How did you find StrongLifts.com & why did you stay?

[Jaguar0616]

I was reading around pretty randomly on weight lifting and after seeing "5x5 program" for the third time, googled it to find out just what that was and ended up here.

[melmenj]

Hello Everyone!

I came across this site while researching core strength exercises, the squat, deadlift and bench press specifically; I figured these were the ones to concentrate on. Stronglifts came at an opportune time. After reading several articles around the site…I was hooked, now I focus on getting stronger. Six weeks later and still going strong, I will start a training log.

[Rodebrecht]

I'm a regular on the image message board site 4chan, and on their /fit/ board Stronglifts and Starting Strength are passed around from time to time amidst the chaos of terrible advice.

Before I found Stronglifts, I wasn't even remotely interested in weight training or general fitness, but here was a concise yet informative website that detailed a natural and apparently reliable way to better your strength, fitness and overall physical well-being. The website convinced me to join a gym and start eating better.

[brotherbart]

Googled 5 x5 routines came to this site after looking at others which made no sense. Hit on stronglifts downloaded the e book started the routines two weeks ago.

[Kaato]

I stumbled upon stronglifts.com when I googled strength training. I would just read the articles and be impressed and inspired. Then on April 2, 2008 I told myself I would start stronglifts 5x5. Thanks Mehdi!

[TheAnomaly]

I have been training on and off for a few years now. I had never really seen any gains in that time. All the sites and books and the fellas 'down the gym' were all about hittin muscle groups with 3 exercises, "this, that, the other thing".
This all got very confusing and i didnt really know what i was doing. I was spending way too much time in the gym try to fit all of these exercises (overtraining), plus i didnt really know what i wanted from training. The guys i was going with were all about bicep curls, big chests and tight t-shirts (each to their own).
Once i stumbled upon this 'GEM' of a site (cheers Mehdi) everything slipped into place. I love the idea of the old school methods, which seemed so simple but effective. The "if you want to get good at dips, do dips!" "if you want to get good at chins, do chins!" attitude pulled me in, because at the end of the day, whats the point in kidding yourself and trying to avoid hitting something ' head on'. I love that shit.
The quote from Henry Rollins, the way this site is a blend of strength training and personal development and all in all inspiring. I can use this not just in the gym but in life.
I love deadlifts. The thought of staring down at a bar loaded with weight gives me a buzz! Over the last couple of months i have gained half a stone of lean muscle (a little belly fat ) and just feel generally better in myself. Eating clean and boosted energy levels with mind and body connection that i think many people lose due to inactive lifestyles.
All in all this is a quality site - a big thank you to Mehdi and all of the guys that posted their logs and continue to do so. Strength is good...
Peace - ANDY

This was the exactly the reason why I stumbled upon stronglifts.

[NukeNukum]

I agree 100% with this!!! I've gotten scant gains from on-and-off working out for several years and like the philosophy and approach used here. I have not touched a piece of equipment with a mechanical part in 6 months, and have gained more in that time than in ~10 yrs of on-and-off working out, I feel better and stronger, and I have not hurt myself the way I used to in the past. What do you gain from endless bicep curls and bench presses with nothing else? Rolled-in shoulders that make you look more like a hairless gorilla than a human??!?

Also, at the age of 28 I watch my acquaintances whose lives were basically "over" after they graduated college, and are now getting all pudgy and hunch-backed and their personalities have become "tired" from lives whose goals are simply to earn money so that they can spend it. I firmly believe it is within my grasp to keep myself vigorous both mentally and physically, and that I can in fact be better at 30 than I was at 20, better at 40 than I will be at 30 and...and beyond that, I echo Mehdi's excellent observation that the #1 cause of people losing their autonomy and winding up in a nursing home is loss of strength.

YOU ONLY HAVE ONE SHOT AT LIFE; TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS!!!

[Bubonic]

I was started working out again in September after 5 months of laziness... I started out without a plan, at first doing riduclous all body workouts 3 times a week that would take upwards three and a half hours and leave me feeling dead each time.

Then I asked some jacked guy working at the gym what he suggested I do and he recomended a chest/back, leg/shoulder, and arm split at 3x12.

The workouts where good but I wasn't getting any progress in terms of strength.

I kept seeing 5x5 being praised all over the internet, googled it, saw this stronglifts site with everything neatly broken down, everything from technique to nutrition being addresses and I was really impressed.

After only a week of doing this I am already feeling stronger.

This is only the beginning.

[amaeland]

I was googling for articles on technique, deadlifts especially. The articles here are excellent, and the fact that there is a forum makes the site even better. Not to mention the superb workout program. From my first 5x5 workout I knew I would be sticking around for some time

[Stretchsportguy]

Hi. I have a web site called Stretch Sport. I periodically do searches for web sites that post information about stretching. This is how I found StrongLifts.com.
Typically I find misinformation and misconceptions posted about stretching. This site has been no different. I am not here to argue or cause strife. However, I would like to beg to differ on certain aspects about stretching. If you would like to see what I'm talking about then look for my username which is Stretchsportguy. I will be posting on the subjects which pertain to my concerns. Thanks

[DaddyBoy]

Well, I am fairly new to weight-training (2 years or so) and am 42 having led a sedentary life with some "health" problems a few years ago.

My aims are to increase strength, physique and fitness with my ailing testosterone levels. I'm doing ok and recently started deadlifts and squats. BUT, I am having big problems with form. Hence a google search, many nights of searching, contradictary advice, etc., and I finally found Mehdi and stronglifts.com

For reference - I weigh 86kg (190lbs) and my maxes (with current poor form) are:-
1) Bench Press - 85kg (187lbs) x 5 reps
2) Deadlift - 135kg (297lbs) x 5 reps
3) Squat - 110kgs (242lbs) x 8 reps

Let's see if I can re-learn correct form and improve without injury
DaddyBoy

[TheKrzyAsn]

I wrestled at 125lb last year and felt I needed to gain some more strength so I looked online for some good weight training programs.

[ismar]

Frankly, no idea. I've known about StrongLifts.com for about a year now. I probably googled something I had read in a Men's Health workout book and stumbled across SL, but I wouldn't remember at this point. Since I first found it, I knew I'd come across something special. I like the design of SL.com, like Mehdi's writing (very straightforward, to the point, extremely honest, no BS), and kept it around in my head. I even went to the gym a bunch of times at the beginning of 2008 as part of a New Year's resolution.. but stopped when school became too much to handle. Since then, I've been hoping to start going again. Since then, I also got kicked out of university in the US and am now back at home with my parents in Switzerland, near Zurich, and am applying to new schools and planning where to finish my education starting this January.

Naturally, right now, I'm not doing anything. Not working, not going to school, so I have a LOT of time on my hands. So started to think.. if this isn't the perfect time to pick up strength training with a very specifically laid out plan, when is? And so a week ago today, on Wednesday, I got a monthly membership from my local gym, and completed my 4th 5x5 workout today! Though I usually have problems motivating myself for just about anything (part of why I got my ass kicked out of school..), I amazingly have not had ANY problems motivating myself to go to the gym and get my workouts done.

I have some questions and also have a major (kind of) problem concerning 5x5 and my particular gym that I want to talk about, but I'll leave that for a separate thread.

My real name's Ismar, and this is my first post. Thought I'd drop by and say hi

[rere]

Frankly, no idea. I've known about StrongLifts.com for about a year now. I probably googled something I had read in a Men's Health workout book and stumbled across SL, but I wouldn't remember at this point. Since I first found it, I knew I'd come across something special. I like the design of SL.com, like Mehdi's writing (very straightforward, to the point, extremely honest, no BS), and kept it around in my head. I even went to the gym a bunch of times at the beginning of 2008 as part of a New Year's resolution.. but stopped when school became too much to handle. Since then, I've been hoping to start going again. Since then, I also got kicked out of university in the US and am now back at home with my parents in Switzerland, near Zurich, and am applying to new schools and planning where to finish my education starting this January.

Naturally, right now, I'm not doing anything. Not working, not going to school, so I have a LOT of time on my hands. So started to think.. if this isn't the perfect time to pick up strength training with a very specifically laid out plan, when is? And so a week ago today, on Wednesday, I got a monthly membership from my local gym, and completed my 4th 5x5 workout today! Though I usually have problems motivating myself for just about anything (part of why I got my ass kicked out of school..), I amazingly have not had ANY problems motivating myself to go to the gym and get my workouts done.

I have some questions and also have a major (kind of) problem concerning 5x5 and my particular gym that I want to talk about, but I'll leave that for a separate thread.

My real name's Ismar, and this is my first post. Thought I'd drop by and say hi

WELCOME

[TempestTenor]

Found StrongLifts from a nutrition article Medhi did for GetRichSlowly.org. Stayed because SL provides great real-life advice for lifters of all experience levels. The from-check tradition in the forums is a big plus as well.