Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I'm doing an interview today on SuperHuman
Radio. It will be at 1:00 EST. The topic is
"Ask the Expert" and I'll spend the entire
show answering questions from listeners.
If you want to submit a short question,
shoot it on in to me by email and we'll
see if we have time to work it in.
You can listen to the show LIVE -- or
catch it later by downloading it from the
SHR website. There's no charge. This is a
public service program for Dinos.
One of the questions was about the 5 x 5
system. It went something like this:
"There are many different versions of the
5 x 5 system. Which is best?"
Now, I get the "which is best?" question
a lot.
"Which is best -- squats or deadlifts?"
"Which is best -- barbells or dumbbells?"
"Which is best - one heavy single or multiple
heavy singles?"
"Which is best -- rowing or pull-ups?"
"Which is best -- 5 x 5 or heavy singles?"
And the list goes on and on.
The answer, of course, is always the same.
1. What is best for ME may or may not be best
for YOU.
1A. You need to experiment to find what works
best for YOU.
1B. When you experiment, stick to sensible things
that have a good chance of working. For example:
it's fine to experiment with different versions
of 5 x 5 -- but don't try 20 sets of 5 reps
"as an experiment."
2. For most people, less is always more. Meaning
that less works better than more. Quality training
ALWAYS beats quantity training.
3. What works best for you NOW will CHANGE in the
next five or ten years. Heck, it may even change in
the next six months.
3A. This is why you need to keep reading and keep
studying this stuff -- and why you need to keep an
open mind.
3B. Once again, remember that less is more.
4. Older trainees do better with less frequent
workouts -- with more abbreviated programs -- and
with fewer sets and reps. This allows them to recover
better from their training.
5. As you get stronger, what works best for you will
change. 5 x 5 with three working sets is great for
a young trainee who is going up the ladder -- but
at a certain point, you get to be so strong that
three working sets is too much. There's just too
much weight on the bar, and your intensity level
is too high, and you can't recover from your
workouts.
6. The best system of sets and reps varies from
one exercise to another.
6A. Example: Singles work great for squats,
deadlifts, presses, clean and press, bench press,
heavy dumbbell swings, one hand barbell snatches,
and Olympic lifting.
6B. Further example: 5 rep sets work best for curls,
dumbbell bench press, dumbbell incline press, shrugs,
rowing, pull-ups, reverse curls, and close grip bench
presses.
7. No one ever said you have to use the SAME system of
sets and reps on all of your different exercises!
8. No one ever said you can't add work sets as a form
of progression -- even if it means you use a DIFFERENT
set/rep system each time you train.
8A. For example -- start with 5 x 5, doing four
progressively heavier warm up sets, and ONE heavy set.
8B. The next time you train, do four progressively heavier
warm-up sets and TWO heavy sets.
8C. Four progressively heavier warm-up sets and THREE
work sets.
8D. Add five or ten pounds to the bar, drop back to
4 x 5 warm-ups and 1 x 5 work sets, and build back up
to 4 x 5 and 3 x 5.
8E. That may not fit into anyone's neat little system,
but it WORKS -- and that's what counts.
9. The above system of progression works well with
singles!
9A. If you try it with singles, try building up from
one heavy single to five heavy singles. Then add weight,
drop back to one heavy single, and build back up.
10. Alternating workouts with sets of five reps and
workouts with heavy singles can be very effective.
So there you have it.
"Which is better?"
There's no one right answer -- there are MANY right
answers. Your job is to find the right answer for YOU!
As always, thanks for reading and have a great day.
If you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
P.S. For more info on effective training programs --
on sets and reps -- and on real world, no-nonsense
training programs, grab the book that started it all:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html
P.S. 2. Older trainees need a copy of GRAY HAIR AND
BLACK IRON:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 3. If you like bodyweight workouts -- or if you
like to combine bodyweight training and weight
training -- then grab DINOSAUR BODYWEIGHT TRAINING:
http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_bodyweight.html
P.S. 4. For detailed, rep by rep workouts for beginners,
intermediates and advanced lifters, grab CHALK AND SWEAT:
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
P.S. 5. And if you're interested in building maximum
possible strength, muscle and power, then grab the
book that uses those three words as a title:
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
P.S. 6. If you're looking for something brand new,
here's the link to my new John Grimek training course --
order now and get the pre-publication bonuses when we mail
your course to you:
http://brookskubik.com/johngrimek_course.html
P.S. 7. Thought for the Day: "What's BEST is what
WORKS." -- Brooks Kubik
