5×5 Workout For Over 50 – Introduction
5×5 Workout for Over 50-Year-Old – What You Need to Know
If you truly want to build muscle and get stronger, it helps to follow a well-designed workout routine.
Sure, you could head to the gym and do whatever exercise appeals to you, but that’s probably not the best use of your time or energy.
Training without a workout routine is like a long, unfamiliar journey without a map.
You might reach your destination eventually, but the chances are you’ll just get lost.
A workout routine means that every hour you spend in the gym has a clear purpose, and the training will not waste your time or energy.
There are lots (by which I mean thousands) of workouts you can use to build muscle and get stronger, and almost every one of them works, at least for a while.
Even poorly designed workouts will produce results for some people!
If you’re a younger exerciser, you can do almost any workout and still make progress.
With energy to burn, excellent recovery abilities, and a virtually injury-proof body, you can adapt to many forms of physical stress.
However, your body is more likely to break down as you age if your workout is poorly designed.
For this reason, you need to be more discerning when choosing your next workout plan.
The 5×5 workout routine is a popular program with several proven variations.
This article discusses whether 5×5 is a good training approach for exercisers over 50 and how it can be modified to improve it after you are no longer in your 20s, 30s, and 40s.
What is the 5X5 Workout Program?
Let’s clarify one thing from the outset: 5×5 refers to doing five sets of five reps, and several workouts feature this set/rep scheme.
Popular examples include:
- Reg Park’s 5×5 (The Original 5×5!)
- Bill Starr 5×5
- Starting Strength 5×5
- Stronglifts 5×5
Some of these workouts involve doing five sets of five reps for every exercise within them.
In comparison, others use five sets of five reps for a couple of exercises and another set/rep scheme for the remaining lifts.
Every 5×5 workout is built around compound exercises, that is:
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Bench presses
- Overhead presses
- Power cleans
- Bent-over rows
These core exercises are arguably the most time-efficient way to build muscle and overall strength.
They involve multiple muscle groups and allow you to lift heavy weights in relative safety.
Even better, they replicate functional movements often performed in everyday life or sports.
5×5 Workout Routine
Depending on the 5×5 workout you’re following, you may do two or three different workouts per week.
Stronglifts, the most recent and seemingly popular 5×5 variation, uses an A/B split, where two workouts are done in an alternating fashion, that is:
- Monday: Workout A (squat, bench press, bent-over barbell row)
- Wednesday: Workout B (squat, overhead press, deadlift)
- Friday: Workout A (as before)
And for the following week:
- Monday: Workout B (squat, overhead press, deadlift)
- Wednesday: Workout A (squat, bench press, bent-over row)
- Friday: Workout B (as before)
Disclaimer: Consult with your physician before using this 5x5 workout program to ensure that exercise will not exacerbate any medical issues.
Workout A
|
Workout A |
||||
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
Recovery |
|
|
1 |
Squats |
5 |
5 |
3-5 minutes |
|
2 |
Bench Presses |
5 |
5 |
3-5 minutes |
|
3 |
Bent-over Row |
5 |
5 |
3-5 minutes |
The next week starts with workout B…
Workout B
|
Workout B |
||||
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
Recovery |
|
|
1 |
Squats |
5 |
5 |
3-5 minutes |
|
2 |
Overhead Presses |
5 |
5 |
3-5 minutes |
|
3 |
Deadlifts |
1 |
5 |
3-5 minutes |
Note: With Stronglifts 5×5, deadlifts are done for a single set of five reps, not five sets of five.
There are a few different ways to do the five sets of five reps, and your options include:
- Five sets of 5 reps with the same weight
- Five sets of 5 reps with progressively heavier weights up to a 5-rep max
- Three sets of 5 with progressively heavier weights and two heavy sets
- Five sets that pyramid up and then down in weight, for example, 150lbs, 175lbs, 200lbs, 175lbs, 150lbs.
Ultimately, your workout will dictate which interpretation of 5×5 you use, although you can modify the plan according to your needs and preferences.
Most 5×5 workouts are very effective and can produce good results.
However, it’s worth weighing the pros and cons before implementing this program.
5×5 Workout for Over 50 Benefits
Not sure if 5×5 is a suitable workout for you?
Consider these advantages:
#1. Build muscle and strength
Most experts agree you should do 1-5 repetitions for strength gains and 6-12 reps for muscle growth.
Doing sets of five reps means you’ll get stronger and build muscle simultaneously.
Five reps per set is an excellent workout option if you can’t decide between bodybuilding and getting stronger.
#2. Time-efficient
Most 5×5 workouts focus exclusively on compound lifts and may be limited to only 2-4 compound barbell movements per training session.
As such, you should be in and out of the gym in under an hour and need only train 2-4 times a week, depending on your chosen program.
5×5 workouts are often ideal for time-pressed exercisers who don’t want to spend longer in the gym or train more often.
#3. Time-honored program
5×5 has been around for well over half a century.
Champion bodybuilder Reg Park, one of the strongest golden-era bodybuilders, used this method to bulk up in the 1950s and 1960s.
Any program still in use after 50 years has a great track record.
It’s a part of weight training history.
Most lifters will, at some point, try a 5×5 program; it’s a rite of passage!
#4. Most 5×5 workouts start light
With 5×5, you don’t start training with heavy weights.
Your first few workouts should be pretty easy.
For example, a beginner might even begin with an empty bar so they can master the techniques of each lift before things start getting heavy.
Then, add 5-10 pounds to the bar weekly and gradually work up to more challenging weights.
You can also use fractional plates to add lighter weight to the bar, a safer way to build strength and muscle while preventing unnecessary injuries, especially for older exercisers.
This is called linear progression.
As such, 5×5 can work well for beginners, exercisers returning from layoffs, and anyone looking to gradually increase workout difficulty over several weeks and months.
#5. Minimal special equipment is required
Most 5×5 workouts are built around barbell exercises.
As such, they’re suitable for anyone who trains at home or in a gym with limited equipment.
In most instances, all you need is a:
- barbell,
- weight plates,
- bench press, and a
- power or squat rack.
However, you may want to add dumbbells and a power tower so your workouts are slightly more varied.
5×5 Workout Drawbacks
While 5×5 workouts are popular and can produce great results, they may not be ideal for everyone.
Disadvantages and drawbacks of 5×5 workouts include:
#6. Hard on your joints
When you work up to five sets of five reps with heavy weights, your joints may start feeling the strain.
You don’t have to use heavy weights to build muscle, but 5×5 is about adding more weight to the bar.
If, like many older adults, you have achy knees, shoulders, or lower back pain due to aging, doing a lot of heavy lifting with squats, deadlifts, and rows may worsen matters.
#7. Linear progression will eventually grind to a halt
Most 5×5 workouts specify that you should add weight to the bar every week.
In the beginning, if you start with light weights, this shouldn’t be a problem.
However, eventually, you won’t be able to increase your training weights, and your progress will stop.
Some 5×5 workout programs suggest reducing your weights by 15-20% and then building up again to overcome plateaus.
This may allow you to exceed your previous sticking point.
However, this strategy only works a couple of times.
Eventually, 5×5 will stop working simply because you can’t increase the weight you lift anymore.
#8. Muscle imbalances
Focusing on compound movements is usually a good thing.
Compound exercises like squats and bench presses are the best way to build muscle mass and strength.
However, if you only do a limited number of compound exercises, there is a danger that you’ll develop muscle imbalances.
Accessory work, such as:
- dead bugs,
- Pallof presses,
- press downs,
- quadruped core exercise, aka “Bird Dog”, as well as
- face pulls,
- band pull-aparts and other prehab/rehab movements would benefit many 5×5 workouts.
Some 5×5 workouts don’t include direct arm, calf, or core exercises, which may also be an issue if you want to develop those body parts fully.
#9. It may be too hard to recover from
Doing five sets of five reps with a heavy weight can be exhausting.
Not just for your muscles but your central nervous system, too.
It’s no secret that older exercisers often recover more slowly than their younger counterparts.
Doing 3-4 5×5 weekly workouts could be too much for an over-50 exerciser to recover.
You might be unable to recover without sufficient rest days, soon bringing your progress to a standstill.
#10. Difficult to do with dumbbells
5×5 is usually best done with a barbell.
Heavy dumbbells are generally too unwieldy to get into position for overhead presses, bench presses, or squats.
You can use dumbbells for any accessory lifts in your 5×5 workout, although most 5×5 programs do not include them.
#11. Last But Not Least – Boring!
Limiting your strength workouts to the same small handful of exercises done for the same number of sets and reps could become tedious.
Boredom could explain why you’ve been looking to give up your workout routine!
If you enjoy varied workouts, both in terms of exercise selection and set-rep schemes, you may not enjoy your 5 x 5 workouts.
5×5 Workout for Over 50-Year-Old – Wrapping up
While there is nothing especially wrong with any 5×5 workouts, they may not be ideal for all over 50s lifters.
However, that doesn’t mean you should forget about doing five sets of five reps.
A cycle of heavy weights and lower reps is a great way to build basic strength and size before switching to lighter weights and higher reps.
It also provides your muscles and nervous system with a well-deserved break.
Also, there is no need to do 5 x 5 for every exercise in your workout.
For example, you might only do 5 x 5 for the first exercise and 3 x 8-10 for the remaining exercises.
Finally, you can use one of the more moderate interpretations of 5 x 5.
For example, instead of doing five sets of five with the heaviest weight possible, which is exhausting, do two or even three lighter sets and just a couple of heavier sets.
This is more forgiving for exercisers in their 50s and over.
So, while 5 x 5 is a valid program steeped in bodybuilding history and tradition, it’s not compulsory or any better than a program built around three sets of eight or four sets of ten.
It’s just another workout you can try.
However, many lifters and fitness writers are guilty of trying to turn 5 x 5 into something like a religion, saying it’s the ONLY way to train.
It isn’t.
So, while it’s okay to love 5 x 5, you don’t need to marry it!
By all means, give 5 x 5 a try, but remember, it’s just another workout, and there are plenty more to test.
You also may need to modify this workout to align it to your over-50 workout needs and training goals.
What’s Next
The 3×5 workout can be more comfortable than 5×5 for beginners and older lifters because it is less than 5×5 in volume.
So, whether you’re a new or older lifter, this might improve your ability to get through the workout without getting too tired.
Also, with 3×5, you probably won’t be in the gym for over an hour.
Regardless of your workout, don’t forget to warm up and work on your core, which is essential to building a strong foundation for getting fit and not injured!
