5x5 Training for Women

[bigazn]

Hey ladies. I workout with my GF and right now we are on a pretty basic 5 day split. It consists of 45-60 weights followed by 30 min cardio after at 65-75% Max HR.

I wanna try doing a 5x5 program because I haven't done that type for training since my football days and I have been on various split routines for years in which I never working a body part more than once in a 6-7 day period.

I was just wondering if she could benefit of this type of program so we can continue to workout together. We both have pretty much the same goals, which are to lean up and maintain muscle mass for the next 3 months.

If so how would you set up the workouts in terms of when to schedule cardio.

She is 5' 6" 148lbs and 25% BF. Right now she is taking 150g protein 150g carbs and 40g fat per day, split over 6 meals. She has already dropped 12 pounds in the last 2 months. She started at 250g carbs when she weighed 160ish and I have brought her carbs down as she has dropped in weight.

We are looking to get her down to 15% BF in the most efficient way. Rate of speed is not the issue here, we just want to keep it off.

Oh BTW, last year before we were dating, when she was under the influece of some of her "knowlegable" buddies she did a cycle of clen and used way too much and did not work her way up or down in right progression. She went from 135 and probably around 15% BF and then ended up almost gaining a pound a day and ballooned up too 180 and over 30% BF. She did everything wrong... bad diet (actually no organized diet) and bad training. Call it being young and stupid and thinking that pills or in this case the pump could solve all her problems.

So let me know if she can do the 5x5 with me. If not what type of program do you recommend for her.

Thank you ladies.

 

[nelmsjer]

bigazn, my wife (IcePrincess) is currently on the 5x5 program. We have both enjoyed following madcow's Dual Factor version. We are currently approaching week 8 and have learned quite a bit.

First, it's tremendous for strength gains. For me, it has been outstanding for size gains. I've put on 16 lbs so far. She has not put on more than 4 lbs. at this point, but we are both seeing visual results, in terms of an increase in muscle size. Keep in mind that muscle gain is our goal and we're eating like crazy (she's still working on getting used to eating so much). Your goals are obviously different, and proper food intake will prevent both of you from gaining weight, if that is your goal.

I might be criticized for this, but for her next round of 5x5, I am probably going to have her do 5x6 or 5x7. Research shows that women TEND to have a higher percentage of Type 1 fibers and can, therefore, lift a percentage of 1RM for more reps than a guy can. So, the extra rep (or two) should lend itself to greater hypertrophy (based on the generalized characteristic of percentage of fibers), but we will just have to see. So much of this game is based on individual differences.

It should also be known that most of the woman on here will probably respond with "train each body part once per week", which has been used in the bodybuilding community for the past few decades or so. I'm not knocking it, and it's difficult to argue with the fact that it has been fairly successful for a long time now. My research leads me to believe that more frequent training will produce greater results, and so I am in an experimental phase with my wife and I. I like the results so far, but this is only my first round through it. Time will tell, right? If I need to change, I'll change.

So, that answers part of your question. The other portion revolves around cardio. It will heavily depend on the amount of time you have, and what times of day you have available. I'd say 90+% of the ladies here are believers in fasted morning HIIT. Brutal, but effective, so it's difficult to argue with it. If you have this luxury, I would suggest the following split.

Monday am: light cardio
Monday pm: 5x5
Tuesday am: HIIT
Tuesday pm: abs and light lower back for recovery purposes
Wednesday: 5x5
Thursday: light cardio, abs, lower back
Friday am: light cardio
Friday pm: 5x5
Saturday am: HIIT, abs, and lower back (recovery)
Sunday: completely off

This split starts off your week with a lot of work after a full day and a half off, backs off on Wednesday and Thursday, and then hits it again Friday and early Saturday. It's a lot of work, and you may need to work up to it. Keep your calories in mind, and remember you don't want to lose weight too quickly. The HIIT will be difficult on Tuesday and Saturday, if you are doing madcow's version...lots of squats the evening before. If you can work up to HIIT 3 times per week, that would be great, but give yourself a full cycle of this before you attempt it (unless your recovery methods and current work capacity are already excellent).

Tell her congratulations on the 12 lb. weight loss. That is nice work, and good job for helping her take care of the carb issue. They aren't evil, but 250 was excessive for her goals.

Keep us updated.

 

[bigazn]

Thanks for the reply nelm. She stalled out after losing her first 20lbs (180 to 160). At the time she was eating only 75g of carbs per day. I felt she was to low so I used 1.5g carbs times her bodyweight to get 250g of carbs. Just to start her off at a higher rate so I could see where her tolerance levels of carbs was and then work her way down. I should have used 1.5g times her lean body mass, my bad... but she is well on her way now.

 

[nycgirl]

I've done it. I will start it again in February. I'm currently on a basic program to reubild my strength. I'm so looking forward to it. I lost a lot of fat on that program. I kept my carbs 1g per total bodyweight (I was 138 and 30% when I started; 137 and 25% after the first month).

5x5 is my favorite program.

 

[bigazn]

nycgirl, can you post the 5x5 program you used as well as how you fit cardio into the mix ass well as what type... HIIT or constant HR cardio in a certain target HR zone? Any 411 would be much appreciated.

 

[nycgirl]

nycgirl, can you post the 5x5 program you used as well as how you fit cardio into the mix ass well as what type... HIIT or constant HR cardio in a certain target HR zone? Any 411 would be much appreciated.

I did this (its The Shadow's Program):

Sunday
Deadlifts - 1x20
Squats - 5x3
Seated Dbl Press - 5x5
Seated Calf Raise - 2x20

Tuesday
Barbell Row - 5x5
Bench Press - 5x5
Deadlifts - 1x20
Standing Calf Raise - 2x20

Thursday
Dbl Shrugs - 5x5
Barbell Curls/Dbl Curls - 5x5
Dips - 5x5 (I did Assisted. I went from 78lbs of assistance to 34lbs by the end of the program)
Squats - 5x5 (w/ weight from Monday)

HIIT Cardio - Sat, Mon and Wed.

 

[nycgirl]

When I joined EF, I was 149. I did a basic program for 6 weeks just to get comfortable with lifting and while I didn't eat clean, I ate healthy. I lost 11lbs. My diet was 40/30/30. My calories ranged from bodyweigh x10 - bodyweight x12. Protein was 1-1.5grams per bodyweight. Carbs were 1g per total bodyweight.

When I started the 5x5 I was 138 and 30%bf. Within 4 weeks, I was 137 and 25%bf. I eventually went down to 20%. I lost all of that BF without fat burners.

As I stated earlier, the goal was to increase all weights at 5lbs per week. My bench did plateau at week 5. So I increased the number of reps to 6 or 7. I was able to increase the weight at 5lbs per week for squats & deadlifts the entire program. I went from 75lbs to 115 for both exercises.

There's no such thing as a "female program". She can do any 5x5 program. 12 weeks may be too long for her. Depending on the program, I would keep it to 8. If she can go on to 12, fine. I couldn't do 12 (as originally planned). By the 8th week, my body was done. I wasn't familiar with how this would affect my Central Nervous System. I didn't know anything about it. By the 8th week, I hit a wall, HARD.