BeansNBroccoli

Gettin bigger, that's for sure! It's not showing up on the scale yet, still pretty stagnant between 123-125 lbs, but my shoulder growth is making most of my button downs start to feel uncomfortable and my thighs barely fit in a bunch of my pants anymore so I'm calling it progress! I feel like I need to be eating even more than I am - so I'm really glad that my appetite seems to have kicked itself into high gear since I switched to 5x5. These days I feel like I need an extra meal in between lunch and dinner, rarely do I get the chance to actually eat one but I think that if I give myself the time and prep ahead to get some more food in then the gains will come!

I'm trying so hard to enjoy bench press day and I just don't. I don't feel strong on my press and I'm doubting whether the 5x5 scheme is going to be the right thing to get my lifting heavier, because I get nervous under the weight and then tend to not bring the bar all of the way down to my chest so I only get ~3/4 reps and it's still hard as hell. I'm gaining mass in my chest, there's no question about that, but I'm not sure why I don't feel stronger. Added in fly's just to hit the chest again and some shoulder press because I feel like I'm not getting my shoulders enough with this 5x5. Really thinking about keeping my 5x5 for lower body and switching to more of a bodybuilding rep scheme for upper body. Bench Press 10x45lb 6x65lb 5x5x85lb Barbell Shrug 10x45lb 5x5x155lb (no trap bar at the powerlifting gym so I used a standard bar - maybe that's better because I used double over grip and that'll help improve grip strength) Roman Chair Straight Leg Raise 5x10lb Incline Press 3x5x75lb 5x70lb 5x65lb Tricep Pushdown 5x5x90lb Dumbbell Fly 3x10x15lb One Arm Dumbbell OHP 3x10x20lb

I usually jog on my way to/from and I do some static stretching and a few warm up sets for the big lifts. On Saturday I tried a new gym at the university, and I think this will be the place I'll be lifting from now on. It's definitely a powerlifting gym, multiple racks and platforms (and a lot less popular than the gym with all the treadmills and machines) so hopefully I won't have to wait on equipment like I have been. Pretty rad. Also, I'm pretty proud of hitting my 200lb 5x5 deadlifts this weekend. Good form, good lockout, I'm feeling really solid. My appetite is pretty much raging out of control. I'm a happy camper. Deadlift 10x45lb 2x6x135lb 5x5x200lb Cable Row 5x5x100lb Front Squat 10x65lb 5x5x100lb Alternating Incline Curl 3x5x25lb 2x4x25lb (this is my third week hitting failure with these, which I think means it's time to drop back down to 20s. booooooo) One Arm Dumbbell Row 5x5x60lb One Arm Dumbbell OHP 3x15x20lb (just because...)

I'm about your size (5'5", 125#), albeit about a decade older. The macros you listed, even on the low end of your scales, put you over 1600 kcal/day, so first things first you may want to double check how you're calculating. Personally I think 1600kcal is a good start, but I agree with EdensDemise that you're probably getting in too few calories. Your body is still growing and especially if you're giving it the added stress of training, you might want to try to kick yourself up closer to 2000 kcal/day and see how you feel. I'm not necessarily a proponent of stuffing yourself when you're not hungry because I think our bodies do, in general, let us know what we need - but you might want to sneak in an extra shake or a good sized salad with high quality proteins during the day. If you feel like you're eating all you can and you're just not hungry, I've found good ways to bump up my calories include putting high quality olive oil in my shakes or just a ton of extra peanut butter, or eating a whole avocado (~500 kcal in those bad boys, plus they're delicious and full of good fats). I'm not sure what type of body composition/metabolism you have, but if you're anything like me (I have a really hard time gaining weight, if I add in any cardio I feel like I have to practically double my caloric intake just to not lost mass, etc), loading some extra calories right before you go to bed might be a good idea. I know the general rule taught to us it to not eat before bed, but if you can get in a shake or a protein bar or even just a nice bowl of cereal/oatmeal before bed without having trouble sleeping, I've found that to be really helpful in my recovery. Best of luck!!!

I need to figure out a good vegan fish oil and I think I need to start foam rolling. My body is adapting to 5x5 in terms of strength (weights still goin up steadily on the majority of my lifts), but I'm starting to feel it in my joints a little. Noticing it most in my shoulders, back, and core; no problems to speak of in my lower body. Any tips that anyone's got on this front would be greatly appreciated - I want to keep hitting it this heavy but I don't want to do any sort of damage that'll slow me down in the long run. Right now it's just a little twinge and lower comfortable range of motion, but I'm going to listen to my body and try to stay on top of it. I'm so close to hitting my 5x5 chins without assistance! Squat 10x65lb 5x5x145lb Bent Over Row 5x5x80lb Chin Up (14lb assist) 5x5 Stiff Leg Deads 10x45lbs (double over) 5x5x145lb (alternate) Wide Grip Lat Pulls 5x5x90lb

Hey, great start and welcome to the forums! Stronglifts is an awesome starting program, I'm sure you'll see some fast gains. Keep it up!

Hey all, I just read this article that is one guy's account of how he was able to actually improve his grip strength by using straps, and claims that increased back strength will directly translate to increased grip strength. This all sounds a little off to me, but I still consider myself pretty new so I'd be interested to hear what other people think. I'm not going to go run out and grab straps or anything (in fact I've seen some great grip strength increases switching from gloves to chalk and I love it so far), but it's something I might consider in the far off future. http://muscleandbrawn.com/increase-grip-strength/

must be a glutton for punishment because i hit a full 5x5 session and then decided an hour of vinyasa class directly after would be a super idea... i'm not even entirely sure how i dragged myself to the train and then back home off the train last night. but i did it! got home and made a gigantic meal of pasta (sauce with a few peppers, onions, mushrooms, chick'n, tons of fire roasted tomatoes and topped off with vegan parm - so good) and ate two bowls of it, and even remembered to take my ZMA (actually, Nighttime Recovery from Advocare which is ZMA with some herbs) before bed. today i'm sore, but probably not as sore as i would've been without the big meal and the ZMA and the solid sleep I fell into after. I'll get back in there today. Also, I found the first balance pose in yoga that didn't come right to me, so now I've got something solid to work towards in my practice and that makes me extremely happy. I wonder if possibly I couldn't get into the balance from my muscles just being absolutely exhausted by the end of lifting and towards the end of class, but I'll work on the pose this week and see if I can't get it down. It's side crow - I can get into crow relatively easily and find my balance, but I couldn't even get into side crow. I like a challenge!!! Bench Press 10x45lb 5x75lb 5x5x80lb Trap Shrug 5x5x150lb Straight leg roman chair 5x10 Incline Bench 3x5x75lb 2x4x75lb Tricep Pushdown 5x96lb 4x5x92lb

I’m so glad deadlift day is Saturday. I get to take my time, go all out, go home, stuff my face, and crash out for a few hours. Weights are movin up. I’m feeling solid. Deadlift 10x45lb 5x135lb 5x5x195lb Cable Row 5x5x96lb Front Squat 10x65lb 5x5x95lb Alternating Incline Hammer Curls 3x5x25lb 2x4x25lb Dumbbell Rows 5x5x55lb

I feel like my body is already starting to adapt a little to the 5x5 style of training. I started everything at ~80% of my 1RM for the first week, and pretty much all of my lifts were successful through week 2 after adding 5lbs to everything. It's too soon to really tell, but I feel like I'll be making some good strength gains with this program. I'm definitely doing more pulling and rowing than I'm used to, and it's probably for the best. I think I'll be much better rounded with this program under my belt after awhile. close grip bench 10x45lb 5x5x65lb crunch machine 5x5x115lb upright row 5x5x65lb tricep dip (35 lb assist) 5x5 ohp 5x5x70lb

I definitely appreciate the input! I think I need to find a team to lift with - that's priority #1. If I went in with a team, I think I'd feel a lot more confident. As is, I lift completely on my own all the time. Kinda unfortunate but there's not a gym with a team that I know of anywhere within a reasonable commute for me by public transit so currently I'm out of luck. I figure I'll keep pushin and getting stronger and in the next year or two hopefully the opportunity will arise to train with a team and hit a competition! Squat 10x75lbs 5x5x140lbs Bent Over Row 5x5x75lbs Chin Up (16lb assist) 5x5 Stiff Leg Deadlift 5x5x140lb Wide Grip Lat Pulldown 5x5x90lb

Wow, what a great article with tons of links to primary sources. Thanks for sharing.

What I'm saying is that each individual's limit, be it strength or flexibility, is a moving target that will change with training and adaptation. Right now my strength limit and flexibility limit is different than it was a year ago, and different than it will be a year in the future. I do not believe that there is any specific genetic code that dictates that an individual will only be able to increase their strength up to some certain point, and never ever any further. Of course flexibility is slightly different because at some point you will be hindered by actual physical objects (you can't stretch your leg through your chest, for instance, no matter how flexible you are). However, I believe there is pretty much always room for adaptation.

In both strength training and yoga practice, we are pushing our bodies to adapt. There's no genetically mediated limit of adaptation that we're running up against. And I'd second vegantri that any instructor is not going to push a student past a limit that is reasonable for their bodies. Generally options are given for varying difficulties of poses so that anyone from a beginner to someone with an advanced practice can get the most possible out of class while still practicing safely. Strength training is consistently rated as one of the safest sports, and I agree with that, but yoga is right up there next to it, given that both are practiced knowledgeably and safely. I'd actually argue that they have great cross over in making many aspects of training or practicing safer and easier.

In my opinion, yoga doesn't really have any more potential to cause bodily harm than strength training. Both require that you listen to your body, learn things slowly, and pay attention to the alignment of your muscles, bones, and connective tissue. Anyone who is injuring themselves doing yoga has done so because they pushed too hard, too fast, and didn't listen to their bodies. This is a common problem through any sort of exercise program.

My focus for 2014 is bench press. I focused hard on deadlifts during 2013, and added 100lbs to my un-trained PR. Unfortunately, my bench only went up ~30lbs from un-trained. My weak bench keeps me from feeling like I'd be a true competitor at a powerlifting meet, and I want to overcome that hurdle both as a mental block (continually thinking I'm not strong enough to compete) and a physical block (I gotta get myself to at least a 150lb bench to be competitive, realistically). Today I did some long hard looking and thinking and reading about form, got myself pumped up, and got out into the gym. It's not big yet, but it will be. Bench Press 10x45lbs 5x70lbs 4x5x75lbs Trap Bar Shrug 5x5x145lbs Incline Bench Press 5x5x70lbs Roman Chair 5x10 Tricep Pushdown 5x5x96lbs

Late to the game, but a quick thought re: whether you should keep lifting with heavier weights - If you look to popular programs such as stronglifts, it's usually recommended that you try to accomplish your intended sets with your chosen weight about three times before you drop it, and then drop it down ~10% if you still can't make your reps. For example, when you're trying to lift 50 kg, if for three sessions you can't hit your intended reps, drop it to 45 kg. When you're trying for 50 kg, though, don't drop to 45 within your sets. Push out as many as you can with 50 kg. In general, though, I agree with the earlier sentiments about probably only bumping up 2.5 kg rather than 5.0 kg with accessory moves like bicep curls. Adding 5 kg to a squat isn't going to feel like nearly as much of a jump as adding 5 kg to a bicep curl. If you've got the option and feel like you've plateaued (and assuming you're curling a barbell and not dumbbells), baby plating is always a good idea.

If you're interested in trying micronized creatine without anything else added in, I've had good luck ordering from Bulk Supplements on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E9M4XEE/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i02?ie=UTF8&psc=1). They do bulk BCAAs, AAKG, etc as well. I personally like that I know exactly what I'm getting when I get it pure, and then mix it in whatever juice/drink I'd like and sip it down. Other than that, I agree with everyone else. Creatine and protein, and a good solid lifting program where you're lifting heavy and focusing on compound movements with good diet should really do it for ya.

Went in Saturday and got my deadlift session on. I really like doing the deads on Saturdays because I have much less of a sense of time crunch on the weekends, and I can just take my time and really enjoy deadlifting. Ahh, the simple things in life. This 5×5 is killin me in the best possible way. So sore, continually, so this must be doin something good for me. Deadlift 10x135lbs 5x5x190lbs Cable Row 5x5x90lbs Front Squat 10x45lbs 5x5x90lbs Incline Hammer Curls 2x5x25lbs 2x4x25lbs 3x25lbs Dumbbell Rows 5x5x50lbs

hah there's not much new to show right now, but give me a couple months on this plan and when i've got demonstrable results i'll take some good pics

so sore after lifting today, but i think it’s just because i went real hard. this was my first time using some of my new supplements so it could also be that those pushed me a little extra (alternatively, placebo affect and i pushed myself… we’ll probably never know ). no matter what i pulled and pushed around some good weights today and i’m feelin hungry, which means it’s time to grow. scale still at 123lbs. i think the chin-ups from wednesday are responsible for the soreness in my lats the past two days... which is excellent because i'm not sure i've ever really felt sore there. more chin-ups! lat spread, activate! supplements pre-wo: 4g creatine, 2.5g l-arginine ketoglutarate, advocare spark supplements during/post-wo: 4g creatine, advocare biocharge (just read that this has BCAAs 4:1:1 so i think i’ll be switching to my new 2:1:1 BCAAs tomorrow and keeping these on hand for BCAA emergencies hah) close-grip bench 5x5x60lb machine ab crunch 5x5x110lb upright row 5x5x60lb tricep dip (44lb assist) 5×5 ohp 2x5x65lb 3x5x70lb

Hey Asparagus, my deads are up to 235lbs now (106.6kg). I'm pushin hard to get that bench up this year!

Woooo lifted big this morning now to eat eat eat for the rest of the day Squat 10x65lb 5x115lb 5x125lb 4x5x135lb (i approached the squats slow because i have a tendency to get nervous under the weight. but then i crushed it.) Bent Over Row 5x5x80lb Chin-Up (20lb assist) 5x5 Straight Leg Deadlift 5x5x135lbs Lat Pulldown 4x5x87lb 4x87lb (failure)

yesterday i got in a volume workout at home with bodyweight and some light weights. i can execute five pullups in a row now. i basically cycled through dips, various pushups, shoulder press, and some raises... hit most of the upper body and left my biceps alone as much as possible because they got hit hard saturday. today i did an hour of vinyasa yoga, and i love it more every time i do it. the instructor i've been seeing at northwestern is pretty great and i like her style. i always work up a good sweat in her classes (but i also go in pretty covered up clothing-wise so i'm sure that helps). i think my yoga practice has been aided a lot by my powerlifting, in that i'm already extremely aware of my body and how to line myself up correctly and be aware of different body positions, and that i'm strong enough to hold difficult poses now. i'm hoping that the yoga will also cross over and help my powerlifting and keep me flexible and limber... or... make me flexible and limber haha because i'm not that flexible yet i've been eating everything in sight and the scale won't budge from 123 lbs. i'm now constantly on the lookout for more food. i am attempting to become a bottomless pit, and something tells me these 5x5 sessions are really going to help with that. cross your fingers for me!

My favorite ways to hit the hamstrings are either a straight legged deadlift, or hip thrusts. The deadlifts are a lot more comfortable to load, for me, so I stick with those unless I'm trying to add in a little variety. I find them to be much more effective than hitting the machines.