My Novice 5x5 For Bodybuilders.

[Deso2i]

in your case i would personally go for a "GARAGE GYM" i will pay a bit in the beginning and save money on the long term

No place , no money

[noitulover]

Jason I have a problem. Due to a old injury, a tendinitis between the right pec and the shoulder, I had to replace the skullcrusher with overhead triceps extension (I saw your videos of how do it properly but it hurts a lot).

I was hoping that I could do close grip bp but no luck, even with very light weights I have pain. What exercise can I do to replace it? I know this exercises are the best for triceps but If I'll try to do it I will have to stop training.

Thanks.

[JasonDB]

Jason I have a problem. Due to a old injury, a tendinitis between the right pec and the shoulder, I had to replace the skullcrusher with overhead triceps extension (I saw your videos of how do it properly but it hurts a lot).

I was hoping that I could do close grip bp but no luck, even with very light weights I have pain. What exercise can I do to replace it? I know this exercises are the best for triceps but If I'll try to do it I will have to stop training.

Thanks.

Given your situation that is acceptable. For anyone with shoulder issues or excessive delt involvement when they CGBP I advise they switch to decline CGBP.

[noitulover]

Given your situation that is acceptable. For anyone with shoulder issues or excessive delt involvement when they CGBP I advise they switch to decline CGBP.

Thanks Jason, I will try it next Monday but I'm afraid that it will hurt again. Its more a pectoral pain than a shoulder but I will try it.

[poundcoin]

You want too much too fast. In your case given your relatively light weight still and very high BF% I would go ahead and eat at maintence rather than even a clean bulk, train hard and just try to recomposition.

Thanks matey.
Should I do your program or won't it really matter what I do if at maintenance?
The only real other option I had was PHAT.

[Magic211]

Hi I'm a novice just started training 3 months ago and up until now have been doing split sets. Eg: Mon chest & tris. Wed biceps & back Fri legs & abs.
But although I have mad some gains doing this routine I'm gonna try the SL5X5 for 6 months and see how I get on. The only question I have about it is that most 5X5 routines work on a 1 day on 1 day off basis but how does that give your legs time to recover when your squatting every session? For me at the moment my legs are aching for at least 4 days after my leg day. Is it ok to train them if they are still aching from the last session? Thanks.

[pMbeast]

Hi I'm a novice just started training 3 months ago and up until now have been doing split sets. Eg: Mon chest & tris. Wed biceps & back Fri legs & abs.
But although I have mad some gains doing this routine I'm gonna try the SL5X5 for 6 months and see how I get on. The only question I have about it is that most 5X5 routines work on a 1 day on 1 day off basis but how does that give your legs time to recover when your squatting every session? For me at the moment my legs are aching for at least 4 days after my leg day. Is it ok to train them if they are still aching from the last session? Thanks.

You get used to it over time. Took me about 2 weeks to adjust and now my legs don't get doms at all.

[JasonDB]

Hi I'm a novice just started training 3 months ago and up until now have been doing split sets. Eg: Mon chest & tris. Wed biceps & back Fri legs & abs.
But although I have mad some gains doing this routine I'm gonna try the SL5X5 for 6 months and see how I get on. The only question I have about it is that most 5X5 routines work on a 1 day on 1 day off basis but how does that give your legs time to recover when your squatting every session? For me at the moment my legs are aching for at least 4 days after my leg day. Is it ok to train them if they are still aching from the last session? Thanks.

You adapt. You do realize serious professional bodybuilders didn't start doing this lower frequency stuff until after they started using very high doses of drugs right? All the champions decades ago used to squat 3x a week as a standard rule. I've got an entire video lecture explaining the evolution of different splits in bodybuilding as the supplementation evolved.

[razaice]

This has probably been answered before, but what would your lifts be at to be considered intermediate?

[Magic211]

So your saying work through the ache and my muscles will adapt to the higher frequency regime? Well I have no interest in using any quantity of drugs right now. Could you post a link to your video please. Thanks.

[razaice]

So your saying work through the ache and my muscles will adapt to the higher frequency regime? Well I have no interest in using any quantity of drugs right now. Could you post a link to your video please. Thanks.

You will definitely adapt if you push through it. I went through the same thing when I first started using higher frequency. Here's the videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZIG_lWxJgk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8brhySqyDw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG7x8ZkGv_0

The second one is the best imo.

[Magic211]

Thanks man vids made a lot of sense! The whole thing makes sense now. And it's good news to me that I can train body parts more frequently haha waiting a whole week for chest day or leg day to come around again is is agonisingly tedious so I'm chuffed I don't have to wait as long now lol.

[maqsmj]

So your saying work through the ache and my muscles will adapt to the higher frequency regime? Well I have no interest in using any quantity of drugs right now. Could you post a link to your video please. Thanks.

yes i did it personally, if you check some pages before, you will see me asking the same question, and yes i had hella pain in the first week and now i dont feel a thing, my body adapted and i feel realy good

[BigVic92]

yes i did it personally, if you check some pages before, you will see me asking the same question, and yes i had hella pain in the first week and now i dont feel a thing, my body adapted and i feel realy good

Same here.

Due to schedule issues, I haven't been able to get in the gym I go to that has a hyperextension bench. My schedule has cleared up some now so I went to the good gym and did hyperextensions for the first time with a 45lb. plate. Hyperextensions feel so much better than cable pull-throughs! It's a lot harder though.

I have a possibly retarded question regarding cable crunches: do different cable column machines have different ways of measuring weight? At the gym I had been working out, the weight is listed from like 20 to 200, and I had been crunching with 120. I go to the gym today and it only goes to 97.5. I'm like WTF is with this, so I try it and that bish is way heavier than 120 at the first gym. I backed it off to 52.5 and did 3 sets of 20. Does anybody have an explanation? I'll have to read the fine print when I go back to the first gym. One has to be in kilos or something.

[maqsmj]

Same here.

Due to schedule issues, I haven't been able to get in the gym I go to that has a hyperextension bench. My schedule has cleared up some now so I went to the good gym and did hyperextensions for the first time with a 45lb. plate. Hyperextensions feel so much better than cable pull-throughs! It's a lot harder though.

I have a possibly retarded question regarding cable crunches: do different cable column machines have different ways of measuring weight? At the gym I had been working out, the weight is listed from like 20 to 200, and I had been crunching with 120. I go to the gym today and it only goes to 97.5. I'm like WTF is with this, so I try it and that bish is way heavier than 120 at the first gym. I backed it off to 52.5 and did 3 sets of 20. Does anybody have an explanation? I'll have to read the fine print when I go back to the first gym. One has to be in kilos or something.

i guess that happens with all of us, most probably that machine is in KG = 2.2 lb so u was trying to do crunches with 180+ lb

[adizzle491]

Once the weights started getting up there and I started putting up what for me is heavy, I find it very hard to keep this routine under 1 hour and 30 minutes. Hell, the first hour of today's session was only squatting and benching (granted, I hit PRs in both - 230x5x5 and 215x5x5 respectively). I'm jealous if there are people hitting PRs and doing the entire workout in an hour!

Awesome program though, Jason. I am in Week 10 right now and will likely continue to bulk on this routine for no less than another 6 months - I'm making the best progress of my life without question thanks to not only this program, but your whole YT channel.

[maqsmj]

Once the weights started getting heavy and I started putting up PRs, I find it very hard to keep this routine under 1 hour and 30 minutes. Hell, the first hour of today's session was only squatting and benching (granted, I hit PRs in both - 230x5x5 and 215x5x5 respectively). I'm jealous if there are people hitting PRs and doing the entire workout in an hour!

Awesome program though, Jason. I am in Week 10 right now and will likely continue to bulk on this routine for no less than another 6 months - I'm making the best progress of my life without question thanks to not only this program, but your whole YT channel.

im doing the cutting version of it and it takes 1 hour 15 min to 1 hour 45 min

so for the whole 5x5 2 hours is pretty impressive

[adizzle491]

im doing the cutting version of it and it takes 1 hour 15 min to 1 hour 45 min

so for the whole 5x5 2 hours is pretty impressive

Yep, 2 hours is becoming the norm for me unless I have a major lift on reset due to previously failing. It's a bit of a silver lining being able to speed things up in that regard, even if you're using less weight.

[pMbeast]

im doing the cutting version of it and it takes 1 hour 15 min to 1 hour 45 min

so for the whole 5x5 2 hours is pretty impressive

Yep, 2 hours is becoming the norm for me unless I have a major lift on reset due to previously failing. It's a bit of a silver lining being able to speed things up in that regard, even if you're using less weight.

How is your energy level during the 2 hours? You guys taking anything during the workout?

[maqsmj]

How is your energy level during the 2 hours? You guys taking anything during the workout?

personally i do not take anything at all, try to do your workout when u r energized, personally i do it after work and relaxing for 2-3 hours

[waxor]

I am not sure whether to do this, stronglifts or SS.

Anyone who's done this and the others have any feedback/logs?

[Blacklac]

How is your energy level during the 2 hours? You guys taking anything during the workout?

I'm just reaching a point where the weight is getting heavy and I'm starting to fail. I did workout B yesterday and I was exhausted after Squats and Deads. Lol. I do take stimulated preworkouts too. It's wasn't bad at first, but once you get to a point where your straining to finish every set, it drains you fast. Kind of looking forward to some weight resets on a few lifts... Lol.

It's a great routine though. I was doing a bodypart split prior and it's nice seeing the weight increase steadily. My bench max was 210lbs, so I started using 155lbs. Added 5lbs ever day I did it, so I'm at 180lbs now and I'm confident I'll get 185lbs without failure, tomorrow. I'm really happy with that. I set myself a personal goal to hit 225lbs 1RM on the bench by the new year. I'm pretty sure I'll get there.

[JasonDB]

Once the weights started getting up there and I started putting up what for me is heavy, I find it very hard to keep this routine under 1 hour and 30 minutes. Hell, the first hour of today's session was only squatting and benching (granted, I hit PRs in both - 230x5x5 and 215x5x5 respectively). I'm jealous if there are people hitting PRs and doing the entire workout in an hour!

Awesome program though, Jason. I am in Week 10 right now and will likely continue to bulk on this routine for no less than another 6 months - I'm making the best progress of my life without question thanks to not only this program, but your whole YT channel.

You are most welcome. I'd love to get some before and after pictures of someone who has bulked on the program for 6+ months also for the ******** fan page.

I'm just reaching a point where the weight is getting heavy and I'm starting to fail. I did workout B yesterday and I was exhausted after Squats and Deads. Lol. I do take stimulated preworkouts too. It's wasn't bad at first, but once you get to a point where your straining to finish every set, it drains you fast. Kind of looking forward to some weight resets on a few lifts... Lol.

It's a great routine though. I was doing a bodypart split prior and it's nice seeing the weight increase steadily. My bench max was 210lbs, so I started using 155lbs. Added 5lbs ever day I did it, so I'm at 180lbs now and I'm confident I'll get 185lbs without failure, tomorrow. I'm really happy with that. I set myself a personal goal to hit 225lbs 1RM on the bench by the new year. I'm pretty sure I'll get there.

If you can 5x5 185 you are hovering right at a 225 1rm actually.

Yeah you are hitting one the hard points in the program. You have consistently increased overload session after session without stalling yet and are getting very close to some resets. It means you are now hitting a point of overreaching which means peak gains but also the largest hit to your recovery... once you stall and have to reset things will get easier again.

[BigVic92]

i guess that happens with all of us, most probably that machine is in KG = 2.2 lb so u was trying to do crunches with 180+ lb

I was doin' some cardio tonight in the gym with weight that is light and it's in English measurements. I'll check the measurements at the other gym and see if it's KG. Also, at the first gym, depending on which cable machine you're on, the weight feels significantly heavier on one machine to the next. The cable set-ups are different, so I think it must have something to do with how the cables are routed. Anyways...

[adizzle491]

How is your energy level during the 2 hours? You guys taking anything during the workout?

It fluctuates. After squats and the next exercise (bench or DL depending on day) I typically relax for a few minutes to collect myself. Other than that though, my energy is pretty consistent for the rest of the workout. Like a true ICF fanboy, I gave Animal Rage a try since I work out around 6am fasted and I have to say - it gives me energy but more importantly, it keeps me focused and on track. It's that productive confidence that's kind of hard to explain. Rather than over thinking things I just get under the bar and lift. If I lifted later in the day things would probably be different and I wouldn't have tried a PW.

[LagZwitch]

Hey Jason, I was wondering if you could give me some advice on what direction I should take on a cut. My current stats are 205lbs ~22% BF I've been working out hard for about a year and 3 months (after cutting for a year 275 to 185 lbs with erratic training). I would say about 6 months of that was SS and the rest a mix of HST and wendler 531 and my calories were all over the place from extreme high days to cutting cals other day, lets say slightly above maintenance on average (185lbs to 205lbs in that time) and my calculated 1rm for squat,deadlift, and BP are 280/350/200. Needless to say if I had been on a better program my results would not be so pathetic. Anyway on to my question since I want to cut down to 175 lbs would I be best served doing the program you have described or since I'm on a cut anyway just drop the volume with sets of 3 reps just to keep my current strength? Basically is it worth the time doing a lot of volume on a cut or can I still see strength gains (back and shoulders def are lacking). Thanks.

[adizzle491]

You are most welcome. I'd love to get some before and after pictures of someone who has bulked on the program for 6+ months also for the ******** fan page.

You'll get them, no doubt. I should take pictures sometime soon of my 3 month progress and probably keep steady with them, but once I'm done with a day's session all I want to do is rest lol.

[JasonDB]

Hey Jason, I was wondering if you could give me some advice on what direction I should take on a cut. My current stats are 205lbs ~22% BF I've been working out hard for about a year and 3 months (after cutting for a year 275 to 185 lbs with erratic training). I would say about 6 months of that was SS and the rest a mix of HST and wendler 531 and my calories were all over the place from extreme high days to cutting cals other day, lets say slightly above maintenance on average (185lbs to 205lbs in that time) and my calculated 1rm for squat,deadlift, and BP are 280/350/200. Needless to say if I had been on a better program my results would not be so pathetic. Anyway on to my question since I want to cut down to 175 lbs would I be best served doing the program you have described or since I'm on a cut anyway just drop the volume with sets of 3 reps just to keep my current strength? Basically is it worth the time doing a lot of volume on a cut or can I still see strength gains (back and shoulders def are lacking). Thanks.

This program in the reduced format for cutting will still work well for you. Is there a point to a lot of volume on a cut? For most people no. For individuals who thrive, due to genetics, on high volume and who are fairly well conditioned there can be benefits to it.

[DarylAng1996]

Hey Jason, since my gym does not has a hyperextension bench; I am replacing with cable pull through. Is the set and rep still 2x10 or 3x8?

[JasonDB]

Hey Jason, since my gym does not has a hyperextension bench; I am replacing with cable pull through. Is the set and rep still 2x10 or 3x8?

2x10 will be fine.