The goal: build strength and muscle with those heavier loads. “One of the things that kind of sets it apart is it is supposed to be done with a challenging weight, and it is supposed to have a focus on progressive overload,” says Myers. That means gradually upping the challenge placed on your muscles over time; in the case of the 5×5 workout, that involves increasing the weight used for a given exercise. For example, if, after a few weeks of training, you feel like you could bang out 10 reps during what should be a 5×5 barbell back squat, you might increase the load by 5% to 10% – once the weight goes up, your reps will fall down accordingly.
The benefits of the 5×5 workout method
1. It’s an effective entry point into heavier lifting for folks with a solid strength-training base.
If you do high rep counts and light weights for every single workout, the 5×5 workout plan could give your body the new stimulus it needs to see additional strength and muscle gains. “If you’re always doing three sets of 30 reps, like getting that ‘booty pump,’ that’s not going to be useful forever,” as your body will adapt to the stimulus, says Sak-Ocbina. “Whereas, if you were to switch it up and do a 5×5, for example, you probably will, first of all, get a lot stronger, and, second of all, gain some muscle.”
That’s because when you perform just five reps before resting, you’ll generally be able to lift heavier than you would if you were to do, say, 8 to 10 reps (hello, fatigue), Laura Su, CSCS, a strength and powerlifting coach in Seattle, tells SELF. This set-up allows you to test and build pure strength – how much force you’re able to generate against external resistance – especially if you’re new to testing yourself in this way, she adds. “I like to do five [reps] for beginner [powerlifters], just because they’re not ready for super, super high intensities yet; their body and their tissues haven’t adapted to loading up super-heavy,” says Su. “Five is a great rep range, just because it also allows them to have some skill practice on form and technique.”
Doing five sets of five heavy reps also gives you plenty of training volume (reps x sets x load), an essential element if it’s your one and only strength workout for the week, says Su. “It’s just a way to get enough total working sets per week that are actually going to be contributing positively toward strength and muscle gain,” she adds.
2. It’s relatively safe—and keeps ego lifting in check.
The protocol is pretty safe for barbell newbies, too. The low(ish) number of reps in each set gives you the chance to test heavier weights and practice your technique under that unfamiliar load, says Sak-Ocbina. But the rep count isn’t so low that you might be tempted to go super heavy for one single rep (and potentially compromise your safety) to reap the strength benefits, she explains. It’s one of the reasons why Sak-Ocbina says the 5×5 is a good entry point for heavier lifts.
3. It takes the guesswork out of your workout.
Plus, the basic structure of the 5×5 workout method is straightforward and simple to understand, says Myers. With your heavy lifts, you don’t have to change up your rep scheme for each exercise or dash around the gym looking for empty equipment to arrange a superset. Train your muscles with physical load while your brain gets a break from the mental one.
4. It supports progress.
Progressing your fitness with the 5×5 workout is as easy as popping more weight to the barbell, says Myers. There’s no need to mess around with other variables (like reps or sets), and no matter what gym you’re training in, you know the load you’re adding is always the same. “It’s very easy to measure strength increases on a basic lift like that,” she says. “When you get into things where you’re using a cable stack or a machine, and every machine is different.” So it’s like, “are you really getting stronger, or did you just use a different machine this week?”
