Try the legendary 5x5 volume training in a new coat! Part 1.

In the world of strength training, there are few programs that are as legendary as the 5x5 program! The foundation for this workout was laid by Arnold's idol Reg Park's and made famous by Bill Starr in his book "The Strongest Shall Survive". There are many variations, and even Mark Rippetoo's famous Starting Strength workout is one of them.

Here are the basic points of the 5x5 program in Bill Starr's version:

• 5 sets of 5 reps
• 3 compound exercises in each workout (in the original it was squat, bench press, and power relocation)
• The same exercises are trained 3 times a week
• One day is heavy (80-85% of 1RM). The next workout is light, dropping 15-20% of the weight compared to the heavy workout. The third workout is with a medium weight, about 10% less than the heavy workout.
• Usually 1-2 assistance exercises of 1-3 sets and 10 reps are added to each workout, such as back extensions.

There are a number of things I like about this system, and just some I don't. I love the frequency (complex exercises 3 times a week). In terms of strength, I'm a big proponent of this strategy. I also love the basics and doing low repetition exercises.

The fundamental question

Is a 5x5 program the best way to get stronger?

In short: It is not. Because there is no such thing!

We should also remember that strength training is one of the best ways to lose fat. We can also support this process with various fat burners.

Let's take a closer look at this legendary program. It is excellent. Then I'll offer you an even better alternative!

5x5 Under the Microscope

This is how the program works from a physiological point of view.

1 - Muscle fibre engagement

Science tells us that we reach maximum muscle fiber engagement with weights around 80% of the maximum. And the heavy training in the 5x5 program actually uses 80-85% of your 1RM. This is shown in more detail in the table below.

Remember, fatigue will rob you of 2-4% of your strength on each rep. The axis will therefore feel heavier and heavier with each rep!

As you can see, you're above 80% on every rep, which is excellent for engaging your muscle fibers.

But what about medium and light day? Let's start with the middle day, which is 75% of your 1RM. It looks like this:

3 out of 5 reps reach maximum muscle fiber engagement, which is not so good.

Now let's look at an easy day and 70% of your 1RM:

Here, you'll get maximum muscle fibre engagement on only one or two reps. This isn't ideal, but it's not a complete waste of time either.

If you chose 65% (which is also sometimes recommended in the 5x5 system), you would be doing 0 reps with maximum muscle fiber involvement. I'm not saying that moderate and light training is useless in a program, but in terms of muscle fiber engagement, only a heavy day works well!

2 - Muscle mass

Is it possible to build muscle with the 5x5 system?

Absolutely YES, but you have to train very hard!

If you look at Chris Beardsley's theory of maximally efficient reps, such maximally efficient reps engage all muscle fibres, and mechanically this puts a load on the fast fibres which have a higher growth potential.

For maximum stimulation of muscle growth we need 15-25 maximally effective repetitions per muscle. Since we are only using one exercise in this program, all of these reps must be included in that exercise.

• With heavy training, you will accomplish this.
• On a medium workout, you'll only do 15 maximally effective reps.
• Light training will not be optimal for muscle growth.

Overall, however, a 5x5 program will build enough muscle to improve strength.

3 - Speed of muscle fiber engagement

This increases when the relative load exceeds 80% of 1RM. The closer you get to 100%, the higher the rate. And it's a motor skill, so it can be trained.

The higher this speed you have, the better you are at lifting maximum weights! So you want as many reps as possible with fast muscle fiber engagement. That's the real secret to great strength.

• In heavy training, you get 4 out of 5 reps of each set at the right load level. That's great!
• In moderate training, it's only 5 reps total, which isn't enough to improve at the CNS level.
• In light training, you're not doing any reps with the need to engage muscle fibers quickly.

So in one training week, only 25 out of 75 reps have a high muscle fiber engagement rate. So overall you will improve in this skill, but it is far from ideal.

4 - Intramuscular and intermuscular coordination

This is where the 5x5 program is very effective! You practice the same exercises over and over again, which improves both coordination and technique.

I'm a big believer in high frequency when it comes to improving performance. That's why weightlifters, for example, focus more or less only on the snatch, overhead and squat.

Let's say someone offered you a million to improve your squat in 6 weeks max. You'd only squat once a week? Of course not!
You'd probably squat every day!

There is no doubt that the most frequent repetitions will give you the best performance! And that's even if the other elements of the workout aren't at their peak.

5 - Feeling safe

I'm not just talking about self-confidence, but also how safe your brain feels when performing a given exercise.

I'm talking about proper grip, joint stabilization, good movement mechanics and control, and numbing the Golgi tendon bodies!

These bodies defend your body from yourself. When it senses that your muscles are creating more force than is healthy for them, it prevents the creation of more force.
For most people, this system is set up pretty conservatively. But the more you exercise, the more these bodies get dulled, and you can use more of your strength potential!

Safety also means you won't be intimidated by high loads and will feel more confident overall in your complex exercises, but again, moderate and light training will fall a little short here.

In a nutshell...

The 5x5 program is very good for building strength! However, it may not translate adequately into your 1RM.
It's quite possible that your 5RM will increase by 20% while your 1RM will only increase by 10%.

Moreover, light and moderate workouts will not increase strength much. They will help you in improving your technique, but muscularly and strength-wise it won't be very effective.
Just think of these days as recovery and technique practice days.

You also need to acknowledge that this type of training is really hard and therefore proper supplementation is important, which should include especially good quality protein.

We are also preparing a second part for you, in which we will look at how this training system can be really effective in all aspects!

Source: www.t-nation.com - The New 5x5
Author: Christian Thibaudeau
Translated by Jaromír Uhlíř