Started over a couple weeks ago after falling completely off the wagon thanks to a low back injury last year. I've suspected a weak core was at the center of my back issues, so I think I'm going to switch over to front squats while the weights are light.

How much would you all deload after taking 9 days off for vacation?

Let's bring this back to the top and hope it helps others like it is helping me. After a long, long lay off from lifting weights due to injuries and well lets face it laziness, I needed something to get my strength back. I was doing my old routines only I didn't have the strength, stamina or flexibility I had when I quit lifting. So, a feeling of dejection quickly came over me.

Started doing this program a number of weeks ago. The results are starting to show up.

A word of advice to new people that has been repeated on this thread over and over, start at low weight even though you will feel like you aren't doing anything. Get your form spot on. The weight starts piling up pretty quickly.

Here's my workout from yesterday.

Squat 4*5 205 1*5 225
Bent row 5*135
Bench 4*155 1*175

I started this program last week and look forward to following along on this thread. So far the weights do seem light, but I am really focusing on good form.

I had a layoff of about a month and a half of not having access to a gym. I recently got a membership at the YMCA and am trying to get back in the swing of things.

I've switched the back squats to front squats, and for the time being I'm also replacing the barbell with dumbbells for overhead press and bench press; although, I dropped the weight about 30-40 lbs from barbell to dumbbell. It'll help me build my arms more with the increase in need for stability, and it's also much safer to do bench press without a spotter, as I am working out by myself.

Today:
Front squat #85, 5x6
Strict press #60 5x8
Deadlift #195 1x5

Had my first failure on squats after I put 10 pounds too many on the bar. Oops.

For those that do this program, do you use the stronglift 5x5 app to track your lifts?

I use the Android app. Very helpful.

Yeah, the app is great.

I need to start looking for a replacement because it is almost time to switch to Madcow or some other variant. What do those of you that have moved on from stronglifts use?

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I need to start looking for a replacement because it is almost time to switch to Madcow or some other variant. What do those of you that have moved on from stronglifts use?

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After 5x5 I went to madcow until most of my gains stopped. From there I went and tried out Dan John's program "Mass Made Simple." Did that for about 10 weeks and then life got in the way and took some time off. When I came back I started with "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippletoe to get back to where I was before. It has a little bit more variation than 5x5 but is still pretty much the same.

After I got back to close to where I was before I switched over to 5/3/1. That is what I have been doing for about 12 weeks or so. I really enjoy it and am going to ride it out until I get burnt out on the routine.

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Yeah, the app is great.

I need to start looking for a replacement because it is almost time to switch to Madcow or some other variant. What do those of you that have moved on from stronglifts use?

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If you want to keep getting stronger but also lift for aesthetic reasons, I can't recommend a PHAT routine enough. However, it's a lot of reps and it is exhausting in the beginning. Your body eventually adapts but you never get to that stage where you don't feel the workout the next day.

The general outline:
Monday: power upper body
Tuesday: power lower body
Wednesday: off
Thursday: back/shoulders hypertrophy
Friday: lower body/lower back hypertrophy
Saturday: arms/Chest hypertrophy

The beginning of the week is all strength training and the end of mass building. Just be prepared to do 300+ reps. (SL is generally 100 or so reps)

I just looked at those phat workouts. Those things look like it'd take me 2 hours.

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I just looked at those phat workouts. Those things look like it'd take me 2 hours.

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With good time management, you can do it in 1-1.25 hours. 2 minutes between high rep sets, 3-5 minutes between power sets. It's very easy to get lax and make it a 2 hour workout though but it's worth it. I've been a ton of lean muscle on and my bench just keeps going up. I'm very close to a 300lb bench.

I need to read a bit more about those exercises, but it seems like I would need to upgrade my home gym or start going to a real one to pull that off.

Been a rough week full of failures. I think the one squat rep at 295 (followed by a failure) instead of 285 really screwed me up.

Started today.

Squat 5x5 45
Bent row 5x5 45
Bench 5x5 65

It does seem pretty easy but I'm trusting the process and following the plan as written.

I really want to start this, especially since I haven't done any sort structured lifting program in probably 20 years.

But I've had issues with my knees and I'm afraid I won't have proper form doing squats. I'm going to do third world squats (as recommended by Jetpilot) for the rest of the month to see if I can get some more flexibility and make sure I can get past parallel before I start. I tried doing one yesterday and didn't think it was so bad until I looked down and my heels were a good 2 inches off the ground.

So that's gonna be my plan for the next few weeks. Hopefully it helps and I can get started. And I will be starting with the minimum weight also.

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posted 6:48p, 08/11/14this user's public profilesend private message to useredit this replyobject to this reply



Started today.

Squat 5x5 45
Bent row 5x5 45
Bench 5x5 65

It does seem pretty easy but I'm trusting the process and following the plan as written.

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That is perfect, it is hard to check your ego (at least it was for me to start out light). It will start getting heavy in no time at all.

Do you guys do other sets/ exercises as well? Or is this workout too exhausting? Cardio?

I try to mix in some abs. I'm also terrible at pull-ups and ring dips, so I try to mix some sets in on the pull-up / dip assist machine as well.

I add dips and chins as well as a little cardio/conditioning (prowler pushes, sprints uphill)

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Do you guys do other sets/ exercises as well? Or is this workout too exhausting? Cardio?

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If I were starting from scratch again, the first 4-5 weeks, I'd do 30-60 mins of cardio after Stronglifts to burn extra calories as the workout is not difficult even for a pure rookie like me thru that time.

After that if your goals are pure strength, probably not as much, maybe 30 mins max, and only if you are willing to add risk of missing reps, especially after week 8, where it started really getting hard every workout for me.

The workouts don't burn a lot of calories thru the first 6 or so weeks, so if weight loss is a goal then I'd add some cardio.

Now I need to forget about my tennis elbow pain and get back on the program. I finally figured out that I tweaked my elbow when I started doing front squats and did not have enough range of motion in my wrists/elbows before loading it up.

Alright I am finally going to start this program after hearing so many good things about it. I do have a few questions that are kind of related.


In the past I've neglected dead-lift and squats(high reps and low weight) due to a fear that I would re-injure my back (I have L5-S1 Disc Degradation which acts up pretty bad from time to time).

Because of this my 1RM are pretty much the opposite of what they should be I guess.

Bench - 305 LBS
Squat - 235 LBS
DeadLift - 225 LBS
OHP - ???
Bentover row - ????

Any advice for starting it up in general and also starting up with such a screwed up ratios? Should I just start from the bottom on squat and DL and work my way up while cutting back on bench?

I've never seen that lopsided of 1RM's

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In the past I've neglected dead-lift and squats(high reps and low weight) due to a fear that I would re-injure my back (I have L5-S1 Disc Degradation which acts up pretty bad from time to time).

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Especially because of your back issues make sure to be completely focused on form. I gave myself tennis elbow doing this with bad form and had to take the last month or so off, starting back this week.

My new rule will be not only do I have to push the weight, the form on each rep, which normally degrades when you get tired, has to be perfect for me to move up now. At 50 now, I want to keep my injuries to a minimum. So on your heavy weights, I'd start at 50% of what you are doing now and intently focus on perfect form as you move back up and get your squats/deadlifts in the game. If you are really concerned about your back start from square one on those exercises, again focusing on making your form perfect now so it is a habit later and let the weight take care of itself.

I found a book called "Becoming a Supple Leopard" by Starett and the book is basically about form and mobility in exercise and how it translates to life/athletics. Odds are your back issues were because of bad form at some point in the past, I know reading the book was eye opening for me in that area.

Good Luck!

[This message has been edited by Jetpilot86 (edited 8/19/2014 8:39p).]

alright I'll start Monday. I spend today getting my new 1RM for the 5x5

Bench - 305 LBS
Squat - 255 LBS
DeadLift - 315 LBS
OHP - 145 LBS
Bentover row - 205 LBS

Not as bad as I thought they were (ratio wise), but gotta get that squat in a better spot. Thakns for y'alls comments and I'll update in like 6 weeks or so.

I had switched from back squats to front squats. Today I traded a couple front squat sets for a couple of hang squat clean sets. Really liked the change. I'm definitely going to keep these hang squat cleans around. Will do at least 2-3 sets, maybe even all 5 as hang squat cleans.

Started this yesterday - and started light as suggested, especially since I'm working out alone. I've always steered towards dumbells instead of the bar to make sure my injured (now repaired) shoulder was pulling it's load, so I'm trying to focus on form.

Squats 5x5 75lbs
Bench 5x5 65lbs
Row 5x5 65lbs

The app is pretty great for tracking this stuff. I went ahead and paid the extra $2 for the warm-up sets, it was easier than trying to remember each day.

I'm learning that I'm very quad dominant on my squats (much easier if I get on my toes as compared to my heels). Any tips for correcting this?

I'm learning that I'm very quad dominant on my squats (much easier if I get on my toes as compared to my heels). Any tips for correcting this?

Might start by looking at this: http://stronglifts.com/squat/lean-forward/#How_to_StopLeaning_Forward

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I'm learning that I'm very quad dominant on my squats (much easier if I get on my toes as compared to my heels). Any tips for correcting this?

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http://stronglifts.com/squat/heels/

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_thirdworld_squat

Master the 2nd link and you are set. 1st worlder's are predisposed to bad heel form because of this nasty little invention known as the
chair.

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Third World Squats

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Thanks for posting this. I always knew I was being lazier to sit or kneel on a knee, but never thought about it in these terms or the benefits it would have.

Thanks for the responses guys.

It's definitely not a mobility issue. I'm very comfortable in the 3rd world squat (used to sit in chairs like that as a kid quite a bit).

I think I mostly just need to develop my posterior chain more, which means going down in weight on the squats and being ticky tacky about my form. I've also been squatting in my regular tennis shoes recently; I'm going to dig out my vibrams and see if that changes anything.

Wore my vibrams today and I switched back to back squats. Very noticeable difference. Was able to keep my weight on my heels without any problems, and I could definitely feel the activation in my posterior chain.