Novice Barbell Program · No. 02
StrongLifts 5×5
StrongLifts 5×5 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.
Core Principles
Simplicity: There are only two workouts, consisting of five core barbell exercises.
5×5 Rep Scheme: For almost all lifts, you perform 5 working sets of 5 repetitions using the same weight for all five sets.
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 5×5 on a lift.
Frequency: You train 3 days a week, never on consecutive days (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday), leaving the rest days for recovery.
The Core Lifts
Squat (Low-Bar or High-Bar) — The foundation of the program, performed every single workout.
Watch Tutorial ↗Bench Press — The primary upper-body push.
Watch Tutorial ↗Barbell Row — A heavy horizontal pull to build back strength and balance out the pressing movements.
Watch Tutorial ↗Overhead Press (The Press) — A strict standing press for shoulder and arm strength.
Watch Tutorial ↗Deadlift — The heaviest pull, working the entire posterior chain.
Watch Tutorial ↗Program Structure
The program is split into two alternating workouts: Workout A and Workout B.
Workout A
Workout B
Deadlifts are kept to one heavy working set because doing 5×5 Deadlifts on top of 5×5 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 (A) · Wednesday (B) · Friday (A)
Week 2: Monday (B) · Wednesday (A) · Friday (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 5×5, you stay at that weight for the next workout.
The Deload Protocol: If you fail to get 5×5 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 5×5 Stops Working)
Eventually, even with deloads, you will no longer be able to recover from squatting heavy 5×5 three times a week. StrongLifts has a built-in mechanism for dealing with this by reducing the volume:
Drop to 3×5: 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.
Drop to 3×3: If you have to deload three times on 3×5, drop the volume again to 3 sets of 3 reps.
Drop to 1×3: If you stall repeatedly on 3×3, move down to 1 set of 3 reps.
Once you have exhausted 1×3 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 5×5.
Differences from Starting Strength
While very similar, the main differences are:
- StrongLifts uses 5×5 instead of 3×5.
- 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: the entire program is detailed on the creator’s website and app at stronglifts.com.