Some questions I received during the past weeks:
- What exercises can I do for my forearms?
- What’s the best way to work the outside muscles of my legs. The ones closer to my knees?
- I’ve read for better development & strength in the arms it’s better to do close grip Pull-ups.
- I want to get a complete body workout. I’ve added Flys, Sit-ups, Lat Pull-downs, Dumbbell Curls & Leg Press to StrongLifts 5×5 program.
Strength Training. StrongLifts.com’s title & tagline reads build muscle & lose fat through strength training. StrongLifts.com is about strength training. If you’re interested in bodybuilding, check out Iron Addicts & Intense Muscle.
You won’t find information on isolating muscles here. StrongLifts.com is about getting stronger. The stronger you get, the more muscles you’ll have. The more muscles you have, the more calories you’ll burn, and the lower your body fat.
Ivan Stoitsov. Image credit: robbymacklem
Bodybuilding. Get into bodybuilding once you can at least Squat 1.5x your own body-weight for 1 rep. Bodybuilding is about “shaping” muscles, you need some base muscle mass, and thus base strength, before you think about that.
I’ve done bodybuilding for years. Strength training is more fun. Picture above: Ivan Stoitsov, Olympic Weightlifter, 77 kg. You know he’s strong just by looking at him. Here’s a video of Stoitsov doing a Clean & Jerk with 205kg.
Answers to the Questions.
- Forearms. Deadlifts, Pull-ups, Chin-ups, Barbell Rows. Squeeze the bar hard. You’ll get strong & muscular forearms.
- Outside Leg Muscles. Front Squats build muscular quad muscles, assuming that is what you mean.
- Arm Work. You’re stronger using a shoulder-width grip on Pull-ups & Chin-ups. Focus on your back & legs by the way, not your arms.
- Complete Body Workout. StrongLifts 5×5 is a complete body workout. Reread the whole post & the FAQ. No need for Flyes you have the Bench Press & Dips. No need for lat pull-downs you have Chin-ups & Pull-ups. No need for dumbbell curls you have Chin-ups, Pull-ups & Barbell Rows. No need for leg presses you have Squats & Deadlifts. Do the routine as it is laid out or do your own routine. Don’t mix things up unless you have a solid understanding of how the program works.
If you’re on StrongLifts 5×5 or another strength training routine for some time now: share your progress in the comment section. Your story will inspire more beginners to focus on strength. Click here to comment.
