Trying to decide between ALL PROs and Stronglifts 5x5. Goal: Strength

[CookieDoughBrah]

Could use some help deciding between these two. First, my stats:

Height: 5'10
Current weight: 172 lbs
BF%: Probably around 12-13% at the moment
Calories: anywhere from 2300 - 2600

Goal: STRENGTH (and general fitness, i.e. explosiveness, endurance, speed, etc).

I have suffered from what Martin Berkhan refers to as Fukarounditis for too long (doing 80 sets of butterflies and 25 sets of inverted hanging upside down dragon flares), and now I just want to go with something very basic that allows me to progressively overload and focus on strength.

I know I'm not the biggest of guys, nor have I ever aspired to be. In other words, my primary focus is not to pack on more muscle mass (although I'm wouldn't cry if I did).

So, to those of you who have tried these two routines (or other similar routines), which one would you recommend and why?

Will provide glorious ghetto greenz for helpful replies. Lol.

[EPMD]

For your strength goal, do the 5x5 routine. The higher rep sets inherent to All Pros shift the focus more towards bodybuilding than strength training. But life is long enough for you to try both eventually and pick what you enjoy most.

I found the ramped sets in Madcow's 5x5 worked better for me than straight 5x5 sets did. The workouts were more condense, allowing me to keep the intensity high for the top set.

[CJ93UK]

StrongLifts, or a similar 5x5/3x5, almost without a doubt.

[auriga]

I have ran both and I like all pros better.

[SuffolkPunch]

Is your goal really strength?

Or is it actually hypertrophy - just that you want it to work this time? You can overcome F*arounditis without deviating from your real goal.

If strength, you really need to state what the purpose is - powerlifting? Your training will be specific to the application.

[CookieDoughBrah]

Is your goal really strength?

Or is it actually hypertrophy - just that you want it to work this time? You can overcome F*arounditis without deviating from your real goal.

If strength, you really need to state what the purpose is - powerlifting? Your training will be specific to the application.

My goal is strength. I don't really care about muscle mass to be honest. The purpose of achieving increased strength is simply that I want to be strong, and continuously try to better myself physically.

[MichaelCJ]

This one here is what I would recommend, over either of those. Definitely strength first, but also balanced where it matters. The default program is the one I'm referring to.

[SuffolkPunch]

My goal is strength. I don't really care about muscle mass to be honest. The purpose of achieving increased strength is simply that I want to be strong, and continuously try to better myself physically.

But strength for what application? There is a difference between strongman training vs. rugby training vs. powerlifting (for example).

If you just want stronger lifts then you will get that by default on any program where you achieve progressive overload in those lifts.

Perhaps your goal is similar to mine? I want to achieve best strength / weight ratio in squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press and weighted pullup. I am more interested in rep PRs than 1 rep maxes.

I am just saying you need to be clear about your goal. "Strength" is too general without qualifying it somewhat.

[CookieDoughBrah]

But strength for what application? There is a difference between strongman training vs. rugby training vs. powerlifting (for example).

If you just want stronger lifts then you will get that by default on any program where you achieve progressive overload in those lifts.

Perhaps your goal is similar to mine? I want to achieve best strength / weight ratio in squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press and weighted pullup. I am more interested in rep PRs than 1 rep maxes.

I am just saying you need to be clear about your goal. "Strength" is too general without qualifying it somewhat.

Ok, I see what you're saying. I am not trying to gain strength for any other purpose than to increase my lifts. So as you described it the "best strength / weight ratio in squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press and weighted pullup.".

[GymFreak25]

Ok, I see what you're saying. I am not trying to gain strength for any other purpose than to increase my lifts. So as you described it the "best strength / weight ratio in squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press and weighted pullup.".

Starting strength, madcows 5x5, Texas method.

[Cranz]

SL5x5 with some accessories, and you can get very good strength gains while still adding decent muscle mass.

With SS, you much gain a little bit faster ( but probably the same over a time period ), but you will end up with only legs, and chest.

[whyser]

I can only say for Strong Lifts 5x5 my own experience as I haven't tried really any other strength routines.
I've been working out for about 8 years or so, but never really took it seriously in terms of strength, always working towards bodybuilding workouts.
I'm an ectomorph (very skinny legs), so I reached my plateau's pretty quickly.
For 8 years of working out, I became more, as Medhi from Strong Lifts calls it, "Captain Upperbody". My upper body strength was definitely stronger than my lower body strength.
My squats were pretty pathetic, I wouldn't ever squat more than 135 lbs as I found it too difficult.

Then I had my baby, and I was forced to quit working out due to lack of time for several months.

But I still wanted to work out, but since I quit my gym, I decided to build my own gym at home. Got myself a power rack/barbells/weights.
Was looking up videos online regarding working out, and I was watching a lot of Strength Camp "Yo Elliot" videos, and that's where I discovered Strong Lift 5x5.

Decided to give that a try, started this past Dec 2013, threw away my pride, and started from the beginning (empty barbell), even though I could do more.
I was able to do about 2 months of 5x5 and this is my results (starting from the bar or whatever the starting point is for the exercises according to his training report)

I had to take about a 2 month break since due to a back injury, but this is how high I've gotten up to:
To my amazement, my squatting went up to 190 lbs, which was unprecedented for me.
Bench press I'm only at 135 in the program. I did find it taking a long time to get anywhere close to my previous bench press highs (205 was my previous best), so I haven't reached any limit on that.
Dead lifting I have passed 225 lbs before my injury.
Shoulder press I got up to 105 lbs
Barbell Rows I got up to 155 lbs

I have to say, I'm amazed at my lower body strength gains due to 5x5. I'm just starting to get back into the program after my physiotherapist said it was okay to incorporate some strength training back into it.

It's also a good program to teach you form form form... I have incorporated a lot of stretching for my gluts, hams, quads, hip flexors to improve my ATG squat form.
Give me another month or so and I can update you on the upper body strength gains.

Overall, I'm pretty impressed with SL5x5

[PaulRivers]

Ok, I see what you're saying. I am not trying to gain strength for any other purpose than to increase my lifts. So as you described it the "best strength / weight ratio in squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press and weighted pullup.".

While I don't like Starting Strength for other goals (aesthetics), if those are your goals Starting Strength is exactly what you're looking for.

You could do one of the program variations that includes weighted pullups -
http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Program

[dski79]

If your mentality is strength and then worry about everything else like mine was, then SS and GOMAD is what you wanna do!!! me personally i just wanted to get stronger and really didnt care about aesthetics considering im 34 and stopped caring about what i looked like in a mirror about 10 years ago! my thought process was, i wanna get strong as [possible to protect my family, friends etc etc no matter what i looked like!!! SS was the right decision for ME!! however, there are a lot of people out there that wanna gain strenght but still worry about fat and their abs, triceps etc....! those are the people that bash SS cuz theres no "accesory" work! The bashing of the program isnt warranted if they only read the book and realized that it has NOTHING to do with what you look like in a mirror! nothing wrong with what those people's goals are AT ALL!!!!! in fact, id say 99 out of 100 people thnk that way and thats why there are all these other programs that isolate certain muscles! its just not MINE! hope i cleared that up for ya lol! if you want only strength, SS is the way to go! if you want strength plus some sort of aesthetics then go with ICF or Fierce 5! theyre still very good strength programs but you wont progress as far and as long as you would on SS

Could use some help deciding between these two. First, my stats:

Height: 5'10
Current weight: 172 lbs
BF%: Probably around 12-13% at the moment
Calories: anywhere from 2300 - 2600

Goal: STRENGTH (and general fitness, i.e. explosiveness, endurance, speed, etc).

I have suffered from what Martin Berkhan refers to as Fukarounditis for too long (doing 80 sets of butterflies and 25 sets of inverted hanging upside down dragon flares), and now I just want to go with something very basic that allows me to progressively overload and focus on strength.

I know I'm not the biggest of guys, nor have I ever aspired to be. In other words, my primary focus is not to pack on more muscle mass (although I'm wouldn't cry if I did).

So, to those of you who have tried these two routines (or other similar routines), which one would you recommend and why?

Will provide glorious ghetto greenz for helpful replies. Lol.