What you lose is time spent working on proper form with lighter weights. This turns into a huge advantage when the weights get heavy.
So be conservative with your starting weights. If you make the mistake of starting too heavy, you should go to the gym anyway for your next workout, but lower the weights. Do several lighter warmup sets before your heavy work sets.
Warmup with the empty bar. Repeat until you reach your work weight. Warming up increases how much you can lift while decreasing the risk of injury. The warmup sets raise the temperature of your muscles and lubricate your joints. They also give you form practice before lifting heavy. And they prepare you mentally for the heavy weights to come.
Never jump into your heavy work sets without warming up first. Always warmup by doing several lighter sets first. You must still do lighter warmup-sets. Also, too much cardio pre-workout will pre-exhaust your legs for Squats. Skip the cardio and do lighter warmup sets — it will save you time. The proper way to warmup is to start with two sets of five with the empty bar.
Keep adding weight until you reach your work weight. Only rest after the last one. The weight is too light to get injured plus doing extra sets could tire you out. The StrongLifts app has a built-in warmup calculator that gives you the exact sets, reps and weights to warmup with.
It gives you this for every exercise and weight. Or you can use one of those free warmup calculators online. But they all suck. The mistake they make is to make you do five warmup sets regardless of how heavy your work weight is. This means the warmup calculator in my app is different. This is more effective. Warming up makes your workout longer. The stronger you are, the heavier your work weight, and the more warmup sets. Keep your workouts short by not resting between warmup sets.
This will give you a good sweat without getting you too tired since the warmup weights are light. The only exception is your last warmup set. Rest before doing your first work set. This way you have full ATP available before doing that heavy set.
On your other warmup sets, just add weight and go. Use the warmup rest timer in our app — it tells you how long to wait so you can focus on lifting.
Respect your warmup sets by lifting them like your heavy sets. Your workout starts with your warmup. Put the same focus and effort into them. If you do it right. This gives you more reps to practice proper form. It also increases how much Deadlifts you do. You also get breaks from lifting heavy when you deload after hitting a plateau. All of this takes care of your recovery. So keep lifting and adding weight. I usually take a week off training when going on holiday with family or friends.
You can actually come back stronger from the extra rest. You should be able to continue where you left off. Different case if you spent a week partying, drinking alcohol, eating crap and barely sleeping. It will suck when you come back — talking from experience.
Lower the weight more to make it easier on yourself. Or maybe not… to teach yourself a lesson and not do it again next time…. If you come back from holidays on Sunday, you should be back in the gym on Monday. You already had a week off. I usually train between Christmas and New Year. But if your gym changes its opening hours, you can either do your workout in advance or skip it for once. Travelling a lot for work is tougher.
I usually go to the local Crossfit gym. Every city has one and they have all the equipment you need. Just pay the open gym drop-in fee. By the way — skipping a workout is not a break. Regular breaks are fine. Note that the StrongLifts app will tell you how much weight to start with after your break. This prevents missed reps and soreness after your break.
Download it here. Goals give you direction. They remind you of what you need to do to get where you want to be. They eliminate distractions by keeping you focused on what matters. These goals are all one rep maxes aka 1RMs.
Powerlifting and weightlifting competition use 1RMs to compare strength between lifters and determine winners. All it takes is going to the gym three times a week and doing the work. You also need more dedication — eating right, eating plenty, sleeping enough, perfecting technique, being consistent, etc. Not everyone is willing to put in the time and effort, so not everyone gets there. You switch program when your current one stops working. Age and body-weight impact time-frames. Young guys progress faster — more testosterone.
Big guys progress faster too — they have bigger muscles. Old guys progress slower because of their slower recovery. Females progress slower due to less testosterone and smaller body-weights.
Just try to improve. Most guys can easily reach the intermediate I level in 12 months. So that is an extra 24lb of lean muscle in a year. In the beginning you will. Everyone does or we would all Squat kg. But some people hit plateaus sooner than others. This explains the range for the time-frames.
Break your goals into mini-goals. Before you can Squat lb, you first have to Squat lb, lb, lb and lb. Focus on your next step instead of looking at the top of the mountain.
Your main goal will look easier to achieve and you can check your progress on your way. Some ideas…. I recommend you set the Intermediate I goal by this day next year. Set the Beginner goals for within the next six months. Set the consistency goals too. Then do the work. Failure is part of the game.
Everyone plateaus eventually or this would be too easy. You had a long day at work. You feel sick. It happens. What matters is that you show up anyway. You got away with it when the weights were light. The usual mistakes are rushing through your workouts, trying to accelerate progress, and not recovering properly….
Some people start looking for a new program when they fail reps. They think this one must be broken. They also take their technique, nutrition, and sleep more seriously. They consider it part of their training — because it is. This is a lot of work. In fact, the stronger and more muscular you want to be, the more time and effort you have to put into this. Fix all of that instead of switching program.
Anyway, the first thing you do when you fail a set is to rest longer. Rack the bar and wait at least five minutes before doing your next set. This is not cardio but strength training. Rest longer so you can lift heavy. Use the built-in rest timer in my app. Mark it as two reps done by tapping on the set circle several times in a row the reps will decrease. The app will recommend you to rest longer before doing your next set so you get fives this time. Double-check your equipment is set to catch the bar if you fail on the Squat or Bench Press.
Squat and Bench in the Power Rack. Set the safety pins at the proper height so they can catch the bar if you fail. Rock climbers make beginners drop off the wall so they feel the safety of the rope.
You want to feel the safety of the Power Rack. Squat down, come back up, then fail mid-way. Let the pins catch the bar. This builds your confidence. Failing reps ends the set. Rack the weight, rest five minutes and then do your fourth set. Then rack the weight again, rest, and do your fifth set. The only exception is if you failed because you lost focus or balance. But then on your fourth and fifth set you get 5 reps.
Here you can do a sixth set of five reps to replace your failed set where you only got two reps. Never lower the weight mid-workout to get five reps more easily. You can already do it. You now want your body to lift heavier weight. You need to lift that weight for that. So stick with it and try again. Keep the range of motion the same on every rep and set. The weight can only increase because you got stronger. Not because you moved the bar over a smaller distance than before.
Same idea on the other exercises. Maybe you can get the rep if you let your back round, your elbows flare or your knees cave in. Get small plates so you can microload and avoid plateaus. Repeat the weight next workout for every exercise where you failed reps on.
You do increase the weight on every exercise where you did get five reps on every set. It tells you how much weight to lift next workout when you fail. It repeats the weight on the exercises you fail only while increasing it on the exercises you succeed.
If you fail in a different order, your form is off. Deload if you fail to get five reps on every set for three workouts in a row. Then add weight every workout again. It will take several workouts to get back to the weight you got stuck on. You missed reps on one or several sets for three workouts. Deload instead. Only deload on the exercise you failed.
And if you fail three workouts in a row on Squat, but only failed one workout on Bench, then deload on Squat but repeat the weight on the Bench Press. You can also deload if you have bad form. Add weight every workout after the deload. During those two weeks the weight will feel easy. It automatically deloads the weight for you when you fail three workouts on an exercise.
This saves you having to figure this out and maybe do it wrong. Let the app do the thinking and focus on lifting the weights instead. Deloads work by giving your body extra rest to get stronger for the next weight. Deloads fix that. Deloads also prevent mental plateaus. Instead of keep hitting against that brick wall, you stop trying after three failed workouts. Lower the weight instead and work your way up again. The weights will be easy for several workouts. This will build momentum and bring your motivation back.
There are two reasons why this could happen…. Do your workouts and exercises consistently to trigger your body to get stronger. Take small weight jumps so your body can handle the stress. And get enough food and sleep so your body can recover from that stress. Nothing does. That stress eventually becomes too big for your body to recover from by the next workout. Deloads give you extra rest to break plateaus.
The heavier the weights you can lift, the more stress on your body, the more recovery needed. Your training must change to handle this. Your body recovers better with those two grueling sets gone. And your workout takes less time again. It will feel like a long deload.
But the weights will increase every workout. It will be easier since you stopped failing. Plus the exercise stress is lower so your body recovers better between workouts. It uses the same exercises and principles like progressive overload.
The difference is the weight increases every week not every workout. My lifts are too heavy for it. This is almost twice my body-weight. I wish I could still add weight every workout. But I need a slower progression to get stronger. I need to add weight every week. This gives my body more time to recover from the heavier weights stressing it. It gives it a week to get stronger and build muscle to lift heavier next time.
This the principle of diminishing returns. But taking it to lb usually takes one to two years. At first you have newbie gains. But the stronger you become, the slower gaining additional strength is. Be consistent, use proper form, warm up properly and rest enough between sets. Get plenty of sleep and food. Some want to know the exact weight to reach first. It depends on your weight, age, form, nutrition, sleep, etc. Adding weight every week is easier than every workout.
But it becomes hard too. Besides, this is meant to be hard. You need to stress your body for it to get stronger. But if you stick with it you get used to it. Working hard gets easier. Some people get bored doing the same five exercises. The fun should be in the journey of improving yourself. But if you need variety — do one or two assistance exercises at the end your workouts here and there. Get your variety that way instead of changing programs.
Add weight on the bar every workout as long as you have the ability to do so. Then they quit for the winter. Soreness aka DOMS may happen.
Pump may happen too. The only thing that matters is that the weight on the bar increases over time. Squats can cause leg soreness that lasts up to a week.
Muscles must get used to new exercises. The best way is to ease them in by starting light and slowly adding weight. This will only make the soreness last longer. It will be worst two days after your workout, and can last up to seven days. Bad start. Plus it hurts every time you move meanwhile. Instead, stick to your training schedule and do your workouts.
The warmup sets will hurt. And your muscles will feel better after your workout. The reason this works is because lifting again moves blood into your sore muscles. Blood contains nutrients that accelerate recovery. This gets rid of the soreness faster. So if your legs are sore, try to do light Squats with the empty bar the next day. Any other activity that moves blood into your sore muscles will also help — a good massage, a hot bath, sauna, hammam, etc.
Make sure you also eat properly and drink plenty of water so you get all the nutrients to help with muscle recovery. And get your eight hours of sleep in. If your legs continue to be sore, lower the weight and work your way back up. This will give them a break so they can adapt to the frequency. And quit doing anything else that stresses your legs until the soreness is gone — temporarily drop the cardio, running, sports, etc. Do less. I rarely get sore from lifting.
Your body converts food to energy — calories. It burns these calories to lift the weights, and recover from your workouts. Skinny guys with fast metabolisms may need to eat even more. Eating maintenance calories is better but not ideal. And adding weight every workout is hard work.
It therefore makes sense to eat more. If that number scares you, remember forms follows function. Your body changes in response to the work you do. It gets skinny, fat, and weak from a sedentary lifestyle. You have to eat more to build muscle. But you need to eat less to lose fat.
These goals contradict. This is why bodybuilders traditionally alternate muscle gaining and fat loss phases. They eat more food during the bulk, but less food during the cut. The Texas Method has proven its worth over time and is a popular option for intermediates all over the world.
Mark Rippetoe recommends it as a follow up to his starting strength routine which is similar to Stronglifts 5x5. The basic structure of the program is training three times a week with a Volume, Recovery and Intensity day. The basic template to follow is:.
As I will focus to outlay the program structures for overveiw purposes in this article, please refer to Rippetoe's article, if you are generally interested and want to understand the Texas method in more depth. If you are fed up with only doing sets of five after doing SL 5x5 the Jim Wendler program is a viable option for intermediates which I have done myself.
In this program you will use sets of fives, threes and singles to develop strength and rotate these with one deload week in-between. You will find further detail in the explanation of the Jim Wendler Calculator on the structure of the program. Lifters beyond newbie status also need increased training volume to gain size, and StrongLifts doesn't offer that volume, nor does it offer enough intensity to make an already strong lifter stronger.
Eventually, a lifter must crank out sets of 3, 2, and even 1 rep around 90 percent of their 1-rep max—and above—to get stronger. Some of the exercise reasoning may also be too simple.
For example, the program explanation states that there's only one deadlift set because deadlifting is too taxing, and deadlifting more than programmed is detrimental. The program creators argue that squatting, instead, will improve your deadlift, because it trains the same muscles. This isn't necessarily true.
Squats and deadlifts are different movement patterns, requiring different ranges of motion from muscles and joints. This means the nervous system approaches each differently, so one doesn't necessarily make a lifter better at doing the other. It's true that each exercise recruits similar muscles, but in dissimilar ways.
StrongLifts 5x5 is a great beginner's program, but may not be a great choice for intermediate and advanced lifters. Simplicity and practice pays off for the less-experienced individual, but lifters already aged with iron need a bit more programming complexity to make continued gains in size and strength. We'll tackle those programs in the near future and see how you can use them to maximize your strength gains! View all articles by this author. Access our entire library of more than 90 fitness programs.
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