Comments on: You’re a Beginner Longer Than You think

By: Reinier

Reinier — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:55:44 +0000

Mehdi,

You and other people say. Change from a beginners program to an intermediate program when “When you can Squat 1.5x your body-weight”. Is that an 1RM or 5RM?:)

By: Mehdi

Mehdi — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 09:48:11 +0000

@Karl
Not much difference between rippetoe, bill starr & stronglifts 5×5. StrongLifts 5×5 is good to learn how to lift correctly because you do 5 sets of 5 reps on all exercises every workout.

From the article:
When Should You Switch Program? When you can’t add weight each workout anymore. When you can Squat 1.5x your body-weight. When you deloaded 3x on your Squat. All of that can take 3 to 9 months.

By: Karl

Karl — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:44:13 +0000

“@Karl
You started too soon with bill starr advanced. I assume you mean with SS program, rippetoe’s starting strength program. If so: yes do rippetoe’s routine. You should be able to squat more than your body-weight for 3×5 on that routine.”

Thanks. I did do the rippetoe routine first. Just to understand correctly, advise I do the rippetoe SS and not stronglift 5×5 first. If so, when do I transistion to Stronglifts 1 and then Stronglifts 2?

By: Mehdi

Mehdi — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 12:53:09 +0000

@Karl
You started too soon with bill starr advanced. I assume you mean with SS program, rippetoe’s starting strength program. If so: yes do rippetoe’s routine. You should be able to squat more than your body-weight for 3×5 on that routine.

By: Karl

Karl — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:58:34 +0000

Hey Mehdi
First let congratulate you on the great site. Finally, some serious thought put into 5×5 covering all aspects. The article mentions progression from programs. I have a bit of a dillema – I just completed the Bill Starr 5×5 advanced and am now squatting body weight on 3×3. I did SS for a short while before starting Bill Starr but got my squats maxed quickly and got tired from workout to workout progression. what workout should I do now. The SS program? if so, should I do part 1 or 2?

Thanks
Karl

By: Mehdi

Mehdi — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:27:01 +0000

@Mase
You lose strength when the layoff lasts more than one week indeed. But it’s easier to regain strength, than to build it from scratch. Avoid stalling were possible, anything like more than a week off, lower the weight by 10-20% and rebuild from there. Plateaus tend to kill motivation.

By: Mase

Mase — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:14:32 +0000

You are right in that I didn’t add weight twice (not including the 3 weeks away while on honeymoon when I did not do lifting at all):
– after a missed workout Christmas Eve
– after two-in-a-row missed workouts in mid-January due do a business trip.

After both of these breaks I did a ‘mini-forced-stall’ — I just went with the weight I was at before the missed workout(s) (80 lbs before and after Christmas Eve; 100 lbs before and after business trip). Concomitantly, I did a ‘mini-forced-stall’ for the other exercises as well on the first workout after the missed workouts. Had I not missed the total of 3 workouts (again, not counting the honeymoon), I’d be at 115 lbs on the Bench Press right now.

By: Mehdi

Mehdi — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:12:40 +0000

@Mase
Your bench should be higher if you started this routine 3 months ago & added weight every workout. I suppose you didn’t always do that. Normally you stall 1) press 2) bench press 3) squat 4) deadlift.

The Press is a hard exercise. Don’t get demotivated by stalling, it’s normal. Otherwise we could just keep on adding weight endlessly, it’s meant to be hard. Stalling/deloading is part of the fun.

By: Mase

Mase — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:53:48 +0000

Nice timing of the post for me. I’ve been doing the (old) Stronglifsts 5×5 (no dips or barbell rows) since late October — so for about 3 months. But for taking off 3 weeks for my honeymoon in early November, except for a rare day here or there, I have been diligent in keeping with the program 3x/week.

For full disclosure, I also do a cardio run after each workout (nothing too intense, either an 8-10 min. HIIT or 12-15 min at 8:00min/mile pace [5:00min/km pace]). Oh, and I’m 6′1″ (185 cm) tall and weigh 185-190 lbs (84-86 kgs).

So far, I’m at the following weight:
Squat – 170 lbs (~77 kgs)
Bench – 105 lbs (~48 kgs)
Press – 70 lbs (~32 kgs) (just deloaded from 85 stall)
DeadLift – 210 lbs (~95 kgs)
Pullups/Chinups – 3×6 (sometimes 3×5)

So far, I’ve only deloaded on the Press. However, can tell that it will soon happen on the Squat (is it usual to stall on the Squat before the Bench?). Stalled at 85 lbs (~38 kgs); did 2 more workouts at 85 and did not accomplish 5×5 so, last workout, deloaded to 70 lbs.

The Press deload has frustrated me but, seeing this post and that 3x deload on Squat is normal progression to “intermediate” definitely gave me perspective. Still wish my Press were better, though.

By: Mehdi

Mehdi — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:06:08 +0000

@Brian
I’d need more info to give you an accurate answer on the Squat. Register for free on the forum & post info there. I suppose you spend more time working on Squat technique because of your previous ACL injury. You might have worked out before, which explains the higher bench press.

It’s not easy for you, it’s not easy for me, it’s not easy for other readers. Realize everybody works, has a social life, etc. You’re not alone in this, well all have to find ways to make it fit. It’s that or no exercising. It’s too soon for you to switch to the texas method. At least your body-weight for 5×5 before thinking about this, you can achieve that on StrongLifts 5×5.

@Rick
Weight is always bar included yes. 60kg is 20kg bar + 1 plate of 20kg on each side.