Question on 5x5

[i4nb63]

Say I do this on Mondays:
* Squat - 5x5 (ramping up to a max set of five)
* Bench Press - 5x5 (ramping up to a max set of five)
* Rows - 5x5 (ramping up to a max set of five)

I don't understand how it works trying to work your way up to doing a max set of five reps. By working your way up and adding weight on each set, aren't you not really fatiguing the muscle on the first few sets and really only going to failure on the last, 5th, set.

[r_graz]

Say I do this on Mondays:
* Squat - 5x5 (ramping up to a max set of five)
* Bench Press - 5x5 (ramping up to a max set of five)
* Rows - 5x5 (ramping up to a max set of five)

I don't understand how it works trying to work your way up to doing a max set of five reps. By working your way up and adding weight on each set, aren't you not really fatiguing the muscle on the first few sets and really only going to failure on the last, 5th, set.

Ideally, you're not even "going to failure" on the 5th set. After the 4th week of the program, the 5th set on Monday should be a new 5 rep max. That will often involve hitting failure in the later weeks of the program, but it's not something you're trying to do intentionally.

If you're talking about madcow's intermediate 5x5, he explains it pretty clearly in the write up of the program. Basically the first 2 sets act as warm up, and the 3rd and 4th set are close enough to your 5RM to contribute to the "significant" workload. The 5th is the attempt at a new 5RM.

It's easiest if you go here:
http://www.vicjg.com/aspx/madcowint.aspx
plug in your maxes at the top, and just follow the worksheet.

[i4nb63]

Makes sense now..thanks for the help.