Fierce 5 Questions & general qs ( New to this world of weightlifting )

[rv2k]

Hi Since its quarantine ive decided to start the "fierce 5 The Dumbell Full Body Program" as that is the only equipment i have at home.
(for reference :

Workout A
Split Squat 3x8 (each leg)
Bench 3x8 (If you don’t have a bench do floor press)
DB Rows 3x8 (One arm on bench, back parallel to floor)
Reverse Flies 3x10
Calf raises 2x15/French Press 2x10 Superset

Workout B
Walking Lunge 3x8 (each leg)
Overhead Press 3x8
Romanian Deadlift or Straight Leg Deadlift 3x8 (Use single leg version when you max out your weight)
Lat Pulldowns or Pull/Chin ups (Once you reach 3x8 begin adding weight)
Ab work 2x15/Curls 2x10 Superset (I don’t care what ab work you do)I'm a 5'10 125lb 16 year old male and I have a few questions after completing the Workout A portion today.
)

1. Is it fine if i start at 5lb dumbbells for these workouts? For some of the exercises I can do up to 15 but some of them I struggle even with only 5 but i want to work my way to where I can do all exercises at the same weight.

2. In terms of trying to gain weight I am trying to drink 2 shakes a day where it consists of (milk, half a banana, oats, fruits, whey).. Is this a good shake to use to gain weight?

3. Within how long shall I expect to see any sign of results following this program? Not sure what to look for.

thank you and if these questions have been answered before i apologize !

[BeginnerGainz]

1. Use a weight that is challenging for you

2. 2 shakes are fine, but use them with a healthy meal or between meals. Ideally you want .7 grams of protein per bodyweight, or lean body mass if you’re overweight.

3. That depends on you, but most start seeing results in as little as a month. Some even sooner than that.

[rv2k]

sorry i copied the wrong one LOL *edited*

I have dumbbells of weight 5-10-15-17.5-20-25.

I don't have a bench, so I do floor presses.

I have lat pulldown-armpress machine as attached

[BeginnerGainz]

sorry i copied the wrong one LOL *edited*

I have dumbbells of weight 5-10-15-17.5-20-25.

I don't have a bench, so I do floor presses.

I have lat pulldown-armpress machine as attached

Feel free to use the chest press part of the machine instead of doing floor presses. It is a perfectly good substitute for building muscle.

A French press is basically a skull crusher, you can use overhead extensions as well. Also, you can use the pull down to do Tricep press downs too. Plenty of options with that piece of equipment. I’d pick the one you like the best after trying out different Tricep exercises and stick with it.

[air2fakie]

1. Is it fine if i start at 5lb dumbbells for these workouts? For some of the exercises I can do up to 15 but some of them I struggle even with only 5 but i want to work my way to where I can do all exercises at the same weight.

No. When you start F5 it's fine to start out with light weights but they shouldn't be the same for all exercises or the lightest db you have for all of them. The first few workouts will be easy but you'll progress quickly and the workouts will become challenging soon enough.

And you shouldn't have a goal to do the same weight for all exercises, it doesn't make sense. You shouldn't be BPing the same weight you do for a reverse fly.

2. In terms of trying to gain weight I am trying to drink 2 shakes a day where it consists of (milk, half a banana, oats, fruits, whey).. Is this a good shake to use to gain weight?

Sure, it's fine. But you should also rely on food for both your protein intake and a cal surplus.

3. Within how long shall I expect to see any sign of results following this program? Not sure what to look for.

Depends - lot of variables... what you look like now, genetics, what weights you start out at, diet, cal intake, etc... just follow the program as prescribed with proper nutrition and you'll see visible results somewhere within 1-3 months. Be patient and don't start changing the program or adding exercises.

[paulinkansas]

sorry i copied the wrong one LOL *edited*

I have dumbbells of weight 5-10-15-17.5-20-25.

I don't have a bench, so I do floor presses.

I have lat pulldown-armpress machine as attached

Is that you in the attached picture? If so, I think you're off to a good start.

[rv2k]

Is that you in the attached picture? If so, I think you're off to a good start.

Very funny, Paul!

[RapidFail]

You shouldn't be aiming to use the same weight for all exercises. If you're an absolute beginner, use a weight that is 50% of your max at the specified rep range.

I expect you'll find yourself outgrowing your equipment sooner rather than later, in which case you'll need to buy some bigger dumbbells or upgrade to barbell training. If neither is an option, you'll need to increase the reps.

[rv2k]

What do you mean by "50% of your max at the specified rep range"?
Could u provide an example?
thanks

[RapidFail]

What do you mean by "50% of your max at the specified rep range"?
Could u provide an example?
thanks

I think that's what the program recommends for absolute beginners. Let's use the DB Rows for an example - it says to do 3 sets of 8. You want to find a weight you can lift with good form for 8 reps but not 9. Then you would use 50% of that weight as your starting weight for that lift and add 2.5lb every workout that you get the reps. This is much easier done with adjustable dumbbells.

[rv2k]

Feel free to use the chest press part of the machine instead of doing floor presses. It is a perfectly good substitute for building muscle.

A French press is basically a skull crusher, you can use overhead extensions as well. Also, you can use the pull down to do Tricep press downs too. Plenty of options with that piece of equipment. I’d pick the one you like the best after trying out different Tricep exercises and stick with it.

Quick question, how long of a break can I take between sets?

[BeginnerGainz]

Quick question, how long of a break can I take between sets?

Depends on you. Take as long as you need, but not more than 3-5 minutes.

[RapidFail]

Quick question, how long of a break can I take between sets?

The program recommends 2-3 minutes between compound lifts and 30-60 seconds between isolation exercises.

[paulinkansas]

Quick question, how long of a break can I take between sets?

I'll reload 10-15 shotgun shells between isolation sets. 20-25 between compound lifts. I'm using a MEC progressive reloader for a 12 gauge. I shoot sporting clays.

[rv2k]

hi, today i did "workout b" for fierce 5. My legs were sore from A. But After doing B i dont really feel tired or exhausted or sore. Work out A was with 5lb dumbbells, but I realized I could do 15 for all of them so i upped it to that for B. But I dont feel sore or tired. Is this normal and am i still making progress?

[air2fakie]

hi, today i did "workout b" for fierce 5. My legs were sore from A. But After doing B i dont really feel tired or exhausted or sore. Work out A was with 5lb dumbbells, but I realized I could do 15 for all of them so i upped it to that for B. But I dont feel sore or tired. Is this normal and am i still making progress?

In a world where you do the program however you want and progress is measured by the first 2 workouts, sure.

[rv2k]

In a world where you do the program however you want and progress is measured by the first 2 workouts, sure.

No clue what u mean but ok!

[doza808]

Since you're starting out, as mentioned above, make sure you're selecting a weight that is challenging for you. If your rep range is at 8, make sure that you're at least fighting for that last rep. Not necessarily to failure but close. If you can do 2-3 more reps past your target, then you're going too light.

Keep rest periods to 90 seconds max. You'll still want a cardiovascular element to your workout. 3-5 min rest periods are usually for power lifting or when you're mainly focused on strength building versus muscle building, which I assume is your goal as a beginner. Even during your compound lifts, you can start feeling fully recovered at 2 min.

[chillz88]

Hi Since its quarantine ive decided to start the "fierce 5 The Dumbell Full Body Program" as that is the only equipment i have at home.
(for reference :

Workout A
Split Squat 3x8 (each leg)
Bench 3x8 (If you don’t have a bench do floor press)
DB Rows 3x8 (One arm on bench, back parallel to floor)
Reverse Flies 3x10
Calf raises 2x15/French Press 2x10 Superset

Workout B
Walking Lunge 3x8 (each leg)
Overhead Press 3x8
Romanian Deadlift or Straight Leg Deadlift 3x8 (Use single leg version when you max out your weight)
Lat Pulldowns or Pull/Chin ups (Once you reach 3x8 begin adding weight)
Ab work 2x15/Curls 2x10 Superset (I don’t care what ab work you do)I'm a 5'10 125lb 16 year old male and I have a few questions after completing the Workout A portion today.
)

1. Is it fine if i start at 5lb dumbbells for these workouts? For some of the exercises I can do up to 15 but some of them I struggle even with only 5 but i want to work my way to where I can do all exercises at the same weight.

2. In terms of trying to gain weight I am trying to drink 2 shakes a day where it consists of (milk, half a banana, oats, fruits, whey).. Is this a good shake to use to gain weight?

3. Within how long shall I expect to see any sign of results following this program? Not sure what to look for.

thank you and if these questions have been answered before i apologize !

As I am doing this workout, I would like to answer as much as I can.
I did cut on a linear program for 10 months on a different program before(lost 17 kg). But covid striked just before my bulk. So I am doing my maintenance on this routine now. So I will try to answer as much as as i can

1) Do weights that challenge you. Start a bit lighter than you think and work up. As I am doing maintenance and have lesser weights, I have cut the progress in half and upped the reps in all the exercises (10-15 range).

2) That all depends on your calorie needs.If bulking, eat 200-300 above maintainance. Around 0.8g /body weight in lbs.

3) hell yes. I have gained muscle in maintenance and it's been only a week more than one month. Especially on my legs. Same or maybe a teeny more on my upper but more on my legs. Probably due to the fact that this program helps you strengthen your legs individually (split squats and lunges). Since you are a beginner, you will easily have gains. Weights are the only limit.

I cant wait to start bulking on fierce 5's novice program once gym opens. Till then maintainance and progressing slowly with higher reps are the only option for me.

The only problem is the single leg rdls for me which I have substituted with just db rdls on both legs but weights are too less. So I do till 30 reps each set. If anyone has a better substitute for that to make it tougher, pls share.

Thankyou