Bill starr 5x5 - help

[T mobile 456]

Is it supposed to be really hard on week 3? I just did the last workout for week 3....and bench was HARD on the 1x3 set....It was with like 85-88% of my max....and i gotta do it FIVE times next week....i'm gettin nervous....

[Bodysteele]

You completely misunderstood how the program works...at week #3 the weight should be a breeze.

Id take a week off and restart with maxes that are WAY more conservative.

[T mobile 456]

You completely misunderstood how the program works...at week #3 the weight should be a breeze.

Id take a week off and restart with maxes that are WAY more conservative.

Alright so I should just be blasting up 85-88% of my max w/o no problem after doing 20 reps?? I even took 5 pounds off my real 1RM......


Should I max out again and then like do a light week and then start the program 10 pounds lower then what i got?

Also, I dont know if this has anything to do with it but.....I cant eat breakfast in the morning cuz i get sick every morning....but I havent been losing weight

[IMAPACKERFAN]

Sounds like you're going to be having a baby in the near future.

[T mobile 456]

Sounds like you're going to be having a baby in the near future.

I new someone would say that....I have no idea why i'm like this but I just am.....



What should I do about the program?? I dont think I will suceed friday...

[Bodysteele]

Ive been on and off a form of Bill Starr's program(Madcow's) and trained another guy on the program for awhile now.

Ive also watched a few other folks who were successful on the program on the net.

One key common feature of everyone who does well on the program is STARTING WITH A VERY VERY CONSERVATIVE max number. It should be like the poundage at which you can complete 5 reps a few days after lifting and do it with FLAWLESS form even if you dont feel great that day.

Taking 5-10lbs of that number also wouldnt be a bad idea. Remember the aim of the program is to build momentum to set as many PRs/stay on the program as long as possible....NOT to start witht he highest numbers.

Lets look at it logically 10-20lbs of poundage at the beginning in the squat or Deadlift will only take 2-3 weeks of progress at the end to make up...so if you can stay on the program hitting PRs for 3-4 weeks longer by starting off consiervatively its a net gain.

Honestly, the first 4 weeks should make you feel like your not doing all that much workload...you should be like doubting the program by week #5...then you should be amazed at how you keep hitting PRs for 7 weeks after that or longer.

[T mobile 456]

Ive been on and off a form of Bill Starr's program(Madcow's) and trained another guy on the program for awhile now.

Ive also watched a few other folks who were successful on the program on the net.

One key common feature of everyone who does well on the program is STARTING WITH A VERY VERY CONSERVATIVE max number. It should be like the poundage at which you can complete 5 reps a few days after lifting and do it with FLAWLESS form even if you dont feel great that day.

Taking 5-10lbs of that number also wouldnt be a bad idea. Remember the aim of the program is to build momentum to set as many PRs/stay on the program as long as possible....NOT to start witht he highest numbers.

Lets look at it logically 10-20lbs of poundage at the beginning in the squat or Deadlift will only take 2-3 weeks of progress at the end to make up...so if you can stay on the program hitting PRs for 3-4 weeks longer by starting off consiervatively its a net gain.

Honestly, the first 4 weeks should make you feel like your not doing all that much workload...you should be like doubting the program by week #5...then you should be amazed at how you keep hitting PRs for 7 weeks after that or longer.

If i max @ 225 on bench saturday....Should i put 215 in the calculator? Do you think I could even get 225??

[Code_B]

I new someone would say that....I have no idea why i'm like this but I just am.....



What should I do about the program?? I dont think I will suceed friday...

but seriously. did you start the program 4 weeks behind to build a tailwind? Because I don't think you should hit 85% until the end of week 4 if I'm remembering the math correctly

[T mobile 456]

but seriously. did you start the program 4 weeks behind to build a tailwind? Because I don't think you should hit 85% until the end of week 4 if I'm remembering the math correctly

I upped 177 to 180 and 182 to 185 in the first 2 weeks......i just finished week 3

[Code_B]

I would just say start conservatively next time. If you are doing madcow's he says in the write up that some people will have to start very conservatively so you are probably just one of those people.

What were ur original maxes and can you post your workouts for week 1 and this last week you just did

[T mobile 456]

I would just say start conservatively next time. If you are doing madcow's he says in the write up that some people will have to start very conservatively so you are probably just one of those people.

What were ur original maxes and can you post your workouts for week 1 and this last week you just did

Starting 1RM - 215 (5 pounds under real 1RM)

Week1
90x5
110x5
135x5
155x5
180x5 [ supposed to be 177]

90x5
110x5
135x5
155x5
185x3 [supposed to be 182]
135x8


Week 2
90x5
115x5
135x5
160x5
185x5 [ supposed to be 182]

90x5
115x5
135x5
160x5
186x5
135x8


Week 3
95x5
115x5
140x5
165x5
186x5 [ hard ]


95x5
115x5
140x5
165x5
191x3 [ hard ]
140x8

[Kiknskreem]

You completely misunderstood how the program works...at week #3 the weight should be a breeze.

I disagee. If you picked your numbers correctly Week 3 will be a near PR weight being done with significant workload beforehand.

There should be no doubt in your ability to hit it, but I wouldn't describe it as "a breeze". The whole being super conservative thing just gets repeated and repeated because most people start on the total opposite end of the spectrum.

But I certainly agree that on an individual basis, the OP may have been better served by starting a big lighter. Or rounding down at least, instead of rounding the #'s up.

[hustlcoke]

I hit 100% of my maxes in week 4, so hitting about 85-90% in week three sounds about right (that's how I set my workouts up, PR's come in week 5, some people may set it up so they hit PR's later, but this works for me). I have done the Bill Starr 5x5 program and have had great results doing it this way. Honestly, for me, every week after hitting 100% of my maxes in week 4 is hard for me. If I have doubts about making the next weeks PR's I make sure I eat, eat, eat.

However, when I find my maxes my lifts are all done with solid, clean form. I could probably toss on another 5-10lbs and GRIND out 5 messy reps, but I make longer PR streaks if I just focus on making PRs with good clean form. So basically, when you find your 5 rep maxes, use a weight that you can up 5 times with good form.

[T mobile 456]

no man.... I didnt find my 5RM .... I found my 1RM

[T mobile 456]

Here is the plan


Saturday after 10-11 hours of sleep

hit 2 plates on bench

hit the 100s on deadlift

hit 160-170 on squat

[Bodysteele]

I disagee. If you picked your numbers correctly Week 3 will be a near PR weight being done with significant workload beforehand.

There should be no doubt in your ability to hit it, but I wouldn't describe it as "a breeze". The whole being super conservative thing just gets repeated and repeated because most people start on the total opposite end of the spectrum.

But I certainly agree that on an individual basis, the OP may have been better served by starting a big lighter. Or rounding down at least, instead of rounding the #'s up.

We gonn have to agree to disagree then....in practice ive seen that starting conservatively and the pluses of being able to maintain good form+ a longer overall run on the program more than makes up for any negatives.

Other than perhaps taking 2 weeks longer; there really arent any negatives to starting out "too" conservatively.

Now how much gains will a typical trainee make in 2 weeks of unfocused lifting...im not sure but certainly nowhere close to 2.5% on a 5rep max for the most part.



p.s. I what I meant by "breeze" may or may not be consistent with how you use that word...I meant there would be virtually nill chance of someone missing a rep or even really having to "battle" for a rep. It is still a workout of course....but I meant failure wouldnt at all come into the picture and you may be doubting the programs intensity bc of that fact.

[Kiknskreem]

We gonn have to agree to disagree then....in practice ive seen that starting conservatively and the pluses of being able to maintain good form+ a longer overall run on the program more than makes up for any negatives.

Other than perhaps taking 2 weeks longer; there really arent any negatives to starting out "too" conservatively.

I agree completely... I just don't think that the third workout of week 3 not being a breeze is necessarily a red flag. If you have an accurate bead on your strength and are doing a standard 4 week ramp up then its a near PR set with plenty of reps beforehand.

what I meant by "breeze" may or may not be consistent with how you use that word...

Very true.

Assuming the progression in SF 5x5 is probably going to be between 5-10 pounds per week, I would not subjectively describe a lift 10-20 pounds shy of a PR a breeze.