
I was able to add 75 lbs to my bench and 125 lbs to my squat in little under a years time. If your main goal is to get strong while still burning fat then this is a routine for you. Only an extended layoff due to a variety of factors stopped my progress. I did this for about a year and never really stopped progressing and was able to put up personal bests in every lift. The whole routine is short and sweet yet VERY taxing.
STRONGLIFTS 5X5 CARDIO FULL
I do a one day on, one day off routine (example Monday is workout 1, Wednesday is workout 2, etc.) and every 6 to 8 weeks I de-load and then take a full week off. Typically I will do 5 sets of 5 reps on every movement except for deads of which I do three working sets (after 1 to 3 warm up sets) and I increase the weight each set. I also wanted some direct arm movements as well so I added those. Like I said earlier, I felt squatting every other day was too much for me and deadlifts once a week was not enough so I changed up the routine. After a few months of it I adjusted the routine slightly, adding a few movements and changing the frequency of others. I started using the 5 x 5 plan about a year and a half ago and I had great results with it although squatting three times per week really wasn't for me. Those muscles prevent your trunk from breaking in half (or, to be more specific, your disk from slipping) while you do the heavy lifts, and have to be done as well. Throw-in some abdominal crunches and back extensions. Looking for more strength and endurance: do the opposite.įinally: you need something for the"core" as well. Looking to improve max strength: decrease the reps even more. Tweak the number of sets and reps to your needs. If you can't pull up your body weight, use the machine.Īnother thing: don't obsess with the 5x5. A bonus: no stress on your back, you get it stretched instead.

Pull ups train the back, arm and forearm\grip muscles in a synergistic, dynamic way similar to clean and snatch. Do it if you want to risk injury to your lower back, while providing barely any benefits to your upper back and arms. If you were to choose one and only ONE exercise to train strength, power, speed, flexibility, coordination and technique, nothing comes close to snatch.Ĥ. As a bonus, cleans work legs through a larger range of motion, and also help with balance and flexibility.ģ. Unlike dead-lifts, cleans work upper body as well, in a synergistic, dynamic way. Keep squats, and bench press - good exercises for their respective body parts (legs and chest\arms)Ģ.
