Madcow's 5x5 spreadsheet help

[Gary23]

Could someone send it to me in a different format other than a zip file. maybe pdf. i cant get winzip to download to my pc. syxxspdz@aol.com

[Phenom01]

do you have microsoft excel?

[Eydea]

sent as excel file

[Phenom01]

here u go in text format

[Phenom01]

check your mail i have sent it

[Gary23]

I dont have excel, i downloaded the microsoft xl viewer and it says i need a newer version of windows to view it. I did get to download the text version but i cant calculate my weight. Any other suggestions so i can use the weight calculating part?

[kethnaab]

holy crap, what version of windows do you have?

[martymcfly]

holy crap, what version of windows do you have?

haha exactly

[Gary23]

windows me

[Madcow2]

windows me

Worst OS ever. Sorry man.

[OldBB]

Hi Madcow,

I have just started the 5x5 and find your spreadsheet very useful. I workout in Japan and most of the gyms here have weights in kilograms. But it works just as well with your spreadsheet. It is so easy to tweak the weights when needed. I use your spreadsheet on a Mac OS and it works fine for me.

I have been reading the information on your website over and over again so that it is part and parcel to my training (and eating!) philosophy. I look forward to big gains with confidence.

Many thanks,
OldBB

[Madcow2]

Hi Madcow,

I have just started the 5x5 and find your spreadsheet very useful. I workout in Japan and most of the gyms here have weights in kilograms. But it works just as well with your spreadsheet. It is so easy to tweak the weights when needed. I use your spreadsheet on a Mac OS and it works fine for me.

I have been reading the information on your website over and over again so that it is part and parcel to my training (and eating!) philosophy. I look forward to big gains with confidence.

Many thanks,
OldBB

Good luck with it. It's honestly pretty simple stuff. The biggest problem most run into is that they are trying to reconile it and fit it into what they've heard in the gym or read in BBing mags or on a lot of forums. Problem being, they don't know what they are talking about and most of what they've heard is equally ignorant or misunderstood. Hence they run into problems and it doesn't make sense. In reality, everything that I happen to say is very much common knowledge and widely accepted the world over and very easy to confirm - it just kind of sucks that people ran into bad knowledge first and hold tightly to these ideas, which they don't even really understand but simply repeat to themselves.

That's pretty much the obstacle to learning most anything, to really hear and learn something new you have to stop repeating your own existing ideas and let them go. After that it's easy. One may or may not agree (my stuff is basic 101 and 102 so it's tough to formulate real arguments against accepted foundation level info although I'm sure many do their best) but at least you have wholeheartedly understood what someone is conveying. After that real learning is done through application, in this case under the bar and over time.

Best of luck to you.

[superjarvo]

Hi Madcow,

I have just started the 5x5 and find your spreadsheet very useful. I workout in Japan and most of the gyms here have weights in kilograms. But it works just as well with your spreadsheet. It is so easy to tweak the weights when needed. I use your spreadsheet on a Mac OS and it works fine for me.

I have been reading the information on your website over and over again so that it is part and parcel to my training (and eating!) philosophy. I look forward to big gains with confidence.

Many thanks,
OldBB

Where in Japan are you? I live in Chiba, and find most of the gyms here nothing but machines, or packed to the tits with people using free wieghts at Gold's Gym. I also find that most Japanese guys I see training have the absolute worst form or only do partial reps. For example, there's this older guy in my gym who thinks he's tough **** cause he can squat 200 Kg but his quads don't go lower than 45 degrees past parallel. I just laugh. He wonders why his numbers never go up!

[OldBB]

but at least you have wholeheartedly understood what someone is conveying. After that real learning is done through application, in this case under the bar and over time.

Best of luck to you.

Thank you for your encouragement. Yes, I am wholeheartedly giving this a go. I have been working out off and on for the past 43 years. I started out when I was a 60 pound weakling (literally) at 13 years of age. I gained half my weight in the first year of bodybuilding. Another 30 pounds the following year. But as you pointed out on your site, this is easy to do when you are coming from behind.

After you reach a certain level it is hard to make gains. I have tried many things over the years but always burned out. I am now using the 5x5 because I truely believe it will help me make gains. My appitite has increased enormously and I have had to sneak in a few Big Macs and KFC to keep up with it - although I normally eat squeaky clean. But as you suggest, it is hard to eat squeaky clean and still take in enough to fuel the program.

My only fear are those weak links which you suggest will become apparent. I have some slipped discs in my back but ironically, the deads are really helping me. The rows are another story. For now I am keeping it light.

I agree with you that although this is a simple program, people would have a tendency to fit it into their way of working out. But I have made all the mistakes over the years and have finally come to realize it's time to cast away my shallow frame of mind. The way you learn things in life (BB or otherwise) is by learning it from people who know more about it than you do. Now that I have the best coaches on the planet on my side, I am confident about the gains I will make over the coming weeks. It is due to the fact that I have done everything wrong that I am able to read your content for what it is. BB's have a tendency to get stuck in their ways - I've been there. It takes a real seeking mind to make it in this biz.

You have some excellent content on your site and I am going to enjoy putting it into practice. Lastly, you can be sure I don't read something this valuable "in the toilet."

Gary23, sorry to keep borrowing your thread but I would really like encourage you to find a way to work with Madcow's spreadsheet. Borrow a friend's computer or something, at least in the beginning until you get the swing of it. The important thing about this is that it is a "program" and you need to set weight goals over a period of time. You need to set them so that you don't peak out too early in the program. The spreadsheet is a BIG help.

[OldBB]

Where in Japan are you? I live in Chiba, and find most of the gyms here nothing but machines, or packed to the tits with people using free wieghts at Gold's Gym. I also find that most Japanese guys I see training have the absolute worst form or only do partial reps. For example, there's this older guy in my gym who thinks he's tough **** cause he can squat 200 Kg but his quads don't go lower than 45 degrees past parallel. I just laugh. He wonders why his numbers never go up!

I am located in a suburb of Kobe. I understand how you feel about training in Japan. I have been here for 27 years, nearly half my life. Gyms in Japan have and still are one of my biggest problems. Years ago it was much worse.

I am actually a member of two gyms, one in suburbs and Gold's Gym in Kobe. Between the two I can pretty much make a go of it. The nice thing about the "fitness club" I workout at is that the morans are entirely on the cardio stuff all day so the rack is almost always available.

I stared training in Chicago when I was 13. I worked out at the same gym Sergio Olivia did "before" he became famous. Ralph Kliner and Rock Stonewall were some of the other greats in the gym so I learned BB at a very early age. These people were so encouraging to me. You can imagine what it was like for me to start training in Japan after having been brought up in such an enviornment.

These "fitness clubs" in Japan employ these "trainers." They are partime college kids with bodies like chop sticks that tell people how to train but never lift weights themselves. At least the "trainers" at Gold's Gym have a few bumps on their bodies. One gym I worked out at (for 17 years) I quit recently because I got tired of the Beatle music they have been playing for the past three years. I tried to explain it to them but they were just too hardheaded.

Hey Madcow, if you think BB's in the U.S. are stuck in their ways, you should come over here

[Madcow2]

My only fear are those weak links which you suggest will become apparent. I have some slipped discs in my back but ironically, the deads are really helping me. The rows are another story. For now I am keeping it light.

Pulling from the floor/vertical with build a lot of musculature in the errectors surrounding and supporting your spine. This will take stress off your spine over time. Most of the bad stress we get on our spine is not due to good technique with heavy weight as that loads it properly and equally. It is due to being in a bad position often because we don't take something seriously, the forces are vastly magnified when the spine is out of alignment and this results in injury. Nevertheless uniform functional strength along the errectos and posterior chain will help prevent this too or at least increase your threshhold.

If you feel discomfort, stay light and work up gradually. Patience is a good thing with new exercises or areas with potential risk from injury.

Overall it's a good program that teaches training principles very well and can easily be adapted to suit your needs/goals (the methodology and principles anyway). I honestly don't know of a better way to teach them or a better model to use.

Be sure to spend some time in the training theory section of that site as well as the others (you might find Glen and Ripp's 1 year squat template interesting in the programs section). Lots of good info there that most people don't seem to bother to make use of.

[GenericUsername]

Would someone mind sending it to me xxwade3iversonxx@gmail.com

[OldBB]

Would someone mind sending it to me xxwade3iversonxx@gmail.com

I have just sent you Madcow's spreadsheet by email. No telling how many others did too. But I hope you spend plenty of time reading his website:

http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow...nts_thread.htm

It is loaded with valuable content and if you are going to make this work you need to really know what it is about. It is so simple I am surprised I didn't discover it years ago.

[Madcow2]

Would someone mind sending it to me xxwade3iversonxx@gmail.com

Worthless without this article: http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow...Linear_5x5.htm

The spreadsheet is meant to assist you in checking your understanding, not be a golden program to follow.

[superjarvo]

These "fitness clubs" in Japan employ these "trainers." They are partime college kids with bodies like chop sticks that tell people how to train but never lift weights themselves. At least the "trainers" at Gold's Gym have a few bumps on their bodies. One gym I worked out at (for 17 years) I quit recently because I got tired of the Beatle music they have been playing for the past three years. I tried to explain it to them but they were just too hardheaded.

I have only ever seen 2 big trainers at Gold's Gym. I used to live downtown Tokyo and worked out at the same gym as a couple of the Pride fighters (forget their names). I hate most of the trainers. They are so uninformed, it's unbelievable. They look at me strange all the time. For example, I was doing Pendlay Rows last night and a trainer came over to me and told me to stop cause I was gonna destroy my back. I was in front of a mirror so I could see my back was straight. I told him I knew what I was doing. He then proceeds to argue with me about how he knows better (which was strange, because confrontation, as you know, is not a thing Japanese people do).

I ignored him and finished my sets, as he stared in disgust and kept whispering something to the co-workers.

[OldBB]

Be sure to spend some time in the training theory section of that site as well as the others (you might find Glen and Ripp's 1 year squat template interesting in the programs section). Lots of good info there that most people don't seem to bother to make use of.

I am very interested in this article but could not find it on you site. Can you give me the URL please?

I did read the Arioch article on squats which you have on your site and was surprized to read that it suggests doing them flatfooted. I was taught to do them with heals on a piece of wood or on plates. Is this wrong? Also, is it really possible to do squats with shins vertical? Thanks!

Again, sorry to borrow the thread.

[Madcow2]

I am very interested in this article but could not find it on you site. Can you give me the URL please?

I did read the Arioch article on squats which you have on your site and was surprized to read that it suggests doing them flatfooted. I was taught to do them with heals on a piece of wood or on plates. Is this wrong? Also, is it really possible to do squats with shins vertical? Thanks!

Again, sorry to borrow the thread.

First one under Other Programs http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/sh...&postcount=235

The Arioch article bridges back and forth between power and olympic variations I think (been a long time since I've read it). For shins to be nearly vertical you need to be doing a PL type squat. Full range OL squats will have the knees drift forward and a more upright torso (a more leg or quad involved squat and less a pure posterior chain movement). This is fine, just use good technique and keep your weight back on your heels driving off them at the bottom of the movement. You might order Ripp's Starting Strength book. Probably the most comprehensive description of the squat available anywhere.

[OldBB]

I have only ever seen 2 big trainers at Gold's Gym. I used to live downtown Tokyo and worked out at the same gym as a couple of the Pride fighters (forget their names). I hate most of the trainers. They are so uninformed, it's unbelievable. They look at me strange all the time. For example, I was doing Pendlay Rows last night and a trainer came over to me and told me to stop cause I was gonna destroy my back. I was in front of a mirror so I could see my back was straight. I told him I knew what I was doing. He then proceeds to argue with me about how he knows better (which was strange, because confrontation, as you know, is not a thing Japanese people do).

I ignored him and finished my sets, as he stared in disgust and kept whispering something to the co-workers.

I know exactly how you feel. Actually the "trainers" at Gold's aren't nearly as bad as the ones in these "fitness clubs." I was doing a warm-up set of flies and this skinny 19 year old girl trainer comes over to me and starts telling me how to breathe. Those part-timer remind me of the kids that work at fast food joints here. They do everything according to a manual and anything out of the ordinary and they think we're weird.

One gym I was working out at for over ten years gets a new manager. I was doing leg extensions and he comes over to tell me that I wasn't pointing my toes enough. I told him to shut-up.

At the new gym I joined I was about to do leg raises on the dip bars. Some male trainer comes over and before he could tell me that I was facing the wrong direction I told him to shut-up. It is getting that I can read their minds.

The Gold's Gym in Kobe is pretty cool though. Not too crowded. The trainers are cool. One trainer went to college in the U.S for 4 years and learned how to workout there. Speaks pretty good English. All in all I kind of like that gym. The people that work out there are pretty cool too. I guess your Gold's Gym in Tokyo must be a lemon. What kind of music do they play there? Here it is all rap and hip-hop. The gym my secretary works out plays classical music! It is kind of ironic though, she likes classical.

[superjarvo]

What kind of music do they play there? Here it is all rap and hip-hop. The gym my secretary works out plays classical music! It is kind of ironic though, she likes classical.

They usually play a random bag of songs. I've heard Britney Spears to some Death Metal. I never pay attention to the music though. I am too busy thinking of destroying my body with my upcoming lift. I guess I psych myself up a little too much. Another reason I don't listen to the music is because the high end part of the speakers is broken so you can really hear the music, but the lyrics are so faded.