"Stronglifts: 5x5 Report" by Mehdi

• Muscle size is directly related to strength gains.
• The secret to gaining muscle is adding weight to the bar.
• Lifting weights will not make you bulky unless you start eating more.
• The only way you’re going to gain weight is if you start eating more calories than your body burns. Lifting weights only won’t get you there.
• Just get strong, eat lots of healthy foods, and the physique will take care of itself.
• Almost all major muscle magazines own or are owned by a supplement company.
• Most supplements are useless.
• Muscle confusion is a marketing gimmick intended to make you buy each each new issue of a magazine.
• It is a scientific fact that muscle size is directly related to strength gains.
• If you really want to confuse your muscles, here’s a simple way to achieve this: lift more weight than you did last time. Now they’re confused.
• The best training program is the one you stick to.
• If you want to train your stabilizing muscles: lift heavy weights.
• The secret to 5x5 is not the 5 sets of 5 reps. It’s just “a philosophy, a structure, a framework.”
• A major mistake most people make when they first start 5x5 is starting too heavy.
• Consistency is the real secret to long lasting success.
• Stronglifts 5x5 is split into 2 full-body workouts for a total of 3 sessions per week. The first time you go to the gym you do workout A, the next time workout B. You then alternate workout A and B every time you go to the gym for a total of 3 sessions per week.
• Workout A: Squat, Bench Press, Barbell Rows
• Workout B: Squat, Overhead Press, Deadlift
• 3 exercises per workout doesn’t look like a lot, but remember it’s not about the amount of exercises, it’s about the intensity of your training.
• You never ever do Stronglifts 5x5 two days in a row because your body needs recovery to gain muscle and strength. If you do make this mistake, then you won’t be able to add weight each workout.
• Squats are the most important exercise of Stronglifts 5x5.
• You’ll do 5 sets of 5 reps with the same weight on every exercise after you’ve done your warm up sets. There’s one exception, Deadlifts, where you’ll only do 1 set of 5.
• Never jump straight into your work weight, warm up first.
• Always include the weight of your barbell. Olympic barbells weigh 45 lbs.
• You should take about 1 minute of rest between sets. As the weight on the bar increases and you start struggling to get 5 reps on each set, start taking up to 5 minutes rest between sets, this can make the difference between getting 5 reps or not on your next work set.
• Prevent your workouts from getting too long by not taking any rest between you warm up sets.
• Lift as fast as you can on the way up, controlled (but not slow) on the way down.
• Your goal is not to get exhausted, your goal is to add weight on the bar every workout.
• The fastest way to eliminate soreness is to train sore muscles again by going to the gym anyway.
• It’s better to start too light than too heavy.
• You can’t deadlift/row effectively with octagonal plates.
• If you can’t do Barbell Rows correctly with 65lbs, start with the Inverted Row.
• The training strategy of adding weight systematically (called progressive loading) is the key to all the training programs in the Stronglifts ladder of strength.
• Add 5lbs to each exercise every workout. Except on deadlifts, add 10lbs each time. Once deadlifts become challenging, switch to 5lbs increments.
• You’re getting stronger each workout. What is a challenge today will be easy tomorrow.
• Make sure you’re eating at least 3000 calories per day and sleeping 8 hours per night, it’s crucial for optimal recovery.
• If you stall 3 times in a row, deload by 10%.
• Deloads are the most powerful strategy to blast through any plateau, consistently add pounds to your lifts, and gain strength and muscle.
• The main reason why stalling occurs is that your body doesn’t recover in time.
• You should switch to Stronglifts 3x5 after you deload a lift twice. Continue lifting the same on your other lifts.
• Technique is the key to gaining strength and avoiding injuries, and the secret to mastering technique is to practice a lot.
• Ladder of strength:
• 5x5
• 3x5
• 1x5
• Stronglifts Intermediate
• Stronglifts Advanced
• If you can’t squat 300lbs parallel you aren’t advanced.
• You build abs in the kitchen. Six pack abs is all about diet.
• Training more than 3 times per week doesn’t make the program more effective. Less is more. Your muscles need rest to recover, grow bigger, and become stronger.
• Squats will not ruin your knees.