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Bill Starr's 5 x 5 program... Variation per Madcow2 (thanx) So here it is! K up now!

It's easier to work backward than forward. Figure out your 1x5 max, adjust downward around 10% (likely a bit more) for your 5x5 max. Put these weights at week 3. Then work backward and fill in the ramping weeks 1/2 - be conservative and start reasonably. As you go through weeks 1/2 keep watch and make sure your next week's weight and future target is still reasonable - adjust as needed. Assuming week 3 was successful add a "guess"timate to it for week 4 (if you missed the weight remains the same). Week 5 is the same weights as week 4 just the 3x3 rep scheme.

You can do the same exercise for 3x1 and 3x3 for week 8 and back out 6/7. Once you hit week 4/5 you can look ahead and readjust as needed. As you progress through the weeks just keep an eye on the next week and the target record adjusting as needed. When you hit week 8 add an increment to week 9 for all successful lifts.

After completion of the program take your week 4 and 9 successful records and you can place them in the week 3/8 slot (ideally these weeks should be records too so you'd add an increment to your previously successful records). Then do the same exercise of working forward and back but this time take into account how well you tolerated the loading/deloading and where your weights were set. Maybe you should start a bit higher on the ramp, maybe lower. It depends on you.

The most essential factor the first time through is that you start reasonably, have a plan, and be able to adjust it as you go. Maybe your target for week 3 is too light considering your success in week 2. Maybe too heavy and you want to back it down a bit and slide down week 4 also.

Once you've established pertinent records and have an idea of your tolerances, it's smooth sailing and you can really dial this program in and tailor it specifically to you. A log is invaluable.
 
I just wanna throw in my $0.02 and say that so far this program is pretty awesome. I'm about to finish my third week and even though some of my weight selections were too light (I was sick when I started so my strength was down, but it's since returned) I'm still making awesome progress.

Also, I've been doing cardio like a madman (mixed martial arts training 2x week, 20 mins cardio when I lift and 45 mins on my off-days) and my weight has remained pretty steady... I haven't been monitoring my BF%, but I am definitely getting leaner. All this and my diet has been awful. Pretty impressive.
 
I think I'm going to either start Monday or April 1..........if I've been used to training 6x a week, youdon't think I need a layoff first? Just start light?

Also, like to get some ideas on what you guys do on T, TH, and the weekends? What kind of lifts/cardio? Does your diet change? I have a very hard time force feeding and then doing nothing all day.........much thanks!
 
JKurz1 said:
I think I'm going to either start Monday or April 1..........if I've been used to training 6x a week, youdon't think I need a layoff first? Just start light?

Also, like to get some ideas on what you guys do on T, TH, and the weekends? What kind of lifts/cardio? Does your diet change? I have a very hard time force feeding and then doing nothing all day.........much thanks!

I took the Fri/Sat/Sun off right before I started the program. Seemed to do the body good. Especially because I normally average 2 days off per month.
 
JKurz1 said:
I think I'm going to either start Monday or April 1..........if I've been used to training 6x a week, youdon't think I need a layoff first? Just start light?

Also, like to get some ideas on what you guys do on T, TH, and the weekends? What kind of lifts/cardio? Does your diet change? I have a very hard time force feeding and then doing nothing all day.........much thanks!
By week three or four you won't be asking these questions; you'll be thinking about how far away week 5 is. Until then, do some light cardio or core work. Take up swimming or discover walking. Be careful not to burn your legs out too much since you'll be needing them to squat with 3x per week.
 
madcow, is there any way that it could be adopted for more maximal training? say, making the intensity phases only working up to a 3rm on everything and then somehow adjusting the volume phase accordingly?
 
When I think maximal training - I think 1RM. You say you want "the intensity phase only working up to a 3RM" (which it currently does) and then adjusting the volume accordingly. Can you be a bit more explicit - not sure I understand.
 
OK....I'm set for Monday.........my lil' brother is gonna start today...he's 17 and hasnt trained much at all..great athlete, but just doesnt have the strength........here's his stats/plan of attack:

6'1, 165, 8-9% bf.........

MAX BENCH = 205 FOR 5
MAX SQUAT = 215 FOR 5 (TALL AND BAD KNEE SYNDROME TOO I GUESS :)
MAX ROW = 185 FOR 5
MAX DEAD = 315 FOR 2

So, if he goes today, day 1 wk 1 should it look something like this?

SQAUAT - BAR X 12, 135 X 10 THEN
155X5, 165X5, 175X5, 185 X 5, 195 X 5 (OR DOES HE HIT HIS MAX HERE?)
BENCH - 135 X 12 THEN
185X5 FOR 5 SETS
ROW - 135X5, 145X5, 155X 5, 165X5, 175 X 5

Little calf, tri or hamstring work............
 
Re: Bill Starr's 5 x 5 program... Variation per Madcow2 (thanx) So here it is! K up n

It's all wrong man. I'm sorry to say and this was kind of what I was getting at before.

1) If you are squating for 1x5 on Monday than both bench and row are 5x5 days. This will reverse for Friday but generally I like to do 5x5 squat and 1x5 bench and row on Monday.
2) The top/target weights for the day are too heavy. How is week 2 going to be more if you are already right on or close to your max for 1x5 and 5x5, what about weeks 3/4.

If your 1x5 max is 205, then this would be placed at week 3 with week 4 being 215ish for now. Week 1 could be 165, week 2 185. So it would go weeks 1/2/3/4 => 165/185/205/215. Your targets for working with 5x5 is the same. You need to start below your maxes and work up to them over a period of weeks. If you start right on them, there is no where to work up to because you are already there. Week 1 is not particularly heavy or hard. You might breeze right through it. It's acclimization and some volume loading not training overly hard or to failure on the lifts.

If I had the time I'd just bite this in the ass and write out a full routine with every warm up, set and rep but I'm absolutely slammed and that will take a damn long time. Take a look at the other logs people have posted. Suffice to say, ramping is over a period of weeks. You are ramping to records so in the preceding weeks you must start significantly below your records in order to create an upward slope (ramp) in the weight being used.
 
Madcow, I'm curious as to why ramping is so important, especially when the weights are so far below a person's maxes. Does this relate to HST's idea of progressive loading, and that bigger increments in weight (20 lb. jumps, as above) lead to greater overall gains?

I understand how and why "ramping" would work in that case, but I was just wondering if that was the actual reason for it.
 
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