Are you interested in doing a 5×5 training program but hate the local gym? Then keep reading! Because today I’ll be explaining how you can do 5×5 at home.
The 5×5 workout can be done at home with barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells. The recommended choice of free weight will depend on training goals, budget, and the space available. In general, 5×5 at home is best performed with barbells, but they are also the most expensive.
Let’s explore the different 5×5 home workouts you can do at home!
Two 5×5 Options You Can Do At Home.
5×5 training is the generic name given to any workout program based on 5 exercises, 5 sets, and/or 5 reps.
It’s a great training weight training routine for beginners.
For a beginner, it can often be confusing when random numbers are given out left, right, and center:
“Do 5×6 for this and 4×8 of that”
“4 sets are the best”
“Always aim for 8 to 12 reps”
So as someone new to lifting weights, it doesn’t get more simple than sticking to a program where all the training variables are 5, 5, and you guessed it….5!
Therefore the main appeal of doing a 5×5 workout is its simplicity.
Here are 2 of the most popular 5×5 home workouts you can try.
1) Stronglifts 5×5 Is The Most Popular.
The Stronglifts 5×5 full body workout is currently one of the more popular forms of 5×5 training.
This program has you alternating between two workouts:
Workout A
- Squat.
- Flat bench press.
- Bent-over row.
Workout B
- Squat.
- Overhead press.
- Deadlift (1 set only).
There are 3 training days per week.
On each training day, you complete either workout A or B.
You would then take a 1 or 2-day rest before completing the other workout, effectively cycling between the two workouts.
Each exercise requires you to perform 5 sets of 5 repetitions, with a 90 second rest in between sets.
If you successfully complete your 5 sets, then you’d add an extra 5lb for that exercise in the next workout.
The exception is the deadlift, where you add 10lb.
By rapidly increasing weight as the weeks go by, the idea is to quickly build strength.
And as a by-product of your strength gains, you’ll also increase muscle size.
You may be interested in my other article to learn the signs that you are getting stronger!
2) Muscle Group 5×5’s Are Also Effective.
The muscle group 5×5 is the more beginner-friendly way to perform 5×5 training.
This program has more flexibility, compared to the Stronglifts 5×5.
Each workout has you working one specific muscle group (e.g. chest, arms, back, shoulders, legs, or abs).
I like to group the arms with the shoulders and legs with the abs.
This is because the arms and abs are often trained concurrently when exercising the other muscle groups, so they don’t need dedicated workouts.
So a weekly full-body muscle group 5×5 program could look like this:
- Monday- chest.
- Wednesday- back.
- Friday- shoulders and arms.
- Sunday- legs and abs.
Each workout involves 5 exercises, each targeting the specified muscle group.
For example, chest day could include:
- Bench press.
- Incline bench press.
- Chest fly.
- Dips.
- Dumbbell pull over.
For each exercise, you’d complete 5 sets with a 1-2 minute rest between sets.
The number of reps per set is entirely up to you.
Some people like to do specified reps. If your goal is to build or tone muscle, then you should aim to complete 8-12 challenging reps per set.
Other people like to work towards a time limit. This involves completing as many reps as possible in, say, 30 seconds. After the time is up, your set is complete and you’d take a rest before moving on to the next set.
Regardless of your rep style, you should aim to progressively make small weight increases every 1 or 2 weeks.
This is called progressive overload, and it drives muscle growth.
Check out my other article to find out why 5 reps can build muscle.
Choose Your Poison: Weight Options To Do A 5×5 At Home.
Both of the 5×5 training programs described above are great for beginners to work the full body at home.
Your choice of 5×5 home workout will depend on your personal goals.
Stronglifts 5×5 is more geared towards rapid strength and muscle size gains, whereas the muscle group 5×5 is more suitable for general fitness, muscle size gains, and muscle toning.
Once you’ve chosen your preferred choice of 5×5 training, you’ll need to decide what type of weight to use.
| Free Weight | Suitable Goal | Estimated Cost | Estimated Space |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell | Get bigger & stronger | $1000-2000 | 30 square foot |
| Kettlebell Set | Tone muscle & general fitness | $500-100 | 15 square foot |
| Adjustable Dumbbell | Build & tone muscle | $500 | 4 square foot |
1) Barbells Offer The Greatest Progression Potential.
If your goal is to gain muscle and strength, and you have the budget for a barbell/rack/bench/plates, then this is the superior choice for a home gym.
Barbells allow you to load the greatest amount of weight and are ideal for 5×5 training at home.
Affordable sets like this
In fact, the entire Stronglifts 5×5 routine revolves around the barbell. And for best results, you should definitely stick with Stronglift’s recommendation.
That’s because the program requires you to increase weight at a rapid pace, and dumbbells/kettlebells will simply be outgrown very quickly.
Additionally, the muscle-building compound exercises (such as those in Stronglifts 5×5) return the greatest benefits when loaded heavy.
The obvious downside to choosing a barbell setup is the required cost and space.
For a home barbell 5×5 to work, you’ll need to buy the bar, rack, bench, and weight plates.
That being said, the initial investment will likely last you many years (if not your entire weight lifting career).
Another great reason to choose a barbell to do 5×5 at home is that if you need more weight, plates are relatively cheap (around $2 per pound).
A good setup can be found at an affordable price on Amazon.
I’ve tested the CAP Olympic barbell and it’s very durable. It goes well with the Balance From iron weight plates, Bang Tong rack, and Flybird bench.
Find out if a home gym is right for you in my other article!
2) Kettlebells Can Also Be Used For A 5X5 Home Workout.
If your goal is to use 5×5 home workouts to improve general cardiovascular fitness and tone muscles, then kettlebells can be a cheaper option for a 5×5 home workout.
Just be aware that you’ll need a complete set, and this will consume space (especially the rack).
Both 5×5 routines mentioned above can be performed with kettlebells at home (though not as effective as barbells or dumbbells).
You’ll also have to find kettlebell-specific exercises which cover the entire body.
Some of the best home 5×5 kettlebell exercises include:
- Single-arm row.
- Floor press.
- Kettlebell overhead press.
- Deadlifting with kettlebells.
- Goblet squat.
- Clean and press.
- Kettlebell swing.
You would simply choose 5 exercises for each workout, and complete 5 sets of each exercise (as described above)
But if your goal is to get bigger and build significant amounts of muscle, then kettlebells are not your best option.
There are 3 reasons why kettlebells are not ideal for building muscle:
- Large weight increments- make it difficult to progressive overload regularly. You may find yourself having to jump 20 pounds between kettlebells, and this makes it especially unsuitable for Stronglifts 5×5 where you’re recommended to overload by 5lb at a time.
- Awkward grip- makes the best muscle-building compound exercises difficult to perform for beginners.
- Limited weight- they’re usually capped at around 50lbs per kettlebell.
That being said, having kettlebells is better than not having any weight at all, and a cheap set like the Yes4All powder-coated kettlebells is great for beginners.
It’s just the barbell or dumbbell is the better alternative for most skinny guys.
3) Dumbbells Are Cheap And Convenient.
The third way to do 5×5 workouts at home is to use dumbbells.
Many people choose to do 5×5 with dumbbells over barbells for two reasons:
- Cheaper- a pair of heavy adjustable dumbbells will set you back around $400-500 but will contain a range of weight increments, effectively packaging an entire dumbbell set into one convenient unit.
- Space-efficient- these dumbbells take up just a few square feet. And when combined with a weight bench, you have everything you need for a good home workout.
Here’s a 5×5 full-body dumbbell workout you could try:
Workout A
- Flat bench press.
- Overhead press.
- Deadlift (3 sets only)
- Squat.
- Bent-over row.
Workout B
- Incline bench press.
- Lateral raise.
- Deadlift (3 sets only).
- Bulgarian split-squat.
- Dumbbell weighted pull-up (3 sets only).
You should be doing 3 workouts per week by alternating between workouts A and B with a rest day in between.
For each exercise, do 5 sets of 8 reps before taking a rest and continuing your sets.
You’ll need a pair of heavy adjustable dumbbells like the Powerblock Elites. They work great with the Flybird adjustable weight bench.
And if you’re looking to do pull-ups, then a Power Tower like the Sports Royal is recommended.
Remember to progressively add a small amount of weight every 1 or 2 weeks.
Also, beginners should start with bodyweight pull-ups before progressing to weighted pull ups. And if you don’t have a pull-up bar, then you can substitute with bent-over dumbbell rows instead.
This workout won’t be as effective as the Stronglifts barbell 5×5, but it allows you to do a 5×5 workout at home without a barbell.
Besides, you can also expect to build some muscle as well as tone those muscles.
Check out my other article for an in-depth analysis for the effectiveness of Stronglifts 5×5 with dumbbells.
What Results Can You Expect From Doing 5×5 At Home?
The results you can expect from doing 5×5 at home will vary depending on the specific 5×5 program and what type of weight you choose.
Here are the expected results from Stronglifts and muscle group 5×5 for the 3 different free weights:
- Barbell Stronglifts 5×5- significantly increase strength and build around 20 pounds of muscle in a year.
- Dumbbell Stronglifts 5×5- build around 5-15 pounds of muscle over 6-12 months.
- Kettlebell Stronglifts 5×5- increase general fitness and muscle toning.
- Barbell muscle group 5×5- build 20+ pounds of muscle in a year.
- Dumbbell muscle group 5×5- build 5-20 pounds of muscle over 3-9 months.
- Kettlebell muscle group 5×5- increase general fitness and muscle toning.
So if your goal is to become bigger and stronger, then a barbell is your best option.
But if you only want to make moderate and noticeable improvements in your physique at an affordable price, then dumbbells are the way forward.
Finally, if general health and fitness is your goal, then kettlebells are great!
I personally use dumbbells. They’re extremely versatile and offer a good function-price balance. You may be interested in my other article for 14 of the best muscle-building dumbbell exercises!
Conclusion
That’s how you can do 5×5 at home.
5×5 training is a simple, yet effective, program for beginners to build muscle and strength without needing to go to the local gym.
The most important decision you need to make is which routine to perform (Stronglifts vs muscle group 5×5) and what type of weight to use.
Ultimately, there’s no “best 5×5 program” or “best type of weight to use. Rather, you should choose the most suitable combination for your personal goals.
Which 5×5 workout are you going to try at home?
Let me know in the comments below!
Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions! You can find my details on the “contact us” page.
You may also be interested in the downloadable Kalibre Blueprint PDF which details exactly how I gained 40lbs of lean muscle (it’s 100% free!). It details the exact exercises and nutrition (with printable worksheets) I used to go from skinny to ripped!
Thanks for reading guys!
Peace Out,
Kal
(Biochemistry BSc, Biomedical Sciences MSc, Ex-Skinny Guy)
