1.5 BW squat in 10th week of SL

[blend]

Hi All,

So I started the SL 5x5 program at the end of August this year. My goal was/is to put on a bit of muscle and look a little less skinny. I'm 28yo, 172cm and weighed 57kg just a few months ago. I used to weight around 65kg, but things happened in my personal life and I just wasn't eating enough so I gradually lost weight.

Before discovering SL, I started doing dumbbell exercises at home around May this year, and managed to put on 10kg of muscle doing these exercises. I was adding weight when I managed 12 reps and did 3 sets IIRC. I didn't really have a program until August, when I discovered this fantastic community.

So I started SL with a little more than an empty bar, and reached 1.5BW on the squat last friday, which was my 10th week on SL. That's 108.7kg for a BW of 72kg. All I can say is that's really tough to do 5x5 with this weight, and I'm feeling that my other lifts will not continue to progress if I don't do something to reduce the volume.

I am very proud to have reached 1.5BW on the squats, and I know that I can increase it even more. However, when I finish the 5 sets I am just so exhausted I can't do much more after. So yesterday I chose to keep the weight at 108.7 and to only do 3x5 on the squat. Sure enough, I felt much better, and managed to finish all the other exercises.

So, what should I do? Should I continue squatting at 3x5 and adding weight every session or weekly or until I stall, should I shift to an intermediate program with light days for squats, or to a full intermediate program? For reference, since I started, I stalled for the first time on a squat last Friday when I failed 1 rep on the 3rd set.

Thanks a lot to anyone who could provide some guidance.

[DeadStrength]

How much are you eating and how much are you sleeping? And how much fluid do you consume daily?

[Cynical]

I am very much in the same boat here and am not sure what to do.

[guru]

Hi blend, first of all let me congratulate you for the splendid achievement. 1.5 BW squat in 10 weeks, that too 5x5 is pretty impressive.

Are you confident that you'll progress some more using this program? If yes, continue a little while till you milk it completely. Dropping down to 3x5 is a very good thing at this point & may help your recovery. When you stall 3 times, it's time to move on to a suitable intermediate program.

Good luck.

[blend]

How much are you eating and how much are you sleeping? And how much fluid do you consume daily?

I think I sleep, drink and eat enough. I work in an office and have the chance to be able to have snacks whenever I want to. It's more a question of being tired after training for 10 weeks nonstop 3 times a week, no even missing 1 session since I started. I'm not used to this! I have practiced lots of different sports in my life, but it's always been on a recreational level. I started the SL program "just to put on a bit of muscle" and to be healthy, but I've slowly become addicted, and I can say it's now turning into a "lifestyle" thing. I hope I'll keep going for years!

Hi blend, first of all let me congratulate you for the splendid achievement. 1.5 BW squat in 10 weeks, that too 5x5 is pretty impressive.

Are you confident that you'll progress some more using this program? If yes, continue a little while till you milk it completely. Dropping down to 3x5 is a very good thing at this point & may help your recovery. When you stall 3 times, it's time to move on to a suitable intermediate program.

Good luck.

Thanks guru! Dropping to 3x5 certainly made me feel stronger for the other lifts. I'll see tonight how it goes when I try 110.7kg. I'll follow you advice and I shall try to continue on this program until I stall 3 times on the squat. Right now, it's so hard that it feels like my eyes are going to pop out when I squat. But still, I believe it's a lot in the head. The only time I failed so far, I think it's because I wasn't concentrated enough; I saw myself putting the bar back on the rack when I was still in the hole!

What would you recommend as a program to follow up? I'm still a newbie and it seems like there's a whole heap of different programs out there! I'd prefer something using the same compound lifts I've been doing on the SL program as I am sure I can improve my form further on these.

Thanks again!

[guru]

Hi blend, you're welcome. 1.5 BW is supposed to be very hard. Make sure you fill your abs with a deep breath and push them out hard when you squat. This actually works better when you wear a belt (you have something to push against).

As for the intermediate program, I think SL advanced or Madcow would be your best bet. However, it is more of a personal thing & I would suggest you do your own homework from reading the many different logs of different programs. This thread may be useful. However, I don't think there's any great hurry. So take your time in doing research.