Fitness Friday Workout - The 5X5 Routine

In today's article I'll go over a basic 5x5 weight lifting routine and discuss why it is a great overall routine for building mass, strength and definition all in one workout. Want to look like a chiseled, Greek God? This is a great workout to follow. The 5x5 program can be mostly attributed to Bill Starr in his book The Strongest Shall Survive: Strength Training for Football. Bodybuilders like Reg Park and Arnold Swarchenegger adopted it and integrated it into their routines. And of course, once Arnold discovered it, everybody started doing it! Even if others had done it before him, he was surely the one who did the most to popularize it.

To begin with, the principal of 5x5 is pretty obvious. Pick an exercise, perform five reps and do five sets. The 5x5 method works individual body parts at least twice a week. This is commonly called a two day split. Normally, I pick two to three muscle groups to work (say, back and biceps), pick two exercises for each group, and apply the 5x5 to each exercise. On the next day, I apply the 5x5 routine to my chest, triceps and shoulders. Rest on the third day and repeat.

Why only five reps?

The 5x5 workout is a great workout because it is a balanced compromise between muscle definition and muscle size. It is a great way to build muscle density and strength without getting the bulking effects of higher reps. By strengthening the muscle without pumping it up, it will become dense and full and will give you greater muscle definition. Muscle density and muscle mass are two completely different things. Cranking out 10-15 reps per set is not going to build strong, dense muscle tissue. You're more likely to tear the muscle, wich results in adding size but not as much strength. So the 5x5 routine is not the one to pick if you are a bodybuilder going for sheer muscle mass. 

By staying in the mid rep range you can build functional, dense muscles and still maintain size, and build strength. Since you don’t want to fatigue the muscles, you aren’t going to spend as much time blasting them. With this routine, you do rest less between each workout and lift more often. By doing a 5x5 on a 2 day split, I limit the actual resistance training to 30-40 minutes. After that, I do cardio for another 20-30 minutes.

Here's what my typical 5x5 workout looks like:

Day 1 – Chest, Shoulders & Triceps, Abs + HIIT Cardio

Incline dumbbell press – 5 sets of 5 reps
Flat bench press – 5 sets of 5 reps
Seated dumbbell military press – 5 sets of 5 reps
Standing shoulder raises – 5 sets of 5 reps
Tricep extensions (kick backs) – 5 sets of 5 reps
Standing cable extensions – 5 sets of 5 reps
Straight planks – 3 sets for 1 minute
Side planks – 1 set (each side) for 1 minute

Day 2 – Back, Biceps & Abs + HIIT Cardio

Pull ups – 5 sets of 5 reps
Bent over dumbbell rows – 5 sets of 5 reps
Standing barbell curls – 5 sets of 5 reps
Seated dumbbell curls – 5 sets of 5 reps
Straight planks – 3 sets for 1 minute
Side planks – 1 set (each side) for 1 minute

Day 3 – Rest, light walk for 30 minutes

For the rest of the week I simply repeat the workouts. So on day 4 I start over with the workouts. Depending upon how I feel you can rest on days 6 & 7 or you can start the workouts again or do cardio only on day 7. Sometimes I will switch it up, doing biceps and shoulders one day, then chest, back and triceps on the next day. 

Again, by keeping the reps in the mid range, you aren't going to be damaging the muscle and creating the bulk. This allows for faster recuperation and you can workout each muscle group twice per week. Since you don’t want to fatigue the muscle, you aren’t going to spend as much time blasting them. You will be able to rest less between each workout and lift more often. 

What about working the Legs?

You may have noticed I don't work my legs into this routine. I'm satisfied with the size of my legs, so I do very little direct leg training throughout the year. I rely on specific types of interval cardio to keep the legs dense and athletic. Occasionally, I will throw in a 5x5 set of Lunges, Leg Extensions, or Leg Curls, but for the most part, I avoid squats, dead lifts, and leg presses because those exercises tend to add bulk and I am not going for the beefy bodybuilder look. I have found that doing Cardio routines like the exercise bike, treadmill, and StepMill keep my legs strong, fit and toned without adding bulk. I'm going for a lean, athletic look, not the weightlifter look. In fact, I don't want to really look like I work. I strive for more of a swimmers physique.


Why add Cardio?

It doesn’t matter how ripped your muscles are; you won’t be able to see your muscles until your body fat percentage is low enough. So after I dow my resistance training, I work in a little Strategic Cardio. I do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), giving it just as much emphasis and priority as the weights. After doing 15 minutes of HIIT, I follow it up with 15 to 20 minutes of of slow and steady cardio. This routine blasts the legs and melts fat. Period.

I used to hate cardio because I was doing it all WRONG. But doing it strategically, with shorter, more intense interval sessions, followed by a brief, slow and steady cardio , I avoid long and grueling treadmill runs that are hard on my legs and I torch the fat without over training and fatiguing. If you really want burn extra fat, do HIIT for 10-15 minutes followed by 15-30 minutes of steady state cardio.

One of my Cardio Workouts:

Get on a stationary bike and pedal for 3-5 minutes to warm-up. Level of intensity = 1 out of 10

Increase the speed and resistance and pedal for 1 minute. Level of intensity = 6 out of 10

Reduce speed and resistance and continue pedaling for 1 minute. Level of intensity = 2 out of 10

Increase speed and resistance and pedal for 1 minute. Level of intensity = 7 out of 10 Reduce speed and resistance and continue pedaling for 1 minute. Level of intensity = 3 out of 10

Once you get to about a 3 out of 10 for your “easy” pedaling minute don’t increase that.

Continue this same progression for 10-15 minutes, alternating one minute of easy with one minute of hard.

You should continue to increase your high intensity pedaling minute until you are at a level of 9-10 for the entire minute.

After I am done with the exercise bike, I hop on a treadmill or elliptical and do about 15 minutes of steady state Cardio.

I will cover Strategic Cardio in a follow up post. 

The 5x5 workout, followed by HIIT, is an all around workout and it gets me in and out of the gym in around an hour. 

Give this strategy a try and see if it works. Good luck!

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The views expressed on this site are my opinions and should not be taken as a substitute for qualified medical expertise. I am not a Doctor. I do not give medical advice or make claims to cure any sickness, disease or affliction. I simply share my understanding of health and fitness. Please consult your Doctor or Health Care Practitioner before starting any diet or fitness routine.

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