So I’ve decided to kick off a new type of blog post – the confessions files – with this most sacred of strength-building cows – the 5 sets x 5 reps routine.  So here I confess: 5 sets x 5 reps routines don’t work for me. 

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What! What? 

Well, yes.  I do feel a bit embarrassed that I don’t get good results with a programme that has been endorsed, over the years by none other than:

• Bill Starr
• Reg Park
• Dan John
• Mike Robertson

And if you find it works for you, well then I’m slightly jealous.  It doesn’t work for me.  

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What does work for you then?

Well, for me a programme works if:

• I get stronger;
• I put on a little muscle;
• I don’t have to get fat in the process;
• I don’t get injured;
• I recover easily; and
• I can go for a bike ride or a walk at weekends and not derail my progress.

It’s kind of a long list but it captures most of what is important to me.  Yes, I am hard to please sometimes.

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So why exactly does 5 sets x 5 reps not work for you?

You might be able to see why the classic 5 sets x 5 reps scheme doesn’t work for me from my above priorities.  You can tick off the first two requirements straight away, although you might argue that a 5 sets x 5 reps routine would do more than add “a little” muscle.   However, you would start to struggle with the rest of the list and I think that the main reason for that is the problem of recovery.  With poor recovery, I find that:

• I need to eat lots;
• I need to eat more carbohydrates;
• I tend to get injured;
• I can’t train as often; and
• I can’t do any cardio without risking my progress stalling.

In the past, when I have tried 5 sets x 5 reps, I’ve hit all of the above problems.  Typically, what happens is: 

• First workout: start 5 sets x 5 reps routine.  Make all 5 sets of 5 reps.
• Second, third, fourth etc workouts.  Progress normally.
• Fifth or sixth workout.  Drop last couple of reps on final couple of sets.
• Stall.
• Up calories.  Up carbohyrdrates.  Progress a bit.
• Stall.  Get fat.  Stall again.  Swear a lot.
• Give up.

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So what’s going on? 

I’m not entirely sure.  I could go away and read up on exercise physiology and come back with something about the creatine phosphate system only lasting 6-10 seconds but ultimately that would just be seeking justification for my observations.  It might be the energy systems.  Or it might be my fast-twitch vs slow-twitch ratios.  I don’t know.

The weird thing is that I can easily do more volume of lower rep sets (such as 10 sets of 3 reps for a total of 30 reps) with the same weight.  I just seem to burn out on the last couple of reps of the last couple of sets of a 5 sets x 5 reps programme.  It doesn’t feel like strength is lacking, it’s just like there’s no fuel left.  Like when you’re sprinting and you just find yourself slowing down and there’s nothing you can do about it.

A powerlifter would probably say I’m just not eating enough.  And they’d probably be right.  But I don’t think it’s possible to use this technique with bodyweight moves because you’d be adding weight faster than you could gain strength and you’d go nowhere.  And since my first love is bodyweight exercises, I guess I’m stuck with it.