Icf 5x5

There are plenty of beginner strength routines, most of them like stronglifts 5x5, starting strength, greyskull LP, GZCLP, ICF 5x5 you name it are almost all basically the same in principle.
But what I wonder, what could be the trade-off to deadlift 1 set per week or do it in an A/B/A, B/A/B setting that you say deadlift for the training. What are the disadvantages and advantages of it?

It's for my bro.... 39 yo, with 1 year con inconsistent training. Or would PHUL or Jeff Nippard's fundamentals be a better choice? PHUL power days seems to have some æsthetic carryover.

https://i.imgur.com/ZJ0k0nV.jpg
27/M/170cm. Time period is about 10 years. Left photo 2012 right photo today
I'd estimate I have about 6-7 years of real consistent training under my belt due to long periods of breaks (mostly depression etc). I trained mostly for powerlifting (5/3/1, nsuns, ICF 5x5) in the past but realized years in I was just following a trend and in reality enjoyed bodybuilding training styles more.
For programming I follow Eric Helm's programming pyramid loosely as well as tracking all my lifts through an app called strong. I use an uppelower twice a week and add an arm day if I have time/energy as I work a physically demanding job.
I'm very flexible with my programming and generally just write my exercises as horizontal push/pull and vertical push/pull, not to say that I interchange movements a lot but the idea is that I am flexible if the gym is busy. I program with the parameter of Hypertrophy and consistency being the main priority (basically my exercise selection are movements I have a good mind muscle connection with and have a high enjoyability factor for me).
Upper
Weighted Pull-ups 3x6-8
Weighted Chest dips 3x6-8
Chest supported Rows 3x8-12
Incline dumbbell/shoulder press 3x8-12
Lateral raises 3x8-12
Seated Dumbbell curls 3x8-12
Tricep Rope push downs 3x8-12 (mechanical drop sets into overhead tricep extensions)
Face pulls/rear delt flyes 3x8-12
Lower
Calves raises
Leg press 3x6-8
Bulgarian Split Squats 3x8-12
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts 3x8-12
Seated quad extensions 3x8-12
Seated hamstring extensions 3x8-12

Been following ICF 5X5 for two weeks now; just wondering how long it will take for me to see noticeable progress wherein I have abs and bigger muscles WITHOUT ENOUGH PROTEIN INTAKE.
For context, I am a 14 year old, 120 lbs, 5'7 male. I want to be at least 140 lbs by the end of the year. I've been following ICF 5x5 because it has the main lifts and additional isolation work and also since I've also tried SL 5x5 and it was boring. Also been doing progressive overload by increasing reps by 1 every week for each exercise or upping the weight and reducing the rep to 6 after it reaches the max reps for hypertrophy (10 reps for compound/12 reps for isolation i think?).I've also been eating in a caloric surplus of 2700 calories. My only dilemma right now is that I'm not eating enough protein (taking 20g instead of 120g); our family doctor has advised me to lessen protein intake because it isn't appropriate and even damaging for teenagers' developing kidneys.
So, how long will it take for me to see noticeable progress (abs and huge muscles) without enough protein intake? Also feel free to drop some suggestions to help me in lifting, I will try my best to follow them. (sorry for the dumb question, just genuinely wondering)

Josh from the DC. I've seen requests for something like this and would like more to add. Currently what I'm thinking to add:
BOM's self coaching vid/berserk method, 3 Day FB template, and BB the final answer playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zlv2log-CQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXIRCIvJ5s0 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt5NvY0VJXHLorNcM3Ead7iZEcRFATz7D
NH's Injury Playlist, Hypertrophy playlist, Program review playlist, programming playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsw1W2tlNEW9jV2AByvdIielUJhRvMFcp https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsw1W2tlNEW-YScNTJkts8gl4xa1cGTlh https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsw1W2tlNEW_6wN5cQEOdDbaffS5ag--H https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsw1W2tlNEW_-thaHpO52aUU4tBp6RzEU

Programs another member has found and made a list of: Some good bodybuilding programs for beginners include:
Candito Linear Program
Metallidcpa's PPL
Power Hypertrophy Upper-Lower Program
Natural Hypertrophy's 3-day Full-Body Novice Program
RippedBody's Beginner Bodybuilding Program
You can also try Fierce 5 if you want. Allpro's Beginner Routine can also be run if you want a simpler start. Joe Fazer's beginner program also works.
Some good strength programs for beginners include:
Strong Curves
Metallidcpa's PPL
Westside for Skinny Bastards
5/3/1 for Beginners
nSuns 5/3/1 LP
GZCLP
GreySkull LP
Ivysaur 4-4-8
Coolcicada's 6-day PPL
Candito's Linear Program
ICF 5x5
StrongLifts 5x5
Jon Andersen's Deep Water Method
Starting Strength
Some good powerlifting programs include:
Sheiko
nSuns 5/3/1 LP
GZCLP
GZCL Method
Greg Nuckol's 28
The Strength Athlete's Beginner Powerlifting
Jon Andersen's Deep Water Method
5/3/1 for Beginners
NSS Supertotal Program
Some good calisthenics programs include:
bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine
StartBodyweight.com Beginner Routine
The Hybrid Routine 2.0
You can also visit the Fitness Wiki's Recommended Routines page for more.

There's also a list of fitness yters another member curated. What changes would you make to it?

Some good fitness influencers include:
Natural Hypertrophy
The Bioneer
Sean Nalewanyj
Jeff Nippard
Geoffrey Verity Schofield
Bald Omni-man
Alex Leonidas AKA AlphaDestiny
Renaissance Periodisation
VitruvianPhysique
JPG Coaching
t_nutrition fitness
The Hypertrophy Coach
Stand Strength
Basement Bodybuilding
Alexander Bromley
Alan Thrall
Buff Dudes
Stronger by Science
Shredded Sports Science
mountaindog1 AKA John Meadows
Hybrid Calisthenics
Eugene Teo
Some OK fitness influencers:
Mario Tomic
Fittlab
Curlean-X
Noel Deyzel
Derek from More Plates More Dates
Omar Isuf
Zack Telander
Juggernaut Training Systems
Revival Fitness
Davis Diley
Alec Enkiri Elite Fitness
Garage Strength
KneesOverToesGuy
Parkour Journeys
Simon Miller
PictureFit
Joe Fazer
Calisthenicsmovement
Saturnomovement
FitnessFAQS
Scott Herman Fitness
LeanBeefPatty
Jesse James West
Will Tennyson
House of Hypertrophy
Ryan Jewers
Evan Holmes
Bad Fitness Influencers:
Kinobody
ATHLEAN-X
Mike Chang AKA sixpackshortcuts
Liver King
Ryan Humiston
Joel Seedman
Greg Doucette (edited)
Jump

Novice lifter doing ICF 5x5, skinny, maybe skinny fat. I’ve heard many people who’ve been in my situation say I should bulk. Others who say I should lean bulk.
I don’t know what to do, but if I did, what the fuck do I eat??? Can I still eat a burger? Pizza? How much chicken? How much rice? How much of this? How much of that?
There’s so much food out there, too many different opinions out there, and people saying one thing while other people say another thing.
Do I eat 500 above my TDEE? Some people say yes, but I see other people who say I will get fat, do I eat 200 above my TDEE? Some people say yes, but other people say I won’t gain any muscle.
What. The. Fuck. Do. I. Do.
Why does everything seem so complicated?

Hey yall, somewhat nookie, been working out on and off for some time and wanted to really dedicate some time in the gym. I've done the 5x5 stronglifts (Jason blaha's ICF version) and was wondering if there are other better programs you can recommend? Really the main objective is to pickup size. Link to the program I am talking about,
If nothing else can someone who's been through the ropes suggest a good program just to stick by until I can develop/tailor one with time and experience?
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/jason-blaha-ice-cream-fitness-5x5-novice-workout

Hi,
I've been lifting for around 1.5 years done 3x5, ICF 5x5 and now doing Nsuns (5 days)
I've always found it very hard to put on weight, during my first year of lifting I went from 62-69kg at around 3700-3800 calories?
Recently I just have been finding it impossible to get into the 70's?
Lifts for 1RM SBD are: 125kg/100kg/180kg
One of my parents did have thyroid issues so maybe its something to do with that? I've attached some photos for people to see. Also work as a DevSecOps Engineer so sit 5 days a week, any help would be appreciated thank you :)
Also weight myself every morning.
Link to calories and daily weight tracked: https://imgur.com/a/fNofsp6

I’m wanting to start Jason Blaha’s ICF 5x5 and he recommends 75% of your 1rm for the 5x5s and 65% for the 3x8s.
The problem is I’ve never lifted a day in my life. How do I find my correct starting weight without wasting time?
Do I do the whole routine with just the bar? And then add more next session? That seems kinda slow. Or do I start with the bar and then add more each set? That sounds like it will take forever and I’ll be in the gym for 2 1/2 hours.

Hi guys. I'm making this progress post as a way to help me stay on track as I've been struggling so much with consistency the last couple months.
Before & after - Still tiny and weak, but I am feeling extremely more confident and strong. I feel like a completely different person now.
I actually started in nov 2019, but due to gym closures I only worked out for 3 months and quit until they opened back up fully in feb 2021. In those 3 months I ate way too much and got to 60kg (~130lb i believe), so I lost all of it and ended up back at the start (45-47kg) but leaner than ever cause I knew a little bit more about nutrition.
Progression:
24yo 175cm (~5'9")
Weight: 45kg (100lb) to 55kg (121lb) +10kg
Lifts

Lift	Before	After
Deadlift	40kg x 5	102.5kg x 3
OHP	30kg x 8	42.5kg x 5
Bench Press	20kg (empty bar) x 8	65kg x 2
Back Squat (High bar)	40kg x 5	67.5kg x 20 (Super squats)

Programs followed:
ICF 5x5, 5/3/1 for Beginners - Trying out Super Squats now
No cardio or conditioning work, just strength training.
Did do some posture fixing routine for some time to get my nerd neck and hunchback fixed, helped a bit, I got it from a video from Jeremy Ethier.
Diet:
Lean bulk (200-300kcal surplus)
Whole milk, eggs, greek yoghurt, dried nuts, and nutella or PB sandwiches were my staple foods. Not very 'clean' but it was the only way to stay consistent for me.
No supplements used.
Goals:
Ideally I want to end up at a lean 70-75kg (~155lb?) at some point. I think doing one bodybuilding show would be pretty awesome as the ultimate 'I made it' goal, that physique is super far away though.
Strength wise, just really want to get that 100kg (225lb) bench for now. And ultimately as a more ambitious goal a 180kg (400lb) squat, since my legs were (and still are) the worst and weakest part about my body.
-
Thanks for reading

M/25/5’8” [135 to 160lbs] (2 years 8 months )
https://i.imgur.com/5zNm3xl.jpg
Previously posted on here back in 2019.
Previous Post
Been consistent ever since. Was running ICF 5x5 back then. Now running PPL 6 days a week.
Any questions feel free to ask :)

Hello everyone. I did a post a few weeks ago about quitting track, I am leaning towards quitting but one thing I have noticed is that multiple people have critiqued my lifts. Which leaves me wondering "How do I improve them?".
As if right now I'm 100 kg and 188cm, 16 years old. My one rep maxs are 90kg on squats, 70 kg on bench, 120 kg on deadlifts and 50 kg on clean and jerk. Quite shit I know but that's why I'm asking you guys.
I have plateau'd in lifting too, last summer I improved massively, went from barely squatting 60 to doing 85 5x5 without issues. My bench hasn't improved much however, as it went from 50 to 60 5x5. My deadlifts neither.
Which makes me wonder if it's part of my program, ICF 5x5. https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/jason-blaha-ice-cream-fitness-5x5-novice-workout
Should I change program to another better one or is that program good enough and the problem is me and my discipline/diet?
Also I am planning to do a cut, im 20-23% bodyfat and I would like for that to decrease, as much as I like being "big" I dislike my stomach more.

Hey guys, I've been doing icf 2.0 for 4 months now. I'm not reallt happy with my progress. Its been slow. Only increased all lifts by about 10kg which I'm annoyed about. Now I want to swap programme, but don't know what to swap to. I would to build muscle and look good. Any suggestions please ? The most I can go to the gym a week is probably 4-5 days. My bench increased to 60 from 40kg Squat increased from 70kg to 95kg Dealdift Imcreasd from 60kg to 95kg Overhead press increased from 25kg to 40kg Bent obrr row increased form 40kg to 55kg

I am a mere swolefant in the whey; i am only on mine own second prayer of ICF 5x5.
I doth not liketh the bench press, as i am 6’3 with longeth limbs. I doth fancy necromancy and the holy squat. Howev'r, as i did complete overhead press, it madeth me feel v'ry valorous and swole of mind. Liketh i instantly hath felt better once i did finish mine own 5 of overhead press. In the words of the strange tongue: Overhead press hits different.
Hath any fellow swoldiers felt the same?
Wheymen.

https://www.reddit.com/swoleacceptance/comments/r5fz46/i_20m_63_275_have_decided_to_begin_regular_praye?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf — my original post.
Thy girth measures at 275 lbs, and thy length measures at 6’3. I hath chosen ICE Cream Fitness 5x5 as my starting regimen. I wanted something with enough volume that I could be in the gym only on M,W,F. I will also admit that I’m looking more for aesthetics as en end goal than strength. Y’all have shown me that consistency is the main driver, though.
Would this routine (ICF 5x5) be good for me, as I’m 6’3 275 lbs and eating 1500 calories of high protein/veggies? I may also eat 1750 on my lifting days. Furthermore, how much visual progress should I expect Brodin to bless with while at such a large deficit?
Wheymen.

Hello
For context:
- Male
- Age: 27
- Current bodyweight: ~88Kg
- Height: 6ft2
- Squat: 130kg 5x5
- Deadlift: 115kg 1x5
- Bench: 75kg 5x5
- Overhead Press: 50kg 5x5
- Bent over row: 70kg 5x5
I am doing the Ice Cream Fitness routine (basically stronglifts with accessories) and have been making great linear gains on each of the main lifts over the past few months since lockdown ended. Those linear gains have pretty much finished for my squat at 130kg 5x5. But as you can see my other lifts (especially my deadlift) are relatively much weaker and I feel I can still squeeze out linear progress on these lifts.
My question is: what do I do with squats whilst still doing the ICF programme on the other lifts? Squatting at the beginning of the session at 130kg 5x5 really fatigues me and negatively impacts my other lifts. What should I do?
Just keep the weight constant on the squat now and wait for my other lifts to catch up?
Go down to 3x5 on squat?
Change programme?
Do squats at the end of the workout instead?
Stop being a giant wuss and continue as I am?

Hey everyone, I’ve been heading to the gym 5-6 days a week for just under 2 months now using more of a ‘bro split’ that my friend uses which involves 4 different workouts and I’ve already noticed that I am plateauing with my strength so want to change to a proper programme. The two I’m keen on are the ICF 5x5 and Arnold’s blueprint for mass but can’t decide which to commit to.
For reference I am an 18y/o male, 6’ weighing in at just under 140lbs and want to gain strength and mass in 6 months to prepare for joining the defence force.
The ICF 5x5 means I only go 3-4 days a week and Arnold’s blueprint for mass is 6 days but I worry that it won’t result in many gains as I am a beginner and it is classified as an ‘advanced programme’. Any advice would be much appreciated thank you :)

I've been running ICF 5x5 for the stipulated time period which is 12 weeks. I'm new to all this and basically started everything at 0. My current lifts are: Squat: 110-120kg Bench: 55-60kg OHP: 35-40kg Row: 50-55kg Deadlift: 100-105kg Starting weight: 147lbs Now: 158lbs My goal before I started going to the gym 3 months ago was basically hypertrophy but overtime i fell in love with lifting heavy, breaking PRs etc etc. I still want to be bigger but at the same time I want to be strong. I don't want to have a bunch of nonfunctional mass. I've done some research and it seems it would be beneficial for me to continue with ICF for a while longer but I have 2 hang ups: 1. I spend anywhere from 2-4 hours at the gym so it takes too long. Exams are around the corner so I don't want to spend so much time in the gym. 2. I'm kinda bored with it and its a strength based program. Like I said earlier I want mass as well as strength so id want a program that gives me the best of both worlds. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Hi Stronglifts5x5,
This might be a slightly long post, so please bear with me. I started with lifting journey just over three weeks ago, which is why I am getting concerned about stalling so early. Here is (hopefully) all the information you all need about me:

• Age & Gender: 20 & Male
• Height: 5ft 8in
• Weight: 147lbs
• BF%: According to the photos I've seen online, I'm estimating 20-25% range
• Macros and Diet: Macros (avg over 7 days) and caloric intake (7 days)
• Last two workouts: StrongLifts history page

As you can see from the StrongLifts history page image, I have been running the ICF 5x5 (although without the hyperextensions and one and two of the extras, because I simply don't have the equipment). I understand that I am at extremely low lift numbers compared to most posts on this topic I've seen, which is why I've decided to make a new post instead. I have been putting max effort into my work outs and I tend to be quite worn out afterwards, so I don't think it's a matter of not trying hard enough.
I am currently intermittently fasting with the 16:8 split, so I start eating at 12pm and end eating at 8pm. This has actually worked quite well for me and has given me quite a lot of energy throughout the day because I'm able to avoid food comas.
I have been tracking my calories religiously. I input every single thing I eat, including the olive oil and various other condiments I'm using to stir-fry my vegetables. I eat the same thing every meal--around 200g of chicken breast, and around 500-600 grams of a mixture of vegetables (squash, celery, carrots, broccoli, green beans). I am a stay-at-home college student right now, so measuring out exactly what I'm eating is totally possible and realistic right now.
I am hesitant to add more calories every day since I feel like my BF% is already quite high. But I also have the sneaking suspicion that is the reason why I'm already starting to struggle with some of these lifts. I also may have been unwisely influenced by all sorts of "broscience" about body re-composition.
I am serious about getting stronger and better and I am willing to sacrifice the short-term for the long-term. Thanks in advance for any assistance. Let me know if I could provide any more information.
EDIT: The reason why I de-loaded my barbell row is because I was thinking over my two rest days about my form and it wasn't ideal. So I took it down a notch to make sure I'm doing it right (not hurting my lower back).

Hey so I’m a beginner to powerlifting and I really want to get into it but I have no idea what program to run. I have heard of ICF 5x5, GZCLP, 5/3/1 and others but can’t choose because i see people shaming these programs. Which are the best in your opinion?

Hi all,
This seems like a bit of a newbie question, but it comes from an intermediate lifter. Hoping someone can help me or have personal experience with my question.
I started lifting with good old 5x5, finished it, added accessories and because of its heavy lifting and simplicity- made it my basis. Eventually I shifted in to doing the whole routine 2x a week with dips and pull ups and that worked really well. I got trim, I got lean, I started to build a little muscle but since I was cutting- not a whole lot- which is the crux of my question.
However, by now- I'm just burnt out on it. I've done de-loads, resets etc. I'm lifting the same weight over and over again- still cutting and stalling- but mostly it's just boring. Staring it down at the gym is a drag. I don't want to go back to standard 5x5 because it's not really enough for me as an intermediate, and also, I dont like hitting muscle groups once a week.
Which brings me to my question-
Does anyone have any experience with using ICF to cut? My main concern is that since I will still be eating at a deficit, I will simply be wasting my time doing biceps curls, tricep extensions etc etc because I won't be eating the calories required to build massive amounts of muscle. I love the concept of ICF- it looks like a program I'd do well on- but I'm not sure if it's designed for my goals.
I do have a bit of anxiety about routine change, not from change itself, but the idea of spending months on ICF- wasting time doing bicep curls for no reason and being depressed in 4 months I've accomplished nothing.
My diet is in check, macros are good, everything's solid- I just dont know if doing isolated lifts while cutting is going to do me any good.
Anyone have any thoughts on ICF trying to lose weight? Pointless? Is it mainly a program for those looking to gain weight? Will I be fruitless curling and extending on a caloric deficit? Or should I simply re arrange the big lifts in 5x5 to something "new"?