x5 or 3x10 or does it even matter?
04-01-2013, 10:26 PM
So I'm a skinny guy getting started out at the gym.
I had read several places of a basic program to bulk up of 5x5 of the heaviest weight you can do, focusing on basic compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, rows, bench, shoulder press, etc.
I've started doing this and it gets me dead tired very quickly. Doing absolutely as much as I can, of course, is exhausting.
But afterwards I don't feel deeply sore.
When i've done more reps, even if the weight is lower, I feel like the day after I'm much more sore.
For instance, I did a day with just squats, deadlifts, and rows. I didn't do close to my max, and I did some sets up to 20 times, other ones 10 times.
I'd say I did something like 5 or 6 sets of 8-12 at weights that got me tired but allowed me to complete this many reps.
Also, spending more time in the gym, I notice lots of big guys are doing way more than 5 reps of a given exercise.
Is the whole 5x5 thing some internet nonsense?
And does soreness the day after even correlate to how much muscle you're building? For instance, running 5 miles my legs would be sore as hell, but obviously not getting any bigger.
I had read several places of a basic program to bulk up of 5x5 of the heaviest weight you can do, focusing on basic compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, rows, bench, shoulder press, etc.
I've started doing this and it gets me dead tired very quickly. Doing absolutely as much as I can, of course, is exhausting.
But afterwards I don't feel deeply sore.
When i've done more reps, even if the weight is lower, I feel like the day after I'm much more sore.
For instance, I did a day with just squats, deadlifts, and rows. I didn't do close to my max, and I did some sets up to 20 times, other ones 10 times.
I'd say I did something like 5 or 6 sets of 8-12 at weights that got me tired but allowed me to complete this many reps.
Also, spending more time in the gym, I notice lots of big guys are doing way more than 5 reps of a given exercise.
Is the whole 5x5 thing some internet nonsense?
And does soreness the day after even correlate to how much muscle you're building? For instance, running 5 miles my legs would be sore as hell, but obviously not getting any bigger.