Which training program is the best one? StrongLifts 5×5 or Rippetoe’s 3×5 from Starting Strength? This question pops up every now and then in the Forum, like here, here & here. And the short answer is: they both work.

But I know you want more info. So in this post I’ll explain how StrongLifts 5×5 is different, which routine you should do, and how to switch from one program to the other. And I’ll do this as unbiased as possible.

StrongLifts 5×5. I got my inspiration from Bill Star and Glenn Pendlay. You, the StrongLifts.com readers, gave it a name. 3rd version of StrongLifts 5×5 is a mix of weight lifting & body-weight exercises with arm & ab work. Template:

Rippetoe’s 3×5. Mark Rippetoe published this strength training program in his books Starting Strength and Practical Programming. Rippetoe trained with Bill Starr, so it’s clear where his inspiration came from. Template:

Differences Between StrongLifts 5×5 & Rippetoe’s 3×5. Both include Squats, Deadlifts, Overhead Press and Bench Press with the weights increasing every workout. Here’s how StrongLifts 5×5 differs from Rippetoe’s 3×5:

• 5 Sets of 5 Reps. To get good at something: do it a lot & do it often. On StrongLifts 5×5 you have 120 Squat reps/month more to practice your technique. 5×5 also builds more muscle than 3×5.
• Empty Bar. Starting with the empty bar forces you to focus on learning technique rather than on adding weight. Rippetoe’s 3×5 lets you choose your starting weight. Although this will make you progress faster, ego often prevents learning proper technique. When coaching people 1 on 1, I’ll also tell them to use more weight or bigger increments if they can handle it. But with templates: empty bar. Unless you got experience.
• Inverted Rows. Harder than they look and great at buidling upper-back strength and improving posture. You’ll learn how to Power Clean more easily once you can Squat and Deadlift correctly. Want to include them sooner? Substitute Inverted Rows for 5×5 Power Cleans.
• Ab Work. Reverse Crunches and Prone Bridges are better than Sit-ups and prevent/fix lower back issues. Although they’re not in the template, Mark Rippetoe recommends Weighted Roman Chair Sit-ups in Starting Strength to help the Overhead Press.
• Arm Work. Pull-ups, Chin-ups & Push-ups are better for arm work than Curls & Extensions. These compound exercises work multiple muscles at the same time and help your other lifts. Rippetoe 3×5 has no arm work.

The Problem With StrongLifts 5×5. It’s more stressful. 5×5 is better to build muscle and lose fat, but is harder to recover from. You’ll stall sooner doing StrongLifts 5×5 than doing Rippetoe’s 3×5. How soon? Depends.

I’ve coached 200lbs guys and saw them doing StrongLifts 5×5 until they were Squatting 300lbs for 5×5. It was tough and they often didn’t felt like going the gym. But they did it anyway and got the results they wanted.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. 5×5 is hard, but that’s why it works. Keep doing StrongLifts 5×5 as long as the weight goes up over time. Even if that means you have to deload. Progress is progress.

I believe Rippetoe 3×5 is better for strength and StrongLifts 5×5 is better for building muscle, losing fat and learning technique without a coach. But this doesn’t mean you won’t build muscle or lose fat doing Rippetoe 3×5.

Switching from StrongLifts 5×5 to Rippetoe 3×5. Do this and you’ll be able to add weight longer without having to switch to an intermediate program. You’ll also cut down on workout time at the gym.

But only switch to Rippetoe 3×5 once you’ve stalled & deloaded 2x on Squats. You should be Squatting 1-1.5x your body-weight for 5×5 by then. Switching earlier is trying to make things easy, which this game isn’t meant to be.

From Rippetoe 3×5 to StrongLifts 5×5. Going from 3×5 to 5×5 is harder than from 5×5 to 3×5. Best is to keep doing Rippetoe 3×5. Unless you want more sets to practice technique or the extra arm & ab work.

I you decide to switch from Rippetoe 3×5 to StrongLifts 5×5: lower your work weight by 20-30%. Better safe than sorry. Then progress from there. Expect extra soreness from the increased amount of sets.

StrongLifts 5×5 Success Stories. Check this thread for success stories written by people who have done StrongLifts 5×5. Post your success story in the forum too. We’ll add them to the list. Some examples:

• Skinny to Strong: my stronglifts story (with pics) by kiwipete
• From Rotund to Ripped: 3 months progress by iLift5×5
• From 29% body fat to 8% in 4 months by SentientBean
• End of 11th week on stronglifts by deanmn
• 10 Weeks on StrongLifts5×5 by grassburn
• 8 Weeks of Progress — Happy! by MrWalk
• 2 Months of Stronglifts by Wildcard
• 6 Monthly Update by Rere
• End of Week 7 by icenine
• End of Week 7 by ArtF

Consistency is more important than what you do. So stop looking for the best routine. If you want to know if StrongLifts 5×5 works, do it consistently for at least 3 months. The proof is in the pudding.