The books great, but your explanation of high rep and isolation has me confused.

Powerlifters are some of the strongest men in the world, but when at low body fats like a bodybuilder, they generally don't compare to bodybuilders who lift less in terms of mass.

Are you really denying the possibility of emphasizing sarcoplasmic hypertrophy over myofibrillar, do you really think steroids is the only reason programs that focus on high rep with lots of exercises work? Are you sure that your experience with high rep and isolation wasn't negative because of overtraining? It certainly sounds that way.

I'm not denying the benefit of heavy lifting, I think it can allow bodybuilders to get past a plateau with their high rep sets and other exercises, allowing them to lift more in those sets (as well as offering it's own hypertrophy benefits), therefore indirectly increasing the hypertrophy benefit of those sets and exercises.

I also think the 5 compound lifts you introduce in stronglifts 5x5 should be the starting point for any strength athlete or bodybuilder, but I don't think high rep sets and isolation are evil or worthless.

It's a matter of context. The large majority of guys in mainstream gyms cannot Squat 300lb or Deadlift 400lb. Heck, they can't even Squat 225lb/Deadlift 300lb. So for them - unless they're one of the bozo's shooting up the juice, or just genetic freaks - high reps and isolation exercises are completely worthless.

Here's why: it's scientifically-proven that strength is size. Anecdotally, the best-built guys are always the ones with a strength background. In fact, one of the best bodybuilders ever, Arnold Schwarzenegger, started as an Olympic lifter and Powerlifter BEFORE turning to bodybuilding. These two pics prove it...

Arnold Schwarzenegger started as a Powerlifter, winning two competitions between 1966 and 1968, before winning his first Mr Olympia Bodybuilding title in 1970.

Like Ronnie Coleman, 8x Mr Olympia and 800lb Deadlifter, once said "Everybody wanna be a bodybuilder but nobody wanna lift no heavy weight!" Even Arnold's life-long mentor, 3x Mr Universe Reg Park (who was born before steroids even existed) could Deadlift 700lb, Squat 605lb and Bench Press 500lb.

Today, there's obviously Layne Norton, life-time drug-free lifter like myself, pro bodybuilder and yet also a national powerlifting record holder in the Squat and Deadlift (Layne's best lifts: 584lb Squat, 364lb Bench Press, 700lb Deadlift).

Layne Norton, life-time drug-free pro bodybuilder champion and national powerlifting record holder in the Squat and Deadlift.

As far as my first 5 years of high reps, isolation exercises and machines goes: I GOT results because, unlike most guys in the gym, I did heavy Squats and Bench Press from the start. My mentor also taught me to constantly try to add more weight than last time. The only negative about it was:

1. I hit a brick wall - because I trained to failure every single workout, every week, 52 weeks a year. Never heard of deload.
2. I trained 5 times per week for up to 3 hours a day - hard to have a life outside the gym when you're training one muscle a day.
3. I got bored - I wasn't getting any stronger (yet I was full of injuries) and grew old and tired of training for the 6 pack.

Listen, I started going to the gym because I was skinny-fat. But once my man boobs and belly fat were gone, and I had gained several pounds of muscle, that motivation was gone. I needed something else to keep me motivated. And since I was no longer STUDENT but had a Coporate IT job working shifts & weekends, I simply didn't have the time anymore to train 5x/week for up to 3h/day.

Seven years ago I started focusing on strength instead of aesthetics. Ironically, I look better now even though I no longer care, routinely have people ask me if I lift weights and still have a 6 pack even though I don't do frigging situps ever. All those results in half the time spent in the gym, and without the frustration of looking strong but not actually being strong. I'm not going back, ever.

Look, I'm not going to BS you: if you prefer to be a bodybuilder, you'll also have to do high reps and isolation. Just remember that the best bodybuilders almost always have a strength background because strength equals size. You'll never be able to lift heavy weights when doing 3 sets of 10 reps with a single joint exercise like dumbbell flies. You need heavy Benching, Squatting and Deadlifts.

Just get strong, eat mostly whole foods and repeat. Unless you're one of those insecure, narcissistic gym rats, you'll be more than happy with how you look and never have to worry about that hypertrophy nonsense. I certainly don't.

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It's been 12 years since my mentor showed me how to Squat, and after having Squatted tens of thousands of reps, I still experience fear when Squatting.

Sometimes it's fear of missing a Squat PR, other times it's fear of injuring myself Squatting, half the times I'm just terrified of the pain that's going to follow.

If this sounds familiar: good news - there's nothing wrong with you, quite the opposite, you'll have a hard time finding a successful Squatter, no matter how much he Squats, who never, EVER, experiences fear when Squatting.

But there are strategies you can use to overcome your fear of Squats and build unshakable confidence in the Squat. Here are 7 powerful tips...

1. Squat Inside The Power Rack. The fastest method to beat the fear of failure and of injury is to do Squats inside the Power Rack because the safety pins will catch the bar if you get stuck in the hole. This will boost your confidence under the bar since you KNOW that if you fail the rep, you'll be 100% safe.

No Power Rack? Smith machine Squats are dumb because machines balance the weight for you and forces you into fixed, unnatural movements that can get you injured. Switch gym or invest in a home gym - for the price of a 12 month gym membership, you can get a Power Rack with free shipping from Amazon. Lack space for a Power Rack? Get Squat Stands + saw horses to catch the bar.

2. Fail Squats On Purpose. Personal anecdote so you understand the mindset behind this: I did indoor climbing for several months a couple of years ago even though I have fear of heights. This turns out to be common and the usual advice is to practice falling. Here’s why: there is KNOWING the rope will keep you safe whenever you fall, and there’s EXPERIENCING it. Once you experience it, the psychological barriers are broken and you can go all out.

The same strategy applies to Squats. Set the safety pins of your Power Rack so they can catch the weight, then Squat down and bail on purpose. The pins will catch the bar and you'll no longer know it’s safe, you'll have experienced it.

3. Do Squat Walk Outs. After you're done with your Squat sets, load the bar with 45lbs more than your maximum. Then unrack the weight, walk backwards to where you normally Squat and stand there for 10 seconds. Then walk back to the rack and set the bar down. That's a Squat walkout.

Squat walkouts strengthen your joints and ligaments while getting you used to Squatting heavier weights. Make sure you do them inside your Power Rack, with the safety pins high and ready to catch the bar would anything go wrong.

To motivate you, look at StrongLifts Member Adam R. (29y, Australia) doing heavy Squat walkouts with 946lb (read his story on page 91 of the 5x5 report).

StrongLifts Member Adam R. (29y, Australia) doing a heavy Squat walkout with 946lb to boost confidence under the bar and strengthen joints and ligaments.

4. Deload. Instead of Squatting the same weight all the time and hoping for it to get easier, take weight off the bar and gradually increase it each workout. So let's say you just can't get over 225lb. Well instead of lifting that weight all the time (which, as I explained inside the 5x5 report, would make you weaker), you lower the weight by 20% and add 5lb every time you go to the gym.

The reason this method works is that it's better for your confidence under the bar to avoid hitting the same plateau over & over. That's why I recommend you to deload, use the lighter weights to practice proper Squat technique, and then finally break your plateau when you're facing that same weight again.

5. Visualize Your Squats. Dr Maxwell Maltz showed in his bestseller "Psycho-cybernetics" (a must-reading book !) that your mind doesn't know the difference between what is real and imagined. That's why fighters have used the powerful "shadowboxing" technique for decades as part of their training.

So can Squatters: visualize yourself Squatting while taking your shower, before going to the gym or between your work sets. Will you visualize your way to a 500lb Squat if you never lift? Obviously not. But you'll feel more confident when your PR weight comes because you've lifted it 512x already.

6. Use Self Pep-Talk. It sure worked for Ronnie Coleman, 8x Mr Olympia and 800lb Deadlifter, with his famous "Light Weight Baby!" and "Ain't Nothing But a Peanut!" Heck, it even worked for the Swedish world class athlete Ricky Bruch (RIP) who yelled "It's Light, Light!" You may not want to be that loud, but silent self-talk could be just as effective to build confidence in Squats.

7. Just Frigging Squat. Frankly, if you only take away one thing from this article, let it be this. There's actually a book (it's not a good one), called "Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway,” that makes this point – winners almost always keep feeling fear when performing. The difference? They do it anyway.

This does NOT mean that you should load 350lb extra on the bar and injure yourself. It only means you must stop avoiding what you fear, stop overthinking it and do it. This is facing your fears, and it is what develops true courage and unshakable self-confidence – not just under the bar but in everything.

Again, the fear will never go away. So the real secret is becoming comfortable in uncomfortable situations. The next time you catch yourself standing in front of the bar fearing, thinking, hesitating, overanalyzing, delaying,...

Just frigging Squat.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Hello Mehdi,

I'm going to keep this short as I know you're a busy man. I have been strength training for football on and off for 4 years. I have not lifted for 3 weeks due to time restraints and a shoulder injury. My previous lifts were Squat 345 lbs, Bench Press 265 lbs, Deadlift 410 lbs. Personal stats: 19 yrs old, 5'8", 175lbs, 12% bf.

Do you think I could still progress much off of StrongLifts 5x5, and if so would I start with just the bar on as everyone else? If not what program would you recommend me? Do you think I will be better off with your StrongLifts 5x5 program than this?

Day 1: Legs

• Squats 5x 6-8
• Leg press 5x 6-8
• Lunges 5x 6-8
• Leg Extension 5x 6-8
• Leg curls 5x 6-8
• Stiff-leg deadlifts 5x 6-8
• Standing calf raises 5x 6-8

Day 2: Back

• Barbell rows 5x 6-8
• DB rows 5x 6-8
• Pulldowns 5x 6-8
• Seated cable rows 5x 6-8

Day 3: Chest

• Bench press 5x 6-8
• DB Incline bench 5x 6-8
• DB Bench 5x 6-8
• DB Flyes 5x 6-8

Day 4: Shoulders

• Military press 5x 6-8
• DB Shoulder press 5x 6-8
• DB Arnold press 5x 6-8
• DB Lateral raise 5x 6-8

Day 5: Arms

• Barbell curls 4x 6-8
• Close grip bench 4x 6-8
• DB curls 4x 6-8
• Skull crushers 4x 6-8
• Hammer curls 4x 6-8
• Pulldowns 4x 6-8
• Preacher curls 4x 6-8
• Tricep extensions 4x 6-8

Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Repeat

My goals are to get stronger, and bigger.

Man, I get tired just looking at that training program. It's actually very similar to the bodybuilding split routines I did from 1999 to 2004, before I discovered the 5x5 method through coach Glenn Pendlay's writings and before I overcame my skepticism to finally give the 5x5 training-style a try and never look back.

The good thing about that program is that includes free weight compounds like Squats, Barbell Rows and Bench Press. Free weights are superior to machines because they force you to balance the weight yourself. Compounds are superior to isolation because of the heavier weights - you gain more muscle/strength.

The bad things: many. One, too many exercises per workout. The only way you could ever do 6 exercises after Squats, is if you're training light and for "pump". Because everyone who has done heavy Squats for 5x5 will tell you that they're more than happy there's only 2 exercises left after that on StrongLifts 5x5.

Two, the program is imbalanced. Only 4 exercises for your back - the largest muscle - but 8 (!) for your arms. 2 "press" days (chest/shoulders), but only 1 back day without Deadlifts or Pull-ups. Lack of rowing and pulling is a common cause of shoulder pain, and you already say you've injured your shoulder.

Three, 6 workouts per week, which will most likely take 2 hours to complete, maybe more, and that's without the gym commute. You said you didn't lift for 3 weeks because of time constraints. Why not do less and be more consistent as a result? Remember the best program is the one you actually stick to.

Four, if you want to get stronger, I suppose for football, then why this bodypart split? T.J. Ward used the 5×5 method with Glenn Pendlay to prepare for the NFL combine in 2010, eventually went much higher in the draft than expected, and is now a standout in the defensive backfield. StrongLifts Member Myles (20y, Canada) also used StrongLifts 5x5 to get stronger for rugby. Quote:

My athletic performance also increased greatly, I had gained around 20lbs, a lot of which was muscle, but my speed had actually increased. On the rugby field, whenever I went into a tackle or hit a ruck, I could actually feel people move as they absorbed my momentum, instead of just bouncing off of them.

In the entire first season of rugby I played after strength training, I didn't sustain a single injury which prevented me from practicing or playing, in contrast to being an injury prone wreck in previous years. I always had issues with my lower back and knees, but after getting my deadlift and squat strong, they went away completely.

Myles increased his Squat from 185lb to 434lb and his Deadlift from 225lb to 506lb in only 12 months of training, and broke the provencial record in the sub junior category. You can read Miles' story on page 203 of the 5x5 report.

So no, I don't think you will get better results with your program. But, I also don't think StrongLifts 5x5 is for you with your 345lb Squat at only 175lb body-weight. You're too strong for it, you need an intermediate program - do Madcow 5x5 and use it to take your Squat to 400lb and your Deadlift to 500lb.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Thank you for all your valuable information. I love your simple, basic approach to gaining strength and size.

I'm just starting your StrongLifts 5x5 program. I'm 61 years old and have worked out throughout my life on and off with mediocre results at best. I'm not a big guy being only 5'8 or so and weigh about 140lb. The amount of weight I can handle on the various lifts is embarrassing so I won't even mention it. Almost all training routines I did in the past were the high rep, machine type circuit workouts.

My question is, is there a way to determine what is "good" as a lift? As an example, someone weighing say 140lbs - what would be an approximate weight that they reach on squats, deadlifts, bench and press, that would qualify them as strong? Would it be best to use percentages like "If you can press 80% of your body weight" Or "If you can squat 1.5 times you body weight, that's a good lift".

Clearly a 200lb guy who can squat 240 is not a strong as a 140lb guy who can squat 200lb. Age and other factors being equal. I know darn well that 150lb body weight at age 25 is NOT 150lb body weight at age 60. Therefore a person like me at 61 cannot expect to achieve what a 25 year old can at the same body weight. So age has to factor in at some point.

My goals are to gain strength and size and I feel your program will get me there. I just need a bit of realistic guidance.

Thanks again.

Joe Pinelli

Start by reading StrongLifts Member Bob's story on page 185 of the 5x5 report. Bob started StrongLifts 5x5 at age 62 with 90lb on the bar for Deadlifts and 45lb for Squats. 12 months later, he pulled 335lb and Squatted 310lb. Another 12 months later he Deadlifted 410lb, Squatted 335lb and won the NY State Raw Deadlifting Championship in the Masters division. Bob also lost 16lb in the process, 4" waist, and his blood pressure plummeted from 136/89 to 105/75.

So age IS a factor, but not as much as most guys think. The big difference is that progress tends to be slower than for younger guys. Like I said in the last post on strength goals - any guy under 50y can Squat 300lb and Deadlift 400lb within 12 months of training. Past 50y, it could take you 18-24 months to achieve these strength goals. Although as you can see by Bob's results, he DID Squat 300lb within 12 months. This is proof that you could do it too.

Bob is not alone. StrongLifts Member John R. (New Zealand) is another lifter who Squats 396lb, Deadlifts 474lb and Benches 281lb... in his 60s. So when you claim that a "61 cannot expect to achieve what a 25y can", I answer that a lot of 25y olds can't Squat or Deadlift what John and Bob lift in theirs 60s. If you need more proof, go to a powerlifting meet, you'll find plenty of senior lifters.

Body-weight IS a factor too. The raw World Squat record in the 148lb class is 556lb vs. 655lb in the 198lb class - this 99lb difference shows that bigger guys have an advantage because they have bigger muscles. BUT, it also shows there are 148lb guys Squatting over 500lb raw. Let's say you not only have your age against you, you also got bad genetics and skinny 6.7" wrists like me - would reaching 50% of that be realistic? I think so - and that's still a 250lb Squat.

In reality, if you do StrongLifts 5x5, are consistent, and reach the 300lb Squat, you'll most likely no longer weigh 140lb. Almost all guys who do SL5x5 gain several pounds of raw muscle, often while losing body fat, usually without even trying. Heck, despite my skinny built I went from 132lb to 175lb (44lb drug-free weight gain) without getting fat but while losing my belly fat and man boobs.

Just do StrongLifts 5x5 as laid out, aim for the strength goals I gave you, and stop worrying about your age and body-weight. Age may slow progress and force you to switch from 5x5 to 3x5/1x5 earlier, but it won't stop you from pulling 400lb. Body-weight? It will increase anyway by getting stronger.

The strength goals I shared are for every single guy whatever your age, body-weight, height, genetics, length of limbs - no excuses.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Hi Mehdi,

I apologize for troubling you with a question. I received the 5x5 report and I really like and believe in the material. I am chomping at the bit to get started on Sunday, as I've opted for a Sun/Tue/Thur routine; it just fits my schedule better.

Anyway, here's my only question: regarding the warm-up sets, at what point do they really become necessary? I am going to follow your advice and start with an empty bar as I haven't lifted in a few months. Clearly, it seems a bit silly to "warm up" with the empty bar when that will, in fact, be my work weight. Any guidelines on that?

By the way, I'm one of those overly analytical folks who finds the details in EVERYTHING, so for me to have only that one question, I have to say: EXCELLENT job on the 5x5 report! Thanks much!

Geoff

It would indeed be silly to do 2 sets of 5 with the empty bar as warm-up for Squats, Bench and Press, to then follow up with another 5 sets of 5 reps with that same 45lb barbell that is your work weight on the first workouts, because you would be doing 7 sets of 5 reps with the same weight, not 5x5.

So instead just do 5x5 45lb on Squats on your first workout, then jump to 5x5 Bench Press with 45lb, and then 5x5 65lb Barbell Rows. No need to start with a lighter bar or whatever, just jump straight into your work weight. Once there's 55lb on the bar, then you can start adding warm-up sets like this:

If you feel your joints/muscles need more than that to warm-up, then start with 2 sets of 8 reps body-weight Squats with both hands behind your head (even better: Overhead Squats with a broomstick), followed by 2 sets of 10 shoulder dislocations with a resistance band. This will warm you up plenty.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Will the 5x5 program in your book keep me from being cut, I was under the impression that if you want to get cut its about diet but what about lifting to get cut. There are no specific muscle groups being worked on because of compound using all.

I like the program but still want the fitness model look to go with it. I guess my question is can I get look like a fitness model using this program and proper diet combined?

Fitness models are a joke. With all the Squatting and Deadlifting you'll be doing on StrongLifts 5x5, you'll look more like Chris Hemsworth in Thor, Huge Jackman in Wolverine or Daniel Craig in James Bond than Brad Pitt in Fight Club.

Just compare Chris Hemsworth powerful physique in Thor to his fitness model physique in Home & Away. Everyone will agree he looks a lot more manly today. And according to Men's Fitness, Chris Hemsworth's training consisted of Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press and Barbell Rows for 4 sets of 4-6 reps - sounds similar to StrongLifts 5x5 to me. Check the physique he accomplished with this...

Chris Hemsworth skinny in "Home & Away" and after bulking up for "Thor".

You really don't NEED isolation exercises at all. Hemsworth's had an "arm day", but it consisted of Weighted Chin-ups and Close Grip Bench Press says Men's Fitness, and he also did Weighted Pull-ups/Dips. That's right - no frigging curls and triceps kickbacks but heavy compounds is how he built his arms.

Getting "cut" is calories in vs. calories out. Most guys with busy schedules like mine will choose to clean up their diet rather than adding cardio. Whatever you choose, it's way easier to lose fat if you have built strength first, so start by gaining muscle using heavy compounds and lose fat later... if still necessary.

This isn't only the training strategy that Arnold Schwarzenegger used back in the days, it also turns out to be what Chris Hemsworth's personal trainer, Michael Knight, used to get him in shape for Thor. Quote from Men's Fitness...

Once Chris put on the muscle I needed to get him lean, which meant stripping away any fat he had accumulated during the first phase while maintaining all his newly built muscle, I did this by getting him to do this total-body circuit based around classic strongman moves, such as log presses, tyre flips, sledgehammers and prowler sprints, as well as circuits with kettlebells of varying weights. This got Chris down to his fighting weight of 220lb – and as you can see from the pictures, it was all muscle.

So good old fashioned HIIT work obviously combined with a proper diet as Chris Hemsworth himself revealed in an interview. Quote...

I was eating a lot of clean protein, fruit, vegetables and some carbs, as well as drinking four to five litres of water a day. I put on a lot of weight — I put on about 20 pounds at one point. It was purely eating, eating, eating, working out and working out, trying to sleep as much as you can — that's the other third of the equation. The eating was the biggest thing; since stopping shooting I probably work out the same but don't eat as much, and I've probably lost 15 pounds or something. Chicken breasts and protein shakes, boiled chicken . . . clean meats, the right carbs. Sickly stuff."

Remember that when you see him taking his shirt off in Thor - the guy doesn't look like that all year round, he already lost 15lb. It should be obvious that it's a different game without the paycheck motivator. My advice: forget about the grueling HIIT - just do StrongLifts 5x5, eat healthy foods, be consistent and you'll easily look a heck of a lotter than most guys... year through.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Hi Mehdi,

I read the 5x5 report and I really liked it. I'm eager to give it a try. I did your old version for quite a while last year, but stoped when I hit 160lb squat since I didn't have a rack, and I felt unsafe. I now have a rack, so I should be able to keep going.

One thing that I thought was missing was more info on warm up weights. You only give 2 examples, and don't say how to calc them. Obviously start with just the bar, but when do you raise them?

I'm 33, 5'10 weigh 170lb. So almost got to 1x body weight.

Thanks,
James

You should indeed always start your Squats, Bench and Presses with 2 sets of 5 reps with the empty bar. Jumping straight into your work weight of 160lb would not only be asking for injuries (because your muscles and joints wouldn't be warmed up yet), it's also a guaranteed way to miss reps on one or several work sets since you didn't even have the chance to practice your technique first.

Other warm-up mistakes you must avoid are using too big/small increments and too many/little warm-up sets. Any of this can make you fail reps on your work sets because you got tired/didn't practice enough, and it can get you injured.

I've come up with 5 simple warm-up rules that you can use to find out how much weight, sets and reps you should do on your warm-up sets. The Rules...

1. Always start with 2 sets of 5 reps with the empty 45lb Olympic bar
2. Add 25-45lb/set - try equal increments without getting OCD about it
3. Do at least 4 warm-up sets - this includes the 2 sets with the empty bar
4. 5 reps per warm-up set - except on the last 2 sets where you do 3/2
5. Lift your warm-up sets like your work sets - focus, technique, speed

If all that sounds Greek to you, just look at the examples below that show you exactly how to warm-up for StrongLifts 5x5 depending on 4 work weights.

You want to drop the reps from 5 to 3 and 2 as the warm-up sets go by, so you don't get tired for your work sets. The reason the 265lb Squatter does 5 reps with 135lb and not 3 unlike the 220lb Squatter, is because the former has more muscle endurance thus he can take it without getting tired for his work sets.

2x5 empty bar on Deadlifts and Rows doesn't work obviously because you can't do these exercises correctly without bar weight. But since you've done Squats before these, your legs and back are already warmed up so you're safe starting heavier. Frankly, I always start with 5x135lb on Deadlifts/Rows

I highly recommend foam rolling and mobility exercises pre-workout to increase your flexibility. Especially if you're a guy who works on a computer all day like I do - you need to stretch those tight muscles pre workout using Squat 2 Stands, Shoulder Dislocations, Overhead Squats, etc. Forget about cardio pre-workout as warm-up, it's not specific enough and a waste of time unless it's freezing.

Good job on getting a Power Rack. That (or Squat Stands with saw horses) is the only way to Squat safely and beat the fear of injury, since the safety pins can catch the bar. 220lb will be piece of cake from here on - good luck with it.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

I’ve a question regarding abs.

I started StrongLifts 5x5 a few months ago and already squatting 240lb. I’ve always had a very flat stomach but now it looks as if my abs were starting to grow outwards. If I stand with my abs relaxed my belly looks bigger and sticks out more than before.

I don’t know if the problem is for following the recommendation of taking a breath and pushing your abs out when squatting, but if I look at pictures of most powerlifters I really don’t want to end up with their big bellies. I know it’s not a problem of fat because I measure it with a caliper and it hasn’t changed.

Can this be a problem of technique or something else?

It's more like a natural reaction to gaining strength on your Squats. Everybody knows that muscle size is directly related to strength gains. You've boosted your Squat to 240lb in only a few months of StrongLifts 5x5, so it's normal that you have gained muscle everywhere, including ab muscles.

The fact is that you won't keep that skinny, girly, brad-pitt-fight-club-waist if you Squat and Deadlift heavy. You will NOT develop a huge belly like many of those +300lb powerlifters have unless you let yourself become fat (just look at lighter powerlifters, they don't have huge bellies), but you will get a "weightlifter gut".

As an example, look at the before/after pictures of StrongLifts Member Ray (23y, USA, page 104 inside the 5x5 report). The middle picture is after 6 months of low calorie dieting, cardio and split routines - from fat to skinny. The right picture is after 7 months of StrongLifts 5x5, when he was Deadlifting 350lb...

Stronglifts Member Ray (23y, USA). From left to right: 200lb sedentary, 164lb skinny after 6 months low calorie diet + cardio, 170lb after 7 months of SL5x5.

Everyone will agree that Ray looks better with his weightlifter gut - it just looks stronger and more manly. Deadlifting 350lb clearly didn't make him develop a huge belly and this is proof that heavy lifting increasing waist size is a myth. Quite the opposite, plenty of StrongLifts Members have lost waist size, always while boosting their strength, and often while even gaining weight.

If your gut is really sticking out, and it's not fat, then you should look at your posture. Sitting a lot behind a computer like I do will tighten your hip flexors which will then pull your pelvis forward and make your gut and butt stick out. Some arching in your lower back is normal, but excess - hyperlordosis - isn't. Add that it not only looks bad, but can also cause lower back pain.

StrongLifts Member "IloveSquats" (26y, Australia). Left: hyper-lordosis, excess lower back arch and shoulders rolled forward. Right: 3 weeks of stretching later.

Picture above of StrongLifts Member "IloveSquats" shows how he eliminated his protruding gut in only 3 weeks by simply stretching his hip flexors 3x/day. Not only did people compliment him on his better posture, they also said he looked taller (no photoshop in the right picture, but he did admit he sucked his gut in - still, look at his shoulders and lower back, there's an obvious improvement).

Don't waste your time with stomach vacuums before looking at your posture. If you do daily lunge stretches for your hip flexors and shoulder dislocations for your upper-back, your protruding gut should be gone within 21 days. Meanwhile keep Squatting heavy and pushing your abs out to keep your lower back safe. As long as you eat healthy, you won't get a huge belly.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Never attempt to accelerate your progress - Doug Hepburn

What Doug Hepburn, 2x Olympic Gold champion and 760lb Squatter, meant was that you shouldn't try to increase the weight faster than laid out in the program you're on. Apply Hepburn's philosophy to StrongLifts 5x5 and this means:

• Don't start the program with more weight than recommended
• Don't add 10lb every workout but stick with 5lb increments
• Don't do 5 sets until failure because 5x5 feels easy

All of that is bad, dumb and stupid because it - ironically - almost always results in the opposite of what you want: slowing down your progress. The guy who starts SL5x5 with too much weight will get so sore he'll miss workouts. The one who ads 10lb/workout will plateau sooner (especially on the Press). And the guy who must reach failure on each set doesn't understand it's the weight that matters. As Justin Haguisan shared on the StrongLifts Facebook page...

A lot of people, even the trainers, comment on how I lift. They keep telling me to wear gloves and belt when I squat and deadlift and then someone, SOMEONE, decides to spot me without asking on my bench press. I was doing fine then when I hit 5th, he told me "You can still hit more!"; I kindly replied "I only do 5 reps..."

Justin is right, you only do 5 reps and add 5lb the next workout. Few guys know that muscle size is directly related to strength and that Progressive Loading is therefore vital. Consequently, few guys have results to show for doing that failure training crap that I did for 5 years before discovering the 5x5 method.

Keep in mind there's no need to accelerate your progress because the weight increases fast already. On StrongLifts 5x5 you're gaining 60lb/month on Squats. This means you'll be Squatting 225lb within 12 weeks as proven in dozens of success stories inside the 5x5 report. Here's a new success story posted on the StrongLifts Facebook page by Richard Dean (Swindon, UK) ...

I've got a success story for you, in January I weighed about 16.5 stone at 5'8" with probably 40% bodyfat. Started the stronglifts system and couldn't even squat with no weight - just a bit tubby.

I'm now down to 85kg(188lb) and have just completed 5x5 squat at 117.5kg(261lb) and deadlift 1x5 at 157.5kg (350lb). My one rep maxes are 150kg (333lb) and 185kg(411lb) respectively.

If this fat bastard can do it anyone can! I haven't even hit a fail on either of those exercises yet!

Doug Hepburn's philosophy applies beyond SL5x5 too. On Madcow 5x5 you also don't want to start with too much weight because that would make you plateau earlier. Heck, you're gaining 10lb/month on Squats (120lb/year!) anyway. Do the program as laid out and you'll easily Squat 400lb within 2 years of training like StrongLifts Member Harrison ("Maslow", 24y, USA) who just Squatted 390lb after starting StrongLifts 5x5 with only 65lb on the bar in March 2009.

Hepburn was right, you got to stop trying to accelerate your progress. Instead start delaying short-term gratification in favor of long-term strength gains.

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Some "experts" claim that you're not breathing properly if you grunt because the only way you can do it is by holding your breath and exhaling forcefully. Well hello Einstein, that's the EXACT reason why grunting is the natural thing to do on a heavy Squat and Deadlift - try exhaling on the way up and tell me how your lower back likes that. Lifting heavy weights isn't the same as running.

For maximal lower back safety, you should always Squat by taking a big breath, holding it on the way down, and then exhaling against your closed glotis on the way up. Yes your blood pressure will increase, but it will go back to normal once your set is done. How else do you think lifting weights improves your fitness?

More important is that the increased pressure in your stomach allows you to lift more weight, just like Squatting wearing a belt does. And this obviously means more muscle gains and fat loss on top of the increased lower back safety.

You'll frankly have a hard time finding a top athlete who doesn't grunt or yell when going all out. Tennis players like Rafael Nadal grunt, and there are studies showing it gives them an advantage. All Martial Artists grunt when kicking and punching. Even Schwarzennegger grunted back in his days at Gold's gym.

If you train in a commercial gym you should control your grunting more than if you were lifting at home, just to not annoy the heck out of everybody. But when PR times come, let the hissing and grunting happen. The only people who won't understand the grunting are the ones who aren't lifting heavy enough.

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