5X5 Routine & chains

May we talk about fitness & weights...?

Anyone doing a 5X5 routine?,..are ya doing 5 rep-max working
weight,..or pyramiding weight 5 rep X 5 set.
I'm doing for example;..in the B/press...
150x5,.180x5,.220x5,.240x5,.&,260x5

would doing say a warm-up then 220 5X5 be better??

Read an article on lifting w/chains.
Theory is that at the bottom of the lift,..most / all of the chain is on
the floor.
Then as you lift,...the chain gradually adds to the load.
Supposedly allowing more speed in the lift at the beginning,..resulting
in an increase in strength & growth
Isn't that the same thing as a Bow-Flex..? The bow is weaker at the
beginning of the movement & gets more resistant as the movement
continues..?
Ron

"R P" <vn1500@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:12041-46D452F9-1083@storefull-3256.bay.webtv.net...
> May we talk about fitness & weights...?
>
> Anyone doing a 5X5 routine?,..are ya doing 5 rep-max working
> weight,..or pyramiding weight 5 rep X 5 set.
> I'm doing for example;..in the B/press...
> 150x5,.180x5,.220x5,.240x5,.&,260x5
>
> would doing say a warm-up then 220 5X5 be better??

The way I've heard it done I like the best is to ramp up with the first
two sets, make the third one the heaviest, then treat the last two as
backoffs (same perceived effort as set #3 but a little less weight due
to the fatigue of set #3). I don't see the point of trying to make the
last set the heaviest because you'll have already done enough heavy
lifting that it won't be a real max and your form is likely to suffer.

> Read an article on lifting w/chains.
> Theory is that at the bottom of the lift,..most / all of the chain is
> on
> the floor.
> Then as you lift,...the chain gradually adds to the load.
> Supposedly allowing more speed in the lift at the
> beginning,..resulting
> in an increase in strength & growth
> Isn't that the same thing as a Bow-Flex..? The bow is weaker at the
> beginning of the movement & gets more resistant as the movement
> continues..?

If you look at WSB, I think you'll find they use bands and chains in
both directions, depending on what they're aiming to accomplish with a
particular lift at a particular time.

One thing it's important to note - bands and chains are much more
necessary for a geared lifter than a raw lifter, not that they can't be
useful to the latter, but gear changes the dynamics a good deal. The
WSB folks are usually geared lifters.

This is just what I remember - someone feel free to correct me if that's
not right.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com


> Ron
>

Thanks for the reply Steve,..what is WSB,?, & what is a geared
lifter.?.....

As far as my 5X5 B/press example,..you're thinking.....say
180x5,..240x5,..260x5,..
then down for two say 220x5,..180x5..?
if I understood what you meant
Ron

"R P" <vn1500@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:14508-46D48C47-108@storefull-3252.bay.webtv.net...
> Thanks for the reply Steve,..what is WSB,?, & what is a geared
> lifter.?.....

Westside Barbell; geared means uses supportive clothing like a squat
suit or a bench shirt, knee wraps, etc.

> As far as my 5X5 B/press example,..you're thinking.....say
> 180x5,..240x5,..260x5,..
> then down for two say 220x5,..180x5..?
> if I understood what you meant
> Ron

If you're able to do 260 x 5 now for your fifth set, I'd say just try
260 for the third set, 250 for the fourth, and 240 for the fifth - and
see how that feels. You'll have lifted more weight in total than in
your original example and my guess is that you'll feel fresher at the
end and maybe even ready to try more weight the next time.

Just my opinion.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com

Ok Steve I'll try that,....another question if you don't mind.?
Heavy chest,3 days / times a week?
My next chest day will be Thurs,..I'll try it then. I do like to
change-up my movements . Usually b/press,..incline press,& dips,..mixing
them up,.w/appropriate loads,.then sometimes 'iso' work d/bell
fly's,.deck fly's...& so-on.

And yes I also do the rest of the body on alternating days. all in a
variation of 5X5.
Smaller muscles,..shoulders,.biceps,..triceps,..sometimes 5X8 @ lighter
weight. Again I try to mix-it-up,...so as not to get bored.!

I'm not trying to be mr.body beautiful,..[too old] @ 58,..just trying
to stay interested,..in shape,..& warding off arthritis as long as I
can........

Thanks again,..Ron

"R P" <vn1500@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:12013-46D4ED3D-911@storefull-3251.bay.webtv.net...
> Ok Steve I'll try that,....another question if you don't mind.?
> Heavy chest,3 days / times a week?
> My next chest day will be Thurs,..I'll try it then. I do like to
> change-up my movements . Usually b/press,..incline press,&
> dips,..mixing
> them up,.w/appropriate loads,.then sometimes 'iso' work d/bell
> fly's,.deck fly's...& so-on.
>
> And yes I also do the rest of the body on alternating days. all in a
> variation of 5X5.
> Smaller muscles,..shoulders,.biceps,..triceps,..sometimes 5X8 @
> lighter
> weight. Again I try to mix-it-up,...so as not to get bored.!
>
> I'm not trying to be mr.body beautiful,..[too old] @ 58,..just trying
> to stay interested,..in shape,..& warding off arthritis as long as I
> can........
>
> Thanks again,..Ron

Hopefully someone else will answer you on this one, Ron. My take - see
the other recent thread about light/medium/heavy if you're going
3x/week. There is a lot of history to this and it's worked well for a
lot of people, me included.

If you're trying to stay healthy, then do joint health work every
morning and in your lifting be sure to work the posterior chain with
squat, deadlifts, or kettlebells swings (or similar). IMHO, those are
keys to stay 'real-world' strong and healthy. I'm 52 if it matters to
you, more about me on the site in my sig. Link to joint health book by
Pavel: http://www.kbnj.com/sj.htm - title is "Super Joints" and it's
pretty widely available elsewhere - my link is to the publisher's web
site. This is the basis of what I do every morning, more if I have the
time, only a little some days, but the older you get, the more this sort
of thing matters.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com