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Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo Da Vinci
Why making things complicate if you can get the same results by keeping things simple? Reader Edsel asked in StrongLifts.com Forum what I thought about Periodization. Here’s my reply.
Linear Progression. StrongLifts 5×5 is linear progression: weight increases each workout. The Texas Method & Timed Total Tonnage also work with linear progressions, but week to week rather than workout to workout.
Workout to workout increases work well if you’re a beginner: fitness gains occur fast & fatigue doesn’t last long. That’s why you’ll achieve a 70kg Squat for 5×5 within 2 months on StrongLifts 5×5.
But the workouts get more stressing once you’re an intermediate. You’re doing Squats with 1.5x your body-weight. Squat heavy on Monday and you’ll still feel it on Thursday. That’s why the Texas Method includes light days.
Periodization. Periodization is different. Rather than using workout-to-workout or week-to-week increases, you work with blocks in which volume and/or intensity vary. Usually these blocks are 3-4 weeks in length. Examples.
- Bill Starr Advanced. 4 volume weeks: 5×5. 1 week deload. 4 intensity weeks: 3×3. Weight increases weekly.
- Smolov. 3 volume weeks: +130 Squat reps/week. 2 weeks deload. 4 intensity weeks. Weight increases daily/weekly.
Bill Starr Advanced & Smolov are linear periodization. Undulating periodization also exists. Mark Rippetoe spends 50 pages explaining how periodization works & how to apply it in Practial Programming for Strength Training.
So What’s Best? Many of you ask: “How long should I do StrongLifts 5×5?“. As long as possible. Your benefit as a beginner is that you can add weight every workout. If you stall: one step back, 2 step forwards, repeat.
Progress takes longer with intermediate routines like the Texas Method: you’re using weekly increases. With Smolov you’re stuck for 13 weeks: miss workouts & you don’t get results. That’s why periodization is for for advanced trainees.
Lucas hits the nail on the head:
People who try to tell you that everyone needs to use some highly complex, periodized system are usually trying to sell you some highly complex, periodized system.
In my opinion, they’re quacks who want to separate you from your money by making you think that exercise is this big confusing thing and you need their help to figure it out.
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.
Beginners can progress faster than intermediates. Make sure you can’t increase the weight each workout anymore before switching to weekly increases or periodization. Always remember: you’re a beginner longer than you think.
What if you stay in the “novice” stage forever? I’m personally not looking to become incredibly buff. I don’t want to turn strength training into a second job — or even a too complex hobby — with all the periodization programs. I’m assuming the stronglifts 5×5 program can get you very far in terms of strength and muscle mass anyway, right? Any harm in just working up to that point and staying there?
“When you deloaded 3x on your Squat.”
I’m terribly sorry. I don’t understand what you mean by this sentence. Could you elaborate on it a little further? Do you mean deloading on a particular program i.e. Smolov?
I’ve been lifting injury free since December 12th, and that timeline for squats is right on pace. I’ll be cracking the 155lb mark on squats tomorrow!
Great Post -
Particularly the quote from Lucas, and unfortunatley that thought applies to many things in life.
“A fool and his money are quickly seperated”
Jason — he means when you’ve deloaded 3 times and are still not able to get your next weight set completed in the 5×5 program. Deloading is outlined in the 5×5 eBook, if I recall correctly.
Jeff — I’m at the same place you are. I would be considered “intermediate” in most of my lifts, but am not looking to go beyond that at this point, as running and weight loss has become more of a goal of mine. I am, however, keeping my weights at the same level, so when I do want to move forward, I would be able to using Periodization.
@Jeff
Stress becomes too big if you keep doing 5×5 3x/week on Squats. Compare 5×5 with 50kg 3x/week vs. 5×5 with 100kg 3x/week. Fatigue from the latter takes longer, even though you’re better at recovering by that time. Once you achieve intermediate stats, like a 1.5x body-weight squat, it’s better to change routines. No need to get into complex routines, if you check out bill starr or the texas method, you’ll see they very similar to StrongLifts 5×5, except they include a mid week light day for recovery.
@Jason
When you stalled & deloaded 3x for Squats. Hard deloads, check out this post.
Brian
I am on week nine of the 5×5 program and I will be attempting to squat 70kg later today when I train. I am 5ft 11 and weigh 87kg, of which about 10kg is pure fat around my middle. I have let myself go since becoming a dad and snapping my ACL ligament in my knee 3 year ago. I have always particpated in sports but not specifically in strength training
I have currently achieved 5×5 on the following on my other lifts.
Bench Press 62.5kg
Overhead Press 42.5kg
Bent over Row 55kg
Dead Lift 90kg (1×5)
I have been unable to do the dips or chins due to lack of equipment. I train at home.
I am a 43 year old male with two young children, one of which is only 9 months old and has never slept through the night once!! That together with a very demmanding management job means whilst I have never missed a training session I often train at 9pm at night after a 15 hour day and then only get 5 or six hours sleep.
I now feel very close to my max and I do not feel I have often recovered engough. I am primarily talking about the squat as it is done 3 times a week. I still feel ok to keep pushing on the other lifts. I am never sore I just feel flat. I think I would be better off changing over to the Texas method as I would possilbly benefit from more rest!!! Another alternative would be to stay on the 5×5 longer and include a recover squat day midweek!! I also curiious as to why my squat seems to be relatively weeker in comparison to my other lifts. Any comments welcome.
Apologies for the life story!!!
Just curious: When someone posts, “Bench press 60 kg,” for example, does that include the weight of the barbell, or just the plates?
@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.
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.
@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.
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.
@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.
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
@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.
“@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?
@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.
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?:)