How long does it take for results on 3x5/ Starting Strength?

[ronki23]

Restarted working out as it's summer and have free time- 3 weeks into program and my bench and overhead press are almost back to where they were/improving much more rapidly than last year-is it because I did a lot of dips/push ups during wrestling (in wrestling coach makes us do 5 x 10/ 10x 5 dips or chins [I can't do chins so I do dips] after the workout and between 50-200 push ups in a session (either we wrestle or do push ups for X minutes or alternate between the two). My leg strength is not as strong as it was- last year I could Squat and Deadlift 185lbs (85kg),my Bench was only 120lbs (55kg) and Shoulder Press 88lbs (40kg) after 14 weeks of training; three weeks in this year my Bench is already 110lbs (50kg) and Shoulder Press 77lbs (35kg) but my Squat is only 135lbs (62.5kg) and Deadlift 120lbs (55kg) but i'm adding 5lbs per session for Squats and 10lbs per session Deadlifts (if it's only 1x a week I add 10lbs, if it's 2x a week I add 10lbs the first session and 5 the next). I'm still VERY flabby though (basically my 'progress' pics) and last year although I was much stronger,I was still flabby. I'm eating cleaner this year round and am aiming to lift 100kg/220lbs on Squat and Deadlift though-will it work better this time around?

I'm tired of being in bad shape andat least the past three years i've seen sense and started doing sets of 5/strength programs and moved gyms to one with a Squat Rack.

Just wanted to know what to expect physique-wise after 10 more weeks and eating better than last year (my profile pics-the ones with a later date in 2010 show me at my best-I haven't put up the 2011 ones but they're not much better). The problem with last year is I stopped martial arts training around 8 weeks into the program (no classes) and went on holiday after the program-when I finally got back to martial arts at University, the lack of conditioning in Judo and not wrestling until December meant I lost a lot of strength. Even the year before that my push ups I did in kickboxing were less than my peak (although this is endurance rather than max strength) and I had trouble lifting up the mats in kickboxing and judo. Most importantly, is it much harder to get back leg strength.

 

[jaytaylor84]

you have to keep in mind your training myofibril and not sarcoplasmic and it will take some time to see density, usually for me it's not until you starting lifting heavy weight..for me.. who is someone with a thin body type i started out at 148 now 175 and until i broke 200 for reps with bench 300 for squat and 400 for dead i didnt look much in the way like i even lifted.. it seems like the smart individuals use SS/Stronglifts 5x5 to build a strength foundation and then move on to some kind of split for mass...

do that and you will be happy

 

[jaytaylor84]

btw if you're having trouble fitting ss in your schedule just do it 2x per week as the opposed 3.. at some point you would have to do this anyway for the recovery aspect as your body simply will not allow you to keep milking linear progression without moving onto some intermediate program.. if you cut it down to 2x per week your effectively doing just that anyway (i.e. stuart mcroberts style)..

 

[Buildingup24]

Its not a physique program. its a strength program.

 

[moya]

Its not a physique program. its a strength program.

partly true...
its not a fine tuning program for your physique, but those programs wont do much anyways unless you build a base first...
its calories in vs. calories out... you WILL grow mass if you consume more calories than you expend... that is bottom line fact... 5x5 is great for bulking...

 

[Buildingup24]

partly true...
its not a fine tuning program for your physique, but those programs wont do much anyways unless you build a base first...
its calories in vs. calories out... you WILL grow mass if you consume more calories than you expend... that is bottom line fact... 5x5 is great for bulking...

Yeah I over simplified but 5x5 would be better with a curls & lateral raises (IMO)

 

[zedhed]

On a 5x5 with good diet most peeps that I put on it see noticible resuts in 3-5 weeks. But you cant be afraid to eat. These program require a lot of fuel.

 

[ronki23]

On a 5x5 with good diet most peeps that I put on it see noticible resuts in 3-5 weeks. But you cant be afraid to eat. These program require a lot of fuel.

I'm 4 weeks in,sorry I said 3 (makes a lot of difference since I only added the direct arm work last week).
The first summer I did it I got bigger and stronger, the second summer I got stronger but not much better with physique; i'm just concerned that i'm almost a full month in and still over 20kg/45lbs away from my 5RM last year and I want to get STRONGER than last year :/

Not sure if I quoted it here but I have a winged scapula on the left and my shoulder hurts when I do overhead tricep extensions- I also do Jiu Jitsu in the summer and wrestling and judo during term-do you think the continuos falling/breakfalling is stopping it from getting back into place (I actually got it from when I started Jiu Jitsu so perhaps it must have come from poor posture/bending forward using the computer?)

 

[joeblow12345]

Well I dont see why you only lift in the summer. As you can already tell, any progress you make diminishes quickly once you stop. There really.isnt a point in only lifting during the summer. If this is something that you want to improve performance in your sport you need to do it year round. A 3 day a week lifting schedule isnt asking too much, not if you have hopes at being a better fighter. I think you need to look at your short and long term goals in your sport. If you plan on pursuing this, make a commitment to improving your performance. You have wasted 3 years of training. You could have been sq and dl 400+, and probably benched around 250+. Dont you think you would be better at your sport with that level of strength versus your current one?

 

[ronki23]

Well I dont see why you only lift in the summer. As you can already tell, any progress you make diminishes quickly once you stop. There really.isnt a point in only lifting during the summer. If this is something that you want to improve performance in your sport you need to do it year round. A 3 day a week lifting schedule isnt asking too much, not if you have hopes at being a better fighter. I think you need to look at your short and long term goals in your sport. If you plan on pursuing this, make a commitment to improving your performance. You have wasted 3 years of training. You could have been sq and dl 400+, and probably benched around 250+. Dont you think you would be better at your sport with that level of strength versus your current one?

When I mean summer I mean 3 months+ and Sep-May I actually do the Judo/Wrestling; I have University so i'm busy with studies and the time i'm free I do the martial arts

 

[Buildingup24]

You can't keep Going Away from the gym during the school year. It's a waste and whenever you go back to it, you'll end up being frustrated with where you are

 

[ronki23]

You can't keep Going Away from the gym during the school year. It's a waste and whenever you go back to it, you'll end up being frustrated with where you are

I know but i've got no time-the time I have goes into actually training for the martial arts-I have no time to do both things at once :/ Studies are equally if not more important :/

How long do people normally take to reach their best/max on Rippetoes/Stronglifts/3x5 since they all say you start off light for the first few weeks?

 

[moya]

I know but i've got no time-the time I have goes into actually training for the martial arts-I have no time to do both things at once :/ Studies are equally if not more important :/

How long do people normally take to reach their best/max on Rippetoes/Stronglifts/3x5 since they all say you start off light for the first few weeks?

a lifetime...

 

[Buildingup24]

I'm sure if you try to, you can carve out 45 minutes 3x a week to do SS.
I'm not trying to bash you, but, being in university myself, ALOT of people would spend less time in the library if they focused in class more instead of day dreaming and texting. my sophomore year I shut off my phone in class and focused more, I cut down my study/hw time by an hour a day. Other things like reading the chapter before the lecture helps too because the actual lecture is your 2nd time learning it so you comprehend it a lot more.
Just some ideas.

If you really can't make time, then you may have to choose one or the other.

 

[jaytaylor84]

maybe you should consider doing a bodyweight circuit instead until your fully able to devote the time and preparation for SS.. if you do it right your going to almost find yourself gassed doing both martial arts and SS..i hope your diet and sleep is on point.. if you haven't been in martial arts for far too long wouldn't technique be more important anyway? i hear all the time strength in martial arts competitions is nothing more than a crutch

 

[ronki23]

a lifetime...

My immediate aim is to lift 100kg on all three powerlifts; I can just about Squat/Deadlift my bodyweight but my Bench and Overhead Press are weak-I can't even Chin. When to do a more hypertrophy routine (obviously have to factor in MA training)

 

[ramnares]

Like everyone else has pointed out, you're never going to meet your goals if your lifting is seriously done over a 3 month period, followed by a long break. College classes are no excuse since the majority of posters here have either been in college, work FT, or currently are in college and manage to train seriously. All the college campuses I've visited (and the colleges I've attended) all have fully equipped gyms which are open to current students. Surely you can manage to get a 45 min workout in between breaks in your classes. If not, how about right after your last class? If you're doing martial arts, is this 5 days a week? 7 days a week? If it's not everyday then you can fit your weight routines on your days off martial arts training. As everyone pointed out, you can't expect consistent gains with the limited time you're putting in.

 

[ronki23]

Just letting you know i've opened up a new thread-not that I intend to stop doing SS but just want to know the alternatives/why they are better/worse

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/w...ams-better-than-starting-strength-944193.html