My Novice 5x5 For Bodybuilders.

[MrsYoku]

Jogging works faster for me

[MrsYoku]

10x10 anyone?

Kidding, nice!

[JasonDB]

Jason, my man and I started doing this routine together and we love it. We are both a fan of compound movements, and the extra arm work is a nice bonus. 5 x 5 gives us the volume we need to feel like we actually did something in the gym versus SS where we felt like we should be doing more. Thanks for taking the time out to design this program and thoroughly explain it. Will be slowly making my way through the pages because I'm sure the discussions / questions will prove to be very useful. Keep up the good work!


P.S. We love your vids too

You are welcome and as you were one of my subscribers before I even had 1k nice to see you and your man both on my program now.

Hey Jason,

I've been doing your routine for nearly two months now and am loving every minute of it! Switched from a few months of Starting Strength, as I was getting bored of doing just 3 lifts each time I went to the gym. Over the course of these past few months I've been noticing my quads seem to be developing a lot faster than the rest of my body (I've always had large legs though, as a tennis player growing up) and I was wondering if it might be a good idea to cut down squats to every other workout so that my legs don't appear to be overpowering the rest of me. (and if I do, should I leave it on Day A or B?) Or maybe sub something else?

Current lifts are, as a 155 lb female:
- squats - 200 lbs
- bench - 95 lbs (really happy that this one has been progressing! was stalling forever on SS)
- deadlift - 185 lbs (this one used to be miles ahead of my squat, but as the weight got heavier, grip strength has been a problem I've been trying to fix, so I slowed down the progression)
- press - 70 lbs
- bent over row - 80 lbs

Thanks!

Honestly your squats look very proportionate for a female lifter who is training hard. You have to remember that you will have a higher muscle fiber density in your lower body vs upper than a male so balanced development will be a little different between the sexes. I would stick it out, don't worry the squats will stall soon enough and if they don't then might I recommend you enter some local PL meets once you get that deadlift up? You could train for PL for one year and probably win some meets with your stats.

1) Off-topic, but what do you recommend to improve hip and shoulder mobility?

2) Can we substitute the military press for a chest press or can we add a chest press to the B workout?

3) Is it okay to add lateral/rear delt work or is it unnecessary for a beginner?

4) How should we execute the barbell rows? Could you do a video on BOR form?


Great program, Jason.

1) look up defranco's agile 8... I do a lot of band work for my own shoulders.

2) leave the pressing as it is

3) if you really feel you must add some side and rear delt work make sure face pulls are your rear delt work and if you do both pull out the shrugs to take some volume out to balance it out.

4) I linked a video showing textbook BOR form. It is actually a bodybuilding.com video.

Sorry I've not been answering questions here daily... my inboxes are blowing up due to my channel due to growth, trying to sort out incorporating and copyrights so I can get shirts and tanktops out this year, and having to deal with some side legalities as I just found out I inherited a decent amount of money and am having to sort through that.

[Willnotquit]

After, a terrible, week, I'm back in the gym! Went yesterday, only miss this Wednesday, and here is my log, please read and give feedback, I wrote some questions in there.

@JasonDB, I took a video of me Squatting, mind if I PM you and some Qs? I'm the guy with the lower back issues that I was discussing with you about, not severe lower back issues, just a vague discomfort, and please read my log from yesterday, I have some questions, if not I'll PM em when I send you the video.

I kinda don't want to post a public link, so if you can make space it'd be great.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1016107833

[EugeneDaMachine]

How do you guys warm up for the big lifts?

[garardn01]

How do you guys warm up for the big lifts?

He covers this in one of his videos, if not the original for this thread.

I usually do 3 warm up sets, same # of reps as a working set for the initial lift. Maybe 2 for the second and 1, if any, for the 3rd. After that you're all warmed up.

So for instance, if my day starts out with Squats - Bench - Row... it looks like this for me. (This is from my last workout)

Squat
5x holding 45lb plate behind head
5x135
5x135
5x5x235

Bench
15 pushups
5x135
5x5x195

BB Row
5x5x175

By Rows I felt I was all warmed up and ready to work so I didn't do any warmup sets.

[chrissypoo13]

Hey jason....I like the routine. I agree it would be aimed towards the advanced novice. Im just curious on the changes you would make to it to make it more aimed towards the intermediate trainee. I would assume front squats somewhere in the mix and of course slower progression. Due to life situations I will probably cut back to an intermediate 3 day a week routine so I would like to consider this or something like it aimed towards my level of training. Look forward to hearing back from you!

[Joshyb90]

Hey there Jason, been doing your 5 x 5 routine for about 3 months solid now, i've become confused with all this training talk around the board lately as to which routine to do for what goal. Let me clear up that my diet is of a good standard at the moment and i think i have refined it down pretty good. My question is though should i still do this routine even though my goal to have the physique of a fitness model? I just want to make sure im not heading down the wrong path and am going to be wasting time. Im not saying your routine isn't good or anything, but just want to make sure it will take me to where i want to go. Will it allow me build muscle and get some definiton or will i just become big and fat?

Thanks.

[Parisii]

Hey there Jason, been doing your 5 x 5 routine for about 3 months solid now, i've become confused with all this training talk around the board lately as to which routine to do for what goal. Let me clear up that my diet is of a good standard at the moment and i think i have refined it down pretty good. My question is though should i still do this routine even though my goal to have the physique of a fitness model? I just want to make sure im not heading down the wrong path and am going to be wasting time. Im not saying your routine isn't good or anything, but just want to make sure it will take me to where i want to go. Will it allow me build muscle and get some definiton or will i just become big and fat?

Thanks.

I think I can answer to this.
The only difference between becoming a big fat guy and a fitness model is diet. If you want the body of a fitness model, bulk until you have a decent amount of mass and cut until you reach a body fat % low enough for you.

[Uk Lifter]

Hey Jason. Off topic but thought i'd ask. I think i saw you comment in the Chaos and Pain blog somewhere (though i could be mistaken) i was just wondering what your general thoughts are on Jamie Lewis and his methods of training and nutrition. I only ask because he seems to get results from methods completely contrary to 'typical' bodybuilding routines and diets.

[douglasmich]

its amazing, excet for chest work in workout B, il just run it as written tho

[xFoRTiTuDe]

as a new(ish) lifter those lift #s look really well proportioned..... your squat is double your bench... i would kill for that at this point. i would just keep pushing along... why deprive your self a superior core and legs?
i just recently broke past 300 on squat and 200 on bench... if i could do double my bench on my squats i would be thrilled!!!

Honestly your squats look very proportionate for a female lifter who is training hard. You have to remember that you will have a higher muscle fiber density in your lower body vs upper than a male so balanced development will be a little different between the sexes. I would stick it out, don't worry the squats will stall soon enough and if they don't then might I recommend you enter some local PL meets once you get that deadlift up? You could train for PL for one year and probably win some meets with your stats.

Alright, guess I'll just keep trucking along. Will just have to buy some pants I suppose. :P

As for powerlifting... I'll think about it haha. Squat progression just keeps going and going...

Thanks again for writing up such an awesome routine!

[seanm123]

If I add bench press to the 'B' workout would that be OK or I would be over-training chest?

[fabiocaptain]

If I add bench press to the 'B' workout would that be OK or I would be over-training chest?

Close grip bench press works your chest on workout B

[douglasmich]

If I add bench press to the 'B' workout would that be OK or I would be over-training chest?

this

[MortalEngine]

Hi Jason, been on the routine for 2 months now and still really enjoying it. Broke through 220 squats today, so really chuffed.

My question is a bit of a random one: I'll be traveling through Peru and Bolivia in 3 weeks time for 3 weeks, and during that time I'll be trekking through the Andes at high altitude; I was wondering if you thought it'd be a good idea to change the squats up over the next three weeks to train my legs for endurance instead, and if so what would be the best way of doing this?

Thanks for this great routine and all of the advice that you give so readily.

[Maxlingon]

I'm starting this routine this week. I've calculated my 1RM on the compounds and took 75% of it for my first workout. I feel that the weights that I got will feel very light in the beginning, lets say I could push out 8 reps on the my beginning weight, should I still do 5x5 even though I can do more reps or lets say 5x8, pushing myself to failure?

ty

[douglasmich]

hey jason, what about hamstring work? not keen on an imbalance

[Santrick]

Been on this for a month now.

Haven't done hyperextensions or good mornings though because sessions were taking me way too long as it is. I'll add them in after session 12.

Made solid strength and weight gains.

Great routine.

[OcTwenty]

Jason how would you go about adapting this routine for intermediates, from says years 1-2, dont get me wrong im only a novice but ive seen this question come up a few times and im curious myself, as something to look forward too.

[missladyj]

You are welcome and as you were one of my subscribers before I even had 1k nice to see you and your man both on my program now.

For sure . Would have been on it sooner but was having to workout at home w/ kettle bells. I've been lifting on and off since I was 13 (got set back due to pregnancy) so hoping to advance up to your intermediate program in 6 months or so!

hey jason, what about hamstring work? not keen on an imbalance

Hamstrings are one of the primary muscles worked in both squats and dead lifts.

[DeltaCharlie75]

I'm starting this routine this week. I've calculated my 1RM on the compounds and took 75% of it for my first workout. I feel that the weights that I got will feel very light in the beginning, lets say I could push out 8 reps on the my beginning weight, should I still do 5x5 even though I can do more reps or lets say 5x8, pushing myself to failure?

ty

Should stick to the program. You will soon be well above where you are starting from.

[JasonDB]

After, a terrible, week, I'm back in the gym! Went yesterday, only miss this Wednesday, and here is my log, please read and give feedback, I wrote some questions in there.

@JasonDB, I took a video of me Squatting, mind if I PM you and some Qs? I'm the guy with the lower back issues that I was discussing with you about, not severe lower back issues, just a vague discomfort, and please read my log from yesterday, I have some questions, if not I'll PM em when I send you the video.

I kinda don't want to post a public link, so if you can make space it'd be great.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1016107833

Sorry empting my PM box here is very problematic... it only holds 150, requires you to wait between answer each one with a timer so I get tons and tons of angry PM's "why didn't you answer my last PM? WTF man!???"... umm because I can only answer 50 of them per hour... I don't want to spend 3 hours per day on bb.com? Questions are best sent to my youtube private messages or my ******** fan page as I have unlimit replies just keep in mind I get a couple hundred+ a day so it is not easy to get them all.

Hey jason....I like the routine. I agree it would be aimed towards the advanced novice. Im just curious on the changes you would make to it to make it more aimed towards the intermediate trainee. I would assume front squats somewhere in the mix and of course slower progression. Due to life situations I will probably cut back to an intermediate 3 day a week routine so I would like to consider this or something like it aimed towards my level of training. Look forward to hearing back from you!

You would modify it based upon your weak points that have developed individually, add deloads, swap out lifts for your weak points, add some specific work for weak points etc. I would however push the true intermediate towards any number of bodybuilding and powerbuilding programs for bodybuilders written by S&C conditioning coachs with degrees in sports science... as you aren't likely to find better programs... Bill Starr... Christian Thibodeau... Dave Tate etc.

Hey there Jason, been doing your 5 x 5 routine for about 3 months solid now, i've become confused with all this training talk around the board lately as to which routine to do for what goal. Let me clear up that my diet is of a good standard at the moment and i think i have refined it down pretty good. My question is though should i still do this routine even though my goal to have the physique of a fitness model? I just want to make sure im not heading down the wrong path and am going to be wasting time. Im not saying your routine isn't good or anything, but just want to make sure it will take me to where i want to go. Will it allow me build muscle and get some definiton or will i just become big and fat?

Thanks.

My program cannot make you fat, only your diet can do that. This is a maximum hypertrophy program. If you are worried about gaining muscle too quickly you should change programs... this one is designed to put size on you rapidly.

its amazing, excet for chest work in workout B, il just run it as written tho

Pecs are still the primary mover on the CGBP it just pecs more emphasis on triceps than normal bench... if you aren't feel it burn in your pecs you are not doing it correctly. The overhead press also works the chest fairly well if done correctly. If you don't feel anything in your upper chest you may not be going low enough. You touch your chest on every rep.

hey jason, what about hamstring work? not keen on an imbalance

If you are squating to depth the squats put a large amount of focus on hamstrings... the deadlifts hit hamstrings as a primary mover... hyperextentions work hamstrings and they even get some secondard work on heavy barbell rows. They've not been neglected.

[lewisab]

Everyone seem's to be having great results with this program, so as from tomorrow it's the one I'm going to stick with.
Again, like the other guys have mentioned the only thing that worries me is the lack of chest exercises. However, I'll experience it for myself first before asking about changes!

Also, thanks a lot. Your video's have enlightened and educated me so much over the past week. I really can't thank you enough!

[Willnotquit]

Ok, Jason, I will PM you on Youtube with the link of me Squatting and some Qs I have concerns about. Thanks. I will title it WillnotQuit Squats/BB Forums.

[alexanderberg]

Not sure if it's covered in the video, but should we do high-bar or low-bar squats? I personally do low-bar squats, but I worry that it'll my quads lagging as there's no other quad-dominant exercise.

Edit: Just did Workout A today. Felt great. I already feel optimal lol

[EddieFromEurope]

What are GOOD alternatives for cable crunches? These are getting pretty hard - the getting down on knees part. I'm really struggling and looking like a jackass. Are leg raises even effective for all abs?

[Soulforged]

What are GOOD alternatives for cable crunches? These are getting pretty hard - the getting down on knees part. I'm really struggling and looking like a jackass. Are leg raises even effective for all abs?

decline bench sit ups with weights behind head.

[missladyj]

Just a heads up for everyone, if you have some time, read the first few pages of this thread...most of the questions being asked here have been answered several times!

[BennettC]

What are GOOD alternatives for cable crunches? These are getting pretty hard - the getting down on knees part. I'm really struggling and looking like a jackass. Are leg raises even effective for all abs?

I have someone help me get down into position now as I'm pulling the entire stack in the crossover machine. I sometimes sub in decline crunches with a plate behind my head, but I dont like them and I cant do as many reps and they hurt my lower back.