Mehdi your program sucks

People often ask me what I think of their training program and such. This question is a good example. My comments are below...

### QUESTION ###
"Good morning. I read your emails all the time love them. Have a question. I'm starting StrongLifts 5x5 it's great. On Tuesday and thur I either do some back and legs or I'll do chest work. Just reps of 8-12 4sets. Is that good to do and still do 5x5. Thank you for your help."

*** MY ANSWER ***
If you had actually done StrongLifts 5x5 as laid out for 12 weeks...

... you would never even think about doing what you're suggesting.

Squatting heavy three times a week plus Deadlifting is enough already.

There's no way you want to do some extra "back and leg" work on top of that.

All you want is let your body rest so you can Squat again two days later.

What you suggest would only work for a few weeks with light weights.

With heavy weights it doesn't work.

You would miss reps and struggle to add weight eventually.

That's when the BS starts "Did, StrongLifts 5x5 - it didn't work"

No you didn't do StrongLifts 5x5.

You did JOHN-DOE-I-HAVE-NO-IDEA-WHAT-I'M-DOING-5x5!!!!

I know I sound arrogant saying that.

But I think it's even MORE arrogant to create your own "program"...

... when most people have no idea of what they're really doing.

Like, I don't mess with my car.

Because I know nothing about cars.

So I let a *professional* take care of it.

That's using his KNOWLEDGE and EXPERIENCE.

It saves me time, effort and money doing it wrong.

For most people that's just common sense.

But with fitness, everyone is an "expert".

So you get all these terrible programs...

... with too many exercises...

... with less effective exercises...

... with BS high rep isolation work...

... and excess emphasis on "mirror-muscles"...

It reminds of this guy I knew years ago.

He was going to start lifting weights.

I asked what he was going to do.

His friend, this skinny dude, was putting a program together for them both.

"You mean THAT guy?!?"

"Yeah"

"Does he even lift?"

"No"

"You're going to do a program created by someone who has never even lifted weights?!?"

"...."

HELLO?!?

I swear the stuff I hear sometimes, pure comedy.

Anyway, here's a general rule.

If you decide to follow a program proven to work like StrongLifts 5x5.

Then don't start changing anything about it.

Follow it as laid out for 12 weeks minimum first.

Tweak it after that if you want, but you probably won't.

For now, let the apps do the thinking of you while you focus on lifting...

https://stronglifts.com/apps/

Keep it simple.

-Mehdi

P.S. Think of it as a form of "apprenticeship". Doing proven programs as laid out isn't just better to get results. It's also better to gain PRACTICAL experience of what works and doesn't. Do that for a few years, read a lot of books to understand why it works and eventually you're ready to make your own programs.

Start here

https://stronglifts.com/5x5/

P.P.S. If you have a question you'd like me to cover in my daily email newsletter, send it by hitting the reply button. Please keep it short and to the point, 2-3 sentences max. Don't send a whole book :)

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