My Novice 5x5 For Bodybuilders.

[JasonDB]

LRD3, How does that work out for you... I'm curious because I do my workouts WED, FRI, SUN and I'm up to 5 minutes of rest between most of my compounds and that would save me a considerable amount of time for my Wednesday Evening workout because I don't get home until 6PM. On Friday's I get done work at noon and Sundays I'm usually home all day so for those days the extended rest is a non issue. Do you do your squats fasted first thing in the morning?

Jason, Your thoughts on splitting up the workout like this?

If a person is strapped for time and they need to do it this way it is acceptable as it isn't going to signifigantly impact your recovery and MPS pattern.

[jjv101]

Great write up. Really like that you took the time to make a video rather than just typing everything out!

I have been lifting for roughly a year now and have done a few months of All Pro. However I am looking for something to up my strength a little more and was looking into the original SS. Until someone suggested BabyLovers SS or the Ice Cream Fitness 5x5.

Pretty much set on one of those two, now to just pick one and get to the gym!

Thanks again

[BigVic92]

Great write up. Really like that you took the time to make a video rather than just typing everything out!

I have been lifting for roughly a year now and have done a few months of All Pro. However I am looking for something to up my strength a little more and was looking into the original SS. Until someone suggested BabyLovers SS or the Ice Cream Fitness 5x5.

Pretty much set on one of those two, now to just pick one and get to the gym!

Thanks again

This one is a very attractive combination of compound lifts and accessory work.

[Tupperwolf]

I'm considering giving this routine a try for a change of pace after 6 cycles of All Pro's SBR. I'm still not sure if I can make the routine sustainable as it looks like the workouts will take 2x as long as All Pro's workouts. I'm planning on giving it a try and seeing if I can make it work with my schedule (just moved to a new city and started a new job).

For my buds who also gave this program a try after All Pro's, are you guys keeping the same warm-up methodology? A 25%/50% warm-up for the big 3 then skipping the warm-ups on the rest of the lifts?

Hey bro! Good to see you taking a look at this program as well. I only have one week's worth of workouts under my belt but I have been using the same 25/50 warmup for the first few compounds as I was using with all pro's and it's been going just fine.

[BarbellHardon]

Why do you choose 5x5 and not 3x5. Wouldn't 3x5 allow faster progressive overload and thus, faster hypertrophy? Do you choose 5x5 too have more volume ? Would you say that and more advanced lifter ( say 315 bench, 405 squat and 495 dl) would benefit more of a 3x5 for better recuperation?

[Willnotquit]

I'm gonna do this program starting tomorrow, but I am scared of it, cus, at 111, I am weak as hell, and increasing 5 pounds a session is a lot, for me, I don't want to snap some **** up. And if I fail/don't meet the requirements, than, I'm not doing the program right. I have Chrons too. And my genetics are Asian. Wish I didn't suck so much.

My current stats:

Squats:

1 x 8 - Bar (45 Lbs)
1 x 8 - 50
2 x 8 - 125

Bench:

1 x 8 - Bar
3 x 8 - 55

Barbel Row (Straight Urethane Barbell) -

1 x 8 - 20
1 x 8 - 30
2 x 8 - 50

Military Press (Straight Urethane Barbell) - Did 10 pounds more, usually just did 40

1 x 8 - 20
2 x 8 - 50

Barbell Curl (Straight Urethane Barbell) -

1 x 8 - 20
3 x 8 - 30

Calf Raises (Straight Urethane Barbell) -

2 x 8 - 40

I tired searching couldn't find answers, but how should warm ups look like with what weight? I'm just thinking of going with what I wrote above as a warm up.

Also, in your video you say if you fail, decrease by 10 - 15%, than work your way up, do you work your way up, that same day, or you finish the sets with 10 - 15% less weight the day you failed, than the next session add 5 to your deduced 10 - 15% and so on and so forth until you reach the weight again you failed at?

[jjv101]

This one is a very attractive combination of compound lifts and accessory work.

That is why this and baby lovers SS version appeals to me. I definitely want to pack on a few pound w/o looking fat (would like to be in the 160+ ball park) and up my strength a good bit!

EDIT:
Will be starting this tomorrow so what should I do for warm up sets?
Thanks

[nickreds3]

Jason, I've been doing PHAT by Layne Norton but am starting to think I should be on a more novice program to see if I can gain faster. You said 48 hours between workouts, so would I be able to work out every other day instead of just 3 times a week? If I am eating in a surplus and getting plenty of rest, will I be able to recover enough for this?

[lrd3]

Jason, I've been doing PHAT by Layne Norton but am starting to think I should be on a more novice program to see if I can gain faster. You said 48 hours between workouts, so would I be able to work out every other day instead of just 3 times a week? If I am eating in a surplus and getting plenty of rest, will I be able to recover enough for this?

i wouldn't.. your not going to be able to recover fast enough.. assuming you are gear free which we all are around here...
basically you will find your self stuck soon if you try that way. you need to rest and eat. both are just as important as the lifts themselves if not ore important. its easier not to get stuck than it is to get unstuck.....
just run it as it laid out and give it honest run

[lrd3]

I'm gonna do this program starting tomorrow, but I am scared of it, cus, at 111, I am weak as hell, and increasing 5 pounds a session is a lot, for me, I don't want to snap some **** up. And if I fail/don't meet the requirements, than, I'm not doing the program right. I have Chrons too. And my genetics are Asian. Wish I didn't suck so much.

My current stats:

Squats:

1 x 8 - Bar (45 Lbs)
1 x 8 - 50
2 x 8 - 100

Bench:

1 x 8 - Bar
3 x 8 - 55

Barbel Row Straight Urethane Barbell) -

1 x 8 - 20
1 x 8 - 30
2 x 8 - 50

Military Press (Straight Urethane Barbell) - Did 10 pounds more, usually just did 40

1 x 8 - 20
2 x 8 - 50

Barbell Curl (Straight Urethane Barbell) -

1 x 8 - 20
3 x 8 - 30

Calf Raises (Straight Urethane Barbell) -

2 x 8 - 40

dude you got this.... just hit it hard!!!! its a great fit for your weight. i don't know much about crons so there i cant say much = be care full...
and your Asian descent doesn't mean a thing.... there are HUGE Asians... they all lift.... keep at it bud. you can get there...

[nickreds3]

i wouldn't.. your not going to be able to recover fast enough.. assuming you are gear free which we all are around here...
basically you will find your self stuck soon if you try that way. you need to rest and eat. both are just as important as the lifts themselves if not ore important. its easier not to get stuck than it is to get unstuck.....
just run it as it laid out and give it honest run

I see what you're saying, but what makes the two days of rest on the weekend so important when there is only one rest day twice during the week?

[jsp16]

the first two sets in the 5x5 workouts are warm-ups.....am i correct?

also is this geared towards gaining strength or mass? or both?

[sirmisc]

the first two sets in the 5x5 workouts are warm-ups.....am i correct?

also is this geared towards gaining strength or mass? or both?

Not warm ups, all 5 sets at your working weight.

Both with an aim for mass. To some extent you can't have one without the other anyway.

[jjv101]

Not warm ups, all 5 sets at your working weight.

Both with an aim for mass. To some extent you can't have one without the other anyway.

What kind of warm up would you do for this work out? Something like all pro where theres 2 warm up sets or something like 1x5 with 40%, 1x3 with 50% and 1x2 with 75% (just an example)

[lrd3]

I see what you're saying, but what makes the two days of rest on the weekend so important when there is only one rest day twice during the week?

if you want lift sat Mon wed then you have two days in a row off i the week....
seriously your lifting heavy 3 days a week taxing the hell out of your muscles. you want them to grow= be nice to them=feed them well and give them some time to rest

[furiousrunt]

What kind of warm up would you do for this work out? Something like all pro where theres 2 warm up sets or something like 1x5 with 40%, 1x3 with 50% and 1x2 with 75% (just an example)

I do 2 or 3 sets of 5 to warmup squat, deads, bench, press and bent over row.

I bench 60 so I do 20x5 30x5 40x5 then on to the worksets. Feels enough for me.

I feel warmed up enough to go straight into the rest of the moves.

Hope this helps.

[denitofinito]

Hi Jason, thanks for providing such a great program for us to use, Ive had some really good gains on it since I started around 2 months ago.

Ive got a problem with my squat though, Ive been getting stuck at 200lbs and Ive had to reset twice at this weight after resetting to 180lbs. Ive managed to get 195lbs twice (with some difficulty and probably bad form on the latter sets though) but Im definately not strong enough to go beyond this. Im currently bulking and have put on weight since the 1st reset, so Im struggling to work out why I cant push past it. I get good depth but I find that at the higher weight, I struggle out of the hole even at parallel after my 3rd rep on each set.

Do you think I should go higher reps at a lower weight or perhaps try less reps at the higher weight? Im foam rolling and feel like I recover OK for most sessions.

Thanks so much in advance.

[pferr1189]

How many times do i do this routine a week? Every other day? or more?

[Soulforged]

How many times do i do this routine a week? Every other day? or more?

dude...........

3x week

[dnagi]

I would like to ask a question regarding shoes for weightlifting: I feel very comfortable whey lifting in my Nike Free 3.0 (3.0 stands for nearest do barfoot). But I got a bit skeptical after Jason talked about running shoes were bad for lifting, which I think to.
But these are very neutral and have no air-pockets inside. What do you think about it?

[sackamous]

Was sitting in my weight room this morning looking at the numbers on my board and, just wandering how you guys numbers are looking doing this program, Im still in shock of how fast mine are climbing. I started this program about a week after I started lifting which was early Nov, so been on it about 8-9 weeks. My big 3 total is about 200lbs heaver on my work sets than my 1rm was starting out. Is everyone seeing these kinds of number changes or is it just cause I was a new to weights, or is that not really a big change.

Eitherway thanks Jason for giving a clear path to follow, I think all I did my first week was squat bench and curl lol.

[Tal106]

do you guys lock your shoulder blades back on CGBP? i didnt think there was a need to, just been lying flat on the bench

[Soulforged]

do you guys lock your shoulder blades back on CGBP? i didnt think there was a need to, just been lying flat on the bench

you will use deltoids if you dont do that

[Tal106]

you will use deltoids if you dont do that

i just went by http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...enchPress.html

looks to me like he is just lying flat, i figured we were doing this for our triceps mainly
so make sure to lock next time?

edit: was looking through other threads on form and according to this video you should not lock shoulder blades back because you're not trying to isolate the chest, it's for triceps. is that correct?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...=Zp42JdlNz4o#!



If anyone can help me with my other question i would really appreciate it, the lightest plate my gym has is 1.25kg x 2 = 2.5kg increase

what way do i work with these weights? just increase 2.5kg every 2 workouts for ohp/bench/rows and increase 2.5kg every session for deadlift/squat? or should i be advancing slower on those too?

i searched the thread and found that i should add 2.5kg every couple of sessions for 3x8, but im just curious about 5x5

[revoman]

I need a quick clarification , 5x5 is straight sets across right ? meaning my squat 225x5x5x5x5x5 and not ramping up to a top set of 225 like on madcows for example ? Anyone can answer , i remember him saying straight sets but yet see people using the ramp up techniques .
Thanks

[Tal106]

I need a quick clarification , 5x5 is straight sets across right ? meaning my squat 225x5x5x5x5x5 and not ramping up to a top set of 225 like on madcows for example ? Anyone can answer , i remember him saying straight sets but yet see people using the ramp up techniques .
Thanks

yeah you do 5x5, all the same weight

[lrd3]

I would like to ask a question regarding shoes for weightlifting: I feel very comfortable whey lifting in my Nike Free 3.0 (3.0 stands for nearest do barfoot). But I got a bit skeptical after Jason talked about running shoes were bad for lifting, which I think to.
But these are very neutral and have no air-pockets inside. What do you think about it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxYAfHn7c8Y

[seanm123]

Is this program designed more for strength or hypertrophy?

I am more interested in hypertrophy than strength; thus, given this objective, are their recommended changes to the program (assuming it is more of a strength program than a hypertrophy one)?

[Soulforged]

Is this program designed more for strength or hypertrophy?

I am more interested in hypertrophy than strength; thus, given this objective, are their recommended changes to the program (assuming it is more of a strength program than a hypertrophy one)?

My Novice 5x5 For Bodybuilders.

[Willnotquit]

Gonna go do this program today, if you can answer my questions on top, I'd appreciate it, and can I calculate my 1rm by using the stats above?