*Rate this 5x5*

[the big 1]

As many of you may know there are hundreds of variations of Bill Starr's 5x5 training.

After ive fininshed my cutting diet and routine, im planning to change to 5x5 for a period of mass gaining.

The layout that follows is madcows variation of Bill stars origional 5x5. Its basically the same, only Bill used alot more clean and press's, along with snatches, this was more for olyimpic lifting and building power, whereas madcows is more for building strength and mass...not that both dont do that anyway....

anyway, here is my routine along with my weight increments for each week...



day exercise sets / reps day notes

monday
squat - 5x5 ramp weight to top set of 5 (equals fridays heavy triple)
bench - 5x5 ramp weight to top set of 5 (equals fridays heavy triple)
bar rows - 5x5 ramp weight to top set of 5 (equals fridays heavy triple)
hypers - 2x12
sit ups - 4x12

wednesday
squat - 4x5 1st 3 sets the same as monday, 4th set same as 3rd
military - 4x5 ramp weight to top set of 5
deadlift - 4x5 ramp weight to top set of 5
sit ups - 3x12

friday
squat - 4x5,1x3,1x8 1st 4 sets the same as mondays, triple is 2.5% above mondays
top set of 5, use weight from 3rd set for set of 8
bench - 4x5,1x3,1x8 1st 4 sets the same as mondays, triple is 2.5% above mondays
top set of 5, use weight from 3rd set for set of 8
bar rows - 4x5,1x3,1x8 1st 4 sets the same as mondays, triple is 2.5% above mondays
top set of 5, use weight from 3rd set for set of 8
w8ed dips - 3x5-8

bar curls - 3x8

tri exts - 3x8

1, 3 and 5 Rep maxs for weeks 1-4

1 rep max 3 rep max 5 rep max
squat 260 lbs 240 lbs 225 lbs
bench 230 lbs 212 lbs 200 lbs
deadlift 390 lbs 360 lbs 340 lbs
row 185 lbs 171 lbs 161 lbs
military 165 lbs 152 lbs 144 lbs

SQUAT week 1 week 2 week 3 week 4
monday 5x5 squat 225 lbs 230 lbs 236 lbs 242 lbs
wednesday 4x5 squat 225 lbs 230 lbs 236 lbs 242 lbs
friday 4x5 squat 225 lbs 230lbs 236 lbs 242 lbs
friday 1x3 squat 230 lbs 236 lbs 242 lbs 248 lbs
friday 1x8 squat 215 lbs 220 lbs 225 lbs 230 lbs

BENCH week 1 week 2 week 3 week 4
monday 5x5 bench 200 lbs 205 lbs 210 lbs 215 lbs
friday 4x5 bench 200 lbs 205 lbs 210 lbs 215 lbs
friday 1x3 bench 205 lbs 210 lbs 215 lbs 220 lbs
friday 1x8 bench 180 lbs 190 lbs 200 lbs 205 lbs

DEADLIFT week 1 week 2 week 3 week 4
wednesday 4x5 deadlift 340 lbs 348 lbs 357 lbs 366 lbs

ROW week 1 week 2 week 3 week 4
monday 5x5 rows 161 lbs 165 lbs 169 lbs 173 lbs
friday 4x5 rows 161 lbs 165 lbs 169 lbs 173 lbs
friday 1x3 rows 165 lbs 169 lbs 173 lbs 177 lbs
friday 1x8 rows 140 lbs 150 lbs 155 lbs 160 lbs

MILITARY week 1 week 2 week 3 week 4
wednesday 4x5 military 144 lbs 147 lbs 150 lbs 154 lbs

Weeks 5 - 8 / carry on from end of week 4

SQUAT week 5 week 6 week 7 week 8
monday 5x5 squat 248 lbs 256 lbs 262 lbs 268 lbs
wednesday 4x5 squat 248 lbs 256 lbs 262 lbs 268 lbs
friday 4x5 squat 248 lbs 256 lbs 262 lbs 268 lbs
friday 1x3 squat 256 lbs 262 lbs 268 lbs 275 lbs
friday 1x8 squat 230 lbs 235 lbs 240 lbs 245 lbs

BENCH week 5 week 6 week 7 week 8
monday 5x5 bench 220 lbs 225 lbs 231 lbs 237 lbs
friday 4x5 bench 220 lbs 225 lbs 231 lbs 237 lbs
friday 1x3 bench 225 lbs 231 lbs 237 lbs 243 lbs
friday 1x8 bench 200 lbs 205 lbs 210 lbs 215 lbs

DEADLIFT week 5 week 6 week 7 week 8
wednesday 4x5 deadlift 375 lbs 384 lbs 393 lbs 402 lbs

ROW week 5 week 6 week 7 week 8
monday 5x5 rows 177 lbs 181 lbs 185 lbs 190 lbs
friday 4x5 rows 177 lbs 181 lbs 185 lbs 190 lbs
friday 1x3 rows 181 lbs 185 lbs 190 lbs 195 lbs
friday 1x8 rows 160 lbs 165 lbs 165 lbs 170 lbs

MILITARY week 5 week 6 week 7 week 8
wednesday 4x5 military 158 lbs 162 lbs 166 lbs 170 lbs

[the big 1]

In a more generic format, i will write how my lifts should have improved over the weeks that pass...

END OF WEEK 4
Squat -248lbs
bench-220lbs
deadlift-366lbs
row-177lbs
military-154lbs

END OF WEEK 8
squat-275lbs
bench-243lbs
deadlift-402lbs
row-195lbs
military-170lbs

As you can see, by week 16 or so i should have upped my core lifts by 20%, well thats the plan....

[MACHINE5150]

good luck bud.. When do you start???

im gonna subscribe to this thread as i want to see how u progress..

i did a similar workout years ago and i went from 315lbs to 365lbs bench in seven or eight weeks.. then did it again and went from 365 to 405lbs.. put almost a hundred pounds on my bech in less than a year with out using AAS. i'm a far cry from being there now since i took several years off from the gym, but i am a huge fan of there types of programs. Good Luck bud!!!

[the big 1]

good luck bud.. When do you start???

im gonna subscribe to this thread as i want to see how u progress..

i did a similar workout years ago and i went from 315lbs to 365lbs bench in seven or eight weeks.. then did it again and went from 365 to 405lbs.. put almost a hundred pounds on my bech in less than a year with out using AAS. i'm a far cry from being there now since i took several years off from the gym, but i am a huge fan of there types of programs. Good Luck bud!!!

i need to get my bf% really low first, im 3 weeks into a cut so i wont be beginning this for about 7 or 8 weeks...

but ile definately be making a progress thread for this, its great to have someone like you to help me along whos done this kind of program...

thanks mate....