Strong lifts 5 X 5 work?

[FutureBwChamp]

So you squat 3 times a week and deadlift once or twice a week so I for sure see someones legs getting stronger. However you only Bench, Row and Overhead press once pr week and then twice the next that is 3 times every two weeks on those workouts. That doesn't seem like much upper body work. Do you believe stronglifts really increases your upper body strength? Also does anyone in here do grappling or mma and have seen a carry over since starting the program? I am more interested to know if you feel stronger in your day to day activities and grappling not so much the numbers just going up in the lifts but if you actually feel the carry over?

 

[ocean size]

So you squat 3 times a week and deadlift once or twice a week so I for sure see someones legs getting stronger. However you only Bench, Row and Overhead press once pr week and then twice the next that is 3 times every two weeks on those workouts. That doesn't seem like much upper body work. Do you believe stronglifts really increases your upper body strength? Also does anyone in here do grappling or mma and have seen a carry over since starting the program? I am more interested to know if you feel stronger in your day to day activities and grappling not so much the numbers just going up in the lifts but if you actually feel the carry over?

Add dips and chins/pullups on alternating days and its good. Squat and DL aren't just leg exercises, they work the posterior chain and the back. Very important for generating power

 

[ironwolf]

I got to ~1100 with strong lifts 5x5 along with pull ups, dips and sprints. It worked great.

 

[FutureBwChamp]

Add dips and chins/pullups on alternating days and its good. Squat and DL aren't just leg exercises, they work the posterior chain and the back. Very important for generating power

I got to ~1100 with strong lifts 5x5 along with pull ups, dips and sprints. It worked great.

I actually have added dips, chin-ups and pullups, just didn't want to distract from my question by adding in there. I am just curious if anyone is feeling stronger from the program, and not feeling stronger at benching etc but feeling stronger at moving their couch grappling etc

 

[LZD]

Benefits I have experienced since starting to lift include:

- Much reduced rate of injury.
- People bounce off me when I play soccer/football.
- Really easy moving awkward objects (large garden stones, couches, whatever)
- Ragdoll people in the clinch/rarely if ever get ragdolled myself.
- Hit MUCH harder
- Better posture, kinaesthetic awareness, so on.

 

[GKY]

You still increase your bench, row, and overhead press by 30 pounds a month. That's more than most programs I know. The beginning period is slow to make sure you get your form perfect. Once you start doing higher weights the program will be brutal.

 

[ironwolf]

It defiantly helped my grappling, it didn't seem to do a whole lot for boxing or Muay Thai other than clinching or the chanc when I did bare knuckle boxing. Maybe t made me more injury resistant.

 

[FutureBwChamp]

Benefits I have experienced since starting to lift include:

- Much reduced rate of injury.
- People bounce off me when I play soccer/football.
- Really easy moving awkward objects (large garden stones, couches, whatever)
- Ragdoll people in the clinch/rarely if ever get ragdolled myself.
- Hit MUCH harder
- Better posture, kinaesthetic awareness, so on.

It defiantly helped my grappling, it didn't seem to do a whole lot for boxing or Muay Thai other than clinching or the chanc when I did bare knuckle boxing. Maybe t made me more injury resistant.

Good to know!

 

[Mr Bologna**]

Was never enough volume for me

 

[magick]

I actually have added dips, chin-ups and pullups, just didn't want to distract from my question by adding in there. I am just curious if anyone is feeling stronger from the program, and not feeling stronger at benching etc but feeling stronger at moving their couch grappling etc

well, I got my deadlift up from barely doing 135lb to maxing 295lbish within 2-3 months, with starting strength that is . The rest of my lifts went from barely doing the bar with bench to doing reps of 5 with 125lb and squat went up to ... 185lbish?

It most certainly got me feeling stronger at pretty much anything I do. And this feeling just increased as I got stronger beyond that.

Getting stronger at the barbell lifts most definitely will get you stronger at pretty much anything you do. Going from having a hard time carrying those bulk sized 16.9oz packs of water bottles from Costco to being able to effortlessly carry them with one arm was when I first realized this.

 

[UltraMaggot]

Heres my current SL graph. (In KG, so x2.2 to get LB).

Notice the dates, basically its over 2 months. Over that 2 months i was cutting too.

I haven't missed a rep on the squat, (one slight deload).
Im using home barbell and cant deadlift more than 120. However id estimate around a 160 1x5.

Bench and OP are beginning to stall, however i just started a bulk so i expect them to keep truckin on.

I am an intermediate lifter and have hit all these current lifts before however. That being said, ive rocketed back to my similar maxes after my last cycle last year very quickly, and expect to bust some serious plateus in the next 2 months.

This workout is amazing. So simple and so effective. Ive lost fat over my cut while getting stronger and am starting to build muscle also as my calories increase.
I overall feel very strong and healthy. I stretch every day and foam roll which helps.


As far as transition to MMA its limited. 5x5 is a hell of a workout, esp on squats. Recovery would be limited.
I would suggest 3x5, or 5x5 two days a week. Assuming diet, sleep, and workouts are decent, you will get very strong, abeit over a longer time frame compared to a straight lifter doing full 5x5 3 days a week like me.

Download the app.

Squat
Bench
Dead
OP
Row
Body Weight

 

[Miiiiiiighty]

I got to ~1100 with strong lifts 5x5 along with pull ups, dips and sprints. It worked great.

1100 kg ??? :-O

 

[ironwolf]

1100 kg ??? :-O

Nah that would be cool though. 1100lbs. I only ever got barely over 1300 as my pr.

 

[IceWolf]

Ya I love me some SS. I'm doing a modified version of the Wichita Falls program because I wanted to power clean. I add more Pull-Ups as well. It's funny cause if you read the stuff that Rippetoe says, he gets all angry and says "If you add shit then your not doing Starting Strength!" But almost everyone i've ever heard of says they add in Pullups/Dips or the like heh.

I'm over 1000 lbs in my big 3 now since starting only a few months in, a big increase. I also notice that people keep telling me I'm "really strong" when rolling. Throwing people around keeps getting easier too, they just keep feeling lighter

 

[frango]

i tried it and tried starting strenght too.
did not worked for me.
when it gets too heavy form tends to get bad and plateau everywhere.
not good.
im on a strenght program now and it is waved progression.
i like it better this way.

 

[Parzival]

I actually have added dips, chin-ups and pullups, just didn't want to distract from my question by adding in there. I am just curious if anyone is feeling stronger from the program, and not feeling stronger at benching etc but feeling stronger at moving their couch grappling etc

Wait - didn't you say in another thread that you started 5x5 2 DAYS AGO!? Why are you adding stuff already? Try the program first for a few months and then come back with questions...

 

[FutureBwChamp]

Wait - didn't you say in another thread that you started 5x5 2 DAYS AGO!? Why are you adding stuff already? Try the program first for a few months and then come back with questions...

I have been working out prior to this. I didn't just get off the couch start stronglifts 5 X 5 and start adding stuff. lol

 

[Balthasar]

i tried it and tried starting strenght too.
did not worked for me.
when it gets too heavy form tends to get bad and plateau everywhere.
not good.
im on a strenght program now and it is waved progression.
i like it better this way.

You are supposed to plateau, it's a beginners program. When you plateau you're supposed to switch to 3x5 and then try something like Texas Method or Madcow.

 

[Muskie]

You have to stick with a training program longer than two days. I mean you can always add more weight to the bar, if 5 lbs a week is too weak for you. Also depth matters on squats, if you're butt is only going down 4 inches, you're not doing squat.

You can stay on the program for a couple months. Switch to Madcow if you think you've got all your novice gains. Did Coach Rip have some quip about an adult male weighing 200 lbs. He wants you to be able to deadlift and squat at least 225 too.

 

[Genghiz]

i tried it and tried starting strenght too.
did not worked for me.
when it gets too heavy form tends to get bad and plateau everywhere.
not good.
im on a strenght program now and it is waved progression.
i like it better this way.

Agree with you 100%. I plateaued very quickly on SS. Switched to waved Periodization twice a week and my gains are steady again. The strengh training world is a lot bigger than just SS and Texas. Both are good programs, but definitely not the be all and end all.