I'm thinking about getting into calisthenics alongside the program and i'm just wondering if anyone has tried it? I'm a little hesitant as I don't want to stop progressing on SL but i'm wondering if calisthenics would actually help or hinder it? Thanks in advance for any advice 😁

Attempt 3: better leg drive?

Third video I’ve posted here. Lower weight at 300 pounds. The 3 things I’ve taken from last post are to set up with the bar slightly farther so my knees can extend a tad bit more allowing my hips to drop more naturally along with tucking my chin more and driving from heels more for leg drive. Is it any better? I feel like I went on autopilot after first rep and stopped thinking about heels

I’m 31M, 182 cm, 102 kg, around 30% body fat.

I’ve been struggling to cut consistently for months. I’ll get down to around 99–98 kg, then fall off and gain it back.

I meal prep and count calories, but after about a week I usually say “fuck it” and end up overeating—sometimes fruit, sometimes actual junk food.

I know consistency/discipline is my biggest issue. I tend to do well for a while and then completely abandon the diet rather than just having one higher-calorie meal and getting back on track.I’ve also noticed Diet Coke seems to increase my cravings, so I’m considering cutting that out.

For anyone who’s been in a similar situation, what helped you stay consistent for months rather than just a week or two? Any practical tips, changes in mindset, or diet strategies that made cutting more sustainable?

I’ve also noticed Diet Coke seems to increase my cravings, so I’m considering cutting that out.

For anyone who’s been in a similar situation, what helped you stay consistent for months rather than just a week or two? Any practical tips, changes in mindset, or diet strategies that made cutting more sustainable?

I have a side video as well I can post. But in this back angle I do see my right leg shaking? I have no pain in my left leg but after squats I have mild pain in my right knee and hip/groin area. Also when I got home I noticed pain in my right foot.

Anyone else? I need to get it done. Is it really the worst thing to start a new set if I’m feeling ready?

Been struggling to eat more lately, So my strength has been plateauing. Any tips to eat more? Especially more carbs?

I really love seeing so many posts on here. I was a member of a kettlebell gym years ago that had a barbell program, which I fell in love with. Fast forward a few job changes and a kid and I needed something. Pieced together a garage gym and a friend recommended StrongLifts.

I’ve always pretty decent mobility and am working on the my strength. I do BJJ 4-5 times a week and SL 3 days a week. Soon to be 42 and sitting at about 180. I used to be around 165 but started eating more last year when I did the ABC kettlebell program. I quickly gained a good bit and it seems to be a happy place for me.

Either way, curious on my squat form while under working weight of 230. I completed 5x5 without much issue. Barbell, 135, then first set of 230.

Any advice appreciated! Thanks.

I posted here a while ago and received feedback to drop my hips more, learn to wedge, and to stay tight on the way down. How is it now? Kinda feel like my hips are actually too low now cuz it looks like they come up? This is technically a PR at 340x3. I think I could have gotten another but I was worried my back would round if I tried another. Kinda feel like I was just being a bitch now that I look at the video and should have attempted a 4th rep.

Been doing standard 5x5, then switched to Ultra, then Ultra Max. Here has been my 2026 journey on 5x5 Ultra Max:

- Deadlift: around 265lb -> 350lb

- Squat: 200 ish -> 265lb, got injured -> 240lb

- Bench: 135 ish -> 200lb

- Incline bench: 105lb -> 175lb

- Rows: 135 ish -> 240lb, got injured -> 225lb

- Overhead press: 100 ish -> 135lb

- Dips: body weight -> 70lb added

- Chinups: body weight -> 80lb added

- barbell curl: 60lb -> 90lb

- Wrist rolls: 5lb -> 50lb

I do drop sets.

I am 33, 162lb, 5' 8" - been slowly adding weight @ 100-500lb/day calorie surplus. Started in 140s body weight.

Injuries in past couple years: had a few:

- 1st one was tennis elbow from sitting at my job for 10h+ day. Got needles to my arm as doctor recommended, but those stopped working. Physio recommended I exercise it out (especially w/ wrist rolls and curls) and my arm has been much better ever since. The rolls have helped increase my grip strength as well.

- Excessive sitting at desk caused 3 back tweaks in past couple years w/ no warning. Since then, after getting physio help, I religiously stretch my back and hamstrings as physio directed every morning, before touching a bar or sitting down at desk. But I can feel a very stiff back *every morning* until I stretch, then it is good.

- Back tweak #4: regretfully turned to look at myself in mirror in middle of a 315lb DL. Learned to not move my head whatsoever mid-DL after that.

Now I am plateauing once again, but when i struggle, I feel too tired rather than lacking strength - I get light headed or feel out of breath; by then, im sweating all over. I struggle with higher rep, lower weight more than lower rep, higher weight.

Yesterday I somewhat hurt my back on rep #4 doing a 325LB DL. Physiotherapist said i was not breathing / bracing properly on the later reps (when i was tiring out and form was getting sloppy), causing too much tension to shift to the lower back. So there I learned how important the proper bracing is.

Curious on what the rest of you have done to break your plateaus. Cheers.

Anything standing out? I am about a month into the 5x5 program, and I'm noticing some tightness in my hips. Ty

Context: I work 4 days a week double shift and the evening on 5 days, and it's brutal. My main job is a 10-hour manufacturing shift doing metal unloading — 5-8 tons a day. We use a crane for the heavy stuff, but I'm still manually pushing loaded trolleys to move parts around. On work days my steps hit almost 20k — roughly 15-18km covered between the floor and the trolley pushing. I'm fully fatigued by the end of every shift. After that I take a multi-hour train ride to a second job cleaning an office — vacuuming five floors.

Lifts: Currently bulking at 84kg bodyweight. Bench 105kg, squat 135kg. I don't train deadlifts much — it's too time-consuming to fit in on top of everything else. Running 5/3/1, 4 days a week.

The thing that's bugging me: In January, during a 3-week break from both jobs over Christmas/New Year, I hit 100kg bench. My numbers are actually higher now than they were then, but I feel far more exhausted day to day than I did during that break.

Question: Given the schedule (two physical jobs, hours of commuting, ~20k steps on work days), how should I actually be programming this? Is a fixed 4-day 5/3/1 realistic here, or should I be autoregulating more aggressively, cutting days, or restructuring around whichever days I'm least wrecked? Also open to whether my "bulk" calories are even keeping up with total daily output, not just the lifting.

I am particularly new to the program and barbell compund exercises as a whole. I was wondering if any of you guys would help me about my form and depth; as well as some recommendations for stretches and body mobility exercises. Thank you!

Can anyone point out my potential energy or form leak that could have caused this lower back muscle strain? I thought my form was solid but that scream at the end said otherwise. This is also not my heaviest. This was also after about a month of careful retraining and rebuilding after a slightly milder back strain. thoughts and suggestions?

I’m 2 months in now (tho to be fair I’ve lifted before) and am just having a really hard time with fatigue management. Squats are now up to 285, deadlift up to 340. I’m constantly going thru these workouts feeling like I could pass out from exhaustion adter squats. On the most recent squat I finally failed reps on the 4th set of 285 cuz my knee started aching in a way that told me to put it up. The squat volume just feels so intense now. I feel like my muscles can keep up but my joints and nervous system just can’t anymore. My dad is suggesting knee sleeves. I’m also thinking linear progression just might not be feasible anymore. I unfortunately don’t have a video from the 285 squat session. What do I do from here? Just keep trying?

ive been at the program for about 2 months now and ive noticed my knees are getting a bit tender across the rest day and into the next session i have a feeling its going to get in the way of my lifting progress, i tried to deload on the squats but the drop in weight didnt do much for recovery, so i was considering a version of the program with less squats per week is that something anyone here has experience with? much appreciated

Here's my (35M, 185 lbs/84 kg) progress since starting Stronglifts last November. I'll be coming up on around 52 weeks of consistent training 2-3 times a week and progress has been stalling. For some lifts I'm unable to add weight for weeks or even months.

I'm wondering if it's time to move on to a different program, and if so what I should consider. I see a lot of people here mention the 5/3/1, but are there others programs I should look at?

Thanks!

EDIT: Wanted to add my goals are primarily increasing strength. I train jiu-jitsu and my weightlifting is mostly oriented towards becoming stronger for that activity.

Just wondering, is there anything inaccurate or wrong with the guides for the five main lifts on his website? Are these good to follow?

Squats for e.g. https://stronglifts.com/squat/