My 5x5 with Variations - Comments?

[hockeyroom28]

5'9 1/2 170, been lifting for 2 1/2+ years. Supps include protein, white flood (NO), green mag (creatine), purple wraath (BCAA/EAA), CLA, Glutamine, and Multi.

For those that aren't familiar, 5x5 = MWF split doing Bench, Squat, Rows on M 5 sets of 5 + warmup, Wed 4 sets of 5 Squat, Incline, and Deadlift, Fri 4 sets of 5 Bench, Rows, Squat, 1 set of 3 (increasing from 5th set max on Monday), 1 set of 8 of the 3rd set from Monday

Monday

Squat
Warmup 1x12 225
5x 265
5x 285
5x 305
5x 325
5x 345

Bench
WU 1x12 135
5x 175
5x 185
5x 195
5x 205
5x 215

Cleans (my variation)
8x 95
8x 105
8x 115

12-10-8 Tri Extensions
12-10-8 Tri Pulldowns
12-10-8 Skull Crushers
12-10-8 Tri Overheads


Tuesday

18-16-14 DB Press (60-70)
18-16-14 DB Incline (50-60)
18-16-14 BB Decline (135-155)
15-15-15 DB Flys
12-10-8 Press Machine


Wednesday

Squat
WU 1x12 225
5x 285
" 305
" 325
"345

Deadlift
WU 1x12 135
5x 185
5x 205
5x 225
5x 245

Incline
WU 1x12 135
5x 155
5x 165
5x 175
5x 185

12-10-8 Bicep DB Curls
12-10-8 Hammer Curls
12-10-8 Standing Straight Bar Curles
12-10-8 Preacher Curls Machine


Thursday

12-10-8 Front Shoulder Raises
12-10-8 Shoulder Press DB (50-60)
12-10-8 Upright Rows
12-10-8 Back T-Bar
12-10-8 Lat Pulldown
12-10-8 Hyperextensions


Friday

Squat
WU 1x12 225
5x 265
5x 285
5x 305
5x 325

3x 355 - goal for this week

8x 305

Bench
WU 1x12 135
5x 175
5x 185
5x 195
5x 205

3x 220 - goal for this week

8x 195

Rows - my variation
8x 135
8x 135
8x 135

Abs 2-3 times/week

Comments?

[kaberle_15]

I dont think you are giving your muscles any time to recover really......a muscle can't grow if it has no time to recover.... squats 3 times a week and chest 4 times if i read that correctly is overtraining. Just keep it simple, train every bodypart once or twice a week and get variation in there to mix things up.

[Ronnie Rowland]

5'9 1/2 170, been lifting for 2 1/2+ years. Supps include protein, white flood (NO), green mag (creatine), purple wraath (BCAA/EAA), CLA, Glutamine, and Multi.

For those that aren't familiar, 5x5 = MWF split doing Bench, Squat, Rows on M 5 sets of 5 + warmup, Wed 4 sets of 5 Squat, Incline, and Deadlift, Fri 4 sets of 5 Bench, Rows, Squat, 1 set of 3 (increasing from 5th set max on Monday), 1 set of 8 of the 3rd set from Monday

Monday

Squat
Warmup 1x12 225
5x 265
5x 285
5x 305
5x 325
5x 345

Bench
WU 1x12 135
5x 175
5x 185
5x 195
5x 205
5x 215

Cleans (my variation)
8x 95
8x 105
8x 115

12-10-8 Tri Extensions
12-10-8 Tri Pulldowns
12-10-8 Skull Crushers
12-10-8 Tri Overheads


Tuesday

18-16-14 DB Press (60-70)
18-16-14 DB Incline (50-60)
18-16-14 BB Decline (135-155)
15-15-15 DB Flys
12-10-8 Press Machine


Wednesday

Squat
WU 1x12 225
5x 285
" 305
" 325
"345

Deadlift
WU 1x12 135
5x 185
5x 205
5x 225
5x 245

Incline
WU 1x12 135
5x 155
5x 165
5x 175
5x 185

12-10-8 Bicep DB Curls
12-10-8 Hammer Curls
12-10-8 Standing Straight Bar Curles
12-10-8 Preacher Curls Machine


Thursday

12-10-8 Front Shoulder Raises
12-10-8 Shoulder Press DB (50-60)
12-10-8 Upright Rows
12-10-8 Back T-Bar
12-10-8 Lat Pulldown
12-10-8 Hyperextensions


Friday

Squat
WU 1x12 225
5x 265
5x 285
5x 305
5x 325

3x 355 - goal for this week

8x 305

Bench
WU 1x12 135
5x 175
5x 185
5x 195
5x 205

3x 220 - goal for this week

8x 195

Rows - my variation
8x 135
8x 135
8x 135

Abs 2-3 times/week

Comments?

You could injure your lower back doing dead-lifts after than many sets of squats. Training biceps the day before lats is a disaster waiting to happen. And training triceps the day before doing shoulder work is even worse. The list goes on and on. I would hit the nearest exit!

[BWhitaker]

I didnt really look at the changes that he made to the original 5x5 program but this is a program from Glen Pendlay and Bill Starr...both are very very respected lifters and coaches.

There is only really 1 or so worksets for the most part for each muscle. The volume is very low, hence the reason they claim to be able to do it so often.

[TR'05]

Maybe I am confused...but are you tweaking a normal 5 x 5 by adding two extra days (i.e. Tuesday and Thursday)...If so, rethink this...

The success of 5 x 5 programs is highly contingent on ample amounts of rest.

[hockeyroom28]

Well it has been working for me for the past 6 months, so I'm a little scared to back off by 2 days, I don't want to lose the gains I have been making.