Anybody doing/did stronglift 5x5?

[quatin]

Mine really didn't. My biceps at one point started looking like I did't train at all which is really frustrating to say the least.

I've also noticed 5x5 doesn't work out your biceps, but practically you don't use your bicep muscle for strength lifts so it makes sense. You can flip your hands in the barbell row so that your palms face outwards. You won't be able to row as heavy, but it works your biceps more at the sacrifice of your upper back.

But again, 5x5 is a strength training program. You may not gain much bulk at all. If you look at middle weight power lifting competitors, they look like normal people.

 

[selfcritical]

I've also noticed 5x5 doesn't work out your biceps, but practically you don't use your bicep muscle for strength lifts so it makes sense. You can flip your hands in the barbell row so that your palms face outwards. You won't be able to row as heavy, but it works your biceps more at the sacrifice of your upper back.

But again, 5x5 is a strength training program. You may not gain much bulk at all. If you look at middle weight power lifting competitors, they look like normal people.

You use biceps in pull-ups and rows.

 

[quatin]

You use biceps in pull-ups and rows.

But you don't do pull-ups in 5x5. The rows do use your biceps somewhat, but it really targets your upper back and biceps as an accessory. That's why I mentioned flipping the grip on rows to target the biceps, but it comes at a sacrifice.

 

[DoomPatrol]

as far as i know the 5x5 routine goes this:

3 times a week

day1 : squat, bench press, barbell row

day2 : squat, overhead Press, deadlift

day3: squat, bench press, barbell row

i don't get how that supposed to hit the rest of muscles?
where is biceps/triceps/incline bench,etc? do you guys work them in the non lifting days?

Are you serious? Your entire body is exercised with these lifts. You don't need isolation bullshit as a beginner. It's a waste of time.

Biceps - deadlift and barbell row
Triceps - bench press and overhead press.
Incline press is stupid and pointless.

If you really need extra work or feel like your not getting enough "arm" work, then add the following.

Weighted dips
Weighted curl ups

You're getting tricked by those bodybuilder splits that are 5x a week with a million isolation exercises. You don't need that shit. If you run 5x5 with the big lifts, your entire body is going to grow. I've never seen anyone with a huge press, bench, and deadlift with small arms.

 

[Kirra]

Are you serious? Your entire body is exercised with these lifts. You don't need isolation bullshit as a beginner. It's a waste of time.

Biceps - deadlift and barbell row
Triceps - bench press and overhead press.
Incline press is stupid and pointless.

If you really need extra work or feel like your not getting enough "arm" work, then add the following.

Weighted dips
Weighted curl ups

You're getting tricked by those bodybuilder splits that are 5x a week with a million isolation exercises. You don't need that shit. If you run 5x5 with the big lifts, your entire body is going to grow. I've never seen anyone with a huge press, bench, and deadlift with small arms.

Holy absolutism batman. Not even sure where to begin with this.

Deadlifts train biceps? Do you do deadlifts with double underhand grip and then curl the bar up to your shoulders? Cos that's not how I do them.

Incline press is stupid and pointless? This might be the dumbest training related comment I've read so far in 2018.

As for strong people having big arms, that's also not true. I know a guy who has benched 190kg and his arms are barely bigger than a regular persons who doesn't lift.

 

[Gattopardo]

I'm going to stick with my original statement about the routine allowing your arms to grow. The OP plainly stated that he was a novice, and those lifts will cause gains all over in the beginning. I might not stick with stronglifts in perpetuity if my concern was bicep growth, but, as a beginner, he will see gains all over and build a base of strength, allowing him to diversify his programming more freely to fit his future goals.

 

[NurseKnuckles]

Holy absolutism batman. Not even sure where to begin with this.

Deadlifts train biceps? Do you do deadlifts with double underhand grip and then curl the bar up to your shoulders? Cos that's not how I do them.

Incline press is stupid and pointless? This might be the dumbest training related comment I've read so far in 2018.

As for strong people having big arms, that's also not true. I know a guy who has benched 190kg and his arms are barely bigger than a regular persons who doesn't lift.

I would have somewhat agreed with him but the Incline comment was a little out there. Although I think his intent was to say unnecessary and not pointless

 

[DoomPatrol]

Holy absolutism batman. Not even sure where to begin with this.

Deadlifts train biceps? Do you do deadlifts with double underhand grip and then curl the bar up to your shoulders? Cos that's not how I do them.

Incline press is stupid and pointless? This might be the dumbest training related comment I've read so far in 2018.

As for strong people having big arms, that's also not true. I know a guy who has benched 190kg and his arms are barely bigger than a regular persons who doesn't lift.

Deadlift absolutely hits your biceps. And your forearms and your grip strength. It's not curling them. It's from working out the entire chain. And if that's not enough, weighted curl ups will easily pick up the slack.

Incline press is fairly pointless, especially for a beginner. You can't load as much as flat bench. You're better off doing.... More flat bench. Standing press is a better choice too.

You know a guy who benches 418 and has 'normal person arms'. No the fuck you don't lol unless your idea of normal is super obese.

 

[Kirra]

Deadlift absolutely hits your biceps. And your forearms and your grip strength. It's not curling them. It's from working out the entire chain. And if that's not enough, weighted curl ups will easily pick up the slack.

Incline press is fairly pointless, especially for a beginner. You can't load as much as flat bench. You're better off doing.... More flat bench. Standing press is a better choice too.

You know a guy who benches 418 and has 'normal person arms'. No the fuck you don't lol unless your idea of normal is super obese.

If you honestly think that deadlifts hit your biceps then your understanding of basic human anatomy and physiology are so flawed that there's no point in arguing with you.

 

[DoomPatrol]

If you honestly think that deadlifts hit your biceps then your understanding of basic human anatomy and physiology are so flawed that there's no point in arguing with you.

They don't directly hit the biceps, but you still need strong biceps to complete the lift. It indirectly hits that muscle group. It hits your grip, forearms, trapezius, lats, rhomboids... And you think it just skips the biceps in muscle development? If you deadlift, squat and bench your arms will grow. It's all a connected chain. And if they aren't growing enough, some weighed curl ups and dips will do fine for assistance work.

Can you even find a real example of someone who's got chicken arms from just doing squat deadlift and bench?

 

[chubbman]

as far as i know the 5x5 routine goes this:

3 times a week

day1 : squat, bench press, barbell row

day2 : squat, overhead Press, deadlift

day3: squat, bench press, barbell row

i don't get how that supposed to hit the rest of muscles?
where is biceps/triceps/incline bench,etc? do you guys work them in the non lifting days?

Just add triceps to day A,
And biceps to day B.

Boom problem sorted.

 

[Midnighter]

I thought it was boring, you'll get stronger though.

 

[Midnighter]

They don't directly hit the biceps, but you still need strong biceps to complete the lift. It indirectly hits that muscle group. It hits your grip, forearms, trapezius, lats, rhomboids... And you think it just skips the biceps in muscle development? If you deadlift, squat and bench your arms will grow. It's all a connected chain. And if they aren't growing enough, some weighed curl ups and dips will do fine for assistance work.

Can you even find a real example of someone who's got chicken arms from just doing squat deadlift and bench?

You.

Come at me.

 

[DoomPatrol]

You.

Come at me.

So you made me measure my arms lol

My arms at their peak are at 19" unflexed with a wingspan of 72" and a height of 75" and a weight of 245lbs. My raw total is 1325 and my 5k is 20 minutes. Nothing spectacular, but I'm happy with it.

I don't do any isolation exercises and I sure haven't done a curl in like five years.

You asked me to come at you and I wound up coming on you. Do you like it?

 

[NurseKnuckles]

So you made me measure my arms lol

My arms at their peak are at 19" unflexed with a wingspan of 72" and a height of 75" and a weight of 245lbs. My raw total is 1325 and my 5k is 20 minutes. Nothing spectacular, but I'm happy with it.

I don't do any isolation exercises and I sure haven't done a curl in like five years.

You asked me to come at you and I wound up coming on you. Do you like it?

Your current 5K is 20 minutes? That's fast for a big man.

 

[Midnighter]

So you made me measure my arms lol

 

[DoomPatrol]

Your current 5K is 20 minutes? That's fast for a big man.

Meh it's not that fast compared to the people I've been running against in races. I've been running the 5k for almost twenty years. Used to run the 3 mile in the Marine Corps at 18 minutes on a bad day. 5k is only like 0.2 miles longer.

I run 5 miles for time, 100 yard sprints, and 5x bodyweight farmers walks up a 50 yard hill every week.

Oh and my favorite cardio? Knocking boots with my lady

Yessir!

 

[Sano]

Meh it's not that fast compared to the people I've been running against in races. I've been running the 5k for almost twenty years. Used to run the 3 mile in the Marine Corps at 18 minutes on a bad day. 5k is only like 0.2 miles longer.

I run 5 miles for time, 100 yard sprints, and 5x bodyweight farmers walks up a 50 yard hill every week.

Oh and my favorite cardio? Knocking boots with my lady


Yessir!

Pretty good 5k still for a guy your size. It's all relevative though, but I don't think there's many guys at 245lbs running almost sub 20min 5ks. What about the guys your racing against? They big guys too?

 

[DoomPatrol]

Pretty good 5k still for a guy your size. It's all relevative though, but I don't think there's many guys at 245lbs running almost sub 20min 5ks. What about the guys your racing against? They big guys too?

Most of the public races I go to have people of all sizes. The real serious runners of course are all pretty lanky. Those guys make me feel like a turtle. Not many guys my weight are running that fast, but I'm also a taller guy. When you're 6'4", 245lbs really isn't a lot on my frame and I get to take advantage of a serious stride length. In the bigger races I'll see some larger guys beating feet.

Train hard enough and anything is possible! If my big ass can get down the road, there's no excuse for anyone else!

I do appreciate the compliment though! Running is something I seriously hate with a passion. It's my mental weakness, so I attack it and turn it into a strength.

 

[Sano]

Most of the public races I go to have people of all sizes. The real serious runners of course are all pretty lanky. Those guys make me feel like a turtle. Not many guys my weight are running that fast, but I'm also a taller guy. When you're 6'4", 245lbs really isn't a lot on my frame and I get to take advantage of a serious stride length. In the bigger races I'll see some larger guys beating feet.

Train hard enough and anything is possible! If my big ass can get down the road, there's no excuse for anyone else!

I do appreciate the compliment though! Running is something I seriously hate with a passion. It's my mental weakness, so I attack it and turn it into a strength.

Yeah me too. Always hated running, but I really want to try to stay consistent with it. I know a few people who run crazy fast 5ks too, like 16-17 min, and a girl who runs it in 17-18 min. She's fucking insane, used to run track and was a top youth talent. 400meter was her thing. I can't hang, but nonetheless I'd just like to get more kms in the legs and build my aerobic base to supplement my boxing.

Anyway, I'll follow your lead! Keep up the good work big guy.