5×5 workout: Exercises for strength training

Body strength not only makes workouts easy, but also helps with everyday movements. Whether you are getting up off the floor or carrying heavy groceries, you need muscle strength. There are many strength-building exercises that you can go for. If you are into fitness programs or plans, you can try the 5×5 workout. It means performing five sets of five reps while using heavy weights. This fitness program includes exercises like squats and deadlifts that can make you stronger and fitter. Individually, they are beneficial, but making them part of your fitness routine can be better. Learn how to follow the 5×5 workout program to build strength.

What is the 5×5 workout?

The 5×5 workout is a type of strength training aimed at enhancing strength and building muscles with the help of compound exercises. These are exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time. “This program includes doing five sets of five repetitions of a compound exercise, which mainly includes bench press, barbell row, squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses along with carrying heavy weights,” explains fitness expert Aman Puri. This exercise pattern follows a three-day-a-week schedule, along with a rest day between each workout so that you can relax.

To decide on the right weight for lifting in the 5×5 exercise program, initiate the exercise with a weight which allows you to finish all 5 sets with 5 reps while maintaining good form, but also feeling that the workout is challenging by the end of the reps. Going forward with progress, gradually increase the weight by approximately 1 to 2 kgs. However, if you can’t finish all five sets, then stay at the same weight in the next session.

How does the 5×5 workout help to build strength?

Squat is a lower limb exercise used in resistance training programmes where the goal is mostly to increase strength, and power, as per a research published in the European Journal of Sport Science in January 2024. Another study published in the Journal of Human Kinetics in 2020, found that both the squat and the deadlift can help in improvement in lower body strength.

“The 5×5 workout is extremely effective for establishing strength because it focuses on compound exercises like deadlifts, squats, and bench press which involve several muscle groups simultaneously,” says Puri. The primary muscles used in the 5×5 workout program are:

• Deadlift exercise includes lower back muscles, hamstring, forearms, glutes and trapezius (trap).
• Overhead press uses triceps, upper chest, shoulder and core muscles.
• Squats engage the quads, core, glutes, hamstring and lower back muscles.
• Barbell rows engage the core, upper back and biceps
• Bench press involves shoulder, upper back and triceps.

As this pattern requires heavy weight lifting with five sets of five repetitions, it leads to muscle hypertrophy and builds strength. “This workout also enhances muscle endurance, functional fitness, muscular health, and bone density, and boosts metabolism,” says the expert. Resistance training may help in increasing bone density by 1 to 3 percent, as per a study published in Current Sports Medicine Reports in 2012. Strength training also helps accelerate fat metabolism and helps produce energy for use by muscles.

How to do 5×5 workout?

If you are a beginner, follow a normal exercise pattern for a month or two months of training under supervision to build good form and baseline strength. After that, if you feel you can lift weights, follow the 5×5 workout. Here’s how to do it –

1. Bench press exercise

• Lie on your back on a horizontal or flat bench with your feet on the ground.
• Grip the dumbbells a little wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Inhale and lower the dumbbells to your chest, by keeping elbows at a ninety-degree angle.
• Exhale and push the dumbbells back up to the starting position.

2. Squats

• To perform squats, stand with your feet and shoulders equal width apart.
• Hold the barbell on the upper back with both hands.
• Lower your hips down similar to when sitting on a chair. Keep the back straight then rise back up.

3. Overhead press

• Start the exercise standing, with feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell at shoulder height.
• Press the dumbbell overhead until you see your arms fully extended.
• Include your core and lower the dumbbell back to shoulder height by maintaining control.

4. Deadlift

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and dumbbells midfoot.
• Hinge at the hips, keeping the back straight in position with the chest up.
• Lift the dumbbells, extend your hips and push your knees back to allow smooth movement.
• Keep a neutral spine and follow the same path on the way down back to the starting point.

5. Barbell row

• Bend at your hips with your knees slightly bent and carry dumbbells with hands gradually wider than shoulder-width.
• Pull the dumbbells near your chest and hold for a second.
• Lower the dumbbells back down with control.

What are the side effects of 5×5 workout?

“This fitness programme is generally safe, but there can be a few side effects if you don’t follow the steps properly,” says Puri. Here are some side effects –

• Overtraining is a danger, especially for beginners, as the exercise pattern demands heavy lifting multiple times a week which can lead to fatigue and exhaustion.
• Poor form while performing exercises like squats, deadlifts and bench press may increase the risk of structural deformity.

To overcome these problems, it is crucial to follow a proper technique and listen to your body.

5×5 workout can help in building strength and boosting metabolism. But make sure to follow the steps of each exercise to avoid fatigue and structural deformity.