Howdy Red Pillers,

I'm down with the man flu today, I was bored so I wrote this insight into my experience with 5x5 Stronglifts (due to so many people asking me about it).

Long story short, it was a huge success, I gained a lot of muscle... it changed my life and I learnt a bunch of basic, obvious (In hindsight) tips along the way, which I’m going to summarise here.

I'm not going to delve too heavily into the psychology of my motivation to get strong, but perhaps obviously that was step 1.

aka. You need the desire for change at essentially all costs.

From there all things follow…

First of all 5x5 is one of many programs that would have likely worked equally well... I landed on it because some friends had started it....

When I started out, each session was a chore, and the recoveries would leave me needing lots of rest, but I found very soon into it that many things about my life had changed in a positive way...

I had more energy, my mood improved, I was stronger, I looked stronger, even my skin complexion changed... the opposite sex took note of my existence, I was able to focus at work longer... it changed my entire lens of the world.

This positive feedback took the routine from a chore to a habit to finally the thing I do to clear my mind and relax. Suddenly my gym membership fees seemed cheap and I understood why so many other people had the motivation to keep their routine… it was fun for them.


5x5 Stronglifts

For those that don't know much about 5x5 Stronglifts, perhaps you've heard of it before, perhaps not. It’s a style of weight training that focuses on lower reps but higher weights.

A style that really has only become popular in very recent years.

So what is the 5x5 Stronglifts?

Specifically:

5 reps x

5 sets x

2-3 core exercises x

2-3 times a week.

(Take your pick from the big 5 compound exercises : Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, Overhead Press and Barbell Row).

The objective being to try to increase your weights by 2.5kgs each session (5.5 Pounds to you ‘Mericans), all the while generally pushing your muscles to fatigue and need for repair… thus gaining muscle. (Assuming a correct diet).

Padded out with some extra stuff like barbell curls at higher reps (Typically anywhere between 8-14), and you have yourself the ingredients for 5x5 Stronglifts.


Simple right?

Correct!

It’s simple.

In theory.

Following it ‘properly’ may not be so easy.

Habit

Plan your sessions in advance, they must never be skipped, if you drop a day, make it up as soon as you can. Plan your session in your calendar, or follow the 5x5 program in theworkoutlist app*.

Diet

I never counted calories, as my goal was to gain as much muscle mass as possible, so I just ate clean and lots of it. Diet is 50% of the battle.

Regarding Liquids, as a general rule… Thou Shalt drink only Water or Green Tea and lots of it. (I never gave up coffee, I wish I had the willpower for that…).

If you must drink alcohol, make it red wine, and no more than 2 glasses.

Have a clean protein shake 5-60 minutes after the gym session, your muscles will thank you.

Add a teaspoon of creatine if you’re really looking to gain weight (Like I was).

Eat as much green stuff as you can. Spinach leaves and Broccoli are super foods for a reason. As a rule I would only eat clean salads with chicken every day for lunch during the week, but mix it up on the weekends.

Dinner would usually be things like Steak and vege’s or Burritos with everything including Guacamole from Guzman and Gomez.

Meat - As long as it’s not deep fried, it’s going to be at least relatively good for you.

If you’re really trying to weight gain, 5-6 meals a day is the general rule. Feel free to include cheesecake or chocolate brownie [Insert calorie boosting thing here] in your dessert.

Tracking

Another key tip, often overlooked by beginners, is to track your results. Everytime you go to the gym, you should be able to glance at your notebook or app and see where the bar has been set. It helps you to identify when you’re slacking off, and to push yourself to beat your last record.

Sleep & Recovery

You need extra sleep if you’ve done a 5x5. Add 1-2 hours every time.

You’re recovery days are as important as training days. Learn to rest easy, use the time to meal prep healthy food for the next few days.

Technique

Every time you go to lift weights, choose good technique over extra weight. Don’t be embarrassed if it seems low. Just focus on breathing and good technique. It’s an investment that will pay off after only a few weeks.

So what exactly did my training program look like? This is the spreadsheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1n3OiVFGei5zIbIWxpWn_z9du0Sel3Tql8VxXCrhUhyk/edit?usp=sharing

Anyway, hope everyone's enjoying life... any questions fire away!

Peace.