5 x 5 Training
What is 5 x 5 training? It consists of a workout in which you perform an exercise for five sets of five reps.
The percentage of your single rep max that should you use in conjunction with 5 x 5 training is debatable as all of the following options are used by different lifters.
80% or more of your single rep max
77% of your single rep max
75% of your single rep max
72% of your single rep max
70% or less of your single rep max
Different Training Philosophies for 5 x 5 Training
I believe the best percentage will very according to the individual lifter based on their capacity to repeat sets at full strength. Not everyone trains according to this philosophy as there tends to be four different approaches to the 5 x 5 workout including:
1. Start out by using High intensity training to failure on every set with the same weight. The guys who do this use 85% to 90% of their single rep max on every set. If you do this, it will actually prevent you from reaching five reps on every set. After pushing to failure on your first set, you will probably hit three or four reps on your second set, two or three reps on your third set, and two reps for the last two sets. The method of progression when using this type of training is to keep using the same weight until your strength improves enough to perform five sets of five reps with the weight you have been using.
2. Use a weight that causes you to reach failure when you reach your last set.
3. Use a weight that allows perfect form and a steady even rep pace for every rep of every set.
4. Pyramid your poundages by increasing the weight across five sets so that you reach your heaviest poundage on your last set.
In this article, I will not be discussing the first two methods or the last method listed. The first method is overkill. The second method isn’t bad as a short-term strategy, but will still cause burnout as a long term strategy. The third method is a good long-term strategy, and the fourth method is also a good strategy for those who have a low capacity for repeating sets at full strength, but I will mainly be addressing the third method in this article.
The third method listed is based on selecting the maximum poundage that can be used within the context of performing perfect reps for every rep of every set.
Perfect Reps Defined
Perfect reps consist of excellent lifting form and steady even rep speed. What does this look like? Fast forward to about 3:30 in the following video to watch Mikhail Koklyaev; an elite lifter who has mastered perfect rep 5 x 5 training.
Example of Perfect Rep 5 x 5 Training
.
Picking The Right Poundage for 5 x 5 Training
If you want to make long term progress, striving for perfect reps for every rep of a 5 x 5 workout is the way to go. The trick is to select the right poundage that allows you to use as much weight as possible without sacrificing your ability to execute perfect reps for every 5 x 5 rep.
Individual Capacities For the Right Percentage Will Vary
I could list a single percentage that I think everyone should use for 5 x 5 training, but that would fail to take into account individual differences in capacity.
Very High Capacity
What do I mean by individual capacity? I mean that some lifters can use 80% to 82% of their single rep max for 5 x 5 training while maintaining perfect form and a steady even rep pace for every rep of every set. This would be rare and would represent a lifter who has a very high workload capacity.
High Capacity
A lifter who can use 77% of his single rep max with perfect form for every rep of 5 x 5 training also has a high workload capacity.
Normal Capacity
It would be more normal to have the capacity to maintain perfect reps when using 70% to 75% in conjunction with 5 x 5 training.
Low Capacity
A lifter with a low capacity might have to drop to a percentage in the high 60s in order to maintain perfect reps for every rep of every set. Don’t label yourself or anyone else as an inferior lifer if you or someone else has a low capacity. Some super strong lifters have a low capacity across five sets, but they are extremely strong on their first set.
Why do lifters vary in capacity? There are four basic reasons:
1. Some lifters are untrained and have not developed their capacity to remain at a high level of strength for five sets. They have a low capacity.
2. Some lifters have a high capacity because they have developed their capacity through the use of high volume workouts.
3. Some lifters have a low capacity because they have never developed their capacity. These lifters work up to only one or two work-sets for a given exercise or muscle group.
4. Some lifters naturally have the type of physiology that lends itself to a high capacity, and some lifters have the type of physiology that is naturally low in capacity, even after training.
It would not be accurate to say that lifters who have a high capacity are always stronger than those with a lower capacity for repeating sets at full strength. The key is to train according to your own capacity by using the heaviest poundage that allows perfect reps on every set. This being the case, how do you find the right poundage that fits your individual capacity?
Start With 75% of your Single Rep Max
While not everyone should use 75% of their single rep max for 5 x 5 training, it is a good starting place that will be close to the right poundage for the majority of lifters. From there, you can either keep using 75%, or you can increase or decrease the weight depending on your performance with 75% of your single rep max.
When to Increase to a Higher Percentage
If you use 75% of your single rep max while performing perfect reps for every rep of every set, you can increase the weight by 5 to 10 pounds for your next workout. As long as you can execute perfect reps consisting of perfect form and a steady even rep pace, keep increasing the weight by 5 to 10 pounds for your workouts. When you reach a poundage that forces you to slow down for the last rep of the last one to two sets, stop increasing the weight. Keep using the same weight until you can perform perfect reps with perfect form and an even rep pace for every rep of every set for at least three consecutive workouts. When you accomplish this, you can increase the weight again. A lifter with a high capacity will find themselves using about 77% of his single rep max, and a lifter with a super high capacity will find himself using about 80% to 82% of his single rep max.
When to Keep Using 75%
It is possible that you start with 75% of your single rep max and find that you can use perfect reps for almost every rep of every set, but you slow down a little on the very last rep of the last one or two sets of a 5 x 5 workout. There is no need to increase or decrease the percent or the poundage you are using. Keep repeating workouts with the same weight until you can perform perfect reps consisting of perfect form and an even rep pace for every rep of every set for at least three consecutive workouts. When you succeed at this, you can increase the weight by five to ten pounds.
When to Decrease Below 75%
You may be a lifter who starts with 75% of your single rep max for 5 x 5 training, but your rep speed slows down for two or more reps at the end of one or more of your sets. If this is true of your own training, you need to decrease the poundage until you can sustain perfect form and an even rep pace for all but the last rep of the last one or two sets. Once you find the right weight, keep repeating workouts with it until you can maintain perfect form and an even rep pace for every rep of every set for three consecutive workouts. When you succeed at this, you can increase the weight.
If you are a lifter who needs to drop to a percentage that is 70% or below, many will question whether or not you are using enough load and intensity to stimulate optimum strength gains. This is a valid concern. Those who must use lower percentages for 5 x 5 training in order to sustain an even rep speed and excellent exercise form are forced to do so because they lack the capacity to repeat sets at full strength. Decreasing the load to a lower percentage is only one of the possible adjustments when dealing with low workload capacity.
Another way to deal with low capacity for repeating sets at full strength is to do 3 x 5, or 2 x 5 training. You can also pyramid your poundages by starting out with a light weight on your first set, and work your way up to a final heavy set across five sets. When you do 3 x 5 training, or 2 x 5 training, or you pyramid up to a final heavy set of 5 x 5, you don’t need to be at full strength for a lot of sets. This allows you to lift heavy for one to three sets without worrying about a big drop in strength that will occur when doing more sets.
If you are super strong, but you can only maintain your strength for one or two sets, you may be fast twitch dominant and don’t necessarily need the volume that 5 x 5 training provides. Choose the number of sets that corresponds to your physiology and capacity.
A Change in Strength vs. Change In Capacity
Sometimes a lifter can increase the poundage of a 5 x 5 workout because his capacity to stay strong for more sets improves. This is not always an indication of an increase in strength, it may simply be an indication that the lifter has improved his ability to stay strong for more sets, which is a type of strength specific endurance. Such a lifter will be able to maintain form and rep speed with a higher percentage of his single rep max when doing a 5 x 5 workout. On the other hand, a lifter may be able to use more weight due to an increase in strength, not capacity. This means his capacity to repeat sets at full strength with a given percentage of his single rep max stays the same, but his strength improves. In this case, the added weight for 5 x 5 training is due to an increase in strength, not endurance.
Capacity For Repeating Sets at Full Strength Can be Developed
Some of you may find that your capacity will increase by simply doing 5 x 5 workouts on a regular basis. You may be able to increase your 5 x 5 percentage from 75% to 77%, or even to 80% while maintaining perfect reps throughout the workout. Others may start lower at 70% and develop the capacity to use 75% while performing perfect reps for all five sets. If you start with 70% to 75% of your single rep max, don’t assume that you need to automatically increase the weight to a higher percentage of your single rep max over time. Stick with the percentage and the poundage that puts you in your sweet spot for perfect reps throughout the workout.
If you include 5 x 5 training in your workouts, ask yourself if you may need to adjust your poundages to match your capacity for perfect reps. If you think it would help to do so, make the appropriate adjustments and evaluate whether the adjustments helped. If the adjustments helped, keep using them, however, if what you were doing before you made the adjustments worked better, go back to what you were doing. Always do what works best. May God bless you with the best of training.
Next article: Pyramid Your Percentages for 5 x 5 Training
Additional Resources
.