Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Normally, I would never drop the weight. But I've had sessions where I did 9 reps in the first set, rested less than 60 seconds, and only managed 5 or 6 reps at the same weight. For the third set, I would be down to 3 reps. And like I said above, starting with a weight that allowed for greater than 12 reps would cause me to lose muscle.
Yeah, that's where the problem is. Keep the weight up enough to where you are struggling to finish the last set. When you get to a point that you can finish it, add 5 more pounds and start over.
5x5 is pretty good for untrained people to get stronger and/or possibly to increase muscle size. 5x5 on compound lifts: squat, bench press, deadlift variations, snatch, clean/jerk, rowing variations can be pretty draining due to heavy weights+high volume (25 reps). I wouldn't say it's particularly beneficial for fat loss, but it certainly has potential to help.
I train a couple weeks on 5x8, then go to 5x5, then 3x8, then 4x4 (usually 5x3, but i don't like 3 reps)... then back to 5x8. I increase/decrease the weight each time.
I used to do upper/lower days, alternating between incline/flat.... deads/cleans/squats.
I DO recommend 5x5 on squats - even more. Sometimes I would end up doing 10 sets of different squat variations, then again my legs are trained very well.
Rest no more than 2 minutes.
EAT a lot.
Oh, Also - I cut down to 5% BF using a variation of a 5x5 program, with a good diet.
You can and will shed some fat with a 5x5, but it's a very inefficient way to do so. You're best scrapping it in favor of something that is meant to burn fat. A good plan would be 3-4 sets of 12-20 reps depending on the exercise with less than 60 seconds rest between sets.
I actually have the exact workout I did here somewhere. I'll find it and post it.
Anything about 12 reps isn't going to burn fat - at the end of the day you're only training your body to produce mitochondria that reduces fatigue. It isn't the best way to lose fat. Compound exercises with little rest, 5-10 reps is very effective. Doing 3 sets of 20 curls will not shred fat.
Doing a crossfit type workout is also your best bet to shredding fat
Ok, here is the workout I was using to drop weight awhile back. Worked like a charm, especially on the keto diet.
Upper Body:
Barbell Bench Press 3 sets of 20
Seated cable rows 3 sets of 20
Pec deck 3 sets of 15
Reverse Peck deck or bent over dumbell lateral raises 3 sets of 15
Dumbell side lateral raises 3 sets of 12
Lat Pull downs or pullups 3 sets of 12
Skull crushers 3 sets of 12
Seated dumbell curls 3 sets of 12
Lower body
Leg press 1 set of 25, 1 set of 20, 1 set of 15
Leg curls 3 sets of 15
Leg extensions 3 sets of 15
calf raises 4 sets of 20
No powercleans, deadlifts, squats, overhead presses. The only compound exercise I see is Bench.... these are the exercises to do 3-5 sets of 8-12 wth moderately heavy weight.
I train a couple weeks on 5x8, then go to 5x5, then 3x8, then 4x4 (usually 5x3, but i don't like 3 reps)... then back to 5x8. I increase/decrease the weight each time.
I used to do upper/lower days, alternating between incline/flat.... deads/cleans/squats.
I DO recommend 5x5 on squats - even more. Sometimes I would end up doing 10 sets of different squat variations, then again my legs are trained very well.
Rest no more than 2 minutes.
EAT a lot.
Oh, Also - I cut down to 5% BF using a variation of a 5x5 program, with a good diet.
If you are more concerned with losing fat, 5x5 would probably be a bad idea. Fat loss comes from a calorie deficit, and if you are doing 5x5 with a proper amount of intensity, it is going to be very taxing to the body and require large amounts of nutrients and sufficient calories for repair and replenishment in order to not burn out by the end of the second week.
If fat loss is your more important priority, you should base your routine on preserving muscle rather than building muscle. It is possible to build muscle and lose fat at the same time with the right plan and a calorie cycling type diet, but I wouldn't suggest 5x5 during calorie cycling.
If you are more concerned with losing fat, 5x5 would probably be a bad idea. Fat loss comes from a calorie deficit, and if you are doing 5x5 with a proper amount of intensity, it is going to be very taxing to the body and require large amounts of nutrients and sufficient calories for repair and replenishment in order to not burn out by the end of the second week.
If fat loss is your more important priority, you should base your routine on preserving muscle rather than building muscle. It is possible to build muscle and lose fat at the same time with the right plan and a calorie cycling type diet, but I wouldn't suggest 5x5 during calorie cycling.
Possible, but barely and highly unlikely.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
