The 5×5 workout is a simple yet effective exercise routine designed by Bill Starr, strength and conditioning specialist. This workout includes five main exercises: squat, bench press, barbell row, overhead press, and deadlift. You perform each exercise for 5 sets of 5 repetitions. Popular since the 1960s, it’s ideal for everyone from beginners to advanced weightlifters looking to build muscle and increase strength.
5×5 workout is widely praised and often recommended by fitness trainers, including Michael Hamlin from Everflex Fitness. It effectively challenges your muscles, fostering noticeable improvements in strength and physique.
By consistently following the 5×5 workout, you’ll see significant changes, making it a favorite method for those seeking a straightforward and impactful way to lift weights.
What Is The 5×5 Workout?
The 5×5 workout is a strength training program that focuses on compound exercises like the deadlift. In this workout, you do 5 sets of 5 reps each, using weights that are challenging but manageable.
This helps build muscle across major body muscle groups effectively. The 5×5 workout has been around for a while, but it always consists of five sets of five repetitions of complex movements. Hamlin recommends the following guidelines and code:
Reps and sets:
Complete five sets of five repetitions for each exercise.
Pauses for rest:
Depending on the intensity and your mood, take two to three minutes to rest in between each set.
Timetable:
Three times a week, on non consecutive days, finish the program, leaving time for recovery in between.
Tools:
It is necessary to have some basic weight room equipment, such as a bench, squat rack, weights, and barbell.
Advancement
The objective is to raise weight by 1 to 2 percent every week. It’s usually easier to add two 2.5 pound weights (totaling five pounds) per week to keep things simple.
As you progress, the 5×5 workout gradually increases the weights you lift. Fitness trainers, like Hamlin, suggest using a system called Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) to judge how hard you’re working. For instance, RPE ranges from one (easy) to ten (maximum effort), helping you adjust the weight based on how the last rep felt.
It’s important to rest for about one to three minutes between sets in the 5×5 workout. This rest time helps your muscles recover and get ready for the next set, ensuring you gain strength safely and effectively without tiring out too quickly.
Sample 5×5 Workout Schedule
Week One
- Monday
Back squat: 5 reps x 5 sets, rest 90 seconds
Bench press: 5 reps x 5 sets, rest 90 seconds
Barbell row: 5 reps x 5 sets, rest 90 seconds
- Wednesday
Back squat: 5 reps x 5 sets, rest 90 seconds
Overhead press: 5 reps x 5 sets, rest 90 seconds
Deadlift: 5 reps x 1 set, rest 90 seconds
- Friday
Back squat: 5 reps x 5 sets, rest 90 seconds
Bench press: 5 reps x 5 sets, rest 90 seconds
Barbell row: 5 reps x 5 sets, rest 90 seconds
Week Two
- Monday
Back squat: 5 reps x 5 sets, rest 90 seconds
Overhead press: 5 reps x 5 sets, rest 90 seconds
Deadlift: 5 reps x 1 set, rest 90 seconds
- Wednesday
Back squat: 5 reps x 5 sets, rest 90 seconds
Bench press: 5 reps x 5 sets, rest 90 seconds
Barbell row: 5 reps x 5 sets, rest 90 seconds
- Friday
Back squat: 5 reps x 5 sets, rest 90 seconds
Overhead press: 5 reps x 5 sets, rest 90 seconds
Deadlift: 5 reps x 1 set, rest 90 seconds
5×5 Workout Exercises
1. Bench Press
Muscles targeted: Chest, shoulders, and triceps
When adding weight, remember to keep your shoulders locked in your back pockets and not to elevate them higher.
How to do it?
- Lie on your back on a flat bench and keep your feet flat on the floor.
- Hold a barbell (or dumbbell) with your hands a little wider than your shoulders.
- Take a deep breath in and slowly lower the bar down to your chest, keeping your elbows bent at a 90 degree angle.
- Breathe out and push the bar back up until your arms are straight again. That’s one rep.
2. Back Squat
Muscles targeted: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core
Form advice for adding weight: Always make sure the safety bars are on the squat rack, keep your chest up, and maintain a neutral spine during the movement.
How to do it?
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, toes pointing out slightly like they’re pointing to 11 and 1 o’clock on a clock. Hold a barbell on your shoulders or dumbbells by your sides—it’s a bit easier and less technical to start this way.
- Take a deep breath in, tighten your core, and keep your chest up and back straight as if you’re sitting back in a chair.
- Slowly bend your knees and lower your body until your thighs are about parallel to the floor.
- Breathe out, tighten your glutes, and push through your feet to stand back up. That counts as one rep.
3. Barbell Row
Muscles targeted: Upper back, lats, and biceps
When adding weight, remember to keep your shoulders down to prevent them from lifting during the lift and to always keep your spine neutral to release any strain in your lower back. For stability, concentrate on using your lower traps, he continues.
How to do it?
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, firmly on the ground. Bend at your hips so your upper body is tilted forward about 45 degrees, keeping your spine straight.
- Hold a barbell (or dumbbell) with your hands just wider than your shoulders. Start with an underhand grip if you’re using a barbell, as it’s usually easier. You can try an overhand grip once you’re comfortable.
- Pull the barbell up towards your chest and hold it there for a second or two.
- Slowly lower the barbell back down. That’s one rep.
4. Deadlift
Muscles targeted: Lower back, hamstrings, and glutes
When adding weight, pay attention to keeping your spine neutral and your core strong to protect your back.
How to do it?
- Stand with your feet hip width apart, toes pointed slightly out, with a barbell over the middle of your feet. You can also use dumbbells.
- Bend at your hips (not your waist), keep your back straight and chest up, and grab the barbell just outside your shins.
- Keep your back and neck in a straight line, engage your core, and press your heels into the ground. Lift the bar as you straighten your hips and slightly push your knees back to clear the bar. Keep the bar or dumbbells close to your body the entire time.
- Lower the bar back to the ground following the same path, keeping your spine neutral. That’s one rep.
5. Overhead Press
Muscles targeted: Shoulders and triceps
Form tips when increasing weight: Keep your shoulder blades down and focus on engaging your lower traps.
How to do it?
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, holding a barbell (or dumbbells) at shoulder height.
- Take a deep breath in, pull your shoulder blades back and down, and push the bar straight up until your arms are fully extended.
- Breathe out and tighten your core as you carefully lower the weight back to shoulder height. That’s one rep.
Which Muscles Are Targeted By The 5×5 Workout?
One big benefit of the 5×5 pattern is that all of the compound exercises may be used to produce a full body workout. This is a cheat chart that lists the primary muscle groups for each program:
- Chest
The bench press is a complex exercise that works the pectoral muscles. “The chest muscles are activated as you push the bar away from your chest, promoting strength and muscle development.
- Shoulders
The deltoids, or shoulder muscles, are the main target of the overhead press. He says that lifting the weight above takes a lot of shoulder strength, which works your triceps and traps.
- Biceps and triceps
The extension portion of the bench press and overhead press primarily uses the triceps. According to him, pulling the weight closer to your chest during a barbell row exercises your biceps and helps build your arms overall.
- Fundamental
Core stabilization is necessary for the deadlift and the squat. “The core muscles contribute to overall core strength and stability by helping to maintain an upright posture during squats and stabilize the spine during deadlifts.
- Hamstrings
The deadlift is a complex exercise that primarily works the hamstrings. “Your hamstrings contract as you lift the barbell, promoting strength and development in the rear of your thighs.”
- Quads
A basic quad workout is the squat. “Your quads are in charge of extending your knee joints as you lift out of the squat position, which promotes strength and hypertrophy in the front of your thighs.
5×5 Workout Benefits
Boost power
Strengthening is the program’s main objective. Your physiological limits are pushed when you lift heavy weights, and you develop strength as your muscles adjust to the weekly challenge of increasing weight.
Develop muscle
Heavy lifting puts the muscle under more mechanical stress, which promotes muscular growth. Even while five repetitions of an exercise may not seem like much, research demonstrates that five repetitions can cause significant muscular hypertrophy.
Accelerate the metabolism
Research demonstrates that strength training has a major effect on your metabolism and capacity for fat burning. A person’s basal metabolic rate, or the number of calories burned during routine bodily processes like breathing, digestion, and hair growth, is higher when they have more muscle than fat. Muscle also consumes more energy than fat when at rest.
Improve your level of functional fitness
Compound exercises are the main focus of the 5×5 workout since they can help you maintain your best level of mobility and stability while also enhancing your overall strength and agility.
Straighten up your posture
Your posture can be improved by strengthening the muscles in your shoulders, back delts, abs, and glutes that are all involved in keeping you upright.
Minimal equipment
The exercise is so easy that you don’t need a lot of equipment. You’re set to go if you have a barbell, weight plates (or dumbbells), a squat rack, and a bench.
Encourage restful sleep
Resistance training, like the kind in this program, can help if you have trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep. People who consistently engaged in weight training slept longer and in greater quality than people who just focused on aerobic exercise.
Increased density of bones
Resistance training is essential for maintaining bone density and lowering the risk of osteoporosis and sarcopenia, even if you may not give it much thought daily.
Practice effectively
The 5×5 exercise routine is effective even if you’re short on time. Each session will take roughly an hour to an hour and a half. Plus, just three days of gym time are needed.
Test your muscles wherever
You can anticipate an all encompassing workout with only one program because the 5×5 addresses your upper body, lower body, and core.
5×5 Workout Risks
The 5×5 workout, while popular, carries risks, especially for beginners or those new to fitness. This training program involves lifting heavy weights and can lead to joint soreness and muscle soreness if not done correctly. The main risks include injury from improper form or excessive weight progression.
Beginners should pay close attention to form and perhaps start with lighter weights or weight plates to ensure their body adapts without undue soreness or pain. Consulting a doctor or a physiotherapist before starting the 5×5 workout is wise, as they can assess your body’s readiness for such intense movements.
Trainers often emphasize the importance of rest, especially in volume training programs like 5×5. Without sufficient rest, overtraining can occur, leading to fatigue and increased risk of injury.
It’s crucial to listen to your body and take a break if you experience pain or excessive fatigue. This approach helps manage the potential downsides and keeps the workout beneficial rather than harmful.
Is the 5×5 Workout Good for Beginners?
The 5×5 workout is a good option for beginners who want to get stronger because it’s simple to follow. It involves doing 5 sets of 5 reps each, focusing on basic exercises that help build strength. This makes the 5×5 workout appealing for those new to fitness.
However, beginners need to be careful with the weights they use. It’s important to start light and focus on learning the right form to avoid injuries.
Beginners should ideally work with a trainer to make sure they’re doing the exercises correctly. As they get more comfortable, they can gradually increase their weight. This way, the 5×5 workout can be both safe and effective for building strength.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is A 5×5 Workout Effective?
For beginning and intermediate lifters, the 5×5 barbell training program is a straightforward and efficient regimen. The 5×5 concentrates on essential barbell motions for a full body workout that will improve your athletic ability, strength, and muscle mass, among many other advantages.
What Is The 5×5 Workout Theory?
The program loads 50% of your 5 rep max for each move, so you have to figure out (or know) what weight you can lift for 5 reps and only 5 reps, and then utilize half of that. Although it may appear light at the beginning of the program, you will be adding weight every week.
Will 5×5 Build Size?
There are other programs available besides the 5×5 program, even though it is advantageous for both size and strength. In other words, don’t just perform 5x5s on every lift you encounter. Rather, try increasing the variety of your rep ranges and workloads.