Rest Periods on the 5x5



Q: I'm going to switch to the 5x5 program for another 4 weeks. Here are my exercises：


Monday

Front Squat 5x5, rest 3 minutes
Neck Press 5x5, rest 3 minutes
V-bar pull down 5x5, rest 3 mins

Takes about 55 minutes to finish without the warming up time


Tuesday

Dumbbell lateral raises or Military Press (Which is better?)5x5 rest 3 minutes
Incline Curls 5x5, rest 3 minutes
Lying EZ bar extensions 5x5, rest 3 minutes

Takes about 55 minutes to finish without the warming up time


Thursday

Front Squats 5x5, rest 3 minutes
Seated cable rows 5x5, rest 3 minutes
Neck Press 5x5, rest 3 minutes

Takes about 55 minutes to finish without the warming up time


Saturday

Front Squat 5x5, rest 3 minutes
Neck Press 5x5, rest 3 minutes
V-bar pull down 5x5, rest 3 minutes

Takes about 55 minutes to finish without the warming up time



Are my workouts OK? I'm trying to train each body part at least three times a week. How about the rest time? Is 3 minutes ok?

Thanks for your time and help. I really appreciate it.


All the best,
Mike


My Answer: Looks fine with the rest periods and all. For the shoulders, do the standing military press instead of lateral raises. Military presses are better suited for 5x5 than lateral raises, which are better suited for higher reps and lower rest.

Comments

Mike said…
Thanks for the reply James!
BTW,is it ok to add the 15 reps for the last set or do the Iso-tension to pump up more blood?

Or not to add any at all is better while do just 5x5 program?
December 13, 2011 at 4:14 AM
J said…
Perfectly fine to add the 15 rep flushing set to each exercise. However, I would suggest bringing the rest periods down to 2 minutes for all sets for all exercises. This way you can add the extra sets without going over one hour.
December 13, 2011 at 10:40 AM
Mike said…
Got it!!
I can't wait to do the training.
Thanks a lot James.
December 13, 2011 at 4:47 PM
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