The Strength Archive

This guide is a light summary intended as an overview. For accurate and complete details, always refer to the official books, coaches, and resources linked below.

Novice Barbell Program ยท No. 02

StrongLifts 5x5

StrongLifts 5x5 is a highly popular, straightforward, and accessible beginner strength training program created by Mehdi. Like Starting Strength, it is a Novice Linear Progression (NLP) program that focuses on compound barbell movements. However, it uses a higher volume per exercise (5 sets of 5 reps) and includes barbell rows instead of power cleans.

The primary goal of StrongLifts is to build a foundation of absolute strength and muscle mass by adding small amounts of weight to the bar every single workout.

Community & Resources

Core Principles

  1. Simplicity: There are only two workouts, consisting of five core barbell exercises.
  2. 5x5 Rep Scheme: For almost all lifts, you perform 5 working sets of 5 repetitions using the same weight for all five sets.
  3. Linear Progression: You start very light (often the empty bar) to master form, and add a small, fixed amount of weight every time you successfully complete 5x5 on a lift.
  4. Frequency: You train 3 days a week, never on consecutive days (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday), leaving the rest days for recovery.

Technique and Breathing

To lift heavy weights safely, you must maintain core rigidity using the Valsalva Maneuver:

  1. Take a deep breath into your belly (not your chest).
  2. Brace your abdominal muscles hard, as if preparing for a punch to the stomach.
  3. Hold this breath and tightness throughout the entire repetition.
  4. Exhale only once the repetition is fully completed.

The Core Lifts (With Tutorials)

  1. Squat (Low-Bar or High-Bar): The foundation of the program, performed every single workout. Watch Squat Tutorial
  2. Bench Press: The primary upper-body push. Watch Bench Press Tutorial
  3. Barbell Row: A heavy horizontal pull to build back strength and balance out the pressing movements. Watch Barbell Row Tutorial
  4. Overhead Press (The Press): A strict standing press for shoulder and arm strength. Watch Overhead Press Tutorial
  5. Deadlift: The heaviest pull, working the entire posterior chain. Watch Deadlift Tutorial

Program Structure

The program is split into two alternating workouts: Workout A and Workout B.

Workout A

  • Squat: 5 sets of 5 reps (5x5)
  • Bench Press: 5x5
  • Barbell Row: 5x5

Workout B

  • Squat: 5x5
  • Overhead Press: 5x5
  • Deadlift: 1 set of 5 reps (1x5)
    (Deadlifts are kept to one heavy working set because doing 5x5 Deadlifts on top of 5x5 Squats is excessively taxing on the lower back and central nervous system).

The Schedule

You train three times a week, alternating Workout A and Workout B.

  • Week 1: Monday (Workout A), Wednesday (Workout B), Friday (Workout A)
  • Week 2: Monday (Workout B), Wednesday (Workout A), Friday (Workout B)

Progression Mechanics

1. Starting Weights

StrongLifts famously recommends starting as light as possible to perfect technique before things get heavy.

  • Squat, Bench Press, Overhead Press: Start with the empty barbell (45 lbs / 20 kg).
  • Barbell Row: Start with 65 lbs (30 kg) so you can use standard plates to get the bar off the floor.
  • Deadlift: Start with 95 lbs (40 kg) for the same reason.

2. Adding Weight

If you successfully complete all 5 sets of 5 reps with proper form, you add weight for the next workout:

  • Squat, Bench Press, Overhead Press, Barbell Row: Add 5 lbs (2.5 kg).
  • Deadlift: Add 10 lbs (5 kg) per workout because the deadlift responds faster and you only perform one set. Once deadlifts get heavy (around 225 lbs), drop the increments to 5 lbs.

3. Stalling and Deloading

You will eventually fail to get 5 reps on all 5 sets. If you fail to hit 5x5, you stay at that weight for the next workout.

  • The Deload Protocol: If you fail to get 5x5 on a specific exercise for three workouts in a row, you must "deload." This means reducing the weight on that specific exercise by 10% for the next workout. You then resume adding 5 lbs per session to build momentum back past your plateau.

Advanced Progression (When 5x5 Stops Working)

Eventually, even with deloads, you will no longer be able to recover from squatting heavy 5x5 three times a week. StrongLifts has a built-in mechanism for dealing with this by reducing the volume:

  1. Drop to 3x5: If you have to deload the same exercise three times, switch from 5 sets of 5 to 3 sets of 5 reps (like Starting Strength) for that lift. This reduces the stress and allows you to keep adding weight.
  2. Drop to 3x3: If you have to deload three times on 3x5, drop the volume again to 3 sets of 3 reps.
  3. Drop to 1x3: If you stall repeatedly on 3x3, move down to 1 set of 3 reps.

Once you have exhausted 1x3 on the Squat, you are officially no longer a novice and have reached the end of the StrongLifts linear progression. At this point, the program recommends transitioning to an intermediate program, such as Madcow 5x5.

Differences from Starting Strength

While very similar, the main differences are:

  • StrongLifts uses 5x5 instead of 3x5.
  • StrongLifts uses the Barbell Row instead of the Power Clean.
  • StrongLifts generally encourages starting with the empty bar, whereas Starting Strength recommends working up to a challenging weight on Day 1.

Recommended Resources

StrongLifts does not have a physical book on Amazon, but the entire program is detailed on the creator's website and app:

This guide is a light summary intended as an overview. For accurate and complete details, always refer to the official books, coaches, and resources linked above.