ExRx.net

Hello all, I have a question. I'm about to start the Stronglifts 5x5 program. It's very simple and straight forward, but I have one question. There are certain exercises that I like to add in to my workouts. For example sometimes when I work my chest I like to do dips for triceps. The program states that you should not add any exercises and to follow the program as written. QUESTION: Will I be doing any harm if I add additional exercises after I've completed the initial program?

My only real question is why are you doing stronglifts if you already know you like to do dips? You obviously are not an absolute beginner or you would not have an established habit of dips on "chest day". Have you been doing more of a bodybuilder program?

Anyway, to get to your question:

Stronglifts was written and is promoted by a guy called Mehdi. I suppose he has a last name but he never uses it.

Mehdi does and says everything based on the idea that he will never meet you, he will never see you lift, and you are probably getting your advice from the internet. That means he wants everybody on the program to do it exactly the same way so a bunch of guys on the internet can all compare experience and help each other out.

So you can change it up all you want but then when you have trouble or ask a question everybody will tell you to do the program as written so they can compare your results to everybody else's.

Lots of people add stuff in the beginning because they feel silly finishing the workout in 15 minutes, and they drop them when it gets hard later on.

An important question is, will you accomplish anything by adding additional exercises after the programmed lifts?

Will you compromise your gains and recovery from the lifts, or will this add to your gains?

If you're sure it will add, and will accomplish something, then do it.

If you're not sure, just do the program. If it doesn't work as well as you'd hoped, there is always time to go and do more dips. If it does, then you didn't need them and you're stronger so you can do weighted dips.

IMO, anyway.

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Peter V. Dell'Orto
http://strength-basics.blogspot.com

Why are you considering doing Stronglifts?

Well the main reason I'm considering stronglifts is because of it's simplicity and frankly I just picked one. There are so many 5x5 training schedules. This past September I competed in the Tough Mudder. I spent about 9 months of training doing only cardio and calisthetics, not lifting weights at all. Now that I'm returning to my first love of weight training....I feel so weak. Mind you that I haven't done any real training since September (I know I got lazy). Before I started training for the Mudder I would have been considered an intermediate level lifter, now I feel like a novice. Also I train in my home gym like many others in here so stronglifts seemed to suite that aspect as well. My training goal right now is strength and mass. I've checked out some of you guys training journals and I'm trying to get to those levels. I have a lot to say but I'm not going to try to put it all in now!

Oh wow! After I just finished writing my response, I looked under the "Good enough to keep" link and wouldn't you know I found a detailed discription of the 5x5 programs! I love this website!! I'll keep you guys posted on my progress. I may even start a journal. Thanks again guys!

I did SL for some time and I personally did add 1 or 2 exercises to every workout to strengthen my weaknesses. It didn't seem to hurt my progress. Go nuts, but listen to your body. If the main sets are too hardcore, you migth get better along on dropping some of the assisting work.

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Prove the impossible!

That's why they're there. You're not the first to ask.

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Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.~Hippocrates
Strength is the adaptation that leads to all other adaptations that you really care about - Charles Staley
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Thanks TimD

It's really up to you--there are no weight training police. But, if you say you are doing Stronglifts, do Stronglifts. Don't tell people you're doing it if you are really doing something based loosely on it. If you say you are doing Mehdi's program (or anyone's far that matter) show them the respect of doing their program as written. If you choose to do something else (which might be the right thing to do), don't claim to be doing that person's program.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

Thanks Jungledoc. I'm going to follow the program as recommended. This way my results can be based on the program and I can honestly say that I followed it. Again thanks everyone for your input, time to start building.

And of course, you won't follow it forever! Good luck.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

this mehdi has a very funny accent

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"his hands can't hit what his eyes can't see" - muhammad ali

Well you guys are either going to laugh or try to shoot me. I'm going to go back on what I said and I'm going to add to and rearrange the workout program. Why? Well one I work out in my home gym which has limited space. In order to do the workouts in the order that is recommended I have to do a lot of moving around of my equipment...I found out today that this is not time efficient. I have to arrange my workouts so that they flow together without doing a whole lot of rearranging the room. So with that said, I'm going to do 5 sets of 5 repetitions of the exercises that I will be doing, but it will not be the Stronglifts 5x5 program. And yes Mehdi does have a funny accent! He's from Belgium, but to him I would probably have a funny accent as well.

that was no offense to you or mehdi!

i watched many of his videos and read his program. you should really stick to his program, if you have time to work out 3 times a week. where is the problem with changing the stuff between exercises? i think you could easily do the workouts of the 5x5 stronglifts program in 30-35 minutes!

but, if you like to mix in more exercises, check this thread out: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224, it's the summary of a great program from rippetoe, and is based a bit on former 5x5 programs, but he reduced it to 3x5.

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"his hands can't hit what his eyes can't see" - muhammad ali

Just to put this into historical perspective, Bill Starr came up with a program for football teams based on a 5x5 program. MADCOW, popularized that program on the internet with variations for intermediate and advanced trainees. His programs were hosted on Geocities but when that service was taken down, Mehdi, hosted the program on his site so it wouldn't get lost.

Meanwhile, Rippetoe, who apprenticed under Bill Starr adapted the program to training beginners and developed the Starting Strength program in the gym first, then in the book. As I understand it, he has about 30 years of hands on coaching experience and is the owner of the same gym Bill Star was involved in.

Mehdi, who is first and foremost an internet entrepreneur, used those programs and blogged about it. This started about 10 years ago. He didn't invent any of it, but then never really claimed to. He then decided that a little more volume would make Stronglifts a better program than Starting Strength, so he changed it back to the original 5x5. He's had great results with this and has continued to apply feedback from users into his website. To my knowledge he has no on-hands experience with actually training anyone.

I have a great deal of respect for Rippetoe and Mehdi, but lets not forget the true genius of all those programs, Bill Starr, and also MADCOW for bringing it to the attention of the wider community first. It's all too easy for those coming recently to the game to forget those that came first.

http://oldschooltrainer.com/tag/bill-starr/

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Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.~Hippocrates
Strength is the adaptation that leads to all other adaptations that you really care about - Charles Staley
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Thanks TimD