The success stories just keep pouring in. This one will boost your motivation.
John Warfield from Jackson in Michigan USA just emailed me his results with StrongLifts 5x5. Get this: in only 9 months he accomplished a 325lb Squat and 415lb Deadlift... at age 50! Read his amazing story.
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Mehdi,
You've changed my life, and my wife's life, in a major ways.
About two years ago I weighed 300 pounds and had a third chin growing. Seeing myself in pictures disgusted me and almost made me cry. I felt ashamed of my body and mind.
A year later of almost daily hour long cardio sessions, I had dropped to 200 pounds, and my energy level was soaring. However, looking in the mirror and seeing a still "loose" physique and hanging skin made me wince. Not knowing any better I embarked on adding the entire round of weight machines to shore up my body -- improve strength and pull up the loose spots.
The machines, at light weights, helped for a while, and I started to show definition that I'd never possessed before. However, as the weights grew, my muscles didn't really. Trying to increase to heavy weights on machines, with such restricted movements and no stabilizer invovlements, was both stupid and dangerous. The machines, especially the leg machines, tended to create large balls of muscle that only really worked about a third of the muscle length. I had huge globs above my knees, and balled hamstrings that always tended to cramp. One day, while "curling" with my hamstrings on the reverse leg lift, I felt one of the hamstring bands snap over another, and the pain was excruciating. I knew I couldn't keep that up.
I started hodgepodges of split routines... I benched on the smith machines... I "squatted" on the smith machines... But strength results did NOT follow, only injuries. I thought I was hot stuff 1/3 squatting 250 pounds on the smith machine with the large shoulder pad, but my hamstrings were laughing at me while my thighs were crying. I didn't know "squat" and felt unfulfilled and guilty for not being able to find a path to my max potential.
Searching for an answer brought me to StrongLifts about a 9 months ago. I really wanted to go with compound lifting, but having never lifted free weights before I was afraid. But you laid it out so plain and simple, and showed how starting with the bar was going to give me the technique to master the weights -- so I jumped in with both feet.
I started everything with the bar, and built, and built. After completing the first round of StrongLifts 5x5, I had gained 10 pounds of muscle in my legs. The muscle is sooooooo different. The entire strands have grown thicker and stronger. It's NOT bodybuilder muscle, it's growth along the entire length, and all stabilizer muscles as well. My hamstrings have gotten so healthy I can do sprints with ease. My legs, arms and chest have grown in this way, while my waist has shrunk still more, and my "looseness" from weight loss has all but disappeared. My abs and torso muscles are thick and powerful. Having once been a size 50 waist, I am now a comfortable 35.
My wife was so impressed with the results we started her on the program. After 4 babies and stubborn extra weight, she was desperate for fat loss and firmness. Her belly muscles, when pregnant, really got pulled apart and doctors had told her that there was nothing she could do to pull them back in and rehab her lower gut. But having had me blast her with a good Mehdi "BULLSHIT" and seeing the results I had achieved, she jumped in. We started training together and she has lost 15 pounds, transferred countless more pounds from fat to muscle, down-sized clothing three times, and shows leg muscles of an olympic champion. She's proud of herself and I am very proud of her.
We are currently on MadCow for intermediate, which has allowed both of us to break through plateaus in squats and deadlifts.
I'm 50 years old, 6'1", 212 pounds, and on Monday I deep squatted 325 pounds (x5). Today I deadlifted 415 pounds (x5). Having done this made me want to write. We can't thank you enough for publishing the StrongLifts site and providing encouragement. We have fallen in love with squats and now love our bodies like we have never imagined we could. We've had to endure the no-squatters, the knee blowers, the unsolicited advice givers, the curlers in the power rack, etc... and now are able to withstand the barrage of negativity that comes from the majority of gym goers...
But when we complete our lifts and walk past the naysayers with the squat or deadlift body/mind pump and steel torso, they shut up -- and silence truly is golden.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
John Warfield
Jackson, Michigan USA
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Awesome story John. Your results prove that any guy can achieve a 300lb Squat and 400lb Deadlift within a year (heck, you did it in only 9 months) IF using the RIGHT kind of methods - obviously StrongLifts 5x5, it's simply the most powerful training program on the entire Internet.
If you haven't claimed your free copy of the 5x5 report, please download it now by clicking here (...and remember to send me your success story like John did so I can publish it on the blog, it will motivate all the other StrongLifters).
simply AWESOME. really. congrats, john!!!
Wow….Congratulations and keep going Mr. & Mrs. John
That’s great that your wife is doing it too. I can’t wait for my wife to get to the point where she can start the program.
That is awesome! Congratulations John!
Congrats! But I think with some before/after pics it should have been much more impressive.
Congraulations John, I am glad to hear that SL 5×5 has help you change your body and your life. I’m on my 3rd week (for the 2nd time, smh) But I can’t wait to finish my 12 weeks. Much Success. You and the Mrs. keep up the good work.
When you post the numbers of peoples lifts are those number 5×5 numbers or maxxes?
Alyona, I’ll try to get some pics taken of after (I have before pics, but they’re frightening ;)
Mike, These numbers are Madcow 5×5. I reached 5×5 on StrongLifts 5×5 @ 300 pounds, but it was too exhausting to keep up for 3 squat sessions per week (for me). Even 3×5 at that weight was too exhausting for 3 times per week, and I wasn’t about to drop any more total sets or not squat 3 times per week.. Madcow allowed me to up the weight and add tonnage. It is, as Mehdi pointed out, deceptively intense. Today (Friday), the spreadsheet (kindly provided by StrongLifts member Joe F — (Thank you Joe)) put me up to 335 (x3) (10 pounds over Monday). It was hard, but I did it, and Monday I’ll do it aqain (x5).
As for my other numbers, my Bench and OHP (170 and 155 respectively) are currently building back up to my previous PR’s (200 and 165) before I had a brain fart and lost control of the “get it done” neurons (Cleaning on the OHP is still exhausting). My Row is now at 265 and going strong.
Julie (my wife) corrected me in that she has lost 22 pounds — currently (sorry Julie). Today she set another squat PR @ 135 and shows no signs of slowing. She was psyched to finally lift the 45′s on the bar. She will deadlift 200 next Wednesday without a problem; is Benching 105, OHP’ing 90, and Rows 105 with perfect form (which has given her beautifully straight shoulders and made her back pains (from kids) disappear). Our kids feel her legs and go “WOWW”. It is already inspiring our daughter to want to develop legs like her Mama.
The StrongLifts Community has become immensely important for us. EveryBODY is different, but the helpful attitudes, advice, and support is awesome! Thank you all.
fantastic story, congratulations on finding a love for the iron and your success!
Wow John, congratulations! I find it amazing that your wife trains with you too. Your post just gave me another motivation boost, we are blessed to have such a helpfull community. Pictures say so much more then words though. If you like your privacy just put a smiley face over your picture. Seeing 50 and 60 year old kicking my butt, i love it!
Great stuff :)
Just wondering, did you strength train at all when younger? If so, what levels were your lifts at back then?
awesome and your wife is lifting more than most of the manly men hahaha twenty thumbs up
Great story and very inspiring! I love that your wife got involved, and would be ecstatic if my wife would follow this adventure with me. I’m going to talk to her about it…did she start with the 45 lb bar or did she start lower?
All the best!
Erik
Andreas — Neither of us did strength training when we were younger. Neither of us had ever done anything with free weights until this. I used to run and bike in my early twenties, but I let the stresses of life talk me out of continuing fitness pursuit. I wish my wife had gotten some inspiration and coaching back then. she has some phenomenal natural leg muscles that leave men in awe. Her parents never believed in gyms and sports programs, and she was actually discouraged (to put it mildly) from participation. I really believe her legs could have taken her far.
Erik — Yes, Julie (47) started with just the bar, which can be a lot in the presses for women who have never lifted weights (but even then, those initial bar presses can be started with the large 28lb easy bar to condition some muscle before the 45); but I doubt any woman who has ever carted kids around would have too much difficulty starting with the bar. It’s funny now when I catch her feeling the muscles in her chest and arms, but it is well deserved pride and she is so astounded that women can have muscles over their bones without looking like men or a bodybuilding freak. For me, it has made her even more appealing ;) Speaking openly (dangerous?) she has completely lost her “saddle bags” & flat spread with the squats, which has made her butt very round and made her (and me) quite ecstatic (just being honest). Along with the straightened shoulders, the rowing and other lifts have strengthened her spinal erectors tremendously and she walks so much more upright and straighter (no back or shoulder rolling) and she doesn’t have back pains any more, ever (she used to complain constantly of lower back pains and pains in the traps and scapular regions).
Thanks a lot, and keep it up. It’s a very inspiring story!
This is by far the best success story ever. It very nearly moved me to tears, I was so happy for you guys. Thanks for sharing!
John, your honesty is awesome, and you and your wife sound awesome. Keep up the hard work, and thanks for the inspiration!
YOU THE MAN JOHN!!!
It’s much easier to undsertand when you put it that way!