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Hoots : Stronglifts 5x5: Is it that important to keep a ratio of different weights lifted in different exercises? I only have 36kg total weight at home, can't afford to buy more. I'm joining a gym in September. Will it harm my body - freshhoot.com

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Stronglifts 5x5: Is it that important to keep a ratio of different weights lifted in different exercises?
I only have 36kg total weight at home, can't afford to buy more. I'm joining a gym in September.

Will it harm my body proportions to lift 36kg on EVERY exercise in Stronglifts, or must they absolutely have a difference in ratio?

The recommended starting weight for Squats is 20kg, whereas it's 40kg for Deadlifts.


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If you're overhead pressing as much as you're deadlifting, either something is wrong (like a deadlift-preventing injury) or you're not challenging your deadlift. The way humans are built make them able to lift more--a lot more--with some lifts than with others.

So yes, the ratios between different lifts matters in StrongLifts. If you look around, you can even find articles where the author of the program describes why his program doesn't work with just a single pair of dumbbells. The central tenet of the program is not "this lift, then that lift, yadda yadda yadda", it's "lift X pounds today, rest a day, then lift X+5 pounds". The concept of linearly progressing a small number of fundamental lifts is way more important than what those lifts are or what the rep scheme is. In a deeply fundamental way, StrongLifts is adding weight every session, which you can't do if you just lift 36kg every time.


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Will it harm my body proportions to lift 36kg on EVERY exercise in
Stronglifts, or must they absolutely have a difference in ratio?

I don't think it will harm your body at all, especially since the other answer seems to be "stop exercising so often".

Dave Liepmann's answer is correct in that ratios matter because they mimic the strength of the human body in different dimensions. Your glutes are a lot larger than your shoulders, and your hamstrings are a lot more powerful than your biceps: unless there's an injury or something special going on, you should be much more powerful in certain activities than others.

I would get good with your 36kg. It's not optimal, but it's much better than not doing anything.

Also, consider adding the clean, power clean, and frontlift. They will require less weight than a back squat (certainly less than a deadlift), and although not listed out in 5x5 are awesome exercises in their own right and will make good use of your weight limitations.

If you do cleans, be sure to dial in your form and watch a lot of videos (and record yourself). Cleans are generally avoided by most lifters because they're technical in nature and take some (or a lot) of practice to get right.


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Will it harm my body proportions to lift 36kg on EVERY exercise in Stronglifts, or must they absolutely have a difference in ratio?

No, not at all. The reason? You will not be linearly progressing at the same pace for each of your lifts.

If you ask me, that recommended starting weight, is just a guideline, you do not need follow it.

EDIT:

After re-reading the OP, you may not be able to linearly progress in terms of weight but you can progress in terms of the amount of sets / reps you do.


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