Just looking for yea(s) and neh(s)

[sweatymoo]

Opinions on strong lifts 5x5? The program seems interesting but I just saw a video of the guy promoting it, not impressed.

[sweatymoo]

Opinions on strong lifts 5x5? The program seems interesting but I just saw a video of the guy promoting it, not impressed.

My goal is to gain strength..

[jimmyinkedup]

Im not a fan of set rep scheme routines. How about failure, every time, screw the # of reps ....

[RaginCajun]

do yourself a favor and check out Marcus' Diary in the lounge. start on page one, so much training advice in there!

[frighteous]

smolov.

[sweatymoo]

do yourself a favor and check out Marcus' Diary in the lounge. start on page one, so much training advice in there!

So much training advice blended with thousands of BS chatter. Don't get me wrong I love to chatter but reading that thread for lifting advice is just not feasible. I appreciate the heads up though but does anyone have any real world experience with this method?

[RangerDanger830]

I do not think you are expecting a definitive answer as we all are going to have different opinions. But here is my take on it. I would prefer to lift to failure each set, which is what I do and have always done.

So let's say I max out at 350lbs on the bench press for one rep, just hypothetical as I do not know my max. That means I would probably work out with 250lbs and do reps til failure each set. However, if I chose to have a set number of repetitions, in this case 5, I would probably choose to do more weight than the 250 so as to get the same fatigue and stress on the muscles as before.

So lifting for failure I do less weight than if I were to do 5x5, this is just my preference. Some exercises I would do a little less weight and some exercises it would probably be a lot less weight. Either way, the closer I am lifting to that max the higher chance I have of injuring myself. So I do it for that reason, I am in this for the long term.

This is not to say that I disagree with a 5x5 method, to each his own. I have no doubt that if I followed that routine I could manage some gains fairly well from it.

[600@50]

First of all you can't just pick a program and stay on it indefinitely. Your body will adapt so you'll have to change something. How often you change your routine needs to be based on if what you're doing now is not working then change it. Also if you just mentally need a change then be all means change your program.

An if you are after strength then check out powerlifting programs. Most powerlifters rarely go to failure on a set. One of the all time best lifters Ed Coan said he tried to always leave a rep in the tank. Meaning your set of 3 reps was done with a weight you could have done 4 times.

So try the 5x5, 3x3 or just do 8-10 singles. Or sets of different reps. Keep your body guessing and it'll respond.