StrongLifts 5 x 5 System: Get Stronger, Build Muscle, Burn Fat


Program 5 by 5 for mass as old as time. However, this does not negate its effectiveness. Athletes have used this program since ancient Soviet times and grew well on it. Unfortunately, modern fashion trends often lead people away from proven and really working programs towards clever but ineffective schemes. Today we will figure out why the 5x5 training program is so good.

Complex diagram

The 5x5 training program should proceed as follows:

  1. One day: perform bent-over barbell rows, bench presses, and barbell squats.
  2. Day two: do deadlifts with a barbell in free weight, perform standing barbell presses and squats with the same barbell.

This program is designed that classes will take place 3 times a week so that the muscles can rest and recover. After all, during the recovery period, muscles grow, so rest a day at least after a training day. For example, Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, other options are possible.

The main thing is to alternate workouts no matter what day they fall on. For convenience, you can mark sequence A and B on your calendar so that the workouts are not repeated every day.

A 5 by 5 workout program means doing one exercise with 5 sets of 5 reps each. Only workers need to take into account 5 approaches. In bodybuilding, it is customary to call a working approach not the one performed for warming up or warming up, but a full-fledged exercise with a weight that is optimal for the load.

Only deadlifts in this program are performed in one set of 5 repetitions. Training approaches also need to be done before moving on to working ones.

As in any other training for mass and strength, in this one you need to increase the weight of the barbell. It is best to stick to an increase of two and a half kilograms. As for the increase in pancakes in the deadlift, you can increase it by 5 kilograms.

Comments on the program

  • When starting a triset, you perform 5 reps on the first exercise, then rest for 1 minute, move on to the second exercise in the triset, and perform 5 reps. Again, rest for 1 minute, perform 5 reps on the third exercise, and rest for 1 minute. This counts as one approach (set).
    Once you complete all 5 sets, move on to the next triset.
  • To successfully complete this program and avoid injury, you must have good technique and not be new to the gym.
  • To gain strength and mass, you need to eat in a calorie surplus and have time to recover between workouts.

Read before training:

All basic exercises with correct technique

Training program for maximum effective muscle growth from scientists

How hard should you train?

5 reasons why you look like you don't exercise

5 reasons why your workout is ineffective

Squats in Bodybuilding and Powerlifting: 10 Important Differences

How to pump up the press correctly

How to squat with a barbell correctly

Training for a beginner. The beginning of time.

12 rules. How to avoid looking like a sucker at the gym

What is “overtraining” and why is it very dangerous?

What weight should I start with?

For experienced athletes who know their working weight, it is better to start a training complex with a barbell half as large as their maximum.

For those who have just come to the sport or have not picked up a barbell for a long time, but already want to start doing 5 on 5 exercises, then you should adhere to the following parameters to get started:

  • Bench press, squats and standing press - perform with an empty bar, its weight is 20 kg.
  • Bent-over barbell row - put two five-kilogram weights on the bar, for a total of 30kg.
  • Deadlift – there are two 10 kilogram weight plates on the bar, for a total initial weight of 40 kg.

Examples of training weeks

Table of the first week with initial weights and exercises according to the 5x5 program:

Monday Wednesday Friday
Exercise weight Exercise weight Exercise weight
1. Barbell squat 20kg 1. Barbell squat 22.5kg 1. Barbell squat 25kg
2.Bench press 20kg 2.Standing press 20 kg 2.Bench press 22.5kg
3. Bent-over barbell row 30kg 3. Deadlift 40kg 3. Bent-over barbell row 32.5kg

Table of the second week according to the 5x5 training complex method:

Monday Wednesday Friday
Exercise Weight Exercise weight Exercise weight
1. Barbell squat 27.5kg 1. Barbell squat 30kg 1. Barbell squat 32kg
2.Standing press 22.5kg 2.Bench press 25kg 2.Standing press 25kg
3. Deadlift 45kg 3. Bent-over barbell row 35kg 3. Deadlift 50kg

Other amounts

U.S. dollarsRussian rublesRussian rublesU.S. dollars
5$ =361.69 ₽5 ₽ =0.07$
10$ =723.38 ₽10 ₽ =0.14$
20$ =1 446.76 ₽20 ₽ =0.28$
50$ =3 616.91 ₽50 ₽ =0.69$
100$ =7 233.81 ₽100 ₽ =1.38$
500$ =36 169.05 ₽500 ₽ =6.91$

The table of ready-made conversions of dollars to rubles contains frequently used amounts of money for transferring between a pair of $ ₽.

How much rest during breaks?

It is very important to rest between sets of one exercise so that you have enough strength for the next five repetitions, but not for too long. At first, the initial weight in the 5 by 5 training program is still small, there should be no need for long breaks, and later, when the load increases, the pause should be increased proportionally. Tips on how to properly take a break between sets:

  • 1-2 minutes if the approach is completed easily,
  • 3 minutes, when the last approach is difficult to complete,
  • 5 minutes of rest if the last five repetitions could not be completed fully.

Geography of the spread of COVID-19 by region of the Russian Federation

Moscow takes first place in the anti-rating of confirmed cases of coronavirus infection COVID-2019. The capital has become the epicenter of infection with the new coronavirus. The situation remains extremely tense in the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Sverdlovsk regions, in the Republic of Dagestan, Murmansk region, Rostov region, Krasnodar region, and Tula region.

RegionTotal number of casesCases todayTotal deathsDied in a dayTotal recovered
Moscow155219291317946840682
Moscow region30983892299144281
Saint Petersburg1220340810452661
Nizhny Novgorod Region74132045341756
The Republic of Dagestan37461034152489
Sverdlovsk region3308174102976
Krasnodar region2974912601644
Rostov region29261423301071
Kaluga region2871121211722
Tula region2824892001026
Krasnoyarsk region2821376221634
Murmansk region278167701496
Ryazan Oblast26739670481
Bryansk region26321173101211
Republic of Tatarstan254671801452
Republic of Bashkortostan242489180763
Republic of North Ossetia-Alania2387732241205
Leningrad region22696180845
Kursk region22588170738
Tambov Region22388450682
Yaroslavl region2206133131420
Saratov region213967153568
Vladimir region204357150277
Kabardino-Balkarian Republic20206881524
Chuvash Republic20147891629
Chelyabinsk region191384111694
Volgograd region191382130626
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug19026450324
Novosibirsk region188176231773
Samara Region174074132485
Stavropol region172869342638
The Republic of Ingushetia164843361675
Oryol Region164749100654
Ulyanovsk region15967060403
The Republic of Mordovia15123590478
Belgorod region149971120464
Primorsky Krai149549140514
Khabarovsk region14446490641
Lipetsk region14396240382
Orenburg region14374550787
Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug143059120502
Smolensk region141861131464
Ivanovo region141555160444
Penza region1400831311002
Mari El Republic13603880989
Voronezh region130741130837
Tyumen region12781170551
Perm region122648130619
Tver region120339110733
Astrakhan region12024870565
Altai region11115771581
Kirov region10912761687
Kaliningrad region107634143465
The Republic of Buryatia10422760436
Komi Republic103213191484
Chechen Republic102621110635
The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)9973761449
Arhangelsk region8584140349
Irkutsk region7803460178
Republic of Kalmykia77632100283
Omsk region7644770120
Novgorod region7273250238
The Republic of Khakassia72429100366
Karachay-Cherkess Republic7011240222
Transbaikal region6463170301
Republic of Adygea5613680274
Kamchatka Krai5541820153
Vologda Region5282630222
Kostroma region5271171255
Pskov region4943390172
Udmurt republic4635120296
Tyva Republic451441050
Tomsk region4292040109
Kemerovo region3652370127
Republic of Crimea299120126
Amur region294171075
Jewish Autonomous Region261152090
Republic of Karelia260191066
Magadan Region206530131
Kurgan region150170058
Sevastopol148120105
Altai Republic8860037
Sakhalin region5920033
Nenets Autonomous Okrug591007
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug5600024

Increasing load and progression

The main point of a set of three exercises per day is the need to increase the load in each workout. Without adding weight to the apparatus, there can be no progress towards the desired result.

This workout program will work to gain weight, as long as you remember to increase your protein intake. Because with increasing loads, rapid recovery requires the supply of energy, which can be provided by proper and frequent nutrition of the body.

So, how to properly increase the load? It’s simple, as soon as all approaches with five repetitions are performed from start to finish correctly and without difficulty, then in the next workout you need to increase the weight by 2.5 kg, that is, add 1.25 kg of pancakes to the bar on each side. And in the deadlift, if the exercise is successfully completed, increase the weight by five kg.

Do not neglect the recommendations for the weight of the projectile. Even if the starting weight seems too light. After all, by adhering to the developed program, at the end of the month another 30 kg will be added to the free bar, in the end it will be as much as 50 kg. At the end of the second month, the same bar with weights will weigh 80 kg, and the third - 110 kg. Strict adherence to the 5x5 training rules and gradual weight gain over three months will lead to the desired result.

Goals and objectives of the program 5 to 5

The goals and objectives of the program are to gain muscle mass by fully activating large muscle groups using large weights with a small number of repetitions. This is what you need for real strength work!

As Stewart argued, it is with weight gain that muscle growth occurs. The greater the weight of the weight, the more muscle fibers are involved in the work! Many people are mistaken if they think that the main thing is the number of approaches!

How to warm up

A warm-up to circulate blood throughout the body must be done every time before training with a barbell. Examples of such exercises include: jumping rope, treadmill and muscle stretching. The main thing is not to overdo it, so that later working with the barbell will not be a burden.

Also, the warm-up must include two training sets of 5 repetitions. The weight should be light. To begin with, you can take an empty bar, then gradually begin to add weight. Gradually adding pancakes, as during the initial training period. Thus, continue to train according to the 5 by 5 system until the weight reaches the working weight. And with the working weight, it’s time to do full 5x5. So it turns out that if you start your warm-up with an empty bar and add a little weight at a time, there may be twice as many sets in total with training ones.

Long breaks between warm-up exercises should not be taken.

Naturally, it makes no sense to do a warm-up with a barbell during the first days of training, since the very first weight is the working weight. This means that at the initial stage, immediately after warming up, you can begin working approaches.

As for deadlifts, whether bent over or deadlifts, you don’t need to start with an empty bar. It is better to have minimal plates on the bar and gradually increase their number. This is explained by the fact that these exercises need to be done at the end of the workout, so warming up is not needed. And also the technique of performing without pancakes will suffer significantly.

The best return from training using the 5x5 system

We all respond differently to different types of training. Training according to the 5x5 program may be more suitable for some. Some people have less. Since the 5x5 system is quite simple and designed to build basic strength, it is probably best suited for beginner athletes.

For beginners, it is first of all important to reach a certain level of strength, and this is precisely what the 5x5 system can do best. Considering that it is also quite simple, this makes it even more attractive for use by novice athletes.

But not only beginner athletes can use this system. For example, advanced athletes can also use this program periodically, since they must alternate work with different numbers of repetitions to avoid muscle adaptation to the load.

It is known that our muscles strive to adapt to the environment, which is why they grow in response to load, but each time this growth will be less and less, as the muscles get used to a certain load. To give them a new stimulus for growth, you need to periodically change your training programs. This is exactly where the use of the 5x5 system can help.

Weight loss

It happens that with such a rapid rate of increase in load, the body does not have time to recover properly and perform the exercises becoming harder and harder. If you can’t do five sets of five reps with the working weight well, then you can’t add weight. On the next training day, repeat the exercise with the same weight. And only when you manage to perform a difficult weight with all the necessary approaches with the required number of repetitions without delay, then only after such a training day can you add pancakes to the next one. This applies to each exercise separately, that is, whether to add it in the squat or not depends on the situation, also in the bench press or deadlift exercise and others too.

If the weight seems too difficult and cannot be performed for three workouts in a row, then it is recommended to reduce the weight of the barbell by 10% in this exercise.

So, for example, exercise 5 to 5 deadlift with a barbell weighing 80 kg cannot be performed for three training days in a row. Calculation of working weight at the moment: 80-10% = 72 kg. Since in the deadlift exercise the weight increase is performed by 5 kg, then 72 is rounded down and then the working weight will be equal to 65 kg. Thus, going back a little, you need to continue to train and increase weight until you achieve results. There is no need to reduce weight in other exercises.

How much to study

It is necessary to study according to this scheme for at least 3 months. As for the maximum, this is purely individual, some can study for 4 months, six months, while others can do it for a whole year. This depends on various reasons: regimen, nutrition, age, gender, etc. In general, you need to follow this complex until you have the strength to increase the weight, at least not every workout, and even if you have to decrease it, but then, anyway, it turns out take more.

When it is no longer possible to add weight to the apparatus and the count goes not to days, but to weeks, then this indicates that the maximum from the 5 to 5 program has been squeezed out. In this case, you need to move to another training system.

For example, in squats with a barbell, most athletes have a working weight of 100–140 kg. Rarely anyone can perform heavier weights for five sets of five repetitions.

Graph of the ratio of 5 dollars to rubles

For a better understanding, above is a graph of changes in the quote of 5 dollars in rubles for the last day, week, month and year. The maximum was reached on May 15, 2020 and amounted to 369.65 rubles. (three hundred sixty-nine rubles sixty-five kopecks), at least 05/21/2020, when five dollars could be bought for 361.69 rubles (three hundred sixty-one rubles sixty-nine kopecks). It displays the dynamics of the exchange rate, which makes it possible to find out the ratio of currencies on a specific day or period. Using it, you can make approximate forecasts of the cost of 5 US dollars in rubles for the near future.

Rules for performing the complex

In order for the 5 by 5 training program to give the desired result, you need to remember the following rules that you should not forget:

  • Do not change your training regimen under any circumstances.
  • It is strictly forbidden to skip training days,
  • You can’t train every day in a row, you must observe rest days,
  • One day - one workout, you cannot combine exercises from different days in one,
  • The order and number of exercises must be exactly according to the scheme, these parameters remain unchanged,
  • Stick to specific exercises. It cannot be replaced either with exercises in simulators or with any others, otherwise the meaning of the complex changes,
  • Increase the weight on the bar strictly according to the scheme, gradually, no faster and no slower than indicated,
  • Exercises should be performed in strict accordance with approaches and repetitions; a superset is not allowed.

By following these rules, you can count on results. Judging by the reviews, this program only works according to this scheme; if you make even the slightest adjustments, it will no longer be a 5 to 5 program.

Sets of exercises

The exercises given in this scheme are just an example and may vary, and can also be replaced with others as needed. There are three reasons why you may need to substitute exercises: 1. lack of equipment in the gym 2. inability to perform certain exercises due to physiological characteristics or lack of training at this stage (for example, pull-ups imply that you must perform them with at least your own weight) 3. fairly long-term use of a certain exercise and the need to change it to add variety to the training process.

A few more tips for success:

  1. In order for the complex to work to increase muscle volume, the nutrition must correspond to the weight gain. It is necessary in a diet with a high calorie content.
  2. Sleep should be 8 hours, no less. Before going to bed, the bedroom should be well ventilated, it should be dark and should not be disturbed by any extraneous noise, so that you can surely sleep and recover.
  3. You can download the official application to your phone, in which the developers have already thought of everything in advance and a reminder of weight gain, and a timer that counts breaks and approaches, and marks a progress graph.

Do not neglect the weightlifting belt when performing heavy loads, this can protect your back from injury. Shoes should have hard soles so that they do not fall under the heel when lifting the barbell. And magnesium or chalk is perfect for your hands so that the projectile does not slip out of your hands.

Judging by the reviews, the system is simple but effective, and the exercises it includes are basic, as they are performed with free weight and involve all muscle groups. By following all the above recommendations, after just three months you can see the result both in the mirror and in a notebook with notes on your working weight. Isn’t that why people go to the gym?

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