5x5 for women?

[LiftHeavy123]

Does anyone think the 5x5 program would be good for a woman trying to loose weight?

My girlfriend is trying to lose weight. She currently does our gym's circuit which consists of weighted situps, lower back press, leg press, row machine, and chest press. It's all Cybex gear if you are familar with it. She does two working sets of 15 reps for each exercise. She ups the weight on the second sets. Normally she'll reach 15 on the first sets and then 10-12 on the second. After weight training she'll do 20 mins of cardio. She does this 3 times a week.

Should she just modify this? Or would the 5x5 be effective for her?

 

[petpre61]

let her do riptoe's 3x5

 

[crossy]

I put my missus on the 5 X 5. So far so good her lifts are getting better and shes toning up. I need to alter some of the weight as she seems to be struggling with a couple of lifts. She was slim and light to begin with her goal was to tone up. She does everything bar the deadlift (i want her to do this) shes not intrested in doing it. She sqauts about 100lb (5RM) which aint to bad for her size etc.

Although i may switch this to the 3 X 5 if she stalls (shes on week 6) on any other lifts.

 

[Cynical Simian]

Effective strength training is effective strength training. Tell her to ditch the "toning" circuit BS if she wants to improve body comp.

Also, losing weight is a matter of caloric balance, not picking a lifting program. Where the weight training (or lack thereof) that the person chooses comes in is in determining LBM retention/gain (i.e., body comp, as mentioned above) while dieting.

 

[Protobuilder]

I'm swimming upstream here . . . I don't think it's the greatest program if she's trying to lose weight. If she's truly dieting, she won't be building much muscle (although if she's completely untrained, she could legitimately build muscle while losing fat . . . ). She probably doesn't have experience w/ the compounds so you've got a learning curve. Many women shy away from "heavy" weights. And if she's trying to burn calories, a high-rep circuit-type approach is better, IMHO. She'll "tone up" a bit as well if she's completely untrained, regardless of how stupid that type of training is in the long-term. IOW, circuit training, high-heart rate stuff might be just fine for an untrained fatass hoping to shed some weight and give some tonus to their limp muscles. Heavy, long-rest 5x5 stuff probably not the best here.

If she's willing to work hard, look into Alwyn Cosgrove's Afterburn stuff.

 

[anotherbutters]

OMG, did you just call LiftHeavy's girlfriend a fatass?

lol

 

[LiftHeavy123]

No I don't see where he said that

 

[Czar87]

Funny i wondered the same thing another night. I think its good program cause she is going to look like fitness girl. She will take fat off and also put some muscle. But maybe HST would be the best choice. Reps from 15-5, it has it all, fitness stuff(15), BB stuff(8) and power lifting (5s).
So i think hst type thing would be the best.

 

[anotherbutters]

I was just making light of his indirect comment.

I see what PB's saying, but I think she ought to give the 5x5 (ideally, the Rippetoe 3x5) a go until things start getting really hard. You don't mention her history, but if she hasn't done much weight training before, she ought to be able to make progress on it, even when dieting.

However, if she wants to stick the the circuit work, she could at least use freeweight movements.

 

[Protobuilder]

I'm thinking mainly from a calorie burning perspective. . .

 

[Cynical Simian]

So you're saying she's a fatass and too lazy/stupid to get her diet and cardio in order to take care of the caloric balance side of the equation?

 

[crossy]

I am a great beleiver in the 5 X 5 whether cutting, bulking or just maintaining. i have tried it personally for cutting and bulking and it has worked a treat. My missus having maintenance cals her, bf% is dropping and shes getting stength gains. Run a 3 X 5 show her the compound lifts and add some HIIT cardio twice a week. Get her diet in check (loads of calcs in the diet forum) and run diffrent meals though fitday (to suit her calorie intake) if she does this regardless of what regime she does she will lose weight and bodydat and if running the 3 X 5 she will get good strength gains.