Give Me Five

How the 5x5 system can boost your strength and mass.

- Greg Merritt

LIFTERS LIKE EVEN numbers. Page through this magazine and you'll see lots of sets of eight to 12 reps, but odds are you won't find any seven to 11s. So the first thing you'll probably notice about the 5x5 system is its odd digits. Five sets of five reps? Seems a little off. In truth, this set and rep scheme is associated with strength training today, but it originated with musclemen like Reg Park back in the 1950s. With a few tweaks, we'll bring 5x5 into the 21st century and show you how this "odd" system may be the right one for gaining strength and size.

Out of the Park

British-born Reg Park—Mr. Universe, cinematic Hercules, and idol of young Arnold Schwarzenegger—developed his own 5x5 system, which cycled through 10 to 12 basic lifts in a single workout with every exercise performed for five sets of five reps. He performed only two exercises per body part, and some areas were neglected entirely. For example, front and back squats and deadlifts were all included in Park’s routine, all of which stimulate the hamstrings a little, so he didn’t include direct ham work. With its full-body emphasis and Olympic-style moves like power cleans and standing presses, Park’s paradigm now more closely resembles a CrossFit routine than a bodybuilding workout.