StrongLifts.com Turns 2 Today

May 1st, 2009 by Mehdi

Time flies. It’s been 10 months since the last article. It was time for an update. Especially since today marks a special occasion: StrongLifts.com went online exactly 2 years ago, May 1st 2007.


The Past 2 Years. First of all: thank you for your support and encouragement during the past 2 years. It’s been an amazing journey. Although I knew from day 1 that this was going to be great, it surpassed my expectations.

A lot of you have told me that the advice on this site changed your life. I’ve said this before: this site changed my life probably even more than yours. So much it makes me wonder what it’s going to be like 5 years from now.

I sometimes get emails asking for tips for someone who wants to start a site. Here are my 3 best ones. You could apply them to any business.

  • Help People. Be interested in people and they’ll tell you their problems. Focus on solving their problems and the money will follow. But money as priority is a bad motivator that will lead to bad decisions & frustrations.
  • Get Smarter. The more you Squat, the better you become. But you can do it for 10 years and still learn new things. Same thing here. Keep a journal, keep doing what works, remove what holds you back, don’t fear failure, learn from your mistakes, read a lot, …
  • Be Persistent. Self-discipline, sacrifice, persistence. Ignore what they say, they don’t know what they’re talking about. You can do it if you believe you can. You’ll have to work hard, but it will get easier.


New Blog Updates Coming. Starting Monday May 4th you’ll get 2 new posts per week. You can get these delivered in your mailbox automatically and for free by subscribing. Click here to subscribe for free (no spam guarantee).

You’ll get new posts but also old ones that I completely rewrote. Since I learned a lot during the past 2 years lots of articles are outdated. Things can be said in a better way, my English has improved, …

I’ll eventually replace all the old posts on this site by new ones. Things can be messy for a while. Remember: patience. In the meanwhile here are some of the posts you can expect during the next weeks:

  • How to lose belly fat
  • How to build bigger arms
  • How to lose the skinny-fat look
  • How many calories do you need to eat per day
  • How many meals should you eat daily
  • GOMAD: how to, mistakes to avoid, dealing with side-effects
  • Anabolic Diet: complete new articles
  • and more. Subscribe for free to get them mailed to you automatically.

You’ll get 2 posts a week until at least the end of 2009.


The Way of The Future? I don’t like talking about what I’m going to do, I prefer to show it. So I’ll just say this. The foundation is there. It’s time to go level 2.

  • How can I help more people?
  • How can I reach more people?
  • How can I help people better?

There are several ways. But to get there I need to improve my skills. So that’s what I’m working on. Won’t tell more, but it will be great. You’ll see.


Fitness Coaching. I also plan to write posts with before/after pics & stats of the people I’m coaching online. Similar to Bluestreak’s story. But of course only if they accept it, since I respect people’s privacy.

These posts will give you a better idea of what you can realistically achieve with strength training and how I deal with stubborn fat, plateaus, weight gain and all the other things you struggle with.

In the meanwhile: there are still spots available until July 1st 2009. Coaching will be closed afterwards since I’ll be vagabonding in August/September. No idea when or if the fitness coaching will resume when I get back.

So yes that means if you want to get in shape, especially with the summer coming, this is your chance. You can read the details on my fitness coaching program and how to apply by clicking here now.


That’s It for now. Thanks again for all for all your support and encouragement during the past 2 years. Remember you can get Monday’s article and all the next ones delivered for free in your mailbox by subscribing for free.

Talk to you soon

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StrongLifts 5×5 Beginner Strength Training Program

Sep 19th, 2008 by Mehdi

StrongLifts 5x5 Beginner Strength Training Program

StrongLifts 5×5 is a strength training program that will help you to build muscle, lose fat, get stronger and learn correct exercise technique so you avoid injuries. And it does all of this using only 3 workouts per week of 45 mins each.

StrongLifts 5×5’s simplicity & efficiency has lead to thousands of people world wide doing the program. This 3rd version of StrongLifts 5×5 beginner strength training program will teach you everything you need to know to get started.


Results You Can Expect. More strength is more muscle. More muscle is more calories burned, thus a lower body fat. Do StrongLifts 5×5 as laid out and you’ll achieve the following within 1-3 months:

  • Muscle Gains. Legs, chest, shoulders & arms get bigger. Clothes feel different. People start asking questions. Some gain 25lbs the 1st month by eating lots of healthy foods while doing StrongLifts 5×5.
  • Fat Loss. Waist goes down by several inches. Body-weight often stays the same while body fat goes down, which means StrongLifts 5×5 will make you build muscle & lose fat at the same time.
  • Strength Gains. 60kg Squat for 5×5 with hips coming lower than knees within 2 months on the program. 100kg Squat for 5×5 within 6 months. Body-weight Bench Press for 5×5 within 6 months.
  • Better Health. Increased testosterone levels, stronger joints, healthier knees from Squatting, increased flexibility and increased cardiovascular fitness: people often report running is easier since they started.
  • Increased Motivation. You have a plan when you go to the gym. You’ll look forward to adding weight each workout and breaking records. Most people don’t miss workouts the first 3 months doing StrongLifts 5×5.


Why StrongLifts 5×5 Works. The 5×5 method has been around for years. Reg Park, Bradley Steiner, John McCallum, Brooks Kubik, J.V. Askem, Bill Starr, Glenn Pendlay, Pavel Tsatsouline and many more recommend 5 sets of 5 reps.

  • Size & Strength. You can lift faster & lift more weight using 5 reps vs. 8. Lifting fast recruits more muscle fibers and lets you use heavier weights. Lifting heavy stresses your body more, thus building more muscle.
  • Progressive Loading. Always lifting the same weight causes strength loss. You have to add weight systematically to get stronger and build muscle. It’s easier to add weight each workout doing 5 reps vs. 8.
  • Short, Efficient Workouts. The 5×5 method uses compound exercises like Squats that hit several body parts at the same time. This keeps the workouts brief, but intense. Great if you’re short on time.

Madcow & Starting Strength have increased the popularity of the 5×5 method in recent years. Tens of thousands of lifters have done it with success. And while 5×5 isn’t the only way to train, it’s proven efficient, especially for beginners.


Equipment for StrongLifts 5×5. StrongLifts 5×5 uses free weights as these replicate natural motions, force you to stabilize the weight and build real life strength. You’ll start light to practice technique & avoid injuries.

  • Power Rack. J-hooks to unrack the bar for Squats & Bench Press. Safety pins to catch the bar if something goes wrong. Pull-up bar for Pull-ups & Chin-ups. Example of a quality Power Rack: Powertec P-PR.
  • Olympic Barbell. 7 feet/2m20 long, 45lbs/20kg weight, 50mm sleeves, knurling to improve grip, guaranteed to handle heavy weights. Example of a quality olympic barbell is the Iron Woody Barbell.
  • Plates. 2.5, 5, 10 & 45lbs plates with 50mm holes. 300lbs/140kg weight is a good start. If your gym has no 2.5lbs plates, wrap a chain of 1.25lbs on each side of the bar or get fractional plates by ATP/ Iron Woody.
  • Bench. Standard upright support bench or one you put in your power rack. It doesn’t have to be incline but must be sturdy. Example bench.
  • Chalk. Improves grip & minimizes callus formation by filling skin folds. If your gym doesn’t allow chalk, try liquid chalk. No gloves: they make grip harder by adding inches to the bar and prevent correct grip technique.
  • Shoes. Running shoes with air/gel filling have a compressible sole which impairs power transfer & stability. Wear shoes with an incompressible sole, like Chuck Taylor’s. Or go barefoot.
  • No Belt. Weight lifting belts give a false sense of security. Bad technique will injure your back even if you wear a belt. Start light, focus on proper technique, add weight progressively.

Some gyms don’t have the equipment you need to do StrongLifts 5×5. Find a gym that does or invest in home gym equipment. You can start with a barbell & plates to test the waters, check StrongLifts 5×5 with 1 barbell.


The StrongLifts 5×5 Program. StrongLifts 5×5 is a full body strength training program that includes weight lifting & body-weight exercises. These will work each muscle of your body and build a strong, proportionate physique.

Workout A Workout B
Squat 5x5 Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5 Overhead Press 5x5
Inverted Rows 3xF Deadlift 1x5
Push-ups 3xF Pull-ups/Chin-ups 3xF
Reverse Crunch 3x12 Prone Bridges 3x30sec

Alternate workout A & B each session. Most people train Mo/We/Fr or Tu/Th/Su or Sa/Tu/Th. Always take at least 48 hours rest between 2 workouts. Alternate Pull-ups & Chin-ups each workout B.

Do 5 sets of 5 reps with the same weight on all exercises. Deadlifts is only 1 set of 5 reps. Do 3 sets until failure on body-weight exercises: 3 sets of as many reps as you can do with good technique.


Download StrongLifts 5×5 Spreadsheet. This file includes tips & reminders of what you need to do to achieve your goals and tools to track your progress.

  • Exercises & work weight prefilled for 12 weeks
  • Strength goals based on your body-weight
  • Graphs showing progress in strength, body-weight & body fat

Click here to download StrongLifts 5×5 spreadsheet (right click — save as). The file is 20kb and takes less than 1min to download. Unzip the file using 7-Zip and view it with OpenOffice or Microsoft Excel.


StrongLifts 5×5 FAQ. You’ll find the answers to any questions you might have about the StrongLifts 5×5 beginner strength training program inside the official StrongLifts 5×5 FAQ. Some of the content of the FAQ includes:

Click here to read the official StrongLifts 5×5 FAQ. You can find a print friendly version of the StrongLifts 5×5 program & the FAQ in StrongLifts 5×5 eBook. To download your free copy today, click here.

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