Lifting Heavy – Beginners, and for more advanced lifters while on cycle

Many aspiring gym goers make the mistake of initially foregoing squats, deadlifts, and overhead press for other easier dumbbell exercises with the mentality that a foundation starts with isolation exercises. But, this is faulty logic. Isolation exercises correct individual weaknesses, and if you focus on individual body parts then how will you ever achieve proper musculature. Muscles operate in groups, and the more groups you train together the more unified your physique becomes.

Let me define what “Beginner” is in terms of lifting heavy. A beginning Power-lifter or beginning Olympic weight lifter is defined as one who can increase their workload every single workout. For, example I squat on Monday. Then, if I can add five pounds onto my squat on Wednesday this means I am a beginner.

Beginner, intermediate, and expert are not determined how much you lift, but by how fast you can progress in you lifts. Whether you squat 80 lbs or 400 lbs if you can squat more during your next workout then you are operating on a beginner program. This is important if you are on cycle when you can recover faster. For example, if you are an intermediate lifter off cycle, then on cycle you can switch to a beginner programmer to see more gains. I am normally an intermediate lifter, but on cycle I am a beginner, because I can recover from the workouts quicker, and increase the weight each workout.

THE FAMOUS 5X5 WORKOUTS

History: The 5x5 programs have their origins traced to the invention of the barbell, but it wasn’t until Reg Park in the 1950’s that a structured 5x5-lifting program was popularized. In the 1970’s Bill Starr, and Arnold Schwarzenegger employed modified versions of Reg Park’s programming to receive world recognition in Bodybuilding, Olympic lifting, and Power Lifting.

Advantages: The lifts in these 5x5 programs are essential to developing a foundation for muscle development, strength, and a powerful physique. Other beginning programs are Starting Strength 5x5, and Strong Lifts 5x5 they are extremely similar, and only vary in which day to do what exercise, but in principal the stages of progression are exactly the same.

THE PROGRAMMING

Bill Starr’s 5x5 – Beginner’s

Words of advice: Do not, I repeat, do not change how many days a week you do each exercise it will hinder your overall recovery and your progress. Do not be afraid of squatting 3 times a week we are starting light. Continue reading only if you want a great looking, powerful, and balanced physique.

Basic Structure of Program: The stages after this offer guidance on how to increase weight, and ultimately progressing to the intermediate portion of this program.

A workout is a collection of exercises performed on a particular day. An individual exercise is composed of sets, which are composed of repetitions.
All Exercises do 2-3 warm-up sets of 3 reps. Then perform the 5 working sets at a particular weight. Do not increase the weight for each set. Increases in weight only occur next workout.
KEEP A LOG BOOK!

Monday
Squat: 5 sets of 5 reps
Bench: 5 sets of 5 reps
Power Cleans: 5 sets of 5 reps

Wednesday
Squat: 5 sets of 5 reps
Standing Overhead Press: 5 sets of 5 reps
Deadlift: 1 set of 5 reps

Friday
Squat: 5 sets of 5 reps
Bench: 5 sets of 5 reps
Barbell Rows: 5 sets of 5 reps

Step 0 – Starting out – If you have never done these exercises start extremely light with an empty bar, or a bar with 10lbs on each side. If you are familiar with these movements start with 20% percent lower than your normal 5 rep max. The increased workload from the other exercises will take some getting used to.

Step 1 - Increasing Weight - Every exercise that you complete all 5 sets of 5 reps you will add 5lbs to that exercise the next day that particular exercise falls on. With deadlift add 10 lbs next time if you are successful getting all your reps. Continue adding weight every workout until you fail.

Stage 2 - Failing -When you fail on any set of an exercise scratch that set, but keep the weight the same for the next workout. This will allow for more recovery, and you should be able to crank out all the reps.. For example, on bench on Monday I only completed 3 reps at 155 for bench. On Friday attempt 5 sets of 5 reps again at 155 lbs again. Eventually you will continue to fail multiple workouts in a row for a particular exercise It is at this point that you take a “deload” for that exercise.

Stage 3 - Deload - A deload is when you drop the weight by 15-20% on a particular exercise to allow for grater recovery. Drop the weight by 15-20% and start adding five pounds each workout again. When you reach your previous stalling point you should be able to push past it and complete your reps. If you fail again then this is called stalling, and it usually happens after 2 deloads.

Stage 4 - Stalling – This is when the program begins to change. All sets of the exercise you stall on will now be 3 sets instead of the original 5 sets. Deadlift is always 1 set, because you work your legs quite a bit on squat. The fewer number of sets will promote quicker recovery and allow you to increase the weight still adding 5 lbs each workout.

Stage 5 – Stalling again – You will have continued the workout in it’s new form of 3 sets of 5 reps until you have to perform another 2 deloads. The program at this point should be around 6-8 months in, and it is at this point the programming changes again, because you can no longer progress each workout. You should buy a set of 1.25 weights and continue upping the weight by 2.5 lbs each workout rather than switching to intermediate programming. If you decide to move on to intermediate programming it is at this point that you should attempt to find your 1 rep maxes.

Stage 6 - Intermediate programming – To be continued…

Extra helpful guidelines:
Common stalling weights 1st stall / 2nd stall they are not definitive by any means people vary widely.

Squat 200 / 315
Bench 150 / 200
Deadlift less than 275 / 330
Overhead Press 95 / 135
IF YOU HAVEN’T REACHED THE 2nd STALL NUMBERS YOU ARE MOST LIKELY A BEGINNER!
If you have achieved a solid foundation with these exercises stay tuned for intermediate programming.

Lift Heavy,
-Broc