|
Using the 5x5 System to
Build Muscle
By Jason Ferruggia
Muscle Gaining Secrets
The 5x5 system is one of the oldest muscle building
programs in the book and has stuck around forever. 5x5 is good and 5x5 is
bad; it just depends on the situation. There are a few ways that the 5x5
muscle building system is implemented.
The first way that people use the 5x5 system to build muscle is that they
warm up to a weight and then stick with that weight for five sets of five.
So you need to choose a weight that you can handle for that many sets. In
essence, the fifth set will be the only set that is quite difficult. This is
a decent method to build muscle but largely a waste of time for anyone but a
beginner. There is too much volume at an intensity that is too low building
muscle. For beginners and early intermediates, I think the 5x5 system is a
good one. When you are neurologically inefficient, you seem to respond
better to a few more repeated efforts. I still don’t know if five sets are
really necessary though; 3x5 is probably better in most cases.
The next way people employ the 5x5 system in an attempt to build muscle is
by starting with a heavy weight that they can barely get five reps with and
then lowering the weight with each significant set. Again, I think this is
too much. The only set that was worth doing was the first and maybe the
second. This is not the optimal way to build muscle.
The third way I have seen this system employed to build muscle is to work up
to a heavy weight that you can barely get five with and then keeping that
weight for the next four sets, no matter how many reps you get. Progression
is made each week by trying to get more reps in the subsequent sets. This is
a favorite of one particular egomaniacal strength coach and like everything
else he recommends, is total crap.
The last way that the 5x5 system is used to build muscle is by doing five
increasingly heavier sets so that only your last set is tough. Basically the
other sets are warm ups so you are really just warming up to a five rep max
or very close to it. If this is the case, it’s really 1x5 and not 5x5. It’s
a bit of a misnomer. But if I had to pick one, this would be the best
method.
Working up to a five rep max and then a down set at 90% of your best is an
even better option for building muscle. Or you could do a very heavy set of
five but leave a little something in the tank and then go for broke on the
second set. There is some evidence which shows that this second option may
even be the better choice simply because the body may not function optimally
during the first heavy set. This is due to the laws of homeostasis and
various things of this nature. The first set causes shock and certain
protective mechanisms may set it which prevents the first heavy set from
actually being the best set. The job of the first heavy set may be to
provide neural arousal and prepare the body to go all out on the second set.
This is something that people have to play with on their own and see what
approach helps them build muscle fastest.
Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his
ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He is the
head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own
monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more great muscle building
information, please visit
MuscleGainingSecrets.com
|
 |
