Hello T Nation, I am a thin 15 year old who wishes to change himself physically as to increase athletic potential. I currently play lacrosse, but will soon add indoor track and rugby to played sports. I am 5’5 (165cm) and weigh a mere 125 lbs.
With interest in joining a varsity program, I have started stronglifts 5x5, even with its mixed reviews, but I feel as if I need something more. Five compound lifts will target a lot of muscle groups, but I don’t feel that stronglifts will help me in achieving my goals. I wish to gain weight, be it fat or muscle, and overall athleticism. Some friends from lacrosse have taught me Power Clean form and with some Youtube videos, I found that my form was decent(I’ll put a form check vid soon) and I wish to utilize those to increase explosiveness.
My question for you the reader is, Should I stick with stronglifts or should I expand my boundries in order to build athleticism? I know these goals will help me in becoming a bigger, stronger version of myself mentally and physically. I just need your help as many of you have completed set goals.
Farthest I went with stronglifts:
5x5 Squat: 105 lbs
5x5 Bench: 65 lbs
5x5 Overhead Press: 55 lbs
5x5 Barbell Row: 75 lbs
1x5 Deadlift: 135 lbs
These lifts are as low as they are because this was after less than a month of stronglifts and imo I’m weak due to lack of any weight training. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks
Gaining weight and getting bigger is all about diet man. Stronglifts will be plenty of stimulus for you to grow. Judging by your numbers posted, you can get a lot more out of Stronglifts. Follow it for about 6 months to a year and then reevaluate.
You probably haven’t hit your major growth spurt yet either, so I think you have that to look forward to as well.
Focus on getting plenty of quality calories and training with intensity. Remember to make each and every set count. You should be totally spent when you’re done if you are doing a good 5x5 routine right.
You are right about needing more than just the weights to increase your athleticism.
You also need to run and jump and Sprint and bound. Track will be the perfect way to practice and develop these skills. Do as much jumping as you can. Learn to generate power and explosiveness. See if you can get in with the triple jumpers. Or throwers. Try to do stuff that you don’t do in lacrosse. Think speed and power. Faster, shorter and more intense! Don’t let them turn you into a distance runner. Think tiger, not gazelle.
You’re still new, so just about any weight routine should work for you. If you like power cleans, check out the Bill Star version of the 5x5 routine. Its my favorite 5x5 setup. You lift heavy/ light/ medium weights every week. Some sessions you go heavy, some you go fast, so each sesion is challenging and different. Cleans keep you “explosive.” The program was designed for athletes, to go with sports training, not replace sports training. I could talk good about it all day.
I don’t know a whole lot about rugby. Will you be playing against high school dudes? Or like full-grown, men’s rugby? Because I might hold off on that till you get a little bigger.
[quote]JakeJelly wrote:
I have started stronglifts 5x5, even with its mixed reviews, but I feel as if I need something more.[/quote]
You do not need “more”. You need “good” and you need “consistency”. 5x5 programs have been around for 60+ years and can build plenty of size and strength if they’re done right and the athlete is well-fed.
How much bodyweight have you gained in the short time you’ve been training?
If you’ve only been doing Stronglifts for less than a month, then get your nutrition in order (meaning plenty of carbs, protein, fats, and total calories every day) and stick to the plan for another 8-10 weeks.
[quote]FlatsFarmer wrote:
I don’t know a whole lot about rugby. Will you be playing against high school dudes? Or like full-grown, men’s rugby? Because I might hold off on that till you get a little bigger.
[/quote]
I will be competing in u19 so other kids in high school, but thats not until summer of 2016 and when I stay consistent with this, I will have gained weight by then.
Thanks for the input everybody. It’s very much appreciated. I will take your advice and stick with stronglifts for the recommended 12 weeks, but will incorporate sprint training on the side. I just need to eat much more to achieve my goals. btw to the first reply, I gained roughly 4-5 lbs in 3 weeks of stronglifts but I lost 1-2 lbs probably due to dehydration. I’m going to drink more water too. Thanks again everybody.
[quote]JakeJelly wrote:
I will take your advice and stick with stronglifts for the recommended 12 weeks, but will incorporate sprint training on the side. I just need to eat much more to achieve my goals. [/quote]
If you’re adding sprints on top of Stronglifts, then nutrition and recovery will be that much more important. You can’t afford to slack on it. It’s a 7 day a week gig.
Do you plan to sprint after lifting, on the non-lifting days, or what?
I plan to incorporate sprint training on the off days so sunday,tuesday,thursday,saturday. I also plan to include lacrosse specific training like wallball and ground balls that won’t be really be physically taxing, but more to build muscle memory. I will also apply to Market Basket soon because I hear they pay well in my area and after a shift is over I can buy all the food I need to supply my body for sprinting and lifting. Thanks again for your reply.
[quote]JakeJelly wrote:
I will take your advice and stick with stronglifts for the recommended 12 weeks, but will incorporate sprint training on the side. I just need to eat much more to achieve my goals. [/quote]
If you’re adding sprints on top of Stronglifts, then nutrition and recovery will be that much more important. You can’t afford to slack on it. It’s a 7 day a week gig.
Do you plan to sprint after lifting, on the non-lifting days, or what?[/quote]