Day 1, StrongLifts 5x5 Beginner Strength Training Program
I started a modified version of the Stronglifts 5x5 Strength Cycle today. The program has me lifting 3x a week (Tues, Fri, Sun) for 10 weeks, squatting everyday and alternating between other major lifts on a 2 day split. Everything follows a linear periodization where I increase the weight slightly each session. The only modifications I made were including power cleans (in place of inverted rows), weighted dips (in place of unweighted), and weighted pullups (in place of unweighted) to the mix. Joined up at the 5th Ave Gym and got started with an election-day morning session:
- Squat
- 5 x 5 x 155lb
- Bench Press
- 5 x 5 x 155lb
- Hang Power Clean
- 5 x 5 x 95lb
- Weighted Dips
- 3 x 5 x 30lb
Finished with a quick 20 burpees for the challonge (I’ve been keeping up with it, but not recording them since they’re such small numbers). All of these lifts included a few warmup sets with just the bar (2 x 5) and then 3 reps with a light weight and 2 with a slightly heavier weight. Total time at the gym: 45 min.
I squatted barefoot and my form felt really good. I had to start the power clean from the hang position because it’s such a girly weight that I can’t clean it off the floor (need the big 45lb plates for that, so it won’t be a true power clean until I hit 135lb). The weights were easy, of course, but I’ve heard that the volume will make it tough and I anticipate the weight getting heavy pretty quickly. I used 70% of my 5RM as a general guide to choosing my starting weights. Assuming I hit all of my numbers and don’t have any setbacks, this program will have me squatting 300lb for 5x5 by mid January.
