Stronglifts 5×5 Program: Great strength training plan for beginners
If you’re looking to build strength and pack on some serious muscle mass, then the StrongLifts 5×5 program might be just what you need.
StrongLifts 5×5 is a simple yet effective training program that focuses on compound exercises and progressive overload. In this article, we will take a closer look at what the program entails and why it has become so popular among gym-goers worldwide.
What is Stronglifts 5×5 Program?
StrongLifts 5×5 is a strength training program designed to help beginners lifters build a solid foundation of strength while concurrently focusing on muscle growth. The name itself refers to the principal set and rep scheme used in the program – five sets of five repetitions with a focus on compound lifts.
The core exercises included in StrongLifts 5×5 are the squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press, and barbell row. These compound movements engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, making them highly efficient for building both strength and muscle mass.
QUICK SUMMARY: This program is created to build strength and size with basic fundamental movements. its simple and easy to learn which is exactly what you need as a beginner.
How 5×5 Stronglifts Works?
It’s a three-day-per-week program in which you only train with multijoint barbell lifts such as deadlift, squat, bench press, overhead press, and bent-over row per week.
These 5 exercises separated in an A/B split. This means there are two different workouts (Day A and Day B) alternated throughout the training week, with a rest day between each training day.
Day A lifts: are the squat, bench press, and bent-over barbell row.
Day B lifts: are the squat, overhead press, and deadlift.
Each lift is performed for 5 sets of 5 reps except for the deadlift, which is only 1 set of 5. That may seem strange, but according to the StrongLifts website, doing more would beat you up excessively, and squatting three times a week will build many of the same muscles that are used in deadlifting.
None of these sets are taken to failure. Your goal is to increase the weight you lift by 5 pounds each workout for as long as you can.
Note that the 5 sets do not include warm-up sets. You’ll do the 5 working sets with the same amount of weight for each set.
Here is an example of how your training program should look like if you train Mo/We/Fr…
Week 1 stronglifts | ||
Monday – Day A lifts |
Wednesday – Day B lifts |
Friday – Day A lifts |
| Squats 5×5 | Squats 5×5 | Squats 5×5 |
| Bench press 5×5 | Overhead press 5×5 | Bench press 5×5 |
| Barbell row 5×5 | Deadlift 1×5 | Barbell row 5×5 |
Start week two with Day B lifts because you finished week one with Day A lifts. Your second week will look like this…
Week 2 stronglifts | ||
Monday – Day B lifts |
Wednesday – Day A lifts |
Friday – Day B lifts |
| Squats 5×5 | Squats 5×5 | Squats 5×5 |
| Overhead press 5×5 | Bench press 5×5 | Overhead press 5×5 |
Deadlift 1×5 | Barbell row 5×5 | Deadlift 1×5 |
On week 3, you go back to what you did in week 1 and you keep alternating between Week 1 and 2 until you finish with this program in 12 weeks.
Split A Explained:
Split B Explained:
Related: You are doing your deadlift wrong
Is Stronglifts 5×5 good enough?
Stronglifts is like any other weightlifting program, it has its ups and downs. Here are some of it to help you decide if its good enough for you:
Advantages
1-Simplicity and efficiency
What makes this program so special are, the simplicity and efficiency of the exercises in this program. You only have to learn how to do 5 fundamental exercises, which is more than enough to target almost every muscle in your body.
2-Become an expert at the major lifts
When you are doing the major lifts every single workout you are getting in tons of repetitions.
As they say, practice makes perfect. Over the course of 3-6 months of practice, you can expect to become extremely confident in how to perform these compound exercises properly.
3-Better strength gains
The primary basis of this program is that you add weight every workout to drastically increase strength in the lifter. This is the basis of progressive overload. It forces you to continually adapt to heavy weights each workout, slowly increasing the challenge and your strength.
In fact, in just three months of the program, the average lifter can expect drastic strength gains. Some people have reported increasing their 1 rep maxes on heavier exercises like squats and deadlifts by almost 200 lbs!
4-Great muscle growth
The program focuses on strength, yes, but don’t let that fool you. It is also great for muscle building as well. Although you may think that high volume or tons of different exercises are the key to gaining muscle, you couldn’t be more wrong.
To increase strength you need to increase what? That’s right, muscle. By consistently improving strength you are consistently increasing your muscle mass as well.
How much? Based upon your experience and body type, it is possible to add anywhere from 4-8 lbs of muscle in your first 3 months. And in a year, you could add anywhere from 12-30 lbs of muscle during your first year.
Related: Full weight gaining guide for a skinny
5-Burn more fat than cardio
If you don’t already know, weight training can burn tons of calories during and after the workout session even more than cardio. But, how?
Firstly, lifting weights requires a great deal of energy. Then there is also the energy required for repairing and building new muscle tissue after every workout. With each workout increasing the weight lifted, you are boosting the amount of energy being burnt every day.
Secondly, since you are packing on muscle, you are going to automatically have a higher basal metabolic rate. Leading to your body’s natural energy requirements to increase.
6-Hitting every muscle 3 times per week
Most generic programs have you lifting in a way that you target every muscle group once a week. And there is nothing wrong with that, but if you are a natural lifter, the muscle building process only last 48-72h after the workout session.
So, if you want to maximize your results, you have to target each muscle group 2 or 3 times per week.
With a full body workout such as stronglifts 5×5, you are targeting every muscle in your body three times a week. Making it much more effective for building muscle and strength.
7-Good for any athlete
No matter what sport you play, getting stronger is going to increase your athleticism. You can expect to be able to jump higher, sprint faster, run for longer, and become a tougher competitor.
Disadvantages
The only problem with stronglifts 5×5 program is, it may be not that good for Intermediate or advanced lifters.
The advanced lifters typically need greater training complexity to make continued gains. This could mean exercise variations, or it could mean how the exercises are loaded. Continually doing 5×5 and adding 5 pounds per workout won’t work for those who are already able to rock a barbell.
Lifters beyond newbie status also need increased training volume to gain size, and StrongLifts doesn’t offer that volume, nor does it offer enough intensity to make an already strong lifter stronger.
QUICK SUMMARY: The 5×5 program is really effective in building muscle, strength and even burning fat as long as you are starting from nothing or coming back from a long time off.
How long does it take to see results?
Stronglifts 5×5 Results in strength, you will experience almost immediate strength gains. You’ll see the weight on the bar increase every workout.
If you start with the bar, don’t miss one workout and get your reps every time, you’ll Squat 100kg/220lb in 12 weeks and 130kg/265lb in 16 weeks. That’s stronger than most guys.
As for Stronglifts 5×5 results in muscle hypertrophy, you have to know that the maximum amount of lean muscle you can gain naturally is 2lb per month.
So if you’ve never lifted before, you can gain 10lb of lean muscle mass in 20 weeks and 24lb by next year. Note that this is LEAN muscle, weight gains can be higher due to increase in water retention.
If you’ve lifted before and are coming back from a break, you’ll gain muscle faster. Thanks to muscle memory you’ll regain the muscle you lost during your break faster than you build it the first time.
QUICK SUMMARY: Stronglift 5×5 results in terms of strength gains are almost immediate, as for hypertrophy, it depends on your weight lifting experience but its good enough for a beginner.
My Recommendation
If you are someone who doesn’t have any experience with lifting, this program is the best for you. But as you become more advanced with lifting weights and getting stronger, you have to switch to a muscle-building program that has more exercises and volume to keep adding size and strength over time.
What you need to know…
StrongLifts 5×5 is a proven strength training program that has helped countless individuals transform their physiques and improve their overall fitness. By incorporating compound lifts, progressive overload, and a simple yet effective rep scheme, the program provides a solid framework for building strength and muscle mass. So, if you’re looking for a straightforward and efficient approach to strength training, give StrongLifts 5×5 a try and experience the transformative benefits it has to offer.
