My 5x5 Journal

**CornishPasty** · 07-02-2007 03:39 PM

Now that I've got my diet sorted I thought it was about time I created a journal so here it is.

ROUTINE
I'll be following Bill Starrs 5x5 routine. I've used it twice before and I've made good gains so I'm hoping the improvements to my diet will allow me to push myself harder and achieve better gains this time. I'll be starting the routine on Monday 12th February.

STATS
Weight: 225lbs
Height: 6ft

GOAL
My goal is to increase my bench (130K), squat (170K) and deadlift (200K) by 10%. I would like to do this without gaining much fat.

WORKOUT

Monday

C. Squat 5x5
C. Bench Press 5x5
C. Row 5x5

A. Weighted Hypers 3x12
A. Situps 3x12

Wednesday

C. Squat 5x5
C. Deadlift 5x5
C. Shoulder Press 5x5

A. Pullups 3x?
A. Situps 3x12

Friday

C. Squat 5x5
C. Bench Press 5x5
C. Row 5x5

A. Bicep Curls 3x8
A. Skull Crushers 3x8

Resurrected · 07-02-2007 03:50 PM

I was going to go the Bill Starr route last year. But didn't. SO I will be following this with great interest.

Good luck

**MartinM** · 07-02-2007 04:49 PM

How are you changing the intensity each day?

**egt** · 07-02-2007 07:55 PM

Quote

Originally Posted by 43andstartinover

I was going to go the Bill Starr route last year. But didn't. SO I will be following this with great interest.

Good luck

Me too, this is another journal i'll be following. I plan on doing the 5x5 routine later this year, heard good things about it.

So many great routines/journals on this forum.

**finlee** · 07-02-2007 09:05 PM

good luck, another exciting journal.

**CornishPasty** · 08-02-2007 01:00 AM

Quote

Originally Posted by MartinM

How are you changing the intensity each day?

The intensity will stay the same. The only thing that changes will be the type of sets I do. Some will be straight sets and some will be ramped sets.

**MartinM** · 08-02-2007 01:03 AM

Intensity is % of 1RM, i thought in the origional 5x5 this changed.....?

What is a ramped set? I assume its 5 sets of 5 reps with the weight increasing up to a max set of 5? That would be changing the intensity from a 5x5 set with same weight

I'm mostly interested in what you are doing with your squat.

**CornishPasty** · 08-02-2007 01:21 AM

Sorry, I'm with you now. I thought the intensity was how much effort you put in to each set.

Here's what I'll be squatting during the first week. I don't know what percentage of my 1rm each day is but it increases each week. Monday and Wednesday are straight sets and Friday is ramped sets.

Monday
122.5 x 5 x 5

Wednesday
110 x 5 x 5

Friday
100 x 5
107.5 x 5
115 x 5
125 x 5
132.5 x 5

Hope that answers your question. Sorry for being thick

**MartinM** · 08-02-2007 02:54 PM

Nah, its cool.

I would personally decrease the weight on wednesday ever so slightly more. Maybe down to 100kg, wed is supposed to be easy and to simply add volume to the week. Good luck anyways, 5x5 is amazing

**CornishPasty** · 09-02-2007 09:26 PM

Quote

Originally Posted by MartinM

I would personally decrease the weight on wednesday ever so slightly more. Maybe down to 100kg, wed is supposed to be easy and to simply add volume to the week. Good luck anyways, 5x5 is amazing

I've never considered changing any of the weights in the program as it's all worked out from an excel spreadsheet I downloaded. I just enter my 5 rep max for each exercise and it works out the weights I should be lifting each week. I would post a link to the spreadsheet but I need 2/3 more posts.

Anyone got any suggestions as to what exercise I could replace my rows with? I was planning on doing Pendlay rows but whenever I go above 90K I get a pinching feeling in my right shoulder as I pull the bar off the floor. It's the only exercise I get the pain from and as soon as I stop it goes away. Rather than work through it as I've done previously I thought it might be better to just change the exercise. Power cleans seem to be a popular substitute but would they work the same muscle groups? Cheers