Strengthnow.com

Welcome, strengthnow.com is a site with various strength related notes from my experiences in the gym.

5×5 routines have been around for many years with so many variations, a 5×5 routine was one of my first introductions to strength programming. Often I see a 5×5 routine with a linear progression of weight each and every week, this type of progression will work for some.  But also will not allow enough time for your body to fully adjust to the increased stress.

My approach to 5×5 is a little different I prefer starting with a weight that is hard to complete 5×5 maybe even missing with the last couple of sets.  Continue using this weight until it becomes “easy” wait another week or two and add another 5-10 pounds, continue with this weight until it becomes “easy” for you.  This approach gives your body time to adjust to the increased load and works as a deload before increasing the weight.

The setup would be 3 days a week with your main movement using 5×5 an example would be M-Squat/W-Bench Press or Press/F-Deadlift.  Then use a couple assistant exercises each day, with higher rep ranges.

Although you might think increasing weight every 6-12 weeks is too slow, an increase of 40-50 pounds per year adds up very quickly.  There is nothing wrong with taking your time with strength training, patience is so important when strength training for health and life.  This type of slow methodical training will work wonders if you are wanting to be strong and healthy.

Most of my aches and pains have come from training without taking time to heal, my biggest training challenge is doing less not more when in the gym.  I have a few old injuries that can start to cause problems if I do not slow down.  Slowing down does not mean stopping, it means giving your body time to prepare for future training.  I am not training for sport I traing because it is something I enjoy more each day.

Patience is the most important aspect of any training program, understanding that natural strength gains take years not weeks or months.  If your goal is a 500 pound deadlift or a one arm chin up, these goals will not be reached in a day.  It may take many years to reach these goals depending on where you are at right now.