*** The 2011 Gym Rats Thread ***

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Psycho Sonny said:
my fiancee is coming round on thursday/friday i will have a few video's recorded by then. wont be posting them publicly though, will link icecold and delvis to them, because i want feedback from icecold and i picked delvis because he is a nice friendly guy and wouldnt lie to anyone.
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You sound pretty paranoid lol.

Just host it on photobucket, put the link up then remove it?

The world will not end if people see you lifting weights.
 
Have those extra bits been added by yourslef to the 5x5 routine?
Or is it a different version of stronglifts?

Reading the PDF it does say not to add or mess with it.

To each their own and all that...I would just be worried that messing with it may effect how you can adapt and might stop you being able to add the weight as per the program.

Cant remember where i read it (think it was Lyle Mcdonald) that said one of the biggest problems people have, is they take routines and mess with them. They were set up in a particular way for a reason and adapting them can stop them functioning.

Again, its your choice and im not trying to sound preechy.

I have just started Stronglifts again myself as I feel I need to up my strength before I worry too much about size. Plus its just good to have a set routine where I know how I should be progressing.

Past few months I have ended up making friends with a few guys down the gym, but they tend to pick a muscle group and just bash it. Mixing up different excersises and in different order. Makes it very difficult to know if your progressing.

Stronglifts is simple...can you lift more weight than last time?
If the answers yes....your on track :)

If I can get even half way to where Darkshadow is, ill be happy!
 
p4radox said:
To me that looks like more of a push/pull split. The advantage of SL 5x5 is that every session is a full body workout with both presses and pulls. Your "A" day has two presses but no rows, and your B day has several rows/pulls but no presses. There's nothing wrong with this, but having done both SL5x5 and a push/pull split, I made the best progress when I did a true full body workout similar to SL5x5.
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i just added more back/shoulder exercises, its the exact same workout but with 2 added exercises on each day. i dont see any harm that it can do, im just basically working the shoulders a bit harder on one day and then the back a bit harder the next day

sigma said:
You sound pretty paranoid lol.

Just host it on photobucket, put the link up then remove it?

The world will not end if people see you lifting weights.
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ive already stated why i dont want to do that, im not going to change my principles for anyone really, i decided to give up alcohol for life a couple of weeks back, i know a lot of my friends are going to take a few shots at me for doing so, but i dont care, it's my decision and im going to stick to it.

TheCybermonkey said:
Have those extra bits been added by yourslef to the 5x5 routine?
Or is it a different version of stronglifts?

Reading the PDF it does say not to add or mess with it.

To each their own and all that...I would just be worried that messing with it may effect how you can adapt and might stop you being able to add the weight as per the program.

Cant remember where i read it (think it was Lyle Mcdonald) that said one of the biggest problems people have, is they take routines and mess with them. They were set up in a particular way for a reason and adapting them can stop them functioning.

Again, its your choice and im not trying to sound preechy.

I have just started Stronglifts again myself as I feel I need to up my strength before I worry too much about size. Plus its just good to have a set routine where I know how I should be progressing.

Past few months I have ended up making friends with a few guys down the gym, but they tend to pick a muscle group and just bash it. Mixing up different excersises and in different order. Makes it very difficult to know if your progressing.

Stronglifts is simple...can you lift more weight than last time?
If the answers yes....your on track :)

If I can get even half way to where Darkshadow is, ill be happy!
Click to expand...

same as above, ive added 2 more exercises, should not have any negative effects. plenty of people change routines to make them easier, etc. i have not done that, i have added to the routine, not taken anything away or changed anything, i have simply added to it.

in fact he even says if you want you should add in, chin up's, pull up's etc. he also recommends the exercises you should add to each session.
 
Psycho Sonny said:
i just added more back/shoulder exercises, its the exact same workout but with 2 added exercises on each day. i dont see any harm that it can do, im just basically working the shoulders a bit harder on one day and then the back a bit harder the next day
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No, I think you're missing the point. You've changed the routine quite a bit so that it's no longer a "full body" workout. Your "Session A" doesn't have a row, so you're not working your back or biceps. You've then added an extra press, which means that you won't be able to max out either the bench, or overhead press.

There's nothing actually wrong with your routine, but it no longer resembles Stronglifts, it's completely different.

edit: for reference, here's the actual SL 5x5 routine:

Session A:
Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5
Bent Over Row: 5x5

Session B:
Squat 5x5
Overhead Press 5x5
Deadlift: 1x5

If you stick with that for a while you can't really go far wrong. If you really want to improve your deadlift and still maintain the essence of what SL 5x5 is all about, might I suggest:

A:
Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5
Bent Over Row: 5x5

B:
Deadlift: 5x5
Overhead Press 5x5
Pull ups: 5x5

Less squat heavy, more deadlifts, and maintains the push+pull on every session.
 
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The stronglift pdf guide recomends:
Workout A Workout B
Squat 5x5 Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5 Overhead Press 5x5
Inverted Rows 3xF Deadlift 1x5
Push-ups 3xF Pull-ups/Chin-ups 3xF
Reverse Crunch 3x12 Prone Bridges 3x30sec

Also says in the Q and A:
I lack the strength to do Pull-ups/Chin-ups. Can I substitute with the Lat Pull-down or
Assisted Pull-up Machine to build strength?

No. Machines balance the weight for you and force you into fixed movement patterns. Strength built on machines doesn't carry over to free weights/body-weight exercises like Pull-ups & Chinups.

Try these solutions and you'll be able to do 1-3 reps within 4 weeks StrongLifts 5x5.
• Ask someone for help. Have him grab you by your side and help you on the way up. Make sure you do most of the work yourself.
• Use momentum. Use hip drive on the way up, like Jesse Marunde in this video. Notice he does 21 pull-ups at 310lbs body-weight. It's all about strength, body-weight is irrelevant.
• Do negatives. Lower yourself slowly and jump up on each rep. Expect lots of soreness using this method.
• Use bands. Attach a resistance band to your pull-up bar and loop it around your knee, like in this video. I have & recommend Iron Woody bands. They're cheap & quality. Check their assisted Pull-up package.
• Try 'greasing the groove'. Get a doorway pull-up bar and do 1 Pull-up or Chin-up each time you pass the bar, multiple times per day.
• Do Chin-ups only. Chin-ups (palms facing you) are easier than Pull-ups. Stick with Chinups. Once you can do 5 reps of Chin-ups, alternate between Chin-ups & Pull-ups again.
• Do multiple sets of low reps. Do 10x1 Pull-ups with as much rest between sets as you need. Once you can do 10x1 Pull-ups, do 10x2 Pull-ups. Again: take as much rest as you
need to get 2 reps on all 10 sets. Once you got that, do 10x3 Pull-ups. Take enough rest to get all 3 reps. When you can do 10x5 Pull-ups, switch back to 3xF (3 sets until failure), you should be able to do almost 10 Pull-ups on your 1st set.

Ofcourse feel free to adapt things as you please, but as I have been reading the guide the last couple of weeks, a few things just stood out that was all.

Im also aware that you cant subscribe anymore, so im not sure if this guide is easily available.

*edite* just for reference - Im going off the pdf that is now 2 years old.
At that time it had already had some revision such as changing rows to inverted rows.
So it may have changed a little again since.

Darkshadow might be able to chime in as our resident Stronglift Celeb ;)
 
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Really tempted to start Stronglifts next week......... Are you just meant to increment the weight by 5kg for each lift EVERY session?

Also, unless you're including one set of Deadlifts, your Stronglifts Sesion B doesn't have a pull movement........?
 
Trying to figure out what my HST should consist of. Any important changes i should make?

Capture.JPG
 
p4radox said:
No, I think you're missing the point. You've changed the routine quite a bit so that it's no longer a "full body" workout. Your "Session A" doesn't have a row, so you're not working your back or biceps. You've then added an extra press, which means that you won't be able to max out either the bench, or overhead press.

There's nothing actually wrong with your routine, but it no longer resembles Stronglifts, it's completely different.

edit: for reference, here's the actual SL 5x5 routine:

Session A:
Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5
Bent Over Row: 5x5

Session B:
Squat 5x5
Overhead Press 5x5
Deadlift: 1x5

If you stick with that for a while you can't really go far wrong. If you really want to improve your deadlift and still maintain the essence of what SL 5x5 is all about, might I suggest:

A:
Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5
Bent Over Row: 5x5

B:
Deadlift: 5x5
Overhead Press 5x5
Pull ups: 5x5

Less squat heavy, more deadlifts, and maintains the push+pull on every session.
Click to expand...

didnt realise i had put barbell row and overhead press on wrong days, thanks for telling me


Session A

Squat 5 x 5
Bench 5 x 5
Barbell Row 5 x 5
Lat Pull Down 5 x 5
Low Row on Pulley 5 x 5

Session B

Squat 5 x 5
Overhead Press 5 x 5
Deadlift 5 x 5
Lat Raises 5 x 5
Front Raises 5 x 5


would that be better?
 
Psycho Sonny said:
didnt realise i had put barbell row and overhead press on wrong days, thanks for telling me


Session A

Squat 5 x 5
Bench 5 x 5
Barbell Row 5 x 5
Lat Pull Down 5 x 5
Low Row on Pulley 5 x 5

Session B

Squat 5 x 5
Overhead Press 5 x 5
Deadlift 5 x 5
Lat Raises 5 x 5
Front Raises 5 x 5


would that be better?
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Are you able to swap lat pulls for pull ups at all?
Also, I have in the guide that deadlifts should be 1x5 not 5x5 and rows are 3x failure.

Unless its changed since I downloaded the pdf or these are specific changes you want to make.

Think if you google it, there is a site that hosts a version of the pdf.
Worth a read as it goes into a lot of detail.

Theres also a spreedsheet to set everything up and tell you what to lift etc.
 
TheCybermonkey said:
Are you able to swap lat pulls for pull ups at all?
Also, I have in the guide that deadlifts should be 1x5 not 5x5 and rows are 3x failure.

Unless its changed since I downloaded the pdf or these are specific changes you want to make.

Think if you google it, there is a site that hosts a version of the pdf.
Worth a read as it goes into a lot of detail.

Theres also a spreedsheet to set everything up and tell you what to lift etc.
Click to expand...

i could do negatives :o

i know deadlifts should be 1 x 5, but i want them to really start improving, so stuck them on 5x5 too.
 
Skillmister, I'd do SLDL for the 15 and 10 rep phases and then move onto conventional for the 5s.

Psycho, 5x5 on deadlifts is quite a bit of volume. Try 3 set of 5 and see how you get on.
 
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