Average Joe doesn't get 5x5?

[Elusus]

This has been a problem for me. I've started working out a few months ago, and chose to do 5x5 after researching. The thing is, lots of people at the gym don't seem to understand 5x5.(I swear I've only seen one other guy at the gym do deadlifts before) If I ask someone for a spot, and pretend I'm only on my first or second set, and I tell them I am only going for 5 reps, and I stop at 5(even though I have some left in me), They give me weird looks, and try to get me to do more reps.

Like I said, I just started, and I'm only up to 145lbs on flat bench 5x5, so maybe its because I'm small still. Today for instance, I was in the middle of my first set, and some guy comes over, and spots me, but he like LIFTS the bar for me, was really annoying, he was saying, 'all you' but I could feel he was helping a lot. And he was then working closegrip with me. He then tries to replace my 5lb weights with 10lbs, and I'm like, "leave the 5lbs please, trying to do 5x5". So I explain the workout to him, and he starts telling me that 3-5reps are 'cutting' exercises, and how I should do 8-12 reps for 'bulking' Man it was annoying, and for all the rest of my sets, he'd help way too much, and I even told him, 'please don't help unless I need it', and everytime I'd slow down, I'd feel the weight fly up while he says 'all you'.

I guess I'm just venting my frustration! When ask for a spot on bench, strangers usually give me a hardtime, even some of my friends do. I'm making fast gains.. I also have a question
(sorry for the long thread)
On flat bench, I go up 5lbs at a time like 5x5 says, say week1 I do 135lbs 5x5, then the next week I do 140lbs 5x5,5,4,3,3. and then the following week I nail 140lbs 5x5. So it takes 2weeks to go up 5lbs. Am I not eating enough, or is it because I'm just starting out and don't have the muscle memory some of you guys have?

 

[coolcolj]

LOL

anyway you can't expect 5lb gains every week, in fact after the first year 5lb gains are pretty rare. Expect 2.5lb gains
The body isn't a machine, gains do not come in linear amounts. You will get big spurts and small drips here and there

although my squat has been going up 3.75 lbs ever week over the last 2months

 

[needsize]

As long as you are making some gains, then the program is working for you. That being the case, who gives a rats ass what other people think. I am one of the 2 or 3 biggest guys at my gym(over 3000 members), yet a lot of people seem to think I dont know how to train.
When I hear that I just say "if I want to look like you, I'll take 1/2 the weight off the bar, only do 1/2 reps, spend most of my time talking to my buddies and looking at girls, and eat big macs 5x a day...." No one ever has acome back for that

 

[Elusus]

ok thanks a lot for the advice and encouragement. The gym is a weird place!

 

[louden_swain]

People have no clue about various training methods at the gym where I train.

They have no clue on these training methods or exercises:

WSB
DC
5x5
board presses
floor presses
box squats
Jm presses
speed work
lockouts

 

[Zyglamail]

I think the norm for any gym is simply the old warn out methods of 8-12 reps day in and day out, thats one of this biggest reasons the gym population changes, people lose motivation and interest after the first year or two when gains come to a screeching halt. Any gym newbie can make great progress the first year or two but after that, thats when the boys get seperated from the mean and they either leave or were never there for progress anyways and turn it into a social thing or a maintenence workout, but then thats OK because we all have different goals and ambitions.

 

[Rich_S]

I don't know how in the hell people can go to the gym and deal with crap like that. Buy a bench, squat rack, and some weights and workout at home. That's what I did.

 

[Lee]

I'm not exactly a big guy (6'5" but only 221), but I know what I'm doing when I do lifts. I'm so sick of little scrawny shits sitting there watchig me dumbbell press 80's, and then walk up and have the nerve to tell me my form is wrong. Then I tell them to pick up the dumbbell and show me how its done, and most of them can't even get them up off the ground, and 80 pounds isn't even a lot, I should be doin 100's but I'm too weak for my size.

 

[SANDMAN5150]

1st of all don't let anyone or anything discourage you from going to the gym even if you have every Clown and "Workout Authority" telling you that you are doing things wrong.....I was told (AND I WORKOUT AT GOLD's...OOOOweeee!!!!) that by squatting Ash to D' Floor was going to increase my waist size and that by deadlifting I was going to make my physique very blocky and that powercleans should not even be used becuase of the great risk of injury....what do I do?? I proceed doing the same thing over and over I don't let anyone bring me down..if it is constructive criticism than by all means I will absorb and reflect..anything to make me stronger...so keep it up and Live Strong!!!!!!

 

[Lee]

It's all about self respect and motivation. If you want to do it, ignore what the other dumbshit says and do it. If it is what gets you results, do it and stick to it.