Intermediate 5x5 routine

[Jurassic]

I'm looking to start a 5x5 routine, I have about a year and a half of weightlifting experiences with 3 years of gymnastics prior to that. It's enough to know that I respond well to Higher frequency, lower volume programs.

Here is a rough draft I have:

A workout:

Squats- 5x5
Bench Press-5x5
BB Rows- 5x5
Dips-3xFailure

B workout:

Squats-5x5
Overhead Press-5x5
Weighted Pullups-3xFailure
Deads-1x5

Also I would include 1 isolation set for Biceps and Triceps once a week.

I didn't list abs because I prefer to mix it up a lot with higher volumes.
I will also add calf raises if there is time, if not, I will do them on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Could anybody critic/modify this for my level of lifting?
Thanks

 

[brownstown89]

not to sound like a jerk but.. If you wanan move big weights 5 x 5 is not gonnja do it... NOw this looks like it has potential to pack some size on you.. but once again idk if your work capacit could handle 5 sets of bench and 5 sets of squats in one workout... and then workout b is brutal 5 sets of squats 1 set of deadlifts ur lower back is gonna be screaming... also i dont think u need alot of overhead pressing if ur benching heavy and a good amount...

thats just my 2 cents tho.

 

[Jurassic]

hmmm. Really i'm just looking for a decent 3 day a week split that has more frequency then one body part per week. 5x5 seemed like a decent one?
For gymnastics our coaches had use do high volume strength training everyday of the week. I'm not too worried about workload.

Any other 3 days splits?

 

[W13NY]

You could do Push, Pull, Legs

 

[Jurassic]

Are there any other routines set up as an A workout and a B workout. I like those a lot. Besides DC that is...

 

[drvinnybombat]

I'm doing the madcow 5x5. It's the same as bill starr 5x5 other than minor changes, and very similar to your routine. The whole point of it is to make very exact incremental increases. I haven't gone long enough to give a review, but I've herd good things. More or less, it's A/off/B/off/A/off/off.

I cant post the URL, but goggle madcow intermediate 5x5 and it's the 1st result. This may be what you want because it's basically just a tested version of your own routine. They give you an excel sheet to calculate weights.

 

[Jurassic]

It all seems interesting. I'm just having trouble finding higher frequency training for the intermediate lifter.

 

[brownstown89]

Try Hepburn power and pump routine... hardest routine i ever done....

workout A is
8 x 2 bench, pullup super set. then deadlift.. reduce weight by 20% and do 3 x 6 i believe...

workout B
Squat,one leg squat and something else.. idk google it tho it was a bad ass workout.

 

[GeekPoop]

It all seems interesting. I'm just having trouble finding higher frequency training for the intermediate lifter.

Ive done the intermediate version and its not much volume, except for the final day.

first day, the first 3 sets are pretty easy, more of a warm up.

2nd day, squats seem to be a warm up again cuz youre using the 1st days light weight 4x, OHP is pretty ez and so is DL.

3rd day is nice cuz you do the 1x3 and youre done, the damn dips /ext / curls takes little while tho cuz youre kinda spent. stay with the program tho, its perfect the way it is. If anything, add more situps/crunches in

 

[Jurassic]

I'm thinking something like.
Reps X Sets
A:
Squats-5x3
Leg ext- 6-12x2
Overhead Press- 5x3
Laterals-6-12x1
Weighted Pullups-6-10x3
2-3 sets Calf raises
2-3 sets Abs

B:
Bench Press-5x3
Dips-6-10x2
Rows-5x3
Deads-1-2x5
Posterior delt rows-6-10x2
2-3 sets for Abs
2-3 sets for Calfs

Fridays I would do one heavy (6-8 reps) set of isolation for Bi's and Tri's.

How is this for a 3 day a week mass gain program?
Primary goal is size but strength is also important.

 

[kingk0ng]

not to sound like a jerk but.. If you wanan move big weights 5 x 5 is not gonnja do it... NOw this looks like it has potential to pack some size on you.. but once again idk if your work capacit could handle 5 sets of bench and 5 sets of squats in one workout... and then workout b is brutal 5 sets of squats 1 set of deadlifts ur lower back is gonna be screaming... also i dont think u need alot of overhead pressing if ur benching heavy and a good amount...

thats just my 2 cents tho.

5x5 is plenty to put mass on someone. And what do you mean no need for a lot of overhead pressing if you're benching? Overhead pressing is one of the exercises needed to balance bench pressing since it works more of the shoulder as a whole and works the entire rotator cuff. Bench pressing has a high reputation for protraction and internal rotation of the humerus; both of which are imbalances. And "1x5" for deadlifts is not one set of 5; it is ramping sets.

 

[kingk0ng]

I'm thinking something like.
Reps X Sets
A:
Squats-5x3
Leg ext- 6-12x2
Overhead Press- 5x3
Laterals-6-12x1
Weighted Pullups-6-10x3
2-3 sets Calf raises
2-3 sets Abs

B:
Bench Press-5x3
Dips-6-10x2
Rows-5x3
Deads-1-2x5
Posterior delt rows-6-10x2
2-3 sets for Abs
2-3 sets for Calfs

Fridays I would do one heavy (6-8 reps) set of isolation for Bi's and Tri's.

How is this for a 3 day a week mass gain program?
Primary goal is size but strength is also important.

Your old routine was fine. You will gain tons of mass with it if you have the proper diet.

 

[Jurassic]

What is ramping sets?
I also have no troubles "feeling" it in my chest with Bench press. I feel my chest is worked very hard and i can feel it lightly in my anterior delts and tri's.

 

[Jurassic]

also. Is it necessary to do squats every workout? Should I drop them or add leg extensions or something?
I'm not worried about diet. I have no troubles gaining or losing weight.

 

[drvinnybombat]

5 ramping set is like 135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5. The 1st 3 are really easy and the last 2 are hard. The point is you finish them all without a spot and increase weight regularly or else it kinda defeats the purpose. Normally you add 12.5% to the weight between sets and try to go up 2-4% each week. Again, that page I mentioned before has excel to do the math for you.