and keep going. Start thinking of the 5x5 Linear Program as less of a "cookie cutter" program to be run over and over and over . . . Notice the big principles at work: progressive training (consistent, logical increases in weight on the bar), frequency (hit the lifts 2 times a week, hitting the whole body pretty much each session with one pulling exercise, one pushing exercise and one squat variation), and volume (you've got heavy, medium, and light days, and the volume is a little bit different on each day so you've got built in variation throughout the week). Now, you can basically plug any exercise into that formula, but it's best to stick to compound lifts. There's nothing that says "thou shalt do back squat, flat bench, and bent rows." Those are great exercises, but once you understand the program, you can rotate an exercise in and out (e.g., start doing close-grip bench on Fridays and flat bench on Mondays). Same goes for rep range really. You can switch an exercise or two to sets of 3, or sets of 10, etc. Just keep applying the basic principles: adding weight to the bar as often as possible but w/out burying yourself. By making SMALL logical adjustments, you're still following the basic 5x5 "plan" and you can make linear progress for several years really. The key to the 5x5 is learning the big picture, and learning how to train yourself (e.g., make gains week after week and adjust things when necessary to overcome obstacles). If you've run the 5x5 linear "program" 4 times and don't know what to do when you stall, you're missing some of the point. LoL No offense intended. Everybody has this problem regardless of their training experience.
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