5×5 program Part I

Training, like everything else in the universe, tends to follow trends and fads.

Popular programs fade away, and the “next big thing” takes their place. Sometimes this is good, even necessary; other times it is more of a backward step.

In recent years, the training community has enthusiastically rediscovered an old classic: the 5 x 5 program. Since this system and approach to training is an excellent, effective way to train, this is one case where something coming back into fashion is a good thing.

In this article, we will briefly explore the history of the 5 x 5 program, along with the different interpretations and variations of the system that have been used over time.

A major source of confusion is that 5 x 5 is often interpreted in very different ways. When someone says they are “currently following a 5 x 5 program,” it does not necessarily mean the same thing from one person to the next, and the details remain unclear.

So let’s take a closer look at those details.

The history of the 5 x 5 program…

I am not entirely sure anyone can say who first devised a program built around 5 sets of 5 reps for each selected exercise. It certainly would not surprise me if lifters were experimenting with something similar in the first half of the 20th century, since they seem to have been trying all sorts of things even then.

Still, Bill Starr’s book “The Strongest Shall Survive: Strength training for Football” can probably be regarded as the universally accepted official origin of 5 x 5. Even if people were using the 5 x 5 system before Starr and before this book, he was undoubtedly the person who did the most to promote it. So my thanks, as the author of this article, go to him.

Even so many years after its publication, “The Strongest Shall Survive” remains an excellent source of information, and I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in training. How did Starr come up with the 5 x 5 idea? That is something many people probably do not know. Starr describes his discovery like this: “Based on findings from various studies, there was a lot of talk at the time about 4 – 6 sets of 4 – 6 reps of a chosen compound exercise being the most effective way to build strength. Great—to make this information easier to remember, I came up with my own ‘formula’ and simplified the recommendation to 5 x 5. It was the midpoint of those recommendations, and it was easy to remember.”

In recent years, coaches such as Glenn Pendlay and Mark Rippetoe have revived the 5 x 5 approach. Beyond those two, other coaches and experts have also done a great deal to revive and popularize it, including the Madcow version of 5 x 5. The reality is that 5 x 5 is a system, program or approach that is, figuratively speaking, “here to stay.” There is a good reason for that: in practice, 5 x 5 serves several goals at once. Of course, it is not the only valid program or the “be-all and end-all,” but to put it mildly, there are plenty of programs that are worse, more pointless and less effective than 5 x 5.

What is 5 x 5?

Put simply, 5 x 5 refers to a program in which you perform 5 sets of 5 reps per exercise. As mentioned earlier, Starr arrived at this scheme by simplifying the frequently recommended optimum for strength development—4 – 6 sets of 4 – 6 reps per exercise—to the midpoint of five sets of five reps.

Five is a good rep count for several reasons. These are all explored and explained in Mark Rippetoe’s books “Starting Strength” and “Practical Programming for Strength Training.” These books, too, are “required reading” if the world of strength training fascinates you. I strongly recommend studying them! As I explained in my article “The optimal rep count per set for maximum hypertrophy,” a set of five consistently and effectively stimulates muscle mass gains. In numerical terms, a set of five taken to failure means using about 85% of your 1RM. If you perform more than one set of five, the actual % of your maximum used for that exercise in a workout will be somewhat lower. Nevertheless, this is precisely the kind of weight that recruits the maximum number of muscle fibers. At the same time—and this is very important—the set is not too short, so you still have to perform a sufficient volume of work with this relatively heavy weight (80 – 85%). The relatively high muscle tension generated by a relatively heavy weight, combined with a fairly substantial set duration, produces equally good gains in both muscle mass and maximal strength. This is especially true when you follow a sound progression.

At the same time, although five reps are enough to have a noticeable metabolic effect on the muscle, the volume is just high enough—without being excessive—to let you lift that heavy weight with good technique throughout the set. This is not always possible during longer sets, where technique tends to break down as fatigue builds. With a set of five reps, this tendency is kept to a minimum.

I would also argue that technique can break down at the other extreme, when a set is too short (fewer than 5 reps) and the weight is too heavy. The heavier the weights get, the more technique and movement rhythm tend to suffer. If the weight is still substantial but the set is “a little” longer, technique holds up too. A set of five also gives you time to focus on your technique and correct it if it starts to break down. When the weight is very heavy, that is no longer possible, and you end up lifting it “at any cost”.

Of course, it should be mentioned that 5 x 5 also draws criticism, particularly from competitive powerlifters. The usual objection is that the first sets in 5 x 5 are too light to prepare the lifter adequately for heavier weights. Powerlifters prefer programs built around sets of three and two precisely because they allow heavier weights to be used in workouts (translator’s note: because the sets are shorter). Working up to the heaviest working set through shorter sets also allows for somewhat better preparation.

To be honest, though, I am not sure this is the most valid criticism. 5 x 5 is a good method for building a foundation of strength (along with a solid amount of muscle mass, of course). People on the internet have certainly tried to apply 5 x 5 to all sorts of goals, but when it turns out that 5 x 5 does not suit every situation, that is more their problem than a shortcoming of the method itself.

Still, I have yet to explain the details of 5 x 5, and that is what I want to turn to now, as I personally (the author of this article) know of at least four different interpretations (variations) of 5 x 5.

Beginner 5 x 5, or 5 x 5 with progressively heavier sets of five…

Beginner 5 x 5 almost always involves doing sets of five with progressively heavier weights, working up to a maximum set of five (within a single workout—and, in fact, in every workout). This is also how Starr described the original 5 x 5 program. So a beginner 5 x 5 workout, whatever the lift, might look like this: 45 x 5, 65 x 5, 85 x 5, 105 x 5, 125 x 5. In each subsequent workout, you try to add 2.5 kg to the final, maximum set of five (or add 2.5 kg to every set). Usually, only the final set of five—the one performed with the heaviest weight—is actually considered a working set.

Why do I say “usually”? Because if you look at the percentages, the last three sets can actually all be considered working sets: their weights fall within the range (roughly 60% of maximum and above) that is sufficient to stimulate gains in strength and muscle mass in beginners. As you progress to heavier weights, those last three sets often become difficult, and the most common adjustment at that point is to shorten the middle sets. Instead of doing 5 reps in every set, you might structure the workout like this: 5, 4, 3, 2, 5, giving the final set everything you have and completing your heaviest set of five.

Limiting the fatigue that builds up during the early sets allows you to give considerably more on the final set. This approach is usually introduced toward the end of the beginner 5 x 5 program, once the weights have become challenging. More diligent and capable beginners can, of course, still try to complete 5 reps in every set. I like this version of beginner 5 x 5 for several reasons. It allows a beginner to train while also learning and refining lifting technique. When you are starting out, performing plenty of lifts with good technique is extremely important for making that technique second nature. The more you practice a lift, the more ingrained and refined the movement becomes. The beginner version of 5 x 5 with progressively heavier weights is well suited to this.

You perform five reps in the first set. Depending on how easy they feel, you add 2.5 – 10 kg and perform the next set of five, again under supervision. If that second set becomes difficult and technique starts to suffer slightly, I personally keep the weight the same for the remaining sets. If technique holds up, you can make sensible increases in weight until all 5 working sets are complete. In the next workout, you should start your first set a little heavier and then work up in the same pyramid fashion (hopefully reaching a new maximum set of five).

Consistent feedback from a coach is essential to making progress. There is no point in mindlessly “hammering” through five sets and simply adding weight, assuming that this means you are doing everything correctly. Ideally, your coach gives you feedback on every set: how to increase the weight, by how much, and whether to increase it at all. The aim is to maintain and improve your technique while keeping progress on track. This is where we should point out a major mistake people training without a coach tend to make: they move ahead too quickly, get impatient, and soon hit a wall with the weights. That is before we even get to the poor technique they develop.

In any case, with a coach alongside you and the right approach, 25 technically sound reps should be achievable in every workout, with the weights increasing progressively from one workout to the next. If you do the calculations, that means 75 reps per week and a total of 1000 good reps over a 12-week cycle. What an excellent way to make progress and practice lifting technique.

This approach to training not only improves technique but also gradually teaches you to push yourself and focus as the weights increase.

I have also used 5 x 5 with increasing weights when someone is returning to training after a long break. In this situation, progression is naturally somewhat faster, but you still start light, which helps you quickly get back into your old rhythm. With this approach, you regain that rhythm relatively quickly and return to your previous strength level in a relatively short time.

Even advanced, experienced lifters make the same major mistake when returning to training: adding weight too quickly. Give yourself time to improve. Rushing undermines progress and ruins technique.

Ultimately, though, 5 x 5 with increasing weights is primarily intended for beginners; at some point, even a single maximal set of five repetitions will no longer be enough to ensure progress. This is when you need to increase training volume to stimulate further progress. That brings us to the next interpretation of 5 x 5.

Author: Janar Rückenberg (translation)

Source: Turg.Fitness.ee

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