The Benefits Of A 5x5 Workout

If you're looking to take advantage of the benefits of a weightlifting routine, you might want to try the 5x5 workout. Also known as the Strong Lifts 5×5 workout, this weightlifting program is a simple and effective routine that can help build and strengthen your muscles and even boost your athletic performance. According to experts at Healthline, the 5x5 workout is a great program for beginner and intermediate weightlifters that is designed to challenge your body by building a base of strength and increasing your muscle mass.

The workout is done only three days a week and consists completely of five different types of barbell movements, like deadlifts and squats, with five sets of five repetitions for each movement. The movements involved in the program are the barbell back squat, barbell row, barbell bench press, barbell deadlift, and barbell overhead press. While you only need to perform three of these movements per workout (rotating the others based on a schedule), you must always include barbell back squats. There is one exception to the 5x5 rule, however. Since deadlifts are typically more demanding, you only need to perform one five-rep set.

Although the 5x5 workout may be simple, it's associated with a number of important health and fitness benefits. For instance, since the number of exercises and repetitions is relatively low, the 5x5 workout can help build more resistance, especially when paired with heavier weights (via Greatist). This can help strengthen your muscles in the long term and build foundational muscles, which are essential for more intense lifting. 

The 5x5 workout is also a great anaerobic workout routine. While cardio workouts are certainly beneficial, anaerobic exercises are an efficient way to get in a short and fast full-body workout without putting too much stress on your body. Generally speaking, anaerobic exercises, which involve short bursts of activity, can help increase endurance, strengthen your bones, and even promote fat loss (via Verywell Health). 

In addition, Greatist asserts that the 5x5 program can help improve knee stability. Believe it or not, it's a common misconception that squats are bad for your knees. In fact, the exact opposite is true. As it turns out, research has found that squats can actually help build a more strong and stable knee when done correctly. That's because squats, and other exercises in the program, can help strengthen the muscles in your legs and lower body and improve the range of motion in your knees, according to StrongLifts. To avoid any knee injuries, just be sure to keep your thighs and feet aligned as you move.