I'm about to delve into Stronglifts yet again, the no-nonsense program for building a stronger, muscular frame using some time worn and effective training principles. Whether you're new to bodybuilding and strength training, or just want the best there is for pure strength and dense muscle, Stronglifts will teach you some basic how-tos with straightforward advice backed by 22 years of weight lifting practice. Stronglifts is the place to go for your foundational knowledge base, leading the way with the best compound exercises, nutritional recommendations, and in-depth walkthroughs.
What is 5x5?
This kind of training involves 5 sets of 5 reps, performed in alternate workouts (A and B) 3 times a week. You can do M/W/F or T/T/S, although most are likely to pick the first split as it's a bit simpler. You take the whole weekend off and start back fresh Monday. You start with light weights to adjust to some of the exercises and incrementally add weight every 1-3 workouts. In general they recommend progressive overload of 2.5lbs, although depending on the exercise you might be adding more like 5-10 lbs.
The exercises
Stronglifts focuses on the big compound lifts, and for good reason. Compound movements target multiple muscle groups, thereby generating Human Growth hormone and more testosterone. The idea is that you don't need as many isolation exercises targeting each muscle, although he does include some assistance recommendations likes dips and chin ups for arms. The main exercises (squats, deadlifts, barbell rows, shoulder press and bench press) covered in the program do a good job of working the whole body. You might see some programs for building a frame using nothing but deadlifts, but Stronglifts is a bit more all-encompassing.
What to eat
A big part of gaining muscle is grounded in the food you eat. Stronglifts recommends aiming for the 3000 calorie range to build more of a frame instead of consuming just enough for maintenance (roughly 2000-2500). They advise eating healthy quantities of vegetables and getting adequate protein. The amount of protein for optimal muscle growth is described as being 0.8 x your body weight in lbs. For most adults that's 100-150g a day. Generally recommendations for too-high amounts of protein lead to fat storage, so they say calculate the optimal amounts for building some muscle while maintaining a healthy body fat percentage.
They also advise to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and keep your mind and body in an optimized state. When you're lifting and your body needs to recover, drinking plenty of water is one of the top dietary recommendations if you want to avoid burnout and soreness.
Cardio
Stronglifts recommends HIIT cardio about twice a week with a variety of splits and alternatives, like Monday/Friday or Wednesday/Saturday. They do not recommend working out on your rest days because emphasis is placed on recovery. The advantage of HIIT is that it increases your metabolism by up to 48 hours after your workout and the disadvantage is that it is harder to do.
LISS is also an option, the low intensity allows for longer durations, and thirdly you have low intensity walking or what could be called low impact movements that help you shed some pounds without the post workout soreness.
Conclusion
I don't have a whole lot of issues with this program, the site covers everything you need for training and dieting and more, and gets right to the point with thorough descriptions. I initially disagreed that you could build a large muscular frame with 5 reps compared to the 8-12 range, but the results of every lifter who has tried it and done things properly speak for themselves. The Stronglifts site is one of the best sources of information for beginners and professionals and offers a solid program that's simple, you need but a barbell and some plates to get started.
Comments